Chapter 124: Breaking Through the Encirclement

Only when the obese native grew tired of beating them did he finally stop, panting heavily. He glared at the few low-ranking dwarves he had battered until their heads were bruised and bleeding, muttering curses in his native tongue while kicking them with his foot.

Upon hearing the native warrior’s words, the dwarven blade-wielders seemed to come to their senses all at once. They immediately scattered in panic, fleeing far away, but their eyes remained fixed intently on the pale flesh sprawled on the stone slab. Some, their faces smeared with blood, still bore traces of saliva mixed with blood at the corners of their mouths, a truly repulsive sight.

The native warrior, as if having expended every ounce of energy, sat down on the stone slab and gasped for breath for a long while before shakily standing up. He looked down at the still motionless pale flesh on the slab, wiped his now fully erect member, and smiled triumphantly. He flipped the woman over and continued forward, singing loudly in his native tongue.

Chen Cao, seeing the obese native still singing, had no time to ponder how these dwarven blade-wielders were normally treated. A faint smile slowly appeared under the shifting light filtering through the grass. He knew this method had successfully distracted the dwarves; everything would now be much easier.

A breeze stirred the grass as Chen Cao moved swiftly and quietly through the swaying blades toward the native warrior locked in fierce combat. Casually, he picked up a branch the native had just discarded and, using its sharper end, thrust it hard into the native warrior’s heart. Then he propped up the other end of the branch against the stone slab, forcing the bulky, soft body to remain frozen in its former posture.

The native warrior, sweating profusely in the heat of battle, was suddenly stunned to see Chen Cao slide out from the grass. He was so terrified he was dumbstruck. Before he could even utter a word, the branch was driven deep into his chest. His eyes widened, and an overwhelming suffocation gripped him. He hadn’t even managed to scream before collapsing, still propping himself on the slab with his hands, his head drooping down. Blood gushed like a fountain, spilling over the golden-haired woman lying on the stone slab. Yet the woman, who had just been brutally violated, showed no sign of awareness; her face remained blank and grotesquely smiling. Then her head slowly tilted to the other side of the slab, her facial muscles stiffening, the eerie smile fixed firmly in place.

Everything happened in an instant. Looking at the now lifeless obese native warrior before him, Chen Cao raised a finger to his lips in a silent shush directed at the woman. Then, without hesitation, he slipped back into the grass and crawled swiftly toward the cage where, according to Uki, Carissa was held.

In the distance, the dwarven blade-wielders remained lost in their lustful fantasies. The obese native still lay atop the woman, maintaining his pose. Under the dim moonlight and sparse illumination of the breeding ground, there was no sign of death, leading the dwarven warriors to believe that the warrior blessed with the grand sorcerer’s “holy medicine” was engaged in a great and arduous reproductive task.

Since the golden-haired woman the obese native had chosen as his mate was right beside Carissa, it was as if Chen Cao had been given coordinates. Thus, he quickly found Carissa.

“Carissa, Carissa, are you alright?” Chen Cao approached the small wooden cage. He was intimately familiar with Carissa’s flowing golden hair.

Inside the cage, Carissa was naked and curled up, her snow-white skin stained with dirt and grime, showing no sign of life. Yet, upon hearing Chen Cao’s voice, she twitched slightly, though she did not lift her head.

Chen Cao pulled out a dagger and gently pried at the crude gaps in the chain holding the cage. With a soft click, the chain gave way. Reaching in, he tried to pull the lifeless Carissa out. Suddenly, she trembled violently and screamed, “Don’t touch me! Don’t touch me! Filthy!”

Chen Cao’s heart skipped a beat, but he knew there was no time to hesitate. Life and death hung in the balance. Ignoring her resistance, he swiftly pulled Carissa from the wooden cage. But when he turned around, he nearly soiled himself in fright. Hastily, he wrapped his arms around Carissa and stepped backward.

The golden-haired woman had somehow risen from the stone slab. Her face still wore that vacant, eerie smile, her eyes fixed intently on Chen Cao without uttering a word.

Chen Cao gripped the dagger tightly, but seeing no hostile intent in her and knowing that no fair-skinned, blue-eyed woman should be native here—this woman must have been captured by the natives—he could not bring himself to harm her. He understood that the woman had gone mad, but her will to survive remained intact. Gritting his teeth, he cradled Carissa and ran back the way they came.

