Chapter 181: Captives
"Sorry, but we can’t tell you that." Casey said, her body physically obstructing Sunny’s view of Arthur. Her voice, while still calm, held a new, unyielding firmness.
She had made a decision, not just to protect Arthur, but to hold onto the last vestiges of their mission’s secrets, even if it meant facing this terrifying man.
Sunny’s expression darkened, the amused curiosity replaced by a cold, sharp edge. "Normally, I don’t ask... But because my daughter is here, I did. You don’t want me to ask the hard way."
His words, devoid of any shouting or theatrics, was a silent threat that made every member of Casey’s crew shiver. Arthur, in particular, felt a cold dread settle in his stomach. He was used to being the coward, the one who hid, but now he was the focal point of a demigod’s attention.
{Name: Arthur Winston.}
{Race: Three-eyed race.}
{Bloodline: Grim Strike.}
{Rank: Grandmaster, Stage 5.}
{Strength: 1,000.}
{Agility: 900.}
{Stamina: 1,000.}
{Defense: 700.}
{Attack: 2,000.}
{Celestial Energy: 1,000.}
{Magic Resistance: 30%.}
{Note: These stats will change if he puts on his equipment.}
’System?’ Sunny thought.
{Bloodline: Grim Strike: Acquires a god-rank skill known as Grim Strike.}
{Skill: Grim Strike Description: Sends an invisible dagger that bypasses the defense of the chosen target, dealing damage equal to the target’s attack.}
’That’s why my mercenary went down with one strike... A good skill.’ Sunny’s interest piqued, but the next note followed swiftly, a cold bucket of water on his newfound enthusiasm.
{Note: The dagger can only be used three times a day and cannot be upgraded.}
’Useless...’ Sunny thought with disappointment. His initial respect for Arthur’s power vanished.
’This skill can only be used as a trump card in a solo battle. When you encounter four or five stronger enemies, you’re dead.’
He saw Arthur not as a warrior, but as a frightened man clinging to a single, fragile trick.
Seeing the change in his expression from curiosity to a dismissive shrug, Casey quickly interjected, her voice firm:
"I can’t tell you that, so please, can you ask me something else?" She was no fool; she knew she’d lost the first round, and she was trying to regain control of the conversation, to steer it to a more favorable outcome.
"Why are you guys here, then? And how many people have you lost?" Sunny’s questions were simple, yet they struck Casey to her core.
She was stunned. ’How did he know we lost people? Is he a spy? No, such a powerful man wouldn’t be a spy; he could simply wipe us out. Are the Wendigos playing another trick?’
Her mind raced, grappling with the impossible logic of his knowledge. She had always been in control, a master of illusions, but this man’s perception shattered her confidence. For the first time, she felt truly vulnerable.
"Okay..." Sunny snapped his fingers.
"....?!!"
Before the stunned group, twenty more identical mercenaries materialized around them, their hands resting on the hilts of their swords.
"I don’t actually care if he destroyed one... We will get going now; there are things I need to take care of." Sunny turned and began to walk away, his daughter and the mercenaries falling into step behind him.
"Wait!" Casey’s voice was sharp, desperate. Her pride warred with her desperation, but the safety of her crew, the memory of their lost comrades, won out. She had to take a risk.
After a moment of hesitation, she asked, "What things?"
"Why should I say? You didn’t answer my questions." Sunny’s reply was nonchalant, delivered without even a glance over his shoulder.
"...?!"
The final remnants of Casey’s carefully constructed defenses crumbled. She had to trust him, had to bet everything on the slim chance that he would listen:
"We are here to wipe out the Wendigos’ outpost! And Arthur has a skill that can easily kill the Wendigos’ leader! He was happy to see a ship because we don’t have one to leave this planet! We are stuck here!" she shouted in a single, breathless outburst. Her sudden decision stunned her crew members, who had never seen their princess so exposed, so desperate. Even Arthur, the coward, looked at her with a new kind of respect.
Sunny finally came to a stop, his body still facing away from her. "Why are you telling me this now?"
