Having confined the corpses of the three mages within their respective rooms, Glen made his direct way towards the courtyard where the cage was situated.

Inside the frigid iron cage, the elven maiden, Gotaya, found herself in a dreamland where she encountered her family and friends.

Together, they roamed through the lush and verdant forest, engaged in playful activities, honed their skills, and listened attentively as the elders imparted their knowledge.

Everything was so idyllic and wonderful. However, all these precious moments were shattered into nothingness with the abrupt intrusion of a group of humans.

They carried out ruthless massacres, devastated the forest, and forcefully abducted her from the embrace of her family and friends.

The harrowing experiences of the days since her capture flashed vividly before her eyes, jolting her awake from her slumber!

Yet, upon opening her eyes, she was greeted by the sight of a figure standing outside the cage.

Gotaya squinted her eyes, attempting to discern the figure clearly, but the darkness of the night proved too dense, and she could make out nothing.

Just as she was consumed by confusion, the person before her suddenly reached out and grasped two iron bars of the cage. With a powerful heave, the thick, bowl-mouthed railing instantly deformed.

Gotaya was left utterly stunned.

It must be noted that this was no ordinary iron cage. It had undergone special treatment by mages, rendering it impervious to the brute force of even a so-called third-level knight among humans.

It was only when she was hoisted up by the figure that Gotaya finally pieced together what was transpiring.

It seemed that someone was attempting to seize her as a spoil of war. Humans, she thought with profound disdain, truly were a greedy race.

Surrounding her were the fallen guards. Glen first carried the elven maiden on his shoulder out of the tavern's vicinity and placed her in a secluded corner.

The maiden's hands and feet were still bound by manacles, but Glen did not remove them.

He was wary that she might flee and cause him unnecessary trouble.

Gotaya fixed Glen with a gaze of intense hatred, reminiscent of the one she reserved for the scarred man. However, Glen paid her no heed.

He turned around and made his way back towards the tavern.

Gotaya was left bewildered. Just as she was contemplating whether to make her escape, Glen soon returned.

And he was carrying a man over his shoulder.

Gotaya remembered that this man was named Fang.

"Who are you?" she demanded sternly.

"The one who's come to rescue you. Can't you tell?" Glen replied nonchalantly.

Gotaya clearly did not believe him. She merely sneered and remained tight-lipped.

Glen was too impatient to engage in further conversation. He simply tucked the maiden under his arm and, despite her struggles, strode away with swift steps.

Upon exiting the town, Glen deposited both of them onto the deer-drawn cart that he had prepared in advance.

The large deer, which had been slumbering just moments ago, was abruptly roused from its sleep. There seemed to be a trace of resentment in its eyes.

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Glen rubbed his eyes, dismissing the thought as a mere figment of his imagination.

Perhaps he had thrown Fang down with excessive force, for the latter awoke with a pained cry, cursing vehemently:

"Son of a bitch! Who struck me on the head? It's killing me..."

He blinked his eyes, attempting to make sense of his surroundings, but was met with a resounding slap.

Smack!!!

Fang felt as if his cheek was on the verge of being torn asunder, and his gums on one side throbbed with a searing pain.

Gotaya was startled by the sudden commotion and momentarily ceased her wriggling.

"Hey, do you remember me?" Glen grasped Fang's hair, forcing him to look directly into his face.

Fang, wincing in agony, glared at Glen with a menacing expression.

At first glance, he was slightly taken aback, as if struggling to recall who Glen was. However, after a few seconds, his eyes widened in recognition.

"It's you!"

Smack!!!

Another resounding slap cut short Fang's string of curses.

However, he was clearly unyielding, despite feeling that his face was almost battered beyond recognition.

"I'll kill..."

Smack!!!

"You're courting death..."

Smack!!!

"Cough, cough..."

By the time his face was so thoroughly bruised and battered that he could no longer form a coherent sentence, Fang's head lolled to one side, and a mixture of saliva and blood trickled down his chin, staining his clothes.

The elven maiden beside him swallowed nervously. Although she had endured far greater pain herself, witnessing someone else's suffering in such a manner still sent a shiver down her spine.

"You're stubborn, but it's of no avail. I'll make you wish you could shed tears but find yourself unable to," Glen said as he rose to his feet.

He retrieved a coil of rope from the deer-drawn cart, bound the still-groaning Fang's legs, and kicked him off the cart.

Perhaps sensing what Glen was about to do, Fang endured the pain and shouted:

"You can't do this! The Hunter's Guild will track you down and exact revenge on you with tenfold cruelty!"

In his heart, he was loath to admit it, but in truth, he was terrified. He also felt a pang of regret for his foolish act of provoking such a formidable adversary.

In the past, he had tortured countless others with great cruelty, and at that time, he had held those who were reduced to tears and incontinence in utter contempt.

Now that the same fate had befallen him, he realized that he was not as brave as he had once thought.

"We're all adults and should be accountable for our actions. You brought this upon yourself," Glen said.

With that, he turned around, secured the other end of the rope, and began preparing to urge the deer-drawn cart into a rapid gallop.

Gotaya watched the entire scene with a cold and detached gaze, feeling not an iota of sympathy for the fate of the mercenary.

He was nothing more than a greedy and despicable human being.

As for Glen, she harbored little affection for him either, even though he had exacted punishment on one of her enemies.

In her eyes, he was merely another human who desired to possess her. In the final analysis, he was no different from those mercenaries.

Glen paid no heed to the elven maiden beside him, nor did he concern himself with how she regarded him.

He slapped the deer's face firmly, urging it to wake up properly, lest it lack the energy to run at full speed.

With a crack of the whip, the deer let out a neigh and set off at a speed that far exceeded that of most horse-drawn carriages.

Fang soon experienced the excruciating sensation of his skin being rubbed raw and peeling away, emitting heart-rending screams.

...

By the time they returned to Bayek, it was almost dawn.

Normally, at this hour, one would expect to see the rising sun gracing the horizon.

However, in Bayek, it remained enveloped in the deepest darkness.

The kerosene lantern hanging from the deer-drawn cart swayed and creaked with every jolt.

Glen reined in the cart and brought it to a halt halfway.

Fang's body had been disposed of long before they entered the Bayek jungle. Only the drowsy elven maiden remained, nodding off yet too afraid to succumb to sleep completely.

Glen approached her, and she woke up with a start.

Gotaya regarded Glen with a wary and vigilant gaze, resembling a cornered cub.

Under such a gaze, Glen spoke softly,"I'm going to release your restraints now. Remember, I'm trying to save you. Don't attack me, or I'll have to teach you a lesson."

As he spoke, he brandished his fist, a clear warning delivered with a semblance of courtesy.

Upon hearing this, Gotaya first furrowed her brows and then relaxed them, sneering inwardly:

This must be yet another tiresome human ploy to gain my trust.

Seeing that she remained silent, Glen didn't bother to elaborate further. He simply snapped the iron chains binding the maiden's hands and feet.

"All right, you're free now," Glen said as he casually tossed aside the shackles in his hand.

Gotaya still did not utter a word. She merely rose to her feet and flexed her limbs.

The form-fitting, distinctive armor of a forest elf warrior that she wore was now dirty and tattered.

Yet, it did nothing to detract from the elven maiden's inherent beauty.

Just as Glen was observing her, the maiden suddenly launched an attack!

She spun around with astonishing speed and delivered a roundhouse kick aimed directly at Glen's head!

The velocity of the kick was far beyond what one would expect from such a petite and slender maiden.