Chapter 36: Damsel in Distress(2)

The group nodded at Luke's declaration and Spencer ended the call. Luke grabbed his black coat hanging on his chair and wears it. He then slams the door to the teleportation room open.

The mage inside was so surprised by Luke's sudden intrusion and almost fainted but Luke had no time for that. Luke and his group then stood inside the magic circle on the ground and asked the shock mage.

"Hey, this is what Finesse and Noah used to go to the Wellard Island right?"

The mage came back to his senses and nodded. Luke then looked at Spencer and Spencer nodded. The magic circle immediately shined brightly and Luke closed his eyes. When he opened his eyes, they are in the middle of the beach, facing the glistening sea and cool breeze. Luke looked around and saw Noah approaching them. Luke didn't waste any time and shot a question to Noah.

"Where have you last seen Finesse?"

Noah's face turned even more serious and nodded.

"I'll take you there."

Luke nodded and followed behind Noah. Noah then stopped at the spot that is a bit far from where they arrived and spoke in a stiff voice.

"This is where she was before she was kidnapped."

Luke looked around the area. He then whispered to Nash who is invisible on his shoulder.

"Nash, can you sense some traces of her?"

Nash was quiet for a moment. It seems like he's concentrating.

•Her aura is quite a unique one so I could probably sense her... Ah! Luke! There! On that island! I could sense her!

Luke could feel Nash holding his face and made Luke face directly at a larger island not too far from Welrad island. Luke then looked at his teammates and pointed to the island.

"There! She is over there! Let's go!"

The group nodded and Sujin siblings cast flight magic on everyone. They then immediately flew towards the small island.

While flying, no one dared to speak. They are in a very urgent situation right now so every one of them was tense. This is especially the case with Noah.

He grabbed the hilt of the sword on his waists tightly and menacing aura leaks around him. He was furious.

Luke just peaked at Noah's current state and sighed. He then just focused on the island that they will be landing on.

They landed on the shore of the island and stealthily walked towards the forest near the beach. Luke could hear speaking loudly Nash on his mind.

•She's nearby! Just a little bit more!

Luke lowered himself even more and the group followed his movements. After walking for a few minutes they stopped and hid behind the bushes. They then looked at the small plains ahead of them. Everyone except for Luke gasped in shock at the sight in front of them.

They could all see Finesse tied up on a wooden pole while unconscious. He clothes were ripped and muddy as if she resisted while being dragged into her current situation.

While observing Finesse's situation, Luke could then hear Spencer's cold and murderous voice.

"Is it a trend these days to tie up a person on a pole? It's not funny."

Luke could then see the cold gazes of the kids. They must've remembered the time when they were tied up into a pole by the bandits.

Shiiik!

Luke then turned his head and saw Noah's angry face ready to charge forward. Luke barely managed to stop him and signaled him to calm down.

"We need the enemy to show up first. If we charged blindly we might fall into a trap."

'I don't want to deal with any cliches anymore so you better listen!'

Thankfully, Noah listened to his words and suppressed his killing intent. Luke sighed and observed the surroundings. He then heard Nash's voice.

•Someone is coming!

Luke then lowered himself even more and saw the bushes rustling on the other side of the plains. Luke then saw a man wearing a white robe coming out and approached the pole where Finesse was tied.

The man took off his hood and the man's face appeared. He has light brown hair and brown eyes. Luke observe him more closely but flinched when he heard Nash in his head.

•Hey, this guy feels familiar. He is like the scrawny dude in Hak Village!

Luke frowned in disbelief.

'What? Hak village? Do you mean that scrawny dude who made a deal with the devil? So this guy made a deal with the devil too?!'

Luke frowned. He then heard the man laughing joyfully.

"Haha! This is great! Who knows that I will encounter a saint here! Haha! The troublesome job of killing the fairies has paid off! I'm sure my liege will notice me now! Haha!"

Luke's eyebrows twitched at the word 'saint'.

'Saint? Who is he referring to? Finesse? Why is she a saint?... Wait a minute.'

Luke then remembered a scene from the novel where Finesse magically healed Noah's heavily wounded body. Luke thought that it was just an additional plot to make them fall for each other more but, there is more to it?

'And what is this guy saying? Fairies? Liege? What the heck?'

Luke almost sighed out loud in frustration but tried to hold it in because he can't risk getting caught by the man in a white robe. He then heard Noah's angry voice. He sounded like he's about to blow up.

"I'll kill him."

"Wait."

Luke stopped him. Noah looked at him with a fiery gaze.

"Don't try to stop me."

"I know, I just want you to know that that guy right there, made a deal with a devil."

"What?"

"He's like the one we fought in Hak village."

Spencer then asked in shock. Even the kids and Selena were shocked too.

"You mean that guy? The scrawny one?"

"Yeah."

Selena then butted in, she sounded serious.

"If that guy is like the scrawny guy, that means he will release smoke again and explode?"

Luke shrugged his shoulders.

"Maybe?"

His group members then glared at him, especially Selena, Spencer, and the kids. The memories from Hak village suddenly came into their minds.

Luke tilted his head and asked in confusion.

"What's wrong with you guys?"

Luke then heard Nash's menacing voice in his head.

•I won't let it happen again. I won't let you be entrapped in that smoke again and almost die.

