After winding through the narrow alleys several times, Xiu Lim arrived at a disordered district full of old houses.
Looking at the swath of run-down dwellings before her, Xiu Lim couldn’t help but hesitate.
โHey! You brat over there, do you know what kind of place this is?! How dare you trespassโEh?!โ
A figure, face hidden under a gray robe, shouted menacingly at Xiu Lim. But the instant Xiu Lim turned around and met his gaze, he jumped in fright, spun on his heel, and bolted away.
With a guide like that, I guess I won’t need to search by myself?
Watching the gray-robed figure flee, Xiu Lim thought to herselfโฆ
Inside a pitch-dark wooden hut in the old district.
โLet me go, let me go!โ
โHmph! Behave yourself!โ
The crew-cut thug tightly bound Fran with rope, then tossed her directly onto the wooden floor.
โThat hurts!โ
Fran cried out in pain, then struggled to lift her head, glaring at the two men.
โWhat do you want with me?! Let me go! If my father finds out, he’ll never let you off!โ
The two thugs burst out laughing, as if they’d just heard the funniest joke in the world.
โHahaha!โ
โIs this girl for real?โ
โWe’re so scared~ So, where exactly is your daddy now~?โ
Bang!
The bald thug kicked Fran hard in the stomach.
โAh!!โ
Fran screamed in agony.
โโCough, cough! It hurts!โ
Her body began to tremble from the pain.
Next, the bald thug squatted down, grabbed Fran’s head with his right hand, and pressed her face into the floor.
โWell, well, little miss, looks like you still donโt understand your situation~! Weโre brothers who specialize in kidnapping and selling illegal slaves! Do you know what that means?โ
โHehehe~!โ The crew-cut one joined in, mocking, โIt means youโre going to be sold far, far away and serve someone else as a slave~!โ
โYouโd better give up hope of anyone saving you. Guards would never set foot in a place like this. Tomorrow morning, weโll pack you into a shipping crate and sneak you out of town. See how much trouble weโre going to for you? Youโd better fetch a good price to pay us back~!โ
โHahaha, thatโs right, thatโs right!โ
โโฆ โฆโ
Listening to their brazen words, Fran felt more and more hopeless, tears silently streaming down her cheeks.
โOh? Crying now, are we? Good. Serves you right. Really, what was a highborn young lady doing running alone to a place like this? You might as well have sent out an invitation to be kidnapped! Hahaha~!โ
Hearing the bald man’s jeers, Fran’s heart was full of regret.
Why did I have to go against Xiu Lim? If only I hadnโt been so stubborn, I wouldnโt have refused the familyโs escort. If only I hadnโt acted on impulse and followed her here without thinking, none of this would have happened.
What will happen to me now? If Father finds out Iโm missing, will he go mad with worry? Am I really going to become a slave? Will I be sent to work in the mines, or used as a test subject by some shady group, or bought by someone disgustingโฆ?
No, I donโt want this. Why did this have to happen to me?
No, I wonโt, Iโd rather die than become a slave!
Is there anyone, anyone who can save me?
โNoโฆ I donโt wantโฆโ
โHuh? Whatโs this girl mumbling about?โ
The bald thug leaned his ear closer.
Choking back sobs, Fran said, โI donโt want to be a slave, I donโt! Is there anyone, anyone whoโll save meโฆ?โ
โโฆThis girlโฆโ
โHahaha!โ
The two thugs roared with laughter.
โShe still hasnโt woken up to reality?! Listen up!โ
โYouโwillโabsolutelyโneverโbeโsavedโโ
Boomโ!
Before the bald thug could finish, a thunderous crash came from the door. The old wooden door flew off its hinges, slammed into the wall, and splintered into pieces.
Suddenly, light from outside flooded the previously dark room.
โLooks like Iโm not too late.โ
The sudden change in brightness left everyone inside squinting, their eyes struggling to adjust. Against the blinding light, there seemed to be a figure standing there.
Once their eyes adapted, they finally saw who was standing at the door.
It was a girl about eight or nine years old, holding a wooden stick.
โItโฆ itโs not my fault! I didnโt do anything!โ
Not far outside, the gray-robed man stood frozen, then blurted out in a panic and ran away.
Xiu Lim didnโt bother with the departing guideโafter all, it had nothing to do with him.
โYouโฆ who are you?โ
That a child could destroy the door was astonishing, but instead of relaxing, the bald thug tensed up even more, watching the girl at the entrance warily.
Xiโฆ Xiu Lim?!
Fran stared wide-eyed, unable to believe what she was seeing.
Why is she here?
Did she come to save me?
Did she hear my cries for help?!
And she came here alone, just to rescue meโฆ
โOh, so itโs just some brat? Hah, she looks about the same age as this one. Could she be looking for her missing friend?โ
Compared to the bald thugโs vigilance, the crew-cut thug was much slower on the uptake. Seeing it was just a little girl, he didnโt sense any danger at all and even swaggered over carelessly.
โTalk about luck! Sitting at home and money walks right in! Take a good lookโthis kidโฆ isnโt she top quality?! Big bro, weโve hit the jackpotโโ
โGet back here right now, you idiotโ!!!โ
The bald man shouted, but it was too late.
As the crew-cut thug, still confused why his brother was yelling, approached, a voice rang out nearby.
โใแแทแบแแแ แแแกแชแแแแ แบแแแแ แณแแแพแชใโ
โโฆEnhance.โ
In a flash of light and shadow, something vanished from sight.
โLook outโ!โ
โReturn Light.โ
The two voices overlapped, one familiar, the other ringing out beside his ear.
โHuh?โ
Out of the corner of his eye, the crew-cut thug glimpsed a streak of light hurtling toward him. Before he could react, his world went dark.
Boomโ!
The big thugโs body was sent flying, crashing into a wooden wall several meters away and smashing a gaping hole in it.
The room instantly grew brighter.
โYou bastard!โ
The bald thug roared in rage.
โใแแทแบแแแ แแแกแชแแแแ แบแแแแ แณแแแพแชใโ
โโEnhance!โ
A white light flared around him as he charged at Xiu Lim, bellowing like a rampaging beast.
Everything had happened so fastโbefore he could even help his partner, the crew-cut thug was already down.
โใแแ แแแแปแ แแแกแฃแแ แณแแแแ แณแแแ แแแแแแแฑแใโ
โLightweight.โ
Xiu Limโs expression remained calm, her face unreadable.
The instant the bald thug reached her, she lightly tapped her toes and leaped away.
Boomโ!
Another loud crash, and now there was yet another hole in the room.
The darkness of before was now a thing of the past.
Xiu Lim tilted her head, glancing at the hole the bald man had just made, then raised her wooden stick in a ready stance.
โA mistake? Maybe I should have faced him head-on just nowโฆโ