Invading kobolds' village

"Twin Light Crosslash!"

Kadden swiftly swung his sword, summoning two ethereal phantoms of the blade that slashed through the ogre in front of him. Subsequently, the monster let out a guttural scream of pain before collapsing lifeless to the ground.

"Amazing, so this is his real strength!" Blaine couldn't help but exclaim in awe as he observed the two long cracks left in the ground left by Kadden's strike.

They had reached the entrance of the Barestone Mountains, and an ogre had appeared out of nowhere, catching them completely off guard.

Under normal circumstances, such a mistake would have led to severe injuries, but Kadden's swift action had eliminated the formidable monster with a single strike! Typically, a standard adventurers' party would require three to five members to take down an ogre, so Kadden's strength had left them astonished.

However, Kadden wasn't as happy as they were from his attack. His eyes nervously focused on the rings on his right hand.

Kadden wanted to preserve as many spells as possible, especially now, when they entered the Barestone Mountains, but he was already left only with just two 2nd-grade spells and a single 3rd-grade spell.

"Sir Langley, that was an awe-inspiring attack." Blaine approached Kadden and offered his respect by cupping his fists. "I'm glad you're with us. With you by our side, I'm confident we'll rescue Lady Alson in no time."

"Thanks, butI would have to bother team leader Blaine by taking care of the weaker monsters." Kadden accepted Blaine's praise but couldn't hold his concerns. I don't want to exhaust myself before we reach our target."

"Of course!" Blaine immediately understood and assured him. Kadden was also just a human, who has limited stamina after all. "Don't worry, we will take care of everything, you need to stay in your peak condition." 

Relieved, Kadden took a deep breath and nodded. "Great, then let's continue." He hoped that his remaining spells would be sufficient for the rest of their mission as they entered the mountains.

…

After a few hours of walking through the forest, they reached the forest's edge, revealing a clearing where a village of kobolds was nestled. According to their information, these kobolds were the culprits behind the kidnapping of Lady Alson, and it was here that they decided to begin their search.

Blaine furrowed his brow as he observed the tight security measures in place, with patrols visible almost everywhere. However, they had anticipated such a situation and were ready to act accordingly.

"Harry, it's your turn," Blaine commanded, turning his attention to a young archer in their party.

"Leave it to me, boss!" Harry replied with a mix of excitement and nervousness. This was his chance to show his skill in front of Kadden! He retrieved several arrows with tips soaked in a green liquid and took aim at the nearest kobold patrol.

"Whoosh"

An arrow struck its mark, and the targeted kobold immediately crumpled to the ground, motionless.

"Is he dead?" Kadden asked, surprised by the archer's instant takedown of the kobold.

"I wish, but I'm not as strong as Sir Langley," Harry sighed and explained. "He's just asleep. It won't last long, so let's move."

Kadden nodded in understanding, and they continued their infiltration into the kobold territory, to rescue Lady Alson.

…

Sylvie Alson had endured a terrible day, one she could never have anticipated. During her travel to the Cloudgate Town, her carriage was ambushed by a powerful force of monsters, who overwhelmed her guards and kidnapped her. To make matters even worse, the leader of the kobolds declared his intention to marry her!

For the past two hours, she had been in tears, clinging to a glimmer of hope that someone would come to her rescue. But she knew the chances were slim, considering even her father's knights had failed to protect her.

Sitting in her cell, she resigned to her fate, when suddenly, she heard the sounds of a fierce battle erupting outside. "Could it be my father's knights who come to save me?" Her heart leaped with joy at the thought. But her initial excitement turned to confusion as she realized it was still too early for them to arrive.

"Could it be adventurers from the nearby town?" Leaning against the bars of her cell, she hoped to get a glimpse of the ongoing commotion when a figure suddenly arrived before her.

"Prince!" She gasped in astonishment. The man before her seemed like a character from a fairy tale, radiating charisma with his striking appearance and demeanor.

"My Lady," Kadden stammered, equally taken aback when he laid eyes on Sylvie. She was like no one he had ever seen before, her innocent charm had instantly awakened a protective instinct within him. No matter what, he wanted to protect this girl!

It took him a moment to regain his composure, and he continued speaking. "My name is Kadden Langley, and I'm here to save you. Please step aside, it would be horrible if something were to happen to you." With a confident smile, he made a swift, precise slash, easily cutting through the iron bars.

He is strong as well! Sylvie was left in a daze, her thoughts consumed by Kadden, when she suddenly realized her own appearance.

Her hair must be messy, her eyes red from crying, and her dress torn. She was certain that she looked awful. Quickly, she covered her face, holding back her tears that might ruin her appearance further.

"My Lady, we don't have much time. My comrades are still fighting outside," Kadden urged. But Sylvie remained motionless, causing him to grow anxious.

I have to do it! Desperately, he reached a conclusion. "Please excuse me, my Lady. We must hurry." With that, he approached Sylvie and, without hesitation, lifted her gently into his arms before carrying her out of the prison.

…

Strusk was in an unusually good mood. Since the emergence of the self-proclaimed Azztar Echo as the new ruler of the Barestone Mountains, his activities were restricted to Blackridge Town and he didn't have any freedom. Yet, he had recently managed to establish a hidden village where he could continue his activities away from the prying eyes.

While Azztar Echo hadn't explicitly forbidden them any actions, it was a different story with Luarin, who consistently criticized Strusk's behavior. So when he captured a pretty girl during his hunting activities, he knew he couldn't bring her back to Blackridge Town.

His initial plan had been to run away and live with her in the forest, but her aggressive behavior had forced him to lock her up in the secret village and return to Blackridge Town to fulfill his duties.

Now, Strusk pondered whether the girl had had a change of heart as he made his way towards the hidden village, when he was suddenly confronted by one of his subordinates, who was running towards him in a state of panic.

"Boss! An intruder has invaded the village, and they're attempting to steal your... wife!" the kobold blurted out, his words rushed and anxious. Strusk's expression darkened upon hearing the news.

"What did you say?!" Strusk immediately pushed the kobolds aside and sprinted in the direction of the prison, his eyes filled with determination. He couldn't allow the intruders to succeed in taking what was his!

…

Blaine and his party were in a dire situation. They couldn't hold on much longer against the increasing numbers of kobolds, and it was only a matter of time until they would become overwhelmed. The odds were stacked against them when suddenly, a voice resounded from the prison behind.

"I have Lady Alson!"

Blaine turned around to find Kadden holding a beautiful girl in his arms. Relief washed over him. As always, Kadden had completed his task remarkably quickly.

"Excellent," Blaine sighed in relief. "Let's make our escape!"

They were about to make a run for it when a powerful pressure descended upon them, halting them in their tracks.

"You are not going anywhere!" A furious voice echoed from the distance, and all the kobolds froze in response.

[Strusk, the Chieftain of Kobolds] (Kobold, higher 2nd-grade)

Level 78

Hp 3,106 / 3,106

Strusk's imposing figure advanced slowly toward them, his face twisted in anger as he stared at the adventurers.