Chapter 153: Chapter 153: Another Protagonist Destiny?
Hannah Fields' cooking was impressive. In no time, the plump rabbit they had been roasting was devoured completely.
With their strength replenished, Dean Bruce decided not to continue their journey by carriage. Instead, he had Hannah sit in front of him on his Firebolt.
When Dean Bruce's arms encircled her to guide the horse, Hannah's cheeks flushed a bright red.
Thankfully, Dean Bruce had no interest in romantic entanglements and refrained from any inappropriate behavior, allowing her to relax slowly.
However, as the horse galloped through the forest, their bodies occasionally brushed against each other, causing Hannah to blush even more.
Time passed quickly, and just as they were about to leave the forest, a sudden surge of battle energy rippled nearby.
A dense magical force formed a barrier, blocking the path in front of them.
Dean Bruce's expression darkened immediately.
As he prepared to take action. But before he could move, voices echoed from nearby."Hurry up and search! We must find that little wretch!"
"Hmph, her Eyes of the Spiritual Rhino have been gouged out, and she's blind now. She can't have gone far!"
"Once we kill her, the Eyes of the Spiritual Rhino will bond with our young mistress, and then she'll become a true genius!"
"…"
Dean Bruce's eyes narrowed, his expression turning strange.
A unique pair of eyes, being hunted down after having them stolen—this situation screamed "protagonist" material. Back in the world he'd come from, this would be the classic backstory for a heroine.
Could it be that there were multiple people with protagonist-level fates in this world?
In that moment, Dean Bruce felt the urge to meddle, determined to rescue the girl and bring her under his wing.
People with "protagonist fates" not only had extraordinary opportunities, but their talents were also unmatched. Teaching them magic would make it easy for Dean Bruce to gain significant rewards.
It was just like with Nicholas William!
Though he wasn't Dean Bruce's first disciple, he had become the one who mastered the most magic spells.
[I must take that girl in!]
Dean Bruce thought to himself. Before he could make his move, Hannah Fields' voice rang out angrily, "Teacher, they're so despicable! Can we teach them a lesson?"
"..."
Without hesitation, Dean Bruce gripped his staff, and with a flick of his wrist, cast Lightning Flash.
Crackle!
The barrier didn't shatter, but a gap was torn open. Without wasting a moment, Dean Bruce spurred Firebolt forward, leaping through the opening before it could close again.
"Huh?"
"Something's wrong with the barrier!"
"Third brother, go check it out! Make sure that wretch hasn't escaped!"
Startled shouts echoed once more, but Dean Bruce didn't rush to take action. Instead, he surveyed the area carefully, his nose subtly sniffing the air.
Thanks to his exposure to the Water of Life and the refinement from the Healing Spring, Dean Bruce had developed an acute sensitivity to life forces.
As long as that girl was still hiding somewhere in this forest, he would be able to sense her.
Sure enough, after just a short while, he detected a faint life force. Focusing his gaze, he spotted a small, weak figure crawling through a patch of thorny bushes.
With every movement she made, the sharp thorns tore into her skin, leaving fresh gashes. It seemed as though her blood had nearly run dry, with only a few drops seeping from her wounds.
Yet, even in such a state, she continued to crawl forward, inch by painful inch.
Her life force was fading, but her will to survive was unwavering.
This only confirmed to Dean Bruce what he had suspected—this girl was definitely someone with a protagonist's destiny.
An ordinary person would have already perished under these conditions. How could anyone else have survived?
"Hm? Who are you?"
"How dare you enter our Koverdale territory!"
The sound of hurried footsteps approached, and several men clad in leather armor, wielding swords and carrying bows, arrived. They eyed Dean Bruce and Hannah Fields suspiciously.
"This is your territory?" Dean Bruce responded calmly. "Ridiculous. A little further down this path is the city. How could this possibly be your territory?"
Normally, noble territories weren't allowed to extend onto public roads leading to cities.
The group of men didn't argue. After assessing Dean Bruce for a moment, one of them spoke, "If you're heading to the city, you'd best move along and—"
Before he could finish his sentence, shouts erupted from the other side. "We've found her! That wretched girl is hiding in the thorn bushes! Surround her, and make sure she doesn't escape—kill her!"
With that command, the group ignored Dean Bruce entirely and sprinted toward the source of the voice.
Dean Bruce's gaze sharpened as he focused on the girl. She was still crawling forward, but one of the men was already swinging his sword toward the thorn bushes.
Once the thorns were cut away, she would be the next to feel the edge of their blades.