"I can tell you are a good man. If you help us, I will be eternally grateful to you." She said, her expression serious, her eyes burning with a newfound sincerity.
"I never go back on my word!"
’I don’t know you... But I know your mother. And having the daughter’s favor isn’t a bad thing,’ Sunny thought, a calculating look in his eyes. He finally turned to face Casey:
"My help?" he asked, a hint of genuine confusion in his voice.
"Yes! I won’t ask you to help us fight the Wendigos. I won’t..." Casey’s pride resurfaced, her resolve firm.
"Why?" Sunny asked, a little surprised. This woman was a contradiction of pride and vulnerability.
"The Wendigos are our trouble; I know you are here for them, but we came here first, so we have the right to kill them. We just need your help getting off this planet."
Her words were a testament to her character. She was not a damsel in distress; she was a leader, taking responsibility for her mission and her crew.
Sunny considered her words, then looked down at Ellen, a soft smile on his face. "What do you say, dear?"
"I don’t care about her opinion; I will go with whatever Father decides," Ellen said with a sweet, yet chillingly indifferent smile. She had watched the entire exchange, her young mind processing the intricate dance of power and pride.
’This girl isn’t even fifteen yet, and she’s already stronger than all of us... If she becomes an adult, how strong will she be?’ Casey thought, staring at Ellen. For the first time, she felt a burning, almost insane desire to face a superior opponent, to push herself to her absolute limits.
’What would I give to face her in a battle? Just to test her and my limits?’ she added, a spark of madness in her eyes.
"...?!"
’This girl is crazy... Ellen could kill her with one strike, not to mention Ellen has spirit energy,’ Sunny thought, shaking his head at Casey’s reckless ambition.
"Okay. I will sit back and watch the show," Sunny finally decided.
{DING!!!}
{New Quest Given.}
’Huh?’ Sunny was stunned by the sudden, unexpected system notification.
{Quest: Rescue the captives held in the outpost and ensure each one of them joins Eldoria.}
{Master has two days to complete the quest.}
’Captives...’ Sunny’s expression turned cold, his easy-going demeanor replaced by a ruthless intensity. "Are there captives in the outpost?" he asked, his gaze fixed on Casey.
"Huh? How did you know?" Casey asked, genuinely surprised.
"Just answer my question."
"Yes. There are close to 50 captives there, consisting of young boys and girls, all under the age of 20," she said.
Sunny’s expression darkened even further. He had been planning a simple mission, but this changed everything.
"Something’s weird going on there... Every month, a ship arrives, and the next day, it leaves. Then the Wendigos’ numbers increase again..." She shifted her gaze to her teammates, a pained look in her eyes.
"We have killed more than ten thousand of them over the past five years, but their numbers just keep increasing while ours are decreasing," she explained.
"But you all have cosmic brains, why don’t you send a message to your nations?" Sunny asked with a frown.
"Well..." Casey exhaled softly, the weight of their situation pressing down on her. "The Wendigos have sealed off this planet. We can’t send a message to anyone outside... To our families, we are still on this mission; they don’t know we are trapped here."
Sunny listened to her explanation, a plan forming in his mind. He lowered his gaze to Ellen, who nodded at him.
"Okay. It’s your lucky day," he said, ruffling Ellen’s hair.
"My daughter wants to help you." He added, turning back to Casey, his voice holding a new seriousness.
"But before that, you have to prove yourself to her... If you succeed, you can easily take down the Wendigos outpost."
"Prove myself?" Casey looked down at Ellen.
"Thank you, but as I said, we don’t need help against the Wendigos; we just need help getting off the planet," she said, her pride reasserting itself. She would not accept a charity fight.
’So confident... Well, let’s see what you can achieve,’ Sunny thought, nodding. "When are you attacking?"
"The ship I mentioned will arrive tomorrow morning. So we will attack tomorrow! I want to know what’s happening in that outpost!" she said with a resolute gaze.
"Okay... You know where to find us." Sunny said, and with that, he and Ellen vanished, the mercenaries turning to dust.
"....?!"
The group blinked in shock.
"What the butt?!" Arthur yelled, his voice echoing in the sudden silence.