Chapter 245: Hero Saves the Beauty (Part 1)

After some discussion, under Rod’s leadership, a plan was quickly put together—almost entirely based on his suggestions!
Based on his own analysis and discussions with the others, Rod decided to form a special assault team from the 97 members in their camp. By evaluating each person’s strengths, they developed a strategy. They would use this plan to train and coordinate over the next two days, aiming to apply it when the fire died down and the beast horde attacked again, thereby reducing their losses.
As reinforcements, their greatest advantage was flexibility—they could fight freely on the battlefield, unbound by geography or external influences, as long as they did their part.
“Alright, since we’ve settled this, let’s start training tomorrow! I hope everyone takes this seriously!” After finishing the discussions, Rod looked at everyone and spoke loudly, sighing in relief. His mood was excellent—everything was settled, and he felt reassured.
“Okay, training starts tomorrow!” Skora, who had been chosen as the second-in-command after Rod during the meeting, began giving orders.
“Damn it, how long has it been since I last trained?” Though they agreed, most of them wore bitter smiles—they hadn’t expected to have to train! From Rod’s understanding, most of these people were single adventurers or mercenaries, with only a few coming from formal mercenary groups. Some were even from other countries. The idea of training felt distant to them; some had never even trained before, so the thought alone caused headaches.
Rod also smiled wryly at them. He shared their troubles—these guys were used to being lazy and free-spirited, and training them would be a real challenge, let alone achieving perfection.
With everything decided, everyone took advantage of the last day to slack off. That night, Curly Hair went with a group, claiming they were going to see some beauties. They heard there were some attractive girls among the new reinforcements, and their masculine instincts drove them to check it out.

As for the rest, they went out in groups of three or five to drink or party. Even Skora couldn’t stand the loneliness and sneaked away secretly. Seeing the few people left in the tent, Rod sighed inwardly—these guys really couldn’t stay still. It was hard to imagine what training would be like once it started tomorrow!

Looking over to the only person practicing, he was the sole Saint-level warrior in this tent, one of the few Saint-level members in the entire reinforcement force—Kerode. This guy was said to be a lone mercenary who always worked alone. Thanks to his extraordinary strength, he had already become a four-star mercenary, showing just how formidable he was.

With a slight smile and his internal combat energy full, Rod, who had no intention of practicing, simply headed outside the tent, saying he couldn’t help but want to go take a look at what was going on.

He was particularly interested in what was happening over there, especially with Kiro and the others. Although those people had made Rod feel despair that night in the forest outside the capital, he still felt compelled to find out more.

There was another reason as well—just to see Viski. If it weren’t for Viski that day, he would likely have died at the hands of those guys. He owed him one.

Rod, who always kept a clear distinction between gratitude and resentment, wasn’t about to forget this.

Outside the tent, breathing in the night air and feeling the coolness of the evening, he set off toward Camp 14.

Although it was night and a major battle was imminent, there seemed to be no sense of tension or seriousness in Area C where the reinforcement force was located. Mercenaries and warriors could be seen in groups everywhere, and the atmosphere was quite pleasant. Many took this opportunity to make new friends, including some strong ones!

Rod knew that they weren’t just the reinforcements. Perhaps some were spies sent by certain factions, families, or the empire, hoping to bring in powerful allies for their own teams. Clearly, Saint-level warriors were their top targets.

Following a path toward Camp 14, as he passed by a large training ground and a small forest beside it, Rod couldn’t help but stop and frown slightly.

Some noises coming from the forest made him look inside involuntarily. Frowning, he listened carefully. It seemed he heard shouts and arguments coming from within.

