"Be careful, he is extremely powerful!" Sylvie warned in a terrified whisper, her face drained of color as she gazed upon Strusk. After all, it was Strusk who had slain most of her guards and harbored intentions of marrying her.
She was shivering in fear, but she was instantly comforted by a warm voice. "Don't worry, my Lady, nobody can harm you as long as I am here," Kadden declared, his voice filled with unwavering confidence. At that moment, Sylvie couldn't help but look dreamily at Kadden's handsome face. If this was a dream, she had no desire to wake up.
However, her fantasies quickly ended, when Kadden suddenly gently placed her in the care of another adventurer. "Blaine, protect Lady Alson. I'll hold back the monster and catch up to you later," he said before turning to face Strusk.
He didn't fully understand where he found the confidence to confront such a fearsome foe as Strusk, but at that moment, there was only one thought driving him and that was to protect Sylvie at any cost!
"You!" Kadden shouted, pointing his sword at Strusk. "If I don't slay the ugly monster who dared to make Lady Alson cry, them my name isn't Kadden Langley!"
Strusk was momentarily taken aback by the unexpected turn of events. He had intended to appear as a hero, saving his 'wife' and achieving his desires. How had this human managed to twist the situation and show him as the villain? He couldn't let it continue.
"Raagh!" With a furious roar, Strusk lunged at Kadden with his spear, the weapon emitting a light blue glow, signifying the use of a powerful skill.
"Die!" Kadden activated the sole charge of his 3rd-grade spell and hoped it would work.
A tremendous shockwave erupted as the two skills collided, and Strusk was forcibly pushed back several steps.
"He is strong," Strusk's expression changed as he regarded Kadden with newfound respect. It was a rare occurrence to be pushed back by a human.
"Kadden!" Sylvie cried out, her face filled with worry as the powerful reached them. She couldn't help but be concerned for Kadden's safety.
"Lady Alson, we must keep moving," Blaine urged, noticing that Sylvie had halted. Although Kadden was holding the monsters back for the time being, who knew when another powerful monster would pop out.
"Anyone else want to try?" With a mocking smirk, Kadden stepped forward, releasing more of his formidable aura from his armor. The kobolds, who had initially surrounded him, all took a step back in fear. No one dared to challenge him after witnessing the might of his previous strike.
Even Strusk was having an inner dilemma whether to fight him or not. Although he had a desire to claim Sylvie back, he didn't want to die because of it.
Despite his words filled with confidence, Kadden was drenched in sweat. He had just used the last spell from his rings, so he was just a weak human now. All he could do was hope that none of the kobolds had the courage to attack him, as he would be dead.
Meanwhile, Sylvie and Blaine watched Kadden in admiration from a distance. No matter how many times they saw him, his unwavering determination and self-assured demeanor left them in awe.
They were about to continue their escape when an overwhelming pressure descended upon them. Something was coming!
"You've entered my territory and harmed my subordinate, yet you think you can simply leave?!" A massive pillar of darkness descended from above, creating a shockwave that made the previous battle seem like a joke.
"Who is this guy?! He's even more powerful than Kadden!" Blaine's face darkened with fear at the sight of the dark pillar, unable to fathom who could wield such formidable strength.
At the same time, Kadden's expression paled as he recognized the voice. The one who had arrived was none other than his master and the ruler of the Barestone Mountains, Azztar Echo!
[???] (???)
Level ???
Hp ???
"What a status," Kadden couldn't help but laugh dryly. No matter how many times he tried, there was simply no information to be learned from Wain's status. Not even his name! Such a situation only occurred when there was a large gap in grades, so it was obvious that Blaine and Sylvia would be terrified.
"Run!" Kadden urgently shouted to them, hoping that Wain would drop the act once they were far enough. No matter what, he couldn't face Wain, especially not when he had depleted his rings' charges.
Sylvia protested, unwilling to leave Kadden behind, but Blaine understood the gravity of the situation and forcefully dragged her away, along with the other adventurers.
What should I do now? Kadden sweated as he looked at Blaine and Sylvia leaving. This was the first time he had faced Wain like this and the pressure was unbearable. Without the skill [Perfect Actor], he would probably already be kneeling and begging for mercy, but the skill continued to support his legs.
