“Rescue?”
Henry exclaimed in shock, staring at Wu Ming with an incredulous gaze. “Are you out of your mind?”
“I’m not crazy!”
Wu Ming replied calmly, “Since we’ve made this choice, there’s naturally some confidence behind it. Look at all of you! Depressed and dispirited, what kind of appearance is this?”
Inside the camp, there were still several escaped soldiers, having lost most of their equipment, appearing very disheveled and demoralized.
Arthur the blond and several soldier commanders were nowhere to be seen; no one knew whether they were dead or had simply fled all the way back to Nia Town.
Thinking of Arthur, Wu Ming’s expression darkened.
He vaguely sensed that person’s hostility. If that man survived this time and Wu Ming failed and returned to Nia Town, his fate would certainly not be good.
Moreover, the reason he had come out was to elevate his status and get closer to the upper echelons. Now, wasn’t this opportunity presenting itself?
Although if he had pushed himself harder the previous night, there might have been a chance to break through with Sir Takur, such an act would have carried less gratitude.
How could it compare to rescuing someone at the moment when they were about to be devoured by ogres, when despair had reached its peak?
When choosing, naturally the path that maximized benefits should be taken.
Back then, it was like that. Now, it was the same.
Cursing and grumbling, Wu Ming boosted the morale of the group, then stepped forward to bandage each injured soldier, saving lives.
With his expertise in herbal medicine and treating external wounds, he quickly stabilized the conditions of several seriously injured soldiers, earning the respect of the entire group.
After all, this was gratitude earned through hands-on life-saving.
After taking stock, there were thirteen people in the camp now, an ominously significant number. Three were seriously injured, while the rest had minor injuries that didn’t greatly affect their mobility.
After a simple meal, Wu Ming once again announced his intention to rescue Sir Takur and solemnly asked, “Who among you is willing to come with me?”
Seeing the somewhat bewildered expressions around him, he raised his voice, “What did we come out here for? Do you really want to return so shamefully?”
“Think about who Sir Takur is! If we rescue him, what reward do you think he will give us?”
Wu Ming wasn’t particularly suited to be a speaker, but since what he said was based on personal interests, it was quite moving.
Yet there was still a major issue blocking everyone.
“But… those are ogres! At least a hundred of them!”
A low voice came from somewhere, filled with fear.
The townspeople had all grown up hearing terrifying tales about ogres. Although they weren’t overly afraid of dying in battle, they feared being devoured alive by ogres!
According to legend, the souls of humans eaten by ogres would forever sink into purgatory, suffering torment from both fire and ice.
There were also rumors that those ogres practiced evil sorcery, capable of capturing the souls of the dead, sealing them within their original bones and teeth to transform into their own power.
…
Wu Ming was obviously aware of these people’s fear of ogres, so he made a promise: “Don’t worry, before the operation, I will explain the entire plan to you, and then you can decide whether it’s feasible! Who’s willing?”
“I am!”
Andrew stood up. The man smiled, tugging at the scar on his face: “I have a score to settle with those little brats!”
“Count me in too!”
A silent giant stepped forward: “You saved my brother’s life; I must repay this kindness!”
Seeing two people make their choice, Henry hesitated for a moment on his face but still came over: “I trust you, chief!”
“Can you guarantee that you’ll reveal the entire plan to us beforehand and that we have the right to withdraw temporarily?”
Another mercenary stood up, none other than Heim, who had the potential of a bard.
“I guarantee it!”
Wu Ming replied solemnly.
“In that case…”
Heim grinned, revealing somewhat yellowed teeth: “I’m in!”
As for the others, no one else showed interest. Wu Ming decisively ordered them to take the seriously injured and start returning.
…
“What’s your name?”
After Wu Ming and his group of five had rested briefly and began their journey, he looked at the large man who had spoken up second. The man wore leather armor, not originally a mercenary but one of the soldiers.
“Gale!”
The big man smiled, appearing quite honest: “They all call me Big Guy!”
“Aren’t you going to escort your brother back?”
Wu Ming asked his question: “The road back won’t be safe…”
“We have three brothers; he promised to make sure his younger brother returns to Nia Town safely!” Gale said: “Gale owes you a life; he will repay it!”
“Good!”
The road was easier to travel in daylight. Before long, they saw the small village from yesterday.
The village was clearer in daylight, with faint wisps of smoke rising.
“The ogres haven’t left yet!”
