Chapter 39: Elrose is on her way
The green light of life gradually weakens, and the effect of the healing potion has nearly run out.
Roderick slowly opens his eyes and realizes he is lying in Joy’s arms.
“Big sis…” Roderick manages to speak with some difficulty.
“Roderick, Roderick, you’re finally awake.” Joy’s aged face is filled with excitement, tears welling up in her eyes, barely holding back from spilling over.
Roderick feels a bit dizzy; he vaguely remembers that he and Balth were defeated by an ogre.
He slightly tilts his head and suddenly sees his son lying next to him. Although his clothes are a bit tattered, he shows no significant injuries. Roderick extends his hand to check Balth’s pulse, which is strong and steady, suggesting he is most likely okay.
“I can’t believe we’re still alive.” Roderick says with a sense of relief.
“It’s this young lady who saved us.”
“Young lady?” Roderick follows Joy’s gaze and sees a stunningly beautiful woman squatting beside him, quietly watching him.
“May I ask who you are?” Roderick inquires.
“Me?” Alicia smiles gently, “I’m just a passing justice doer.”
“Is that so?” Roderick replies, since the woman doesn’t want to reveal her true identity, he won’t press further.
But in the next moment, Roderick suddenly remembers something, sitting up abruptly and looking at Joy anxiously, “Where are the children, sis? What about Franca and Amelia?”
“Don’t panic, don’t panic.” Joy bites her lip, speaking with difficulty, “They were both taken by the Demon Clan.”
“No!” Roderick jumps to his feet, shouting, “I have to save them.”
But after just two steps, intense pain shoots through his bones; his legs give way, and he kneels down again, coughing violently.
Joy quickly rushes forward to support Roderick, scolding him, “You little rascal, wake up! With your body in this state, who do you think you can save?”
“In this situation, we can only hurry to the town and ask the Adventurer’s Guild for help.” Joy says calmly.
Upon hearing Roderick’s words, Alicia scans the surroundings and realizes the problem—children and women are missing.
Damn it, how did I not notice such an obvious thing until now?
Alicia grits her teeth, picks up her thin sword, and prepares to leave.
“Please wait.” Joy, seeing this, suddenly grabs Alicia’s hand, “Where do you think you’re going?”
Alicia looks towards the direction the ogres fled and says firmly, “I’m going to save the villagers who were captured.”
“Are you crazy? There are hundreds of fierce demons there. You alone won’t stand a chance; you’re just going to your death.” Joy holds Alicia’s hand tightly, trying to dissuade her. Though she is also very worried about Amelia and Franca, she truly doesn’t want to see anyone dying for nothing.
“Someone has to go save them! Those who have been captured are surely hoping for someone to come rescue them right now.” Alicia clenches her fists, “Someone must respond to their plea.”
Joy is slightly taken aback. Hearing Alicia’s words, she suddenly recalls her days in Slerwick, where she imagined heroes appearing day and night to take her and Zeke away from that demonic city.
But she waited forty years for that hero to show up and take her away from hell.
Yet when he did arrive, her beloved son had already been brutally killed by demons, and her heart had died half that day.
She wished so much that the hero could have come sooner.
“So it is…” Joy looks into Alicia’s determined eyes, slowly releasing her grip, then bows deeply to Alicia, “Beautiful swordswoman, though I don’t even know your name, I’m extremely grateful for your bravery. The village’s children will be in your care; may the Holy God bless you.”
Alicia nods, “Don’t worry, I will bring them back safely.”
…
【Breath Concealment】
Alicia hides her figure and quietly follows the fresh footprints left by the demons on the back mountain.
She moves quickly, and before long, she finds the demons’ base.
It is a vast cave that appears not to be naturally formed but likely excavated recently.
Alicia puts on a white cloak, her figure instantly vanishing from sight.
【Cloak of the Concealer, Effect: Invisibility】
Alicia proceeds cautiously through the cave; the light gradually dims, but she does not pause, continuing deeper without hesitation.
A flicker of light appears, and Alicia suddenly stops, holding her breath as she moves closer.
It is a large, concave opening, where hundreds of goblins and ogres cluster together, chattering unknowingly.
On the other side, the village women are locked with iron chains in a corner of a cage, while the children are surrounded by demons, trembling in the center of the hollow, afraid to move.
Suddenly, Alicia spots the ogre mage she had wounded earlier in another corner of the altar.
At this moment, it is kneeling, desperately trying to communicate something.
And the one to whom it is speaking…
Seeing the true identity of that entity, Alicia’s heart tightens.
It is the Ogre Chieftain.
Alicia takes a deep breath; the Ogre Chieftain is a Saint Tier Expert, and without her hero’s powers, she isn’t sure she can take it down.
However, the primary task now is not to kill these demons but to rescue the villagers.
Alicia looks around, a well-thought-out rescue plan beginning to form in her mind.
But suddenly.
“Beautiful miss, it’s not good manners to peek, you know.”
A cold voice sounds behind Alicia, and she whips around to find a man in peculiar clothing with a pale face standing behind her, grinning at her.
The next moment, a complex magic circle suddenly appears beneath Alicia’s feet, and several raging lightning orbs shoot out from the circle toward Alicia.
The sudden turn of events causes Alicia’s expression to change, but she does not panic. A powerful shield formed from a blend of mana and battle qi rises instantly, blocking the lightning orbs.
“Boom!”
A huge explosion resonates, and the force sends Alicia flying backwards.
Alicia quickly spins in mid-air, regaining her balance and landing somewhat unsteadily on the ground.
“Damn it, this is bad.”
Alicia looks at the hundreds of demons around her, her expression turning grim.
Although her timely response managed to deflect the stranger’s attack, the explosive power of the lightning magic still sent her flying directly into the hollow, surrounded by the demons.
As the humans suddenly appear, the demons momentarily freeze, then erupt into loud shouts, raising their weapons, preparing to rush at her to smash her into pieces.
But then the next moment.
“Boom!”
A tangible aura of murderous intent surges forth, causing the charging demons to feel an icy chill run through their bodies, abruptly coming to a halt.
Alicia pulls her hood tighter, draws her thin sword in front of her, and coldly states, “If you’re not afraid of dying, come on.”
…
Beneath the night sky, a shadow slices through the atmosphere.
Elrose gazes at the map in her hands, a joyous smile spreading across her face.
Almost there; she’s almost there.
She can finally see Joy again.
