“Cough cough, Uncle, there’s so much dust.”
The figure emerging from the swirling dust scratched his head sheepishly, showing a set of uneven, broken teeth. His smile only made the girl hiding in the corner even more frightened.
Bai Ya looked up at the man twice her height, resting her chin on her hand as she nodded repeatedly. The reason was simple—the man’s build was perfect: broad shoulders like a tiger’s, a bear’s waist, muscles bulging beneath a filthy white shirt stretched tight over his chest. Coupled with that ruthlessly wicked face, he looked like a terrorist straight out of a crime drama.
At the moment the wall shattered, Bai Ya noticed the man had charged straight through it, cradling a rugby ball as if it were a weapon. With his brute strength, she was certain she could escape prison.
“Sister, run!” The girl squeezed out a terrified warning from her throat. “He’s ‘the pervert’ Tabu, a demon who has raped and brutally murdered multiple women. He’s an irredeemable villain!”
There were three types of people locked in this stone chamber: slaves, prisoners of war, and death row inmates. “The pervert” Tabu belonged to the last group. He was a death row convict, and the girl clearly knew the warrior living next door to her very well. It was because she knew of Tabu’s crimes that she was so terrified of his presence.
Now, the three of them—Tabu, Bai Ya, and the girl—were trapped in the same room. After the girl finished speaking, the atmosphere suddenly tensed.
Tabu cast a cold glare at the girl, his eyes flashing with menace, causing her to shrink back. He turned and strode toward his room.
He really wanted to kill her, Tabu thought angrily as he stepped onto the floor of his room. Just then, Bai Ya spoke up.
“Uncle, will you hurt me?”
No fear, no disgust, no rejection—only simple curiosity.
“No,” Tabu found his voice trembling.
“That’s great! Then I feel safe. Uncle, what are you doing! Come back and help me!”
Tabu froze at the call, then asked instinctively, “You’re not afraid of me?”
He cursed his own stupidity silently as he waited anxiously for Bai Ya’s reply.
Isn’t that obvious? We’re all men here. Why be afraid of me?
Though thinking this, Bai Ya still carefully arranged her words and said, “I’m lying if I say I’m not afraid. You do seem quite dangerous, Uncle.”
Tabu’s eyes glistened with moisture. Disappointment and sadness washed over him.
“But I haven’t witnessed the terrible things you’ve done, so I don’t feel much about that. What I do know is that you’re a good person. You lent me your spoon, smiled at me, lent me your shovel—even lent yourself without hesitation. So thinking about all that, I suddenly don’t feel afraid anymore. Didn’t you say you wouldn’t hurt me? I believe you~”
Noticing Tabu’s trembling gaze, Bai Ya tilted her head and gave him a warm smile. Her face, dirty with soil but still pure and beautiful like an angel’s, stirred something inside Tabu. He hurried over to Bai Ya and wrapped his arms tightly around her, clutching the precious treasure he’d finally found.
Uncle! Calm down! I’m not into guys! If you want to vent, there’s a girl in the corner. No wait, you should look for me! No, maybe you should just handle it yourself!
Bai Ya’s thoughts spun wildly. Tabu released her and took two steps back before dropping to one knee. With absolute resolve, he declared, “I, Tabu Dogas, Captain of the Dominikni Kingdom Guard, solemnly swear before the gods that I will use my life to protect this beautiful white-haired lady. I will sever every blade that points toward her, until my last breath!”
“Huh?”
Bai Ya didn’t quite process the moment and let out an out-of-place sound.
“Tabu, looks like you’ve decided to pick up the will to live again.”
The sound of cutting echoed as the only intact wall crumbled into neatly shaped square stones scattered across the floor. From the smooth opening stepped out Lionman Renxin, his golden mane shining, and Bloodhand Leblanc, the youth wrapped in blood-red bandages.
The tearful girl covered her mouth, but her palm still made faint clapping sounds.
Lionman Renxin and Bloodhand Leblanc—one a bronze-tier combat slave, the other a bronze-tier death row prisoner—were all the dangerous neighbors gathered in one place. She never imagined that the dangerous men living next door could break through walls at will. The thought of having lived among them earlier left the girl trembling on the verge of tears.
Tabu furrowed his brows and stood, stepping before the surprised Bai Ya and adopting a battle stance. His hoarse voice demanded, “What business do you have here?”
“Don’t be nervous! Don’t be nervous! We’re here to propose an alliance,” Leblanc chuckled nervously and waved his hands in explanation.
“No need.”
“If you want to protect her, then you have to kill that cannibal. Don’t be so arrogant as to think a bronze-tier warrior like you can take on a silver-tier opponent.”
Renxin glanced at the small head poking out from Tabu’s waist. Tabu fell silent. Seizing the moment, Renxin pressed on: “Do you really think you can protect her alone? No, that’s just naive fantasy. Only by joining forces do we stand a chance of killing the cannibal. If you go it alone, what awaits this girl will be stabbing! Tearing! Chewing…”
Before Renxin finished, a powerful fist filled with wind and fury struck his cheek, sending him flying.
“Don’t you dare talk about her like that. I would do anything for her now.”
Wiping blood from his mouth, Renxin glared hatefully at Tabu before bursting out a mocking laugh. “Do you think you’re a knight? Have you fallen for her? Ha ha ha, ugly freak.”
“Maybe a little.”
Renxin’s smile froze. Bai Ya was stunned. Tabu smiled faintly.
“But more than that, I was saved.” Tabu pressed a hand to his chest. “Thanks to her, this long-dead heart beats again.”
“Ugly freak, monster, disgusting trash. Hatred, suspicion, and scorn always followed me. I used to care deeply about those things. I fought tooth and nail to do everything well, desperate for approval, but all I ever got was rejection. Now, all I need is her affirmation, and that’s enough. She is the one I want to protect. Now, I’m willing to become her knight. Even if she demands my life, one word is all I need.”
Seeing Tabu’s sincere expression, Bai Ya felt at a loss.
What exactly is going on now?
“Renxin, Leblanc, you’re here. Tabu, hello. Ladies, hello.”
The rusty iron door was pulled open—not by grabbing the latch but by grabbing the iron bar and pulling it sideways. A half-asleep middle-aged man walked through the twisted door and greeted everyone.
The girl in the corner had already passed out.
“Kun Jian Luoshi, you’re here too,” Tabu squinted cautiously at the man.
How to put it… aside from the wall behind Bai Ya, all other directions had been breached.
Bloodhand Leblanc, Lionman Renxin, “the pervert” Tabu, and Kun Jian Luoshi.
The four bronze-tier figures among the warriors—all gathered here.
“Suddenly this has turned into a serious development. Whatever, Uncle, help me break through this wall. I want to escape!”
Bai Ya tugged at Tabu’s sleeve. Tabu shook his head with a wry smile. She suddenly noticed Renxin, Leblanc, and Luoshi all looking at her as if she were a fool.
Luoshi said to Bai Ya, “Do you know what the nobles say to slaves? ‘Escape is welcome—first to run, first to win.’”