Chapter 8: The Successful Rescue

The sunlight is very bright at noon, mirroring the eager anticipation in the hearts of the big-eared monsters.

Under the intense sunlight, the ground seemed to glow with a golden hue. When the big-eared monsters saw yesterday's gullible fool approaching their mountain stronghold, they cheered as if celebrating a grand festival.

The leader stood in front, legs apart and hands on his hips. Despite not having slept all night, his spirits were high, shining through his eyes with a bright golden light.

He was still reveling in his achievements. Over the past decade, his group had accumulated perhaps only ten gold coins, but with his sharp diplomatic skills, he had just secured a wealth that was a thousand times greater in just a brief moment yesterday. His accomplishments could make any historical heroes feel ashamed.

Last night, he had been contemplating the fortune that was about to be his. What was ten thousand gold coins? He had no real concept of it. One gold coin was equivalent to one hundred silver coins, and one hundred silver coins to one hundred copper coins. Thus, one gold coin equated to ten thousand copper coins. But what did ten thousand even mean? A handful of copper coins were about thirty pieces, so ten thousand was... over three hundred handfuls! Three hundred handfuls could cover the entire stronghold, and he still had to add another nine thousand nine hundred ninety-nine handfuls of thirty pieces each... that was truly a sea of money! Even if he rolled around in it with his eyes closed, he wouldn't worry about falling; he could eat beef there for many years... and it would be even better if he had some beer...

But it seemed that he didn't see any caravan carrying that ocean of money. The leader found this strange. "Where's the money?" As soon as the two men drew near, he eagerly walked up to them.

"It's too much for us to carry," came the reply, immediately aligning with the leader's imagination of mountains of money, and he believed it without question. The human who had come yesterday was looking around.

"And the person?"

"They're still locked up. Don't worry, they're unharmed." The leader felt anxious. "Then you should at least bring some to show us. If you can't carry it all, we can help move it."

"Is the person still in the same place?" The man seemed very concerned about this. The leader nodded anxiously.

"That's great!" The man spoke with an unexpected tone of surprise as he turned and headed directly toward the cave.

"Wait! You need to take us to get the money first!" the leader shouted. But the two men not only showed no sign of stopping; they quickened their pace. It was only when they were close to the cave entrance that the leader realized something was off and shouted, "Catch them!"

Only then did the surrounding big-eared monsters rush toward the two men. But as they pounced, a tremendous explosion sent three or four big-eared monsters flying, while others were knocked down in a wide area. All the big-eared monsters were startled by the blast, immediately halting in their tracks.

"It's just a wizard. Don't be afraid, brothers! Charge!" The leader, experienced in battle, knew that a wizard in close combat was just a target for a blade. He drew his short knife and charged forward.

He directly rushed toward the person who had just cast a spell with an outstretched hand. This was the gullible fool who had agreed so readily to the enormous ransom yesterday, but now his actions made it clear that the promise that had excited the leader all night was just a scam. Disappointment caused the leader's previously inflated pride to plunge into despair, and in his anger, he decided to kill this guy first.

The leader charged in with a roar, lunging to stab the man. But he immediately felt a tightness in his hand, his vision blurred, and his body suddenly flew backward, crashing hard against the mountainside, nearly falling apart.

There were only two of them. The big-eared monsters, undaunted, drew their weapons and surged forward. Some even ran back to fetch weapons from their homes, while others charged in barehanded.

Asa had anticipated the big-eared monsters' lack of caution; he knew that as long as they held the cave entrance, they would be fine. The disparity in combat power between the big-eared monsters and the two of them was within his expectations, but he hadn't anticipated his own reaction.

This was a true life-and-death struggle, and he showed no mercy. Just a few strikes and he was already soaked in the blood of the big-eared monsters. The carnage in battle was entirely different from ordinary fighting. Weapons flew from all directions, enemies continuously approached, and there was hardly any time to think about movements or techniques. He could only rely on his battle instincts to dodge and swing his knife at every approaching body.

