Chapter 145: Silence has its limits.

Vince and Daniel looked at each other, total confusion written on their faces. As far as they knew, nobody from their side had sent any help. If it had happened, they would know.

Krugger was also doing some thinking of his own. When the supplies came, he had assumed these men were well connected and made a plan to ask for their help. These men looked well fed and armed. If they had the backing of a strong guild, it would be helpful to their small village.

"Where in the wild lands are you gentlemen from by the way?" Krugger asked.

Before Big Vince could answer, a sharp, screeching sound tore through the night sky.

Above the village, the night sky was suddenly covered with huge, leathery wings. Loud, obnoxious laughter echoed from the clouds as a flock of flying lizards circled low, casting dark shadows over the lantern-lit streets.

"Transport beasts?" Mr Fisher said curiously.

Mr. Krugger’s smile vanished instantly. His face went white. "Oh no_ The bandits. They’ve come back."

"Bandits? The ones that you told us about the last time?" Vince growled, his fists tightening.

"They come here to steal whatever we have," Krugger said, his voice trembling. "Quick! You must hide! Don’t fight them. Just let them take what they want. If we don’t resist, nobody gets hurt!"

All around them, the village went into a well-rehearsed panic. People scrambled into houses, dousing the lamps, and locking doors. Even the newcomers like Mr. Fisher knew the drill, dragging Vince and Daniel out of the house to a hiding spot behind a stack of wooden crates near an empty storehouse.

From their hiding spot, Vince watched in disgust as Mr. Krugger walked out to the center of the village, dropped to his knees, and raised his hands in total surrender. He was kind, but he couldn’t stand cowards.

A dozen flying lizards slammed down onto the dirt road, kicking up dust. A group of rough, dirty men jumped off their mounts. Without saying a word, they began kicking down doors, throwing furniture into the street, and grabbing bags of food.

The villagers stayed dead silent. Nobody fought back.

Then, the door to the chief’s house burst open.

A large, ugly bandit stepped out, dragging a young girl by her long hair. The girl was crying hysterically, pulling at his thick wrist.

"Hahaha! Look what I found!" the leader bellowed, grinning with rotten teeth. "A pretty little thing! I think I just found myself a new wife!"

"Please! No!" A woman scrambled out of the house on her hands and knees, sobbing violently. "She’s just a child! Take me instead! Please leave my daughter!"

"Get off me, old hag!" The leader laughed callously. He raised a heavy iron boot and kicked the mother hard in the stomach.

The woman gasped, flying backward into the dirt, clutching her chest as she coughed blood.

"Please, that is my guest’s daughter. Take everything as usual but not my people." Mr. Krugger pleaded.

The leader raised his weapon and shot at the chief; the bullet caught his foot. Mr. Krugger let out a loud cry.

"Does anyone else has something to say?" The leader shouted. He held onto the girl tighter, licking the side of her face.

Something inside Big Vince broke. He had promised himself he wouldn’t cause trouble. But watching a grown man kick a mother and kidnap a young girl?

"That’s it," Vince growled, stepping out from behind the crates.

"Vince, wait! Are you crazy?!" Fisher whispered frantically, trying to grab his arm. "They’ll kill you!"

Vince ignored him, his heavy footsteps echoing in the silent street. Daniel didn’t even hesitate_ he drew a deep breath, cracked his knuckles, and followed right behind his friend. They didn’t have their beast companions with them, but they didn’t need them.

Before they were hunters, they were pit fighters. They survived on blood, sweat, and fists. "Take whatever food you want," Vince said, his voice dropping an octave, heavy with menace. "But leave the girl."

The bandit leader stopped laughing. He tossed the girl onto the dirt like a sack of trash and turned around. He unsheathed a long, wicked curved blade, pointing it directly at Vince’s chest.

"Well, well. Look at the local hero," the leader sneered. "You must be new here, big guy. That’s not how things work in the wild lands."

Vince didn’t listen to the speech. His eyes flicked left and right, counting heads. Six men. He gave a slight side-nod to Daniel. "Take the three on the left."

"Got it," Daniel smirked.

"Die, big mouth! I won’t even waste bullets on you." The leader suddenly flicked his wrist, hurling the long blade straight at Vince’s throat!

Vince tilted his head at the last second. The blade grazed his cheek, leaving a thin red line, before embedding itself into a wooden post behind him.

"Get them, boys!" the leader roared.

Five bandits pulled out short swords and spiked clubs, charging at the two unarmed men. Their flying lizards let out loud shrieks, snapping their toothy jaws as they lunged forward alongside their masters.

"Hah! You think an oversized lizard scares me?!" Vince roared, slapping a beast away as if it was a piece of paper. "Kid, I eat beasts like this for a living."

A bandit swung a spiked club toward Vince’s head. Vince ducked under the wild swing, stepped inside the man’s guard, and drove a big right hook into his ribs.

The bandit wheezed as his ribs shattered, dropping to the floor instantly. A flying lizard tried to pounce on Vince from behind, but Vince grabbed the creature by its long neck mid-air, spun around, and slammed it face-first into another approaching bandit!

On the left, Daniel was moving like a shadow. A bandit thrust a rusty spear at his chest. Daniel caught the shaft with his bare hands, yanked the man forward, and planted a brutal knee straight into his nose. Blood sprayed everywhere. Another bandit’s beast snapped at Daniel’s leg, but Daniel delivered a spinning back kick right to the beast’s snout, sending the reptilian creature skidding across the dirt, whining like a whipped puppy.

It wasn’t a fight_ it was a beat down.

The bandits were used to intimidating helpless people. They had never fought men who earned their living in underground combat arenas. Within two minutes, five bandits and three flying beasts were groaning on the ground, holding broken bones and bleeding noses.