Chapter 52: Chapter 48: A Desperate Chance for Life
The spacious carriage was constructed from sturdy yet beautiful red pearwood, its front curtain adorned with shimmering ornaments.
At the front of the carriage, driving the horses, was a tall, handsome, golden-haired young man. He was dressed in standard noble attire with a rapier at his waist, his soft golden hair falling to his shoulders and dancing in the wind.
Pinned to his chest was a light gray crest engraved with a rose. Beneath the rose, an elegant script spelled out the name—Lawrence.
Flanking the carriage were numerous neatly dressed guards, all well-trained. Their spirited demeanor was a world apart from the guards one typically saw in Roland Town.
In a small place like Roland Town, such an opulent carriage was an extremely rare sight.
Even the most clueless guards at the town gate wouldn’t have the audacity to stop a carriage like this.
Nevertheless, the handsome young man pulled on the reins and brought the carriage to a stop.
"You will all stay here for now. I will have Baron Lael arrange accommodations for you shortly."
He issued the order to the accompanying guards, not even glancing at their fawning faces before continuing to drive into town.
Inside the carriage, a young woman with exquisite makeup reclined on a soft cushion. She wore a finely crafted long dress that outlined her slender figure.
She held a wine glass, the rose-colored liquid sloshing gently with the carriage’s movement.
The young woman brought the glass to her lips, seemingly about to sip the sweet wine. At that exact moment, however, the fast-moving carriage screeched to a halt. The jostled liquid sloshed out of the glass, soaking her thin silk blouse.
"What happened?"
An interrogating voice came from within the carriage. The golden-haired youth, who had been so arrogant a moment before, now looked flustered. He hurriedly explained, "A peasant got in the way."
In reality, he had been driving too fast and had run into a pedestrian.
"Kill him."
The breezy, nonchalant voice came from behind the curtain, utterly devoid of inflection, as if stating the most natural thing in the world.
"As you wish, Lady Unis."
The golden-haired youth showed no hesitation. As if to quickly absolve himself of his mistake, before the injured, wailing commoner could even beg for mercy, he drew his sword with a SHING and cleanly lopped off the man’s head.
Blood splattered everywhere, drawing the gazes of all who were nearby.
Everyone fell silent. Even the adventurers, normally a boisterous lot, were now like mice that had seen a cat, timidly shrinking back.
The carriage continued on its way toward the Lord’s Mansion, its speed not decreasing in the slightest.
As for the body on the ground, the guards would soon toss it outside the town to become free food for Goblins and other Demons.
"Wasn’t that a carriage from the Lawrence Clan?"
Only after confirming the carriage was long gone did the eyewitnesses dare to whisper among themselves.
"Speaking of which, I heard a few days ago that our Lord’s fiancée, the youngest daughter of Viscountess Caroline, was coming to town."
"That must have been her. As expected of a Viscount’s daughter, she’s really..."
"Shhh! Keep your voice down! You got a death wish?"
A Wide-Hatted Mage in dark purple robes happened to be passing by. Hearing the whispers, he narrowed his eyes and gazed in the direction the carriage had gone.
"The Lawrences... just as arrogant and domineering as the rumors say. It’s disgusting."
...
"An adult Mutated Goblin!"
Watching the enemy steadily approach, Bain broke out in a cold sweat, a rare look of panic on his face.
Mutated Goblins. As Elite Level Demons, once they reach adulthood, they possess strength comparable to or even greater than a Professional’s!
He knew all too well that this was an opponent he could never defeat.
Forget the adult one—they couldn’t even handle the two juvenile Mutated Goblins beside it.
Not to mention the hundred-plus Ordinary Goblins sealing off every escape route, swarming toward them like a tide.
’It seemed even their chances of escape were slim...’
"What do we do?"
As an Assassin, Cody rarely spoke such words, but now, he was just as lost as Bain.
They were facing an undeniable deathtrap.
Evan gripped his sword tightly, shielding Millian. But as he stared at the dense swarm, his arm began to tremble, and fear slowly consumed him.
’It’s over. We’re dead for sure.’
Once such a thought surfaced, his will to fight dissipated, and he sank completely into despair.
No one answered. Not even Bain’s vast experience could help him calmly face this hopeless situation. He even began to lament taking this quest, regretting his decision to pursue those two Cursed Cat Demons...
But at a time like this, such thoughts were meaningless.
Watching the Goblins draw closer, Lin Mo’s mind, in contrast, was exceptionally clear.
He glanced at his Skill Level panel.
’Fighting is impossible. We can’t win.’
’Even with my trump card, the five of us can’t possibly fight this many Demons.’
’Run?’
’If it were just me, maybe I’d have a chance, but it would be less than one in ten.’
’There are too many Goblins. Even with my 8 points in Agility, I’d be slowed down by constant obstruction. Besides... an adult Mutated Goblin is probably not much slower than me.’
’Should I bet on that less-than-ten-percent chance, or...’
Lin Mo’s gaze shifted behind him. The rift was still there, showing no signs of disappearing for the time being.
’Since the chance of a successful retreat is low, I might as well take an even bigger gamble!’
"If we enter the Secret Realm, will these Goblins follow us?"
The sudden question stunned Bain for a moment, then his face lit up with joy. "They probably won’t!"
Goblins are not a completely unintelligent race; they are, at the very least, smarter than most animals. The dangers of Secret Realms were also passed down through generations of their clans.
Unlike humans with their complex desires, most Demons on this continent simply want to survive and fill their bellies. They have no reason or motivation to enter a dangerous Secret Realm.
Normally, Bain would be extremely reluctant to risk entering a highly dangerous Secret Realm where the potential rewards were minimal.
But compared to the certain death they were facing now, he was more than willing to give it a try.
"Everyone, into the Secret Realm! It’s our only way out!"
The Goblins were almost upon them. Time was short, and there was no room for hesitation. Bain shouted, gripping his Sword and Shield, preparing to cover their retreat.
Cody was the first to react, turning and dashing into the rift.
Evan followed close behind, pulling Millian in with him.
"Lin Mo..."
"Bain."
Lin Mo cut him off. "You go first. I have something to take care of. I’ll be right behind you..."