The sensation of the blade tearing through flesh and cracking bones melded with the bloody smell from the bright red noses he saw, and the cries and wails he heard fused in his mind into a primal, bloody ferocity that pushed all rationality aside. Suddenly, an exhilarating feeling surged from within him. He became completely immersed in the madness of killing; not only did he not head toward the cave as planned, but he also turned back against the big-eared monsters, swinging his knife wildly.

He had been hit several times on his body and back by the big-eared monsters. If it weren't for his robe, he would have already sustained serious injuries. Yet Asa paid no attention to it; that sense of clarity he felt in meditation unexpectedly arose within him in this chaotic situation, intensifying the bloodlust. He was now utterly entranced by the primal excitement surging within him.

Suddenly, a touch unlike the savage clash of weapons—a steady, warm feeling—came from behind him. "Be quick, head toward the cave entrance!" A shout came from behind, jolting him out of that chaotic state and making him realize his predicament. Rodhart had already dashed to the cave entrance, but seeing Asa charge back into the crowd of big-eared monsters, he followed him in.

Asa steadied himself and hurled another fireball. With a thunderous roar, several big-eared monsters were blasted away, creating a gap in their encirclement. The two men rushed through the opening to the cave where Christine was held, standing back to the mountainside.

Christine had already heard the commotion outside and rushed to peek at the wooden fence. When she saw the two bloodied figures arrive at the cave entrance, she shrank back in fear.

Asa didn't have time to attend to her; he glanced at the slowly encroaching big-eared monsters. Over thirty of them had fallen, and they were now wary of the two men, only daring to slowly encircle them from a dozen steps away.

"What do we do?" Rodhart panted, several of his injuries quite serious; his reckless charge into the encirclement had indeed been a dangerous move.

Asa licked his lips, contemplating. His original plan was for Rodhart to guard the cave entrance, firstly to prevent the big-eared monsters from taking Christine hostage, and secondly to avoid being ambushed at the entrance. Then, using his robe to charge into the midst of the big-eared monsters to slash and cast a few spells would be enough to completely crush their morale, making it easy to resolve the situation. But now that Rodhart was injured, he had to come up with a new strategy.

But what kind of strategy? Asa's mind raced, yet he couldn't come up with anything effective. Instead, he noticed a few big-eared monsters had retrieved bows and crossbows from their huts, seemingly planning to use them as targets from a distance.

Suddenly, the sound of hooves echoed, and a troop appeared at the stronghold's entrance.

This troop charged directly toward the big-eared monsters. Mounted on horses, the cavalry brandished spears and swords, and from a distance, they began their assault. The big-eared monsters at the forefront were immediately knocked down and scattered. When the others saw the fierce formation, they quickly began to flee. Asa recognized Lord Borugan at the forefront; he was unarmed and unarmored, making him appear smaller on a tall horse, yet he skillfully commanded the cavalry, directing them with precision.

Lord Borugan only commanded the cavalry to drive away and scatter the big-eared monsters; he didn't pursue them. Then he rode over to Asa and said, "Mr. Envoy, you should have notified me! Two men charging in like this is a bit too risky, don't you think?"

"It does seem a bit risky," Asa admitted with a nod.

"Fortunately, I heard you nearly smashed all the taverns in the city looking for a helper, so I figured you would do something like this. Today, I brought the entire city's guard and waited not far away, sending someone to monitor the situation here. As soon as I saw you arrive, I rushed over. As expected, everything unfolded just as I anticipated. Is the Duke's daughter safe?" Lord Borugan shook his head in triumph.

Asa turned and cut the lock on the wooden fence. Christine rushed out from inside. She saw that the situation was now completely under control, but then she suddenly looked around, spotting the fallen big-eared monster leader lying nearby. She rushed over, kicking and stomping, yelling, "How dare you capture me? Keeping me locked up for so long! Do you know who I am?"

This was just a child's tantrum, and nobody paid it any mind.

Suddenly, the leader of the big-eared monsters jumped up and grabbed Christine, pressing a knife against her neck. This took everyone by surprise; Asa and Rodhart were too far away to intervene in time.

"Everyone, don't move!" the leader shouted. Hearing this command, the big-eared monsters, who had previously scattered, slowly returned as a few brave ones saw that their leader seemed to be gaining the upper hand.

