I, the Supreme Overlord, Start by Enslaving the Zerg Queen

"Listen up, people inside. We know you\'re still in there, so you better open the door right now. If you don\'t open the door, we will force our way in."

One of the Serpentian guards shouted directly towards the door.

"Alright, alright, I\'m coming to open the door." Charles replied to the Serpentian guard\'s shouting while slowly making his way to the door.

As soon as Charles opened the door, the innkeeper took a step back, hiding behind the Serpentian guards.

"It\'s him, he\'s the one who killed the guest in my inn." the innkeeper said anxiously, pointing at Charles while whispering in the Serpentian guard\'s ear.

Charles, feigning a slightly puzzled expression, prompted the innkeeper to ask.

"What exactly are you talking about? What do you mean I killed a guest in your inn?"

"Stop pretending to be clueless! We have gathered testimonies from numerous witnesses. Many have accused you of murdering another guest in the inn last night."

The Serpent Guard spoke to Charles in a chilling tone.

Charles shook his head, "This matter was not of my doing."

"There\'s no point in continuing to deny it! The Governor has ordered me to bring you all to him. Both you and your companions must come."

The Serpentian guard declared, raising his weapon and pointing it at Charles.

Charles had no intention of resisting. In his view, this unforeseen turmoil might actually provide him with some valuable intelligence.

The two Serpentian guards gathered Charles and his group together.

Just as Charles and his companions were about to leave the inn, the innkeeper suddenly shouted at Medusa, "I knew you would pay the price sooner or later! See, retribution has finally come!"

Upon hearing these words, Medusa slightly turned her head and glanced at the innkeeper.

Symbols of intricate and arcane nature began to appear in Medusa\'s eyes, each representing a powerful and intense curse.

Although the innkeeper was safe for the moment, it wouldn\'t be long before the curse claimed his life.

Charles did nothing to stop Medusa\'s actions. In Charles\'s view, the innkeeper was indeed someone deserving of punishment.

As they were escorted by the Serpent guards to meet the Serpent magistrate, Charles, Medusa, and Little Green all felt remarkably at ease.

After all, the trio had a profound understanding of their own capabilities. Even if faced with significant danger, they were confident in their ability to overcome it through their own strength.

However, the situation was not as relaxed for Eck and Johann, who were trailing behind them.

Both Eck and Johann lamented their misfortune inwardly, wondering why fate had been so unkind to them. They each regretted their decision to join The Explorer\'s Association in the first place.

Had they not joined The Explorer\'s Association, they would never have ventured into the Desert of Sands. Consequently, none of these subsequent events would have transpired.

Before long, the group found themselves standing before the Serpent magistrate.

The Serpentian Governor recognized Eck and Johann. With a hint of impatience, he said, "Why are you two standing before me again? Are you somehow involved in the murder at the inn?"

Eck and Johann were at a loss for words in response to the Serpentian Governor\'s inquiry.

Although they felt a slight fear towards the Governor, their fear of Medusa and Little Green was even greater.

"Why are you not speaking? My time is exceedingly precious." he demanded, his voice laced with impatience. There are countless matters within the Rock Fortress that require my attention, I have no time to waste on you."

"If none of you wish to speak, then I shall send you to your deaths forthwith. Since you dared to commit murder in the inn, it stands to reason that you must pay with your lives."

Given that the Serpentian Governor had said this much, Charles could no longer remain silent.

Charles stepped forward and declared, "We did not commit the murder. The person who died in the inn was not killed by us."

No sooner had Charles finished speaking than one of the Serpentian guards who had escorted them immediately retorted.

"Stop denying it. We interviewed every guest at the inn, and they all confirmed that you killed the traveler last night.

With so many eyewitnesses, how can you continue to argue? Do you take us all for fools? Committing murder in Rock Fortress is a direct challenge to the Serpentian Empire. You must face the consequences."

The Serpent guard declared these words with an air of unwavering righteousness.

Upon hearing this, the expression on the Serpent magistrate\'s face grew even more irritable.

"Enough! Stop wasting time with all this nonsense! Let\'s resolve this matter quickly!" After saying this, the Serpentian Governor turned his gaze towards Charles.

"If you are willing to hand over some valuable resources, this matter can be settled. If you refuse to give up precious resources, I will have you thrown into prison."

The Serpentian Governor cast his gaze towards Medusa and Little Green, who stood behind Charles.

"You might not face too much trouble in prison, but your two female companions are likely to encounter significant difficulties. So, for their sake, you should choose to hand over some valuable resources."

The Serpent magistrate believed his words would be persuasive to Charles.

However, to his utter surprise, Charles outright refused.

"I do not carry any valuable resources. The supplies I have are merely drinking water and some food. If you truly want these supplies, I can give them to you."

Charles\'s words infuriated the Serpentian Governor.

"Are you mocking me? Very well, I will send you and your companions to prison." The Serpentian Governor ordered the guards to take Charles and his group to the prison.

The prison lay in the deepest level of Rock Fortress.

The cells held not only criminals but also prisoners of war from races hostile to the Serpentian Empire.

As Charles and his companions were led to the prison, their expressions varied widely.

Charles feigned deep regret. Medusa and Little Green remained remarkably calm. Eck and Johann looked utterly despondent.

Upon arriving at the prison, the Serpentian guards immediately separated them.

"You cannot stay in the same cell, you must be held separately."

The Serpentian guards placed Charles, Eck, and Johann together. Medusa and Little Green were confined to a different cell.

Inside Charles\'s cell, besides the three of them, there were three other prisoners huddled in the corner.

These three prisoners looked exceedingly pleased to see Charles and his companions.

"Finally, some fresh meat! We can finally have some fun with the newcomers!" A raspy voice echoed as a middle-aged man with only one leg crawled out from the shadows.

The one-legged man cast a terrifying gaze upon Charles and his companions.

This one-legged man seemed to regard Charles and the others as prey.

As the man approached, Eck and Johann looked utterly terrified. Though Charles also feigned a look of fear, his pretense was quickly seen through.

"You\'re not truly afraid of me, you actually think I\'m nothing more than a clown in front of you, don\'t you?"

After crawling near Charles, the one-legged man lifted his head and asked.

Charles\'s face still wore the mask of fear. "Although it may be impolite to say, your current behavior does indeed resemble that of a clown."

"I knew it, that\'s exactly what you think." the one-legged middle-aged man sneered, turning his gaze towards Eck and Johann. "You two must think the same! You\'ve never treated me like a normal human being."

At this point, the expression on the one-legged man\'s face suddenly twisted into a grotesque snarl.

He roared viciously at Charles and his companions, "Soon, you will all be just like me. I lost a leg, and you will too. I\'ll even attach your legs to myself."

The middle-aged man with one leg let out a terrifying laugh after finishing his statement, then launched an attack on Charles.

Charles hesitated slightly in the face of the oncoming assault, unsure whether he should use his true strength to counterattack.

Before Charles could make a decision, Medusa resolved the issue he faced.

Medusa unleashed a terrifying curse directly at the middle-aged man with one leg.

The one-legged man experienced a severe headache and, simultaneously, lost all sensation in his remaining leg.

"My other leg is gone! Where did it go?!" he screamed in panic.

From a nearby cell, Medusa\'s sweet, melodic voice rang out, "Your leg is here with me. If you want it back, you\'ll have to crawl over to me."

Medusa\'s words brought a sudden hush over everyone in the prison.

Even though Medusa\'s voice was incredibly sweet, all the prisoners fell into a state of panic upon hearing it.