They all lay on the small hill, watching nearly a hundred savages in the village, their hearts filled with fear.
“What are they doing?”
Wu Ming watched the savages lighting a fire and beginning some sort of ritual, asking in confusion.
“They’re holding a ceremony and praying!”
Andrew spoke these words, watching the scene as if lost in some emotion: “Ogres worship the god of fire, firmly believing they gain strength from the people they consume. Thus, they make the best trophies from their prey and wear them around their necks…”
Wu Ming immediately recalled the savages he had seen the day before, wearing necklaces made of teeth and bones, exuding a savage and bloody aura.
“As long as Sir Takur wasn’t killed instantly, he should still be alive!”
Andrew, drawing on his rich experience, affirmed: “To ogres, soldiers wearing leather armor make excellent food, while knights wearing heavy iron armor are the best sacrificial offerings and won’t be consumed easily…”
“This is not something worth celebrating!”
Henry glanced at Andrew with sympathy.
Clearly, he was guessing whether this comrade had a dark history of being captured by ogres.
“Alright… Chief!”
Heim, beside them, chuckled softly: “We’ve come this far; should you tell us about your plan now?”
His voice immediately drew everyone’s attention.
“My plan is very simple: we wait!”
A faint smile appeared on Wu Ming’s lips.
“Wait?”
Their expressions showed confusion.
“According to Andrew, Takur is their most valuable trophy, so he certainly won’t be consumed immediately. They will take him back to their tribe, right?”
Wu Ming looked at Andrew.
“That’s right!”
Andrew nodded: “Until the other captives are eaten, Takur will be treated well…”
“These ogres gained so many captives in this battle, so they will definitely take them back to their tribe. What we need to do is choose a route, create chaos, preferably incite a riot among the captives, and then seize Sir Knight during the confusion!”
Wu Ming spread his hands and explained.
“So… who will create the chaos?”
Heim asked uneasily.
“I suggest it should be me. All you need to do is choose to support me from the side. Also, bring the knight’s original horse; we need it!”
Sir Takur originally had three horses with him, but they had left them at the camp for the surprise attack. Although the others needed to transport the wounded, Wu Ming still kept one aside for this very moment.
Even if they managed to rescue Sir Takur, it was easy to imagine that they would now have an additional seriously injured person to carry back to Nia Town. Without an animal to help, it would be a nightmare for anyone.
“Who will be in charge of the horses?”
Henry suddenly asked.
“Gale, can I trust you?”
Wu Ming looked into Gale’s brown eyes.
“I owe you a life!”
Gale stared back at Wu Ming and said directly.
…
Creak! Creak!
The wooden boards scraped against the ground, creating a loud noise that echoed around, making Takur narrow his eyes.
His head felt dizzy, his body seemingly no longer his own. The blue sky seemed to be spinning, and shadows surrounded him.
“Where’s my armor? Where is my sword…”
He wanted to open his mouth but found the action extremely difficult. The only visible thing was his armor, already distributed and worn by several savages, regardless of whether it fit properly, even worn inside-out or incorrectly, looking like clowns in a farce, extremely amusing.
But Takur couldn’t bring himself to laugh.
He recalled the attack last night, the flames, that well-aimed cold arrow, and finally, the ogres.
Indeed, he had been captured! Captured by a group of ogres!
“Gods…”
He silently lamented in his heart, knowing his fate.
Ogres were not nobles, nor were they bandits who might have an interest in ransom. The only thing they cared about was him himself!
The prospect of being devoured alive made Takur shudder.
“My soul… my family… no… A knight should die honorably in battle, how could I accept such a disgraceful death?”
He struggled, praying to every god he could think of.
Whether old gods, new gods, gods of mountains and rivers, or even the ogres’ god of fire, none responded.
At this moment, even if a devil extended a helping hand from hell, he would most likely accept it without hesitation.
But no matter how much he prayed, there was still no response.
The very god who once admired him, blessed him in the church, and made a vow with him, now gave not the slightest response.
Terrible despair suddenly enveloped the poor knight Takur.
“Hehehe…”
At this moment, the ogres around seemed to notice his awakening and gathered around, feeding him a bright red flower.
He couldn’t resist at all, only feeling a numb, sour taste spread from his taste buds.
“Cursed ogres, it’s Devil’s Bloom!”
This thought surfaced, making Takur even more desperate.
But just then, a commotion erupted in front of him!
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