Shrouded by the trees, this section of the path appeared especially dark, with few people passing by. At least for now, Rod couldn’t see a single soul in sight. Although there were many people elsewhere, this place seemed unpopular. In the pitch darkness, the area was eerily quiet. This time, Rod was quite clear—aside from the rustling sound of the wind through the trees, there were also the sounds of a woman struggling and several men shouting angrily. Hearing this, Rod’s eyes narrowed slightly, a cold glint appearing in them. He had roughly guessed what was going on inside! Right now, Area C, where the reinforcements were stationed, was a mix of all kinds of people, including some notorious scoundrels who were despised and hunted, who had mixed in here for refuge or personal reasons. Although Iron Bar Town was dangerous at the moment, their situation outside might be even worse, and this place was their only option. With the arrival of the beast horde, it had essentially become a haven for assassins, giving these scumbags a rare chance to catch their breath. For various reasons, this place had undoubtedly become the most chaotic and unregulated area, where anything could happen. After hesitating for a moment, Rod couldn’t help but head inside. Since he had encountered this, he definitely wouldn’t stand by idly. “You bastards, what do you want? Let me go!” As he went deeper, the voice grew clearer! “Hehe, girl, just be good. You’ve tried and you’re no match for us. Stop screaming—no one will hear you even if you shout your lungs out. We’ve been waiting for days. If you cooperate nicely today, we might spare your life. Otherwise… hehe…” Followed by a man’s lewd whispering and words. “You… you despicable wretches! If my grandfather finds out, he won’t let you off! Then you’ll… waaah…” The voice was cut off mid-sentence, followed by sobbing. Clearly, the woman was being held down or her mouth covered, preventing her from speaking.

The sound grew clearer, and Rod’s anger intensified. It would take an idiot not to realize what was happening by now. Yet despite his fury, he didn’t lose his sense. He slowed down and carefully made his way toward the source of the sound. He still didn’t know how many people there were or what their strength was, so caution was key—he didn’t want to get caught in trouble before he could save anyone; that would be ridiculous.

“Hehe, we’re deep in the woods here. No one will come in. So, little girl, you can enjoy yourself to the fullest today!” Hearing that voice again, Rod realized he was less than thirty meters away from them. His gaze grew colder. He heard the sound of clothes being torn, the woman’s screams, cries, and pleas, as well as the evil laughter and excited shouts of those men!

“Sss…” Another sharp sound came, followed by the woman’s screams and cries. Right ahead, thanks to his exceptional eyesight, Rod could see several figures swaying in the darkness.

He saw one petite figure at the center, being controlled by someone else, struggling desperately.

But Rod also breathed a sigh of relief—it seemed he hadn’t arrived too late. Perhaps when he first heard the sounds, they were already bringing the woman deeper into the forest, which explained the delay. He had even seen the struggling footprints when he entered. He had come at just the right time.

“Hehe, you two watch. I’ll go first!” One of the voices eagerly said to the others before taking action. In the darkness, it seemed he was stripping off his clothes, leaving the woman in tattered, pitiful state.

Three men and one victim. After confirming the situation, Rod didn’t waste time thinking about their strength. If he didn’t act now, it would be too late—he could see the man who had stripped himself diving at the woman ahead.

“Scream, little girl! Scream louder! That’s what I like best. Hehe, let’s see if anyone will listen to you even if you shout your lungs out! Don’t you girls like a prince to save you from trouble? Well, give it a try!” The naked man said arrogantly as he slowly approached.

He knew he had gone deep into the forest. At the end ahead was the training ground, about a few hundred meters away, while behind him was a mountain range. With no one around, no one would hear any noise from here!
“I’m here! Enjoy it!” With a shout, the man suddenly accelerated and rushed at the woman.
Despair set in. Seeing this, the woman was utterly desperate. All she could hear were the men’s cruel laughter. The world seemed to be spinning around her. She resigned herself to her fate, now only able to regret why she had avoided her grandfather that night and sneaked out alone! If not, none of this would have happened.
She regretted not obeying and coming to this dangerous place, where she was tricked by these guys into the forest. She had been too naive and gullible.
She tightly closed her eyes, waiting for the claws of evil to strike, waiting for the end of the world! Under the impact of despair, her face showed a look of utter misery.
“Ah…” A scream suddenly came through. Instead of feeling that horror, she was puzzled by the sound. With her eyes still closed, she had no idea what was happening.
“Who is it? Which bastard? Get out here!” Immediately after, there were roars and frantic shouts. Hearing this, the woman was stunned, her expression one of disbelief. She quickly opened her eyes, knowing she was saved—someone had come to rescue her, and she no longer had to face that devil’s assault. She hurriedly opened her eyes and looked ahead.