All the humans were at a loss, glancing at each other without knowing what to do.

"You humans dare to use such a scheme to trap us!" The leader was furious, his green skin swelling to a dark purple, making him look even more hideous.

Christine was held tightly, unable to scream. Her originally delicate and slender face was completely overshadowed by terror, and the sight of the green, bumpy arm beneath her made her look like a canary waiting to be dissected.

"Who will go and chop that guy's head off for me?" the leader roared, pointing at Asa. His already ugly face was twisted with rage, resembling a papaya that had been soaked in a gutter for a long time. "I'll send his head back to the Duke and tell these humans that we are not to be despised or deceived. Then, have him personally deliver twenty thousand gold coins to us, or we'll send him his daughter's head instead."

A big-eared monster gurgled and started walking towards Asa with a knife in hand.

Seeing this, Rodhart took a step forward, but the leader immediately shouted, "Don't move!" The knife pressed a bit harder against Christine's neck, and the yellow serrated blade sank slightly into her flesh. With just a bit more force, it could pierce her delicate white skin. Rodhart immediately froze.

The big-eared monster walked up beside Asa, raising the knife in its hand. Asa showed no reaction at all; he was frowning, staring intently at the leader who was holding Christine captive. The expression in his eyes was not the confused panic that everyone else displayed, but a strange, singular intensity.

Rodhart shouted, "Stop!" His face was contorted. He had just taken a half-step forward when he saw Asa, who had remained motionless, suddenly reach out and press his hand against the face of the big-eared monster.

Boom! A massive explosion of blood and flesh erupted. The air was instantly filled with the stench of blood.

Clang! The knife fell to the ground, and the two severed hands of the big-eared monster still gripped it while the lower half of its body flew off, its entrails spilling everywhere. The upper body exploded into a shower of blood and flesh. The big-eared monsters, splattered with their companion's blood and guts, shrieked in panic and scattered in all directions. The other humans were completely stunned.

Asa didn't even blink, staring blankly at the leader, slowly spitting out each word, "Now we have the advantage; it's not your turn to talk."

The remains of the big-eared monster finally drifted down from the air, and a solitary eye fell at the leader's feet, still attached by some veins. The leader looked into Asa's unwavering eyes and then at the eye at his feet, causing his body to start trembling. His hand holding the knife shook, and Christine began to tremble as well.

Asa's voice was as cold as a dagger forged from ice frozen for decades. "Let me give you a guess. If you hurt the hostage in your hands, what do you think I will do to you?"

The leader's voice also began to shake, repeatedly shouting, "Don't move, don't move..."

"I'll give you two options," Asa continued to stare into the leader's eyes, speaking slowly. "You choose. One, you can kill the person in your hands, and then we'll capture you and cut your flesh off piece by piece. I'll do it personally, and I guarantee you'll endure over a hundred cuts while watching your own entrails being pulled out before you die." Asa pointed at the ground covered in entrails and blood.

"Two, let the person go, and get lost immediately. I'll give you a way out." Asa's gaze was like two heated daggers, piercing into the leader's eyes and stirring his heart into a bloody, muddled mess, crushing whatever remaining fighting spirit he had into dust. "Your choice."

The leader trembled, suddenly dropping the knife and running desperately down the mountain.

Christine collapsed in shock, and upon seeing the eye and entrails on the ground, she jumped up in fright and ran to Rodhart, burying her face in his chest and crying.

Asa let out a long sigh of relief and shook his head. Lord Borugan, still on horseback, also sighed with relief and shook his head, saying, "Mr. Envoy, you really took a big risk there."

"Because I guessed that the Duke probably wouldn't be able to produce twenty thousand gold coins either. I couldn't let him see my head before he saw his daughter's head."

Most importantly, I didn't want to get my head chopped off, Asa thought to himself. He wasn't acting; although he hoped the big-eared monster leader wouldn't have the guts to kill Christine, if it came to that, he wouldn't trade his own head for hers. He remembered well the lessons Sandru taught him.

Lord Borugan thought about it carefully, nodded, rode over, patted Asa on the shoulder, and with a voice like a duck said admiringly, "I didn't expect you to be good at handling things like this."