Chapter 248: A Hero's Gamble
Cordell McNeil was watching the situation unfold from Billy Gut's hideout.
He stared at the rocky mountain with his mouth wide open.
"This is crazy. This is a battle on a whole other level than before."
The fight with Delia, the guardian deity of Deliat, had been quite exciting.
But now, it couldn't even compare to that time. How could anyone catch a monster that no attack could defeat?
"What should I do? I got eaten!"
"The hero is defeated... Now we will all die to that monster."
The released prisoners sensed defeat.
But Cordell thought differently. Duke Carriers was a figure beyond everyone's imagination.
He was not a man who could be swallowed so vainly.
As expected, the demon monster clutched its chest and stomach in pain.
Soon, with a loud noise, a large hole appeared in the creature's body.
At that moment, the prisoners raised their hands and cheered wildly.
But, in the very next moment, Duke Carriers was captured by the demonic monster and hit directly by its explosive attack.
"Oh, how could that be!"
The expressions of the people, once full of anticipation, now turned to despair.
If Abel Carriers lost, then they were all as good as dead.
Would that monster leave its prey trapped in iron bars alone?
Of course, this was just an illusion in their minds.
The devil monster was only targeting Abel.
"We're done."
"I thought I could escape slavery or death…"
The people clung to the bars, shedding tears.
Cordell stared at the ogre monster with a frown.
Since it had come to this, he felt compelled to step forward.
The noblewomen's eyes were full of anticipation, urging him on.
"I can't help it."
*Srrrrung!*
Cordell drew his sword and walked out with a solemn expression on his face.
Then, an earnest voice came from behind.
"Please win, sir!"
"You are our only hope!"
The voices of the women shouting each felt like a beautiful melody to him.
Finally, Cordell McNeil glanced back and smiled.
"Don't worry. A hero never backs down."
"Wow! That's cool!"
Crunch! Ta-da-da-da!
The handsome knight ran forward, sword in hand.
The women waved in the air with ecstatic expressions.
Soon, Cordell approached the demon monster.
*Soo-ok!*
Cordell McNeil disappeared into the trap he had fallen into.
"… … ."
"… … ."
The people stood there, dumbfounded and speechless.
They had witnessed the knight they trusted vanish in such a pitiful manner.
The feeling of emptiness was so strong that no one could say anything.
But at that very moment—
*Oh my god!*
A sharp noise rang out, and the head of the devil monster flew into the air.
The person who eventually landed at the slave trading place was Abel Carriers.
"Huh! Huh!"
As he looked around, panting, a huge cheer erupted.
"Yeah!"
"The hero has returned!"
---
Abel looked around with a bewildered expression.
The sight of everyone locked in cages wildly cheering caught him off guard.
'Is this the right thing to do?'
The thought crossed his mind, but he quickly nodded. Explore new worlds at My Virtual Library Empire
The people captured here were not slaves to begin with.
They might have been merchants, escorts, sailors, or travelers on board merchant ships.
How could they not be overjoyed to have their identities restored?
He waved his hand roughly and then stared straight ahead.
'I'm not feeling very well.'
The moment he was caught by the devil monster and hit by its explosive attack, Abel had made an extreme choice.
He had focused entirely on strengthening his defenses.
Such a drastic shift required enormous energy, and for a moment, his vision blurred to the point of near-unconsciousness.
But thanks to that decision, he was able to prevent his body from being torn apart.
The problem was that he had immediately used devastating retribution again.
'I'm at my limit now. One more time? I can't even guarantee it will work.'
Even though its head had been ripped off, the demon monster was not dead yet.
How did Abel know?
He still felt a tingling sensation of murderous intent.
To his shock, the monster's body was lifting its head from the sea like a headless knight—a Dullahan.
—*Hey, you! How dare you treat me like this! You will pay the price!*
"It's so noisy."
The devil's voice was incredibly lively, as though such an injury was no big deal.
If this was the case, there was only one option left.
'Aim for the head, not the neck. If I destroy it, it won't be able to talk anymore.'
Of course, it was questionable whether he could raise his defensive power enough for such an extreme attack.
Changing his stance again might leave him unable to unleash destructive retaliation.
In the end, he had to gamble everything on one last shot.
'There's no time to hesitate. I have to do it while I'm still conscious.'
Abel gripped the handle of Hector Punisher tightly.
Then, suddenly, someone's voice reached him.
"Nameless hero, please don't push yourself too hard."
"Hmm?"
Abel turned to see the expressions of the people locked in the cage.
Their faces were varied—some cried out desperately for help, others demanded the door be opened first.
But the speaker's face was void of any emotion, as if they had given up on everything.
"The knight who came with you has already run away. He won the favor of the ladies by promising to rescue you."
"… … ."
"So save your own life first. You've already done enough."
In that person's eyes, Abel sensed a desperate plea.
He couldn't help but find the situation ironic.
His body was battered and torn from fighting that damn monster.
Backing down, however, was never an option.
Even if he got on a boat, the monster would never let him escape.
Better to make a decisive move and leave in peace.
Still, he couldn't ignore the intriguing content of the stranger's words.
"What did you just say? The knight ran away?"
"I don't know what his intentions were, but he disappeared down there. Now that I think about it, it may have been a mistake."
A high-level knight like Cordell McNeil making such a careless misstep while not even in combat?
That was nonsense.
Abel let out a bitter laugh.
"I am not like that vile man."