CHAPTER 61: 61. SEVERING STEEL

The startled children, their eyes resembling those of a frightened deer.

At this moment, White stood among a group of children about his age. The collective panic was something no child could resist.

Even though this child had already endured hardships.

The clothes, though old, were once washed clean by Madam Donald and stitched with care, now stained with dirt and pulled out of shape.

His slightly large head turned anxiously, survival instincts futilely trying to gather more information through his senses.

Humans’ longing for light largely stems from a fear of "losing visual information."

Information, in a sense, guarantees life.

Lann didn’t hesitate for a moment. In fact, merely seeing White unharmed eased his tense nerves.

This child is safe... That’s truly wonderful news.

Yet at the same time, a more urgent sense of crisis surged in with the movement of the two lines of torchlight.

The child is safe, but the situation is dire!

Lann stood in front of the large wooden cage that held White.

This kind of wooden cage was made of logs as thick as an adult’s arm, tied together to form a row.

Unlike the jail cells from ancient drama Lann watched as a child, the gaps between these wooden stakes didn’t even allow a hand to pass through.

Tight and solid.

The wood was freshly cut and filled with moisture. Although it couldn’t match steel in hardness, it had excellent toughness, likely requiring several chops from a big axe to cut through.

The door of the wooden cage was also made of tied wooden stakes, and the lock was consistent with Mentos’ prediction.

Even man-eaters knew to use an iron lock for valuable goods.

Lann stood at the door, lips pressed together, staring at the lock.

He couldn’t pick locks, but at this point, with the person he wanted to save right in front of him being stopped by a lock was just ridiculous.

So the Demon Hunter’s left hand hovered about three or four centimeters above the iron lock.

"Igni."

Magic Power transformed into an orange searing stream, just like what Lann had once done to his own sword.

The iron lock absorbed a large amount of heat in a short time, even emitting a forge-like high-temperature orange-red glow.

Predictably, after a brief silence, the children inside the wooden cage started screaming.

Perhaps out of fear, perhaps from the excitement of seeing hope. But in any case, expecting a group of almost terrified children to stay quiet at this moment was unrealistic.

In the glow of Magic Power, White glimpsed the face of the newcomer, although it seemed grotesque and frightening due to the ingestion of a Magic Potion.

But without a doubt, he recognized Lann and was overjoyed by this!

No matter what Lann had become, in Little White’s heart, he was first and foremost a good person.

White had even thought, if he could help Lann gather herbs, maybe they could become friends!

Donna had taught him that if one only takes or only accepts, they can’t be considered friends, as there’s no equality between the two.

Only by helping each other can they be called friends.

It was for this reason White particularly wanted to help Lann.

The twenty or so people already heading towards the detention area first saw the flare of Magic Power, then heard the children’s shouts, immediately understanding the problem in the camp was here.

They shouted, calling for the other side’s search party to come and surround from both sides.

White initially cried out in delight, "Lann!"

But shortly after, the parade of torches quickly closed in, and his little face’s joy turned rapidly into panic.

However, the panic only lasted an instant.

This child, not even ten years old, decisively steeled himself in a moment.

He dashed out from the heap of children that provided him security.

"Go! Lann! Run quickly!"

He directly rushed in front of Lann, pounding on the wooden cage, shouting.

"They’re coming fast! Dozens of people! You’re fast, right, Lann. I’ve seen you move faster than the wind! You can escape! If you turn back now, you can escape!"

White was nearly crying with urgency.

He didn’t know what fate awaited him, but he still wished to pull someone out of danger at this moment.

Lann was even more desperate than him.

The Magic output from his hand, the lock’s latch far thicker than a sword blade.

Anxiously trying to heat it to the point of softening, sweat dripped from Lann’s forehead straight to his nose tip.

"Shut up... shut up! Whether or not to save you is up to me! All you little brats need to do is squat on the ground obediently and cry for your parents!"

But at this moment, Mentos emerged with a warning.

