Lee hesitated for a moment. “I’m not sure exactly who it is, but apparently, she’s the daughter of the Tomczak family.”
Hearing this, Chris was slightly surprised. He hadn’t expected someone of such esteemed status to venture out like this.
Meanwhile, inside the carriage, the curtain was suddenly drawn back, revealing a stunningly beautiful face. The woman frowned slightly and said, “Bob, it seems the Dark Wolf gang is after that thing.”
The driver, Bob, wore a serious expression. “Don’t worry, young master. No matter what happens, I will protect your safety.”
“How much longer until we reach Stormwatch?”
“About a few more days. But judging by the current situation, the road ahead might not be safe. Young master, if there’s no need, please stay inside the carriage and avoid coming out.”
The beautiful woman said no more. She simply nodded and let the curtain fall back into place.
—
The next day, the caravan resumed its journey.
This stretch of the road was the most dangerous, plagued by highwaymen. Everyone in the caravan was on high alert, ready to defend themselves at any moment. Fear hung in the air like a storm cloud.
Chris lay in one of the wagons, resting.
Suddenly-
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
Out of nowhere, over a hundred highwaymen charged from all directions, swiftly surrounding the entire caravan.
Seeing this, Lee yelled urgently, “Everyone, get ready!”
The sight of so many bandits caused the faces of the caravan members to darken.
A bald man stepped forward, laughing loudly. “Well, well! Finally, a caravan worth my time. Looks like I’ll be living well for a while!”
This bald man radiated a powerful aura. It was obvious he was a late-stage Pinnacle Aetherbinding practitioner.
The caravan steward stepped forward, putting on a polite smile. “Hello, sir. We’re the Stormwatch Tomczak caravan. Here’s a small token of goodwill. Please, let us pass.”
He handed over a small pouch of Essence Stones as he spoke.
The bald man took the pouch, opened it, and sneered. “Just this measly amount of Essence Stones? Do you take us for beggars?”
The entire caravan froze in shock. No one had expected him to outright reject the offering.
Typically, highwaymen would let a caravan pass after receiving a reasonable amount of Essence Stones. Only the most brutal and greedy would demand more or refuse outright.
The steward gritted his teeth and asked, “How much do you want to let us pass?”
The bald man smirked. “Simple. Hand over three thousand Essence Stones, and you can go.”
“What? Three thousand Essence Stones?”
Everyone’s face filled with disbelief. No one could have imagined such an exorbitant demand.
Even for the wealthy Tomczak family, three thousand Essence Stones was a fortune. The entire caravan’s goods combined might not even be worth that amount.
Chris’s expression darkened. He suspected these highwaymen weren’t just after the Essence Stones-they wanted something else.
Nearby, Lee gritted his teeth. “Chris, it seems we can’t avoid a fight this time.”
The steward’s face turned pale as he tried once more to negotiate. “Sir, three thousand Essence Stones is far too much. At most, we can give you one thousand. Please, as the Tomczak family’s caravan, we ask for your understanding…”
“Understanding?!” the bald man roared, cutting him off. “Either leave three thousand Essence Stones, all your goods, or don’t blame me for being merciless!”
Realizing there was no way to appease him, the steward’s face went ashen.
“Kill them all! And capture the Tomczak family’s daughter!” the bald man ordered.
With a wave of his hand, the hundred highwaymen charged at the caravan.
Lee wasted no time. Gripping his long blade, he led the caravan’s guards into a fierce battle.
The guards fought with everything they had, knowing their survival depended on defeating these highwaymen.
Chris also leapt into the fray, joining the chaotic battle.
But the sheer number of highwaymen quickly overwhelmed the caravan’s defenses. One by one, the guards fell, and the caravan was pushed to the brink of collapse.
The curtain of the carriage was pulled aside once more. The beautiful woman asked, “Bob, what should we do now?”
Bob’s face was grim. “Don’t worry. Even if I die, I’ll protect you.”
Several highwaymen charged toward the carriage. Bob drew his sword and swiftly cut them down.
But then, the bald man himself advanced toward Bob.
“You old fool! You dare kill my men? Today, you die!”
Bob and the bald man clashed in a fierce duel, their weapons colliding with deadly force.
Meanwhile, more highwaymen began attacking the carriage.
Crash!
With a loud crack, the carriage was split in two by a powerful strike.
The beautiful woman leapt out, her face pale with panic. The remaining guards hurried to protect her, but they were no match for the highwaymen and were quickly slaughtered.
“Well, well, little lady. You’re ours now!”
Several highwaymen approached her with twisted grins.
Despair filled her eyes as she realized she had no escape.
Suddenly, with a deafening roar, a massive blade-Dragon Slayer-descended from the sky.
Boom!
Chris swept his blade in a wide arc, killing several highwaymen in an instant.
The woman, who had resigned herself to her fate, stared in shock. She hadn’t expected anyone to save her in this desperate moment.
Her gaze lingered on Chris, her expression subtly shifting.
The other highwaymen froze, stunned by Chris’s ferocity.
“Kill that brat! And capture the Tomczak family’s daughter!” the bald man bellowed.
At his command, ten more highwaymen rushed toward Chris.
“Hmph!” Chris snorted coldly, gripping Dragon Slayer tightly as he charged forward.
In mere moments, the ten highwaymen were cut down.
Bob, still locked in battle with the bald man, caught sight of Chris’s prowess and felt a wave of relief. With Chris protecting the woman, she was safe for now.
The bald man, however, was furious. “You two, take him down!”
At his order, two men stepped forward-both powerful Pinnacle warriors, one at the early stage and the other at mid-stage.