But the woman seemed indifferent to their flight. As Chen Cao bent forward to retreat, she suddenly stood upright. Thin and frail, she looked like a withered twig swaying unsteadily under the faint moonlight, staggering to follow behind him.

This sudden motion backfired. The wooden cage, only waist-high, now seemed even shorter, like a stick suddenly thrust upward. This obvious movement immediately alerted the dwarven blade-wielders nearby, who were still engrossed in their lust. Their first instinct was to report to their obese warrior leader, for none dared move without his permission. Their eyes flicked toward the warrior, who remained frozen in his pose. Fear crept into their hearts as they helplessly watched the golden-haired woman’s figure vanish into the cage.

“Hey, Chen, why are you trailing a little tag-along?” Hua Fo was nearly exasperated. Had Chen Cao not arrived swiftly to cover his muzzle, he would have torn that woman to pieces himself. Frankly, Hua Fo despised Chen Cao’s compassion.

While hastily wrapping Carissa in his clothes, Chen Cao said, “We need to retreat quickly. Those natives will soon realize something’s wrong. Let that woman fend for herself.”

Drawing his pistol, he checked the few remaining gems he carried—just enough to pay for Meimei’s medical care. “Now’s the best time to withdraw!”

Hua Fo showed no interest in Carissa’s slender figure or delicate beauty. Raising his gun, he said, “Let’s go. This is all we can do now.” Standing up, he suddenly froze for a moment before quickly chambering a round and shouting, “Move!” He then unleashed a burst of fire.

Chen Cao instantly realized their position had been compromised within seconds. The dwarven warriors were no fools. They would now move to link up with Stanny and Lu Tianming and break out of the jungle.

As Chen Cao rose, a cacophony erupted around them. A swarm of native soldiers and dwarven blade-wielders poured in like locusts, filling the darkness with a sea of weapons as they charged toward him.

“Chen, fall back!” Hua Fo yelled, switching his gun to automatic fire. He fired at the approaching natives while retreating.

Chen Cao dodged the bursts from Hua Fo’s submachine gun, then tossed his pistol to him, frowning. “You all retreat first. I’ll provide cover!”

At the critical moment, Hua Fo’s eyes flashed. Without hesitation, he grabbed the flustered Uki, who was struggling to support Carissa, and barked, “Go!” While firing his pistol, he pulled back.

Though the native soldiers vastly outnumbered them, they were mere flesh and blood forming a human shield, armed only with cold weapons. The intense firepower from Chen Cao and Hua Fo forced them back, tearing a gap in the encirclement. By the time the natives reacted, the group had already fled far.

Then the natives regrouped quickly, forming a square of archers with dwarven blade-wielders as vanguard. As arrows rained down and the blade-wielders and javelin throwers closed in, the breeding ground turned into hell on earth, filled with wails of anguish.

Chen Cao fought a holding action, covering Hua Fo and the others’ retreat. Though delayed by Carissa’s slow progress, Chen Cao and Hua Fo were trained fighters, and Uki, having grown up in the jungle, knew the terrain well. Together, they used their weapons to shake off their pursuers.

When they finally reached the dense forest, gasping for breath, Hua Fo wiped sweat from his brow. “We need to hide somewhere. It’s still too dangerous here.”

Chen Cao swapped empty magazines, feeling the heat of his weapon, and looked at Hua Fo. “This is bad. We forgot about Stanny and Lu Tianming.”

Hua Fo was clearly displeased by Chen Cao’s compassion. “When has there ever been time to worry about those useless guys? We need to ensure our own survival first!”

Chen Cao said nothing. Indeed, they had fled in the opposite direction from their original rendezvous point with Stanny. Returning now was almost impossible.

Seeing Chen Cao silent, Hua Fo also kept quiet. He reloaded his pistol and submachine gun, then tossed his pistol to Chen Cao. His tone softened. “Chen, I know what you’re thinking, but remember, not just Stanny, but Lu Tianming too—they’re adventurers. Adventure always comes with a price. You knew going into this jungle that sacrifices were likely. We nearly died just rescuing this woman. Trying to go back now is too risky. Don’t forget, we have more important things to do.”

By “more important things,” Hua Fo meant hunting the natives and taking the gems. Chen Cao remained silent. Hua Fo sighed helplessly, leaned against a tree, set his gun beside him, and closed his eyes to rest briefly.