Luke then let out a gasp.

"Oh! Do you mean that? That won't happen again."

The group looked at Luke suspiciously, as if they don't buy his words. Luke just sighed.

"I promise it won't happen again."

'They are most likely annoyed to take care of me in case I fainted. It's understandable though.'

Luke then turns around and looked at the guy laughing in front of the unconscious Finesse tied on the wooden pole. He then speaks.

"You guys fight that guy and I'll free Finesse."

The group nodded and Luke made a signal.

"Go!"

The group sprang out from the bushes and charged towards the man. The man was stunned at the sudden intrusion so he couldn't focus.

Noah rushed towards him first and covered his sword with a light blue aura, he then slashed it towards the man with all of his might. He's so angry that he wanted to chop the man into pieces immediately.

'You dare touch my beloved?! How dare you! You bastard!'

A large crater developed from the impact but Noah wasn't happy. Veins bulged on his head as he felt the man wasn't there.

Unfortunately, the man dodged by hair's breadth and jumped back to maintain his distance.

But the man flinched when he felt someone charging towards him again.

"Haaaap!"

The man looked at where the voice came from and saw a golden-haired woman rushing towards him with her fist. He then spoke in shock.

"You! You are a saint!"

Selena frowned and shouted.

"I am not a Saint!"

Selena then charged with her golden fist but the man evaded again. Selena's fist just hit the ground where the man just stood and frowned.

These movements... These disgusting and slimy movements reminded her of the guy that imprisoned and tortured her. Which made her pissed.

"Damn it! I missed!"

"Of course you'll miss you buffoon."

Spencer then stood side by side with his siblings and created a colorful net made from the combination of their mana.

The man then frowned while looking at the large mana net approaching him, he could also see the swordmaster with a blue aura rushing towards him again, it is the same for the golden-haired girl who he assumes was a saint.

He was about to run away but stopped when he felt a cold dagger on his neck. He then turned his head and saw a black-haired girl staring at him coldly.

"Move an inch, and I'll rip your throat."

The man gulped and frowned as he is fully cornered on all sides. He then saw someone putting down the saint he captured from the wooden pole.

"Hey, you! Stop! How dare you touch my ticket to my liege!"

The silver-haired man frowned at him like he was some sort of garbage. He then heard the silver-haired man speak in an annoyed voice.

"Shut up you degenerate and just die."

"What?! How dare you!"

Splunk! Splash!

The man stopped and looked at his stomach. A sword covered in blue aura was stabbed into his stomach. He then turned his head and saw a fist flying towards him.

"Eat this!"

He then felt the force of the punch and flew away from the impact as the black-haired girl was not holding him anymore. When his body finally landed harshly on the ground, a colorful net covered his entire body.

"U-uh! You! You bastards! You'll pay for this!"

"You're saying that when you're about to die?"

The man then looked towards Luke who is holding the saint he caught in his hands. He was about to stand up and tries to escape from the net but he felt pressure on his chest which caused him to stay down.

"Ugh!"

Selena and Lina then looked down at the man below their feet with cold gazes. The man nervously sweated and gritted his teeth at his situation.

Luke ignored the man and gently passed Finesse on Noah's hands. Luke then turned his head towards the man on the ground and looked down at him. He then asked.

"Now, where is your weakness? Last time we fought a guy like you, his weakness was in here."

Luke pointed his sword on the spot where the kidney is. He then saw the man's shock face. The man then shouted.

"You! You are the one who killed Sir Libi! How dare you!"

"Libi? Do you mean the scrawny guy? You know him?"

"Don't you dare call him in that name!"

"What is so good about that scrawny guy?"

"Y-you!"

"Shut up."

Luke observed the man's face and saw him glance at the center of his chest. It was only in a split second but that split second glance was enough for him to know where his weakness is. Luke then pointed his sword at the center of the man's chest. Luke could see the man panicking.

"Y-you! Stop! Get away from me! Stop!"

Luke didn't listen and immediately stabbed his chest. After that, the man on the ground is now lifeless and black smoke started to come out from the man's chest.

Luke just looked at the smoke enveloping him with a blank face. He already experienced this so he was calm.

Luke could hear his group's distressed voices around him. Luke just stared at them.

"Brother Luke!"

"Get away from there!"

"No!"

"Brother!"

"Luke!"

"You! Get out from there! Now!"

"Hey! What is going on?!"

Luke turned towards them and smiled.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine. You should get away from here."

•No! I won't let go! Never!

Luke then could feel Nash clinging onto his chest like he never plans to let him go. Luke chuckled and patted his soft head. Then, the black smoke surrounded them.

Luke looked at the lifeless man lying on the ground in the dark and then activated [Aura]. Luke's sword is now covered in purple aura and Luke slashed it towards the smoke. In a split second, the black smoke was cut open and Luke could see the outside. He then dashed towards that gap and escaped. He then could hear his group's and Noah's voice altogether.

"Luke!"

Luke looked at them with disbelief. He then shouted.

"I thought I said to get away from here?! Run! It's going to explode!"

The group regained their senses and started to run away. Luke looked back and saw the smoke slowly turning white. Luke started to run faster. They then all reached a large tree and hid behind it.

Boooooooomm!!!!