"I can explain it," Kadden whispered, hoping Wain wouldn't be mad. After all, Wain ordered him to stay low for the time being, but just as he returned, he found out that Kadden had ventured into the Barestone Mountains with a band of adventurers. If this wasn't disobedience then what?
Sweating nervously, Kadden waited for Wain's response. However, Wain didn't appear understanding nor forgiving. His voice rumbled like thunder as he declared, "Since you dared to venture into this land, you have brought this fate upon yourself."
With a wave of his hand, Wain summoned a massive vortex of black flames, casting it straight toward Kadden. Facing the approaching three-meter-wide vortex, Kadden trembled in fear, his consciousness blurry.
Is this the end? Does Wain really want to kill me? He regretted his decision to venture into the mountains. If only he stayed obedient, he didn't have to die yet. But now his fate was sealed.
"If I have to meet my end, then I'll do it with style!" Kadden decided, summoning the only skill he possessed, the Sword of Light. He knew it wouldn't be enough to save him, but perhaps Blaine and Sylvie would see it and tell the stories about his bravery.
With determined resolve, he closed his eyes and swung his sword downward, but nothing happened even after several seconds, which made him question his senses. He opened his eyes, but the scene before him amazed him.
The flames from Wain's spell had split apart about a meter in front of him, as if the spell had been cut in two!
"What a monster..." Kadden muttered as he sweated. He knew he wasn't responsible for this feat, which only left Wain.
Although Kadden was weak, even if he used the 1st-grade skill, it felt like a rampant shot and he couldn't control it in any way. Yet Wain had controlled a spell of 2nd-grade power to this extent!
Furthermore, from the perspective of onlookers, it appeared as though Kadden had split the spell with his sword. It would be an astonishing display of power to those who witnessed it.
"So you're still alive?" Wain acted surprised upon seeing Kadden unharmed. However, as soon as he noticed that the adventurers had made their escape. Without further waiting, he sent Kadden flying with a powerful shockwave into a bush and focused on other matters.
He could question Kadden later, but there was another matter to deal with. He turned toward the trembling kobolds who were bowing to him out of fear. His earlier display of strength had left them utterly terrified.
"Lord Azztar," Strusk, the chieftain of the kobolds, approached Wain hurriedly. "My wife has been kidnapped." His eyes were filled with tears as he pleaded with Wain. However, Wain remained unmoved by his words.
"Did you forget my commands?" Wain's voice was as cold as ice, and Strusk instantly remembered that the girl he kidnaped was his last problem at the moment.
Wain clearly declared that all of the chieftains forces had to move into Blackridge Town and any disobedience would be punished by death, but Strusk still dared to establish this secret village without his lord's knowledge.
"My Lord, I can explain-" Strusk tried to offer an excuse, but before he could finish his sentence, his body was consumed by flames, leaving nothing but ashes behind.
The remaining kobolds were paralyzed with terror. Initially, they had believed that Wain was here to help them, but now they had witnessed his merciless nature.
Panic swept through the kobolds, and they began to flee, but there was no escape from their cruel fate.
"Octader, deal with them," Wain ordered coldly, switching his attention to Kadden.
Wain had barely returned to his domain when a messenger informed him that a party of adventurers, led by a handsome man with blonde hair, had been spotted sneaking into the mountains. Without need for further details, Wain understood that it was Kadden.
Was it so hard to keep a single command? Wain pulled him out from a hiding spot and began to beat him. He delivered a series of slaps to Kadden's face and kicked his armor. Although he didn't intend to kill Kadden just yet, he planned to make it appear that he went through a tough battle.
"Now explain what happened," Wain demanded after deeming Kadden's condition sufficient, dropping him on the ground.
"Urgh," Kadden was struggling to catch his breath since Wain didn't hold back too much, leaving him only a single digit of Hp. "The kobolds... kidnapped Count's daughter. I had to save her."
Understanding the situation, Wain realized that Kadden had acted to fulfill his mission. "Very well, I will forgive you this time," He said, since Kadden just received a valuable connection.With this, Kadden would get even closer to nobility and his goal to learn about their forces and influence their decision.
"You will return to Cloudgate Town tomorrow, follow me back to Blackridge Town now." Wain decided. He needed to discuss something with Kadden, and it was also necessary to recharge his rings, which would take some time.