Hannah Fields grew visibly anxious. Her soft hand quickly grabbed Dean Bruce's wrist, her voice pleading, "Teacher, please help her! She looks so pitiful!"
Before Hannah Fields could say anything, Dean Bruce had already raised his staff. Magic energy swirled and coalesced into an ice bow and arrow.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—
The sound of arrows cutting through the air echoed as icy arrows, forged from the biting cold, shot out with incredible speed. They pierced through the bodies of the men swinging their swords at the thorn bushes.
In the next moment, their bodies collapsed to the ground, their skin torn by the sharp thorns. Yet, they couldn't even muster a scream.
The moment the ice arrows had punctured their chests, their hearts had frozen solid, killing them instantly.
Seeing this, Hannah's breath hitched.
What she had meant by "help" was simply to drive those men away!
But now that she was Dean Bruce's disciple, she dared not criticize his actions, merely pressing her lips together in silence.
"Huh?"
"You bastard! We let you pass, and you dare to interfere with our business?"
The remaining men quickly realized where the attack had come from. Turning around, they glared furiously at Dean Bruce. Some rushed toward him with their weapons drawn, while others pulled out their bows and arrows, aiming directly at him.
Dean Bruce had no qualms about killing even imperial soldiers—what were a few noble lackeys to him?
With a mere thought, Thunder Flash erupted. Lightning crackled through the sky, and before the archers could even draw their bows, bolts of electricity struck them. Their skin blackened, and they fell to the ground, lifeless.
As for the lackeys charging at him?
There was no need for a high-level spell. A simple wave of his staff unleashed a Gravity Spell, pinning them to the ground, unable to move.
In the blink of an eye, another round of frost arrows shot out, this time piercing their chests and heads with pinpoint accuracy.
In just a few breaths, over a dozen men lay dead at Dean Bruce's feet.
Hannah sighed softly, muttering a quiet prayer under her breath.
Dean Bruce paid her no mind. He urged Firebolt forward, stopping in front of the thorn bushes. Looking down at the girl who was still struggling to crawl, he said, "It's over. They're dead. You can come out now. If you keep crawling, you'll end up dead yourself."
As soon as Dean Bruce finished speaking, the girl paused for a moment, then suddenly summoned a surprising amount of strength. Ignoring the thorns tearing at her flesh, even revealing the white of her bones, she pushed forward and stumbled out from the bushes. She collapsed to her knees in front of Dean Bruce, her voice weak but unwavering as she said, "Thank… you, sir… for saving my life."
"No need to thank me," Dean Bruce replied, shaking his head. Then he asked, "What happened to you?"
"I…" The girl tried to respond but faltered, her body trembling as if she could lose consciousness at any moment.
Hannah Fields, no longer sighing, spoke up gently, "Little sister, you don't have to be afraid! I'm from the Church of Light, and my teacher here is an elder of the Magic Guild. If you've suffered any injustice, you can tell us!"
She glanced at the girl with compassion, adding, "It's heartbreaking—you're so young, and yet they've gouged out your eyes! We'll make sure justice is served."
Dean Bruce, too, took a closer look at the girl. Her eye sockets were a terrifying sight—bloody, hollow, with no trace of her eyes left. It was enough to unsettle anyone.
Fortunately, Dean Bruce had seen plenty of bizarre and grotesque images during his previous life on the internet, so he could endure the sight.
Even Hannah, despite her compassionate heart, shivered slightly after seeing the girl's condition.
"Are you really an elder of the Magic Guild?" the girl asked.
Her voice suddenly filled with emotion. Though blind, she began bowing fervently, her voice becoming firm, almost desperate. "Elder, will you take me as your disciple? If you can teach me magic and give me the chance to avenge myself, I'll give anything in return!"
"Don't be fooled by how filthy I look right now. I'm actually quite beautiful! If you agree, I'll be yours completely! And… I'm a direct descendant of the Koverdale family. I know of many treasures and can lead you to them!"
Dean Bruce fell silent at her words. He didn't need to say anything—this was clearly a tragic situation.
But her desperation and words were heart-wrenching.
What kind of torment had she endured to be so frantic.
So willing to offer everything in exchange for a shred of hope.
She was still just a young girl, yet she was ready to give up so much.
"Sir… don't you want me?" she asked, her voice trembling with fear and uncertainty.
"I…" Dean Bruce started to respond.
But before he could finish, the girl's arms gave out, and she collapsed face-first into the dirt. Mud splattered into her mouth, yet she still struggled to speak, her words faint and broken.