"Sir, calm down! You must do your utmost to stay calm! The magic power flow in your hand is on the brink of being out of control!"

The footsteps coming from behind were getting closer, and his heart felt like it was about to leap out of his chest.

Just one more step to take White away! Just one more step!

Anxiety, fear of failure, fear of the power that defeated Margaret, fear of the unexpected... The unstoppable negative emotions surged like a tide, yet at this moment, he had to stay calm!

Maintain a calm output of magic power!

Lann felt like his brain was about to explode!

With a "sizzle," the sweat on his nose dripped directly onto the iron lock, instantly evaporating into white smoke.

The temperature was high enough!

With a "whoosh," he drew his steel sword, Lann’s body bending backward at an extreme angle, while the steel sword was always held above his head.

The muscles in his arms suddenly bulged! The clasps of his armor were instantly stretched tight, emitting a wailing sound.

"Iron lock... even plate armor can’t stop me today!"

His spine instantly activated, and the steel sword was wielded like a whip by Bear School’s Swordsmanship!

The flash of cold steel in that moment even dimmed the approaching torches.

The blade cut into the bolt of the iron lock, and the iron lock, roasted to a scorching red by the high temperature, even exploded with sparks like a forging flame under this strike!

Steel cleaving!

In fact, the structure of the iron lock was almost like a solid block of iron, and the local strength of a few millimeters thick plate armor couldn’t compare.

But under Lann’s furious strike, it was as if even a block of iron was forcibly cleaved open!

The Demon Hunter didn’t even have time to catch his breath before he yanked open the large door, grabbed White at the entrance, and immediately fled south.

The person he wanted to rescue was already by his side, but at this moment, Lann had no time for sentiments.

Two crossbow arrows were shot from a distance.

They were aimed not at Lann’s body but at the ground in front of him.

Want to move forward? Then you’ll take two arrows!

Lann immediately halted.

Now he had one hand clutching a person and the other holding a sword.

Faced with two crossbow arrows, he couldn’t use a magic seal, nor could he block with one hand while wielding a sword with the other.

Enemies surrounded him; if he were struck by an arrow, his mobility would be compromised, and everything would be over!

However, these two arrows also revealed a grim reality to the Demon Hunter—

"These guys... are not cannibals!"

This was not a redundant reiteration of a previously concluded fact; Lann realized that the group standing in his way now was not on the same level as cannibals in terms of combat proficiency!

Simply put... they knew very well how to outnumber and overtake!

"Mutant, hello there!"

A man wielding a two-handed warhammer rushed over with a grin.

His movements flawlessly linked with the two arrows that forced Lann back!

The Demon Hunter hadn’t even found his footing before the two-handed warhammer was already swinging horizontally.

Another man, wielding a longsword, struck from an angle, aiming a downward slash at Lann’s back.

The angle was peculiar, as Lann’s heavy armor would likely cause the longsword to slide off, sparing his flesh.

But Lann’s expression tightened to the same intensity as when he heated the iron lock as this sword slashed out.

This sword wasn’t meant to cut Lann... it aimed to slice clean through Little White’s entire lower body!

With a warhammer in front and a longsword behind, Lann was at a loss.

He could only toss the just rescued Little White to the side.

The Bear School Steel Sword was raised in front of his chest, and with a "clang," the heavy hammer directly hammered Lann away!

That man had swung his hammer with a full circle, storing up momentum!

The longsword at his back had lost White as a target and burst open a large wad of cotton on Lann’s cotton armor outer cover.

But just as Lann had predicted, it didn’t harm his flesh.

The door bound by wooden stick bindings that had just been pulled open was slammed by Lann with a "thud."

The binding vines and leather straps broke in several places.

Lann lay on the ground for a few seconds, unable to get up.

His chest had taken the full impact of the warhammer strike. Without his school armor and the previous interception, his rib fragments would have punctured his organs!

But even so, Lann lay on the ground with his mouth agape, struggling for breath.

Blunt force counters armor.