After that tug, the guard knew he had applied all his weight in the pull. So when Barda did not budge, he turned to look at the man in the eye, with a wary look. What he saw made his blood curdle.
The man he had come to harass was eyeing him as if he was prey. Suddenly, he felt completely exposed before the man. He immediately backed away 3 steps.
Seeing the big guy pull away from someone, everyone had a wary look over this man. They had all seen what had happened. It wasn't so much what Barda had done but what he hadn't done. Even bold people show some reaction to burly men coming at them. This man gave a different feeling, as though everything was in his sights.
Barda had taken his time to get to know which was which. At the moment, he had no dog in this fight. However, he had just be thrust into conflict and been presented with an enemy. Barda was very curious about what was going on.
However, in this matter, his next course of action was clear. All he needed was a hint to show him not to move. Perhaps the lord might reconsider his order.
"Quit murking about. If he resists, put him down!"
Barda sighed. The guy had just signed his fate.
The big guy took out his sword and hacked at Barda, not taking any chances. However, Barda could see the blade coming as if it was in slow motion. Instead of ducking sideways or backward, Barda leaped forward and punched hard at the assailant's face. He was out before he knew what happened.
Seeing him fall, Barda eyed everyone, who at the moment were all shocked silly. In the next moment, 18 guys were charging at Barda. Even though Barda could easily take care of this group, he had an audience, he was not sure how it would look with him hacking down people in front of them.
Decisions, decisions.
Barda lifted the sword with his foot and caught it with his hand and took off. Someone tried to jump in front of him, but Barda ducked down. As he evaded the man, he swung his sword, decapitating the man's knee.
From his interface, he noticed someone aiming at him, there was an archer in the group. Scratch that, 2 archers. Ranged attackers would interfere with his plan to kite the group.
The village head lived at the heart of the village, which meant that all around him were houses. They could offer a suitable cover against the attackers. Instead of increasing his Power Output, he reduced it to 8%. That way, his escape would look more believable since he would strain.
Barda found even controlling his body was harder, as though he was bogged down in some swamp. However, he didn't give up that easily.
Barda's speed was now almost at an average human level, his only advantage being that he did not tire, which meant that he could sprint endlessly.
By the time he was getting to the first house away from the village head's home, the closest guard was almost on him. To his joy, the house more than one. There was an alley separating the 2 houses.
Barda kicked hard against a tree and got into the alley. As he did he swung his sword at the closest pursuer. Barda was leveraging hard on his parkour skills and his agility and dexterity attributes. Fortunately, he was well capable of doing this.
Even swinging his sword felt foreign at 8% Power, but it did the job. The blade slashed at the guard's shoulder, sending him sprawling. Barda's movement had been too sudden for him to react.
Barda did not have time to celebrate for he ended up surrounded. There were guards at the other end waiting for him. Barda immediately kicked hard against the sides of the house, and in 3 steps, he was on the roof.
Once here, he did not dally as arrows would start raining on him. He ran off towards the jungle. As he predicted, arrows started descending, but he was able to deflect them with a sword. His luck did not hold though, for just as he was about to jump to the next house, he sunk through the roof.
Unhurt, Barda ran out. The guards were just noticing his misfortune and had not had time to regroup. Barda being a machine did not experience disorientation. Simply got up and took off running. As he did, he slashed 2 more guards.
By the time he made it into the forest, the guards were still following him. He remained one step ahead of them. After the seventh guard fell, they decided to cut their losses and go back.
Lord Bronson raised hell at the residents, inquiring who the man was and what had happened. His biggest headache was how he was going to explain this to his superiors. He decided to take Litta and the burly man with him and report the matter to his superiors. He also posted guards outside Litta's house, just in case this Lincoln guy came back.
In the cover of darkness, Barda came back. Even at 8% capacity, he was still as silent as a grave as he made his approach. He had opted to remain at 8% once he realized its importance. When he would be in normal fights where he would need to fight like a human, 8% was the sweet spot. He just needed to get used to the feeling.
The first guard was nearly dozing off, unconvinced the guy would come back. Based on what he had heard, this man was just a passer-by, why would he come back to that place. The armor he had on had already been confiscated. They didn't look that important to risk capture. '
His negligence cost him his life. A glint of the sword in the dark and his head rolled off. Barda took his dagger, and with it, he finished his fellow guard.
"I knew you would come!" Lydia whispered as she saw Barda's silhouette coming through the window.
"Who are these people?" Barda asked.
"Do you not know?" Lydia asked in shock, "Where have you been living all your life?"
"Far from here," Barda's answer was very true.
"I'd say," Lydia answered, convinced. She then proceeded to explain to Barda the situation on the ground.
Lydia and Litta both lived in a small settlement called Somar, as Barda had already deduced. They were in the territory of Nalu city. Compared to Nalu, Somar was small and insignificant. The higher-ups did not even know of a place like Somar.
Unfortunately for Somar, that only left them in the hands of the local lord. The man was extremely greedy and vicious. He would extort the commoners in the area of all their farm produce, barely leaving them enough to eat.
Before the farmers had met their quota, they were not allowed to eat anything they produced. If they were caught eating, they were ruled as thieves and sent to the noose. In some cases, if the farmers failed to meet the quota consistently, their loved ones would be severely injured and denied medication as punishment.
The burly man had been desperate. Despite his effort, the farm kept producing lesser and lesser. Simple agriculture, plants consumed the nutrients in the soil. Without modern concepts such as composting, the only viable option was to let the land lie. The lord was too greedy to allow that.
"... and those devils took my Litta. Who knows what they are doing to him?" Lydia exclaimed as she finished her tale.
"Do you know where he put my equipment?" Barda asked Lydia. She misunderstood him, thinking he was planning on fleeing.
"You can't leave! You must help! Please, we took you in!" She pleaded with him, getting a little bit too loud, "think of that little girl in there. Think of her growing up without a father ..."
Suddenly, a loud horn was blown from outside the house, causing Lydia's words to freeze in her mouth.
"Hey you, in there. Come out peacefully and we won't burn the house down!" A loud sound called from outside the house.
Unlike the dumb guard, Lord Bronson had done the math. After looking at the armor, he had guessed they were very valuable. If the man had not run off completely, there was a chance he would be coming back to that house.
After posting the 2 guards and assuring them that Barda was highly unlikely to show, he had posted an ambush of 20 men around the hut, waiting for Barda to come. When they heard the woman pleading, they immediately made their move.