Sitting on the haystack in his cell, knees propped on elbows, fingers interlaced, chin resting on knuckles, Todd stared at Boyle's already cold body, lost in thought.

He knew that his expression must be incredibly unpleasant right now.

The original plan: rescue Boyle tonight and find out Aisha's whereabouts from him. Then find Aisha, bring the two of them along, and find a suitable place in the southern part of the North to establish an outpost.

Boyle oversaw the camp's internal affairs, Aisha guarded the sea route, and the Kingdom of Muxi was responsible for logistical support.

That was the original plan, that's correct.

But a major accident occurred right at the very first step.

Boyle, the candidate to lead the puppet regime of the Muxi Kingdom, died in this small and dark prison cell due to his severe injuries.

Todd dug his fingers deep into his hair, his eyes wide with frustration, and he sighed heavily. "Has the goddess of misfortune taken a liking to me? Or have I recently offended someone with extremely low luck?"

Todd exhaled towards the roof and muttered to himself, "What should I do next?"

Boyle is dead; there's no point in him staying here any longer.

The best option right now is to leave immediately and find another way.

But Todd was truly unwilling to give up. The Mursfield Kingdom's strategy regarding the North was the result of repeated discussions between him and Emerson. Boyle enjoyed high prestige among the barbarian tribes, led a large following, and controlled numerous growing strongholds. He was the best candidate to resist the Kingdoms of Ulster and Connaught.

Moreover, there was another reason lingering in his mind.

Boyle's last words resonated deeply with Todd.

A chieftain, on his deathbed, was still thinking of his people. In the moment he begged for help, Todd saw in Boyle a reflection of himself from years ago.

Recalling the Path of Sighs he had visited during the day, with its thousands of buried slaves, Todd shuddered.

If Boyle's death is discovered tomorrow morning, his people will surely suffer the same tragic fate.

Standing up, with his left hand supporting his right elbow and his right hand touching the bridge of his nose, Todd paced back and forth in the cell, racking his brains for possible solutions.

The long night slowly passed, and the east gradually began to lighten.

The sound of the morning bell reached his ears. Todd, who had been pondering all night, stared at Boyle's corpse, a crazy idea swirling in his mind.

The idea was so wildly imaginative that even Todd himself was hesitant. But time was of the essence; if he missed this opportunity, he might never have another chance like it.

With that thought in mind, Todd no longer hesitated and began to undress Boyle. (Editor's note: It's not what you're thinking.)

Putting Boyle's clothes on, Todd began to examine every scar, birthmark, mole, and tattoo on Boyle's body.

Using the 'Shaping' ability gifted to him by Clarence, Todd observed the man on the ground while altering the shape of his skin and fat.

The face shape gradually changes, the skin color darkens, and the marks are replicated one by one.

Half an hour later, Todd had completely transformed into Boyle's appearance.

Standing up straight, Todd compared himself to the original figure on the ground. He first nodded in satisfaction, then frowned and shook his head.

The "Shaping" ability can alter a creature's soft skin and fatty connective tissue, but it cannot reshape bones.

Boyle is about thirty years old and approximately 177 cm tall. Todd is eighteen years old (in the other world) and 171 cm tall. If you look closely, you can still tell the difference in their heights.

However, at this critical juncture, there's no time to worry about that now.

By putting his own clothes on Boyle, Todd used his "Earth Manipulation" ability to turn the prison floor into soft quicksand.

As Boyle's body was slowly swallowed by the earth, Todd took a silver coin from his pouch, placed it on Boyle's chest, and quietly said, "I couldn't make any promises to you while you were alive; but after you die, I will do my best to fulfill your last wishes."

The soil and gravel buried the hero, and the place where he spent his last days became his grave.

Todd used his powers to solidify and smooth the loose sand and gravel, making it look just like the original ground. Then he went to the corner of the cell, dug through the hay, and buried his personal belongings, especially the 'Amber Stone' given to him by Leviathan, in the ground.

Having done all this, Todd sat cross-legged on the floor and began to think about his next move.

This morning, Boyle's gladiator performance will take place.

It was called a performance, but it was actually tantamount to execution.

The Kingdom of Ulster has always maintained the most brutal and harsh attitude towards rebels.

The most important task at hand is to win this duel. If they win, Boyle and his people may have a chance to survive, and the Northern Border Strategy of the Muxi Kingdom can be successfully implemented; but if they lose, everyone will face only death.

So, victory is a must, but another question arises—how can we win without any weaknesses?

In the end, Boyle is just an ordinary person with slightly higher combat strength but no special abilities. Moreover, after being subjected to severe torture for several days, he should be extremely weak and have very low combat power.

Therefore, there are three points to note.

First, to prevent others from questioning my identity, I cannot use any superpowers that have light or sound effects.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!