"Attack him!" Jetro snapped out of his daze and barked the order, his voice sharp with urgency. His men surged forward, determined to stop the stranger before he caused any more chaos.
"Shit!"
In a blink, he was before the first man, delivering a brutal kick that launched him backwards like a ragdoll.
"What the—?!" Another mob barely had time to react before Caleb grabbed his face and hurled him into the charging group.
"Ugh!" The impact sent several tumbling like bowling pins, their momentum shattered. But more pressed on, their resolve unshaken.
From the rear, a jet stream of fire streaked toward Caleb, followed by slicing wind blades. Caleb sidestepped effortlessly, weaving through the spells with fluid precision, each dodge bringing him closer to his attackers.
"Stay on him! Don't let him close the gap!" one of the mobs yelled, panic lacing his voice.
Five men leapt at Caleb from above, their weapons and spells gleaming with icy energy. Caleb smirked as he twisted out of their reach.
A sharp roundhouse kick dropped one attacker mid-air, and with the same spin, a back kick sent another crashing to the ground, clutching broken ribs.
"Damn it! He's too fast!" someone shouted as Caleb's form blurred, darting between the spells that rained down.
The ground around him erupted in chaotic explosions, but Caleb's movements were ghostlike, always a step ahead.
"Why can't we hit him?!" another cried out in frustration, only for Caleb to appear in front of him. Before the man could react, Caleb's knee slammed into his abdomen with bone-crushing force.
"Ack!" The mob crumpled, gasping for air before being sent flying. Without pause, Caleb turned to face the next wave.
Jetro's men fell one after another, their attacks futile. Professionals, trained for combat, were reduced to helpless bystanders in a one-sided slaughter.
"Who the hell is this guy?!" Jetro muttered with gritted teeth as he watched his forces crumble. Not a single scratch marred Caleb since the fight began.
Desperation clawed at Jetro as his men's pained cries filled the air. His gaze flicked to the cat woman.
Jess was watching Caleb, her expression as bewildered as his. Then, a realization struck him like a bolt of lightning.
'He's here for her!'
Without hesitation, Jetro lunged at Jess, grabbing her roughly and forcing her to her feet.
"What?! Let go of me, you coward!" Jess hissed, thrashing in his grip.
Jetro ignored her protests, pressing a dagger to her throat. "Behave, or you won't make it out alive," he growled, his voice cold.
"Enough!"
Jetro ordered loudly, prompting Caleb to turn in his direction. In his grip was the last remnant of the mobs struggling to remove his hold over their faces.
"Do you really want to take that road?" Caleb asked, his voice calm and devoid of panic. His relaxed demeanour seemed at odds with the tense standoff.
As he moved to knock out the mob, Jetro hissed, his tone low and dangerous, pressing his dagger firmly against Jess's neck.
"I said… enough. Let him go."
Caleb froze, his sharp gaze locking onto Jetro. For a moment, silence hung thick in the air. Then, with an almost resigned sigh, Caleb muttered "Fine. Your call…"
He released the mob, who collapsed to the ground before scrambling away like a frightened animal. Caleb's focus shifted entirely to Jetro. "You have my full attention. Now what?"
His posture remained loose, his stance casual, but his sharp eyes betrayed a readiness to act. His gaze flickered to Jess, who stood frozen in Jetro's grip, her eyes fixed firmly on Caleb.
There was no trace of fear in her expression, despite the dagger pressed against her throat. Whether it was unshakable faith in her saviour or something deeper, Caleb couldn't tell.
"You might be fast," Jetro sneered, "but even you won't stop my blade in time." He pressed the dagger harder, a thin line of blood appearing on Jess's neck.
Caleb's eyes narrowed as Jess winced, the faint groan escaping her lips that cut through his composure like a knife. On the surface, he seemed unbothered, but inside, his mind raced.
'Stay calm, Caleb,' he thought, trying to ground himself. 'I've seen this kind of scenario before. Movies, anime… there's got to be something.'
But unlike the fictional heroes he watched, he wasn't working with scripted outcomes. Jess didn't make any sudden moves to create an opening—this wasn't a story, and Jetro wasn't some amateur.
This was real, and the stakes were life and death—something he still hadn't experienced.
Jetro gestured for his men to retreat. Keeping them around was pointless—they had proven useless. With a hostage in his grasp, he held the upper hand, and the stranger's hands were tied for now.
Briefly, the thought of eliminating Caleb crossed his mind, but he dismissed it. Pushing his luck could easily backfire, and in this scenario, his options were limited. He needed to play his cards carefully.
Caleb's HUD showed only 18 meters separating him from Jetro—a distance he could easily cover with his speed. However, Jetro's guarded stance posed a problem.
Any sudden move could put Jess in greater danger, and Caleb couldn't afford that risk.
As Caleb weighed his options, his mind raced. 'Think, Caleb. You've got what you need—just figure it out.'
He looked at Jess, and her steady gaze gave him a moment of reassurance. If she could stay composed, so could he.
Before Caleb could act, Jetro broke the silence. "I don't know who you are or where you came from," he began, his voice steady as his men disappeared into the forest along the route they had come. "…but you've made a grave mistake crossing us. You'll regret ever showing up here."
With that, Jetro began dragging Jess deeper into the forest. His plan was simple: escape now and deal with the fallout later.
Killing Jess wasn't an option—not yet. 'If I kill her, I might trigger his relentless pursuit,' he reasoned, his pace quickening as he carried Jess slung over his shoulder.
After covering over a hundred meters, Jetro finally tossed the cat woman aside and burst into a sprint, accelerating further.
"Ah!" Jess groaned as she hit the ground, wincing at the rough landing. "Bastard! You'll pay for this!" she spat, struggling to push herself upright.
"You okay?"
Startled, Jess turned sharply to see Caleb standing before her. His expression was calm, but his presence was unmistakably reassuring.
'Fast!'