CREAK

"Come out of your cages, all of you," said the mysterious figure as he freed all the girls.

The women emerged from their cages one by one, still afraid, while some of the broken ones were supported by their fellow prisoners.

They eyed the masked figure warily, aware of what he had done to the owner of the establishment.

"You don't have to fear me. I've been sent by the Revolutionary Army to deal with that fat man and to free all of you.

You'll be taken to a safe place far from here, so don't worry. It has already been a few hours, so Revolutionary Army soldiers should be arriving here at any moment."

The masked figure assured the frightened women in a soothing and melodious voice, instantly calming their nerves.

'At least this damned voice still has some perks,' the figure thought bitterly to himself.

As he pondered this, all the women inside the chamber bowed their heads in unison towards the figure, who appeared to be only thirteen years old but had saved them from their miserable fates.

Tears streamed down their faces, accompanied by soft sniffles echoing throughout the chamber.

"Don't bow your heads to me; I only saved you because of orders," the figure said, before turning to leave the chamber, the women following closely behind him.

As they emerged from the settlement, several soldiers dressed in the Revolutionary Army's signature black attire came into view.

They immediately saluted the small figure, whose height barely reached half of theirs.

"The mission is complete. The target has been eliminated along with all the guards, and all the women have been freed from their imprisonment.

I've deactivated all the visible traps, but be cautious of any hidden ones while searching the settlement.

"Additionally, all the valuables within the vaults are opened and accounted for.

I'll be personally delivering all the documents to the higher-ups, along with the information I obtained from the target."

The small masked figure informed the soldiers of the Revolutionary Army's special operations squad, exuding an air of authority.

"Yes, I will relay your orders to the other squad members, and we will take precautions while searching the settlement,"

The soldier responded, his gaze filled with reverence. The small figure before him had single-handedly neutralised all the soldiers in the establishment.

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This figure had already dismantled several similar settlements and important border bases of the Empire over the years.

No matter how many members of their squad perish during missions, this person always comes out unscathed, with only torn clothes, thanks to their incomparable power.

As a result, the figure had earned the moniker of the Immortal Wraith.

"Additionally, place some scouts around the settlement to keep a lookout while you search.

The previous occupant set up alarms, and we're unsure if any of them can alert the imperial army.

So, search quickly and leave immediately afterwards. No need to secure the place, got it?"

"Understood, sir!" responded the soldier promptly, acknowledging the instructions from the masked figure.

"We'll deploy scouts around the perimeter to watch for any potential threats. We'll conduct a swift search and vacate the premises promptly to avoid any unwanted attention."

As the soldier responded, the masked figure nodded and began to stride towards one of the nearby Revolutionary Army bases.

Nevertheless, his journey was unexpectedly stopped by a petite, undernourished girl, who looked to be around fifteen, standing just a little taller than him.

"Please stop!" said the small girl to the person standing in front of her.

In an attempt to intervene, the soldier positioned himself between the masked person and the girl.

As the masked person ignored the girl and continued towards the base, unwilling to waste any time.

"Please become my teacher and teach me how to become strong.

I beg of you. My parents were killed in front of me, but I was unable to do anything to avenge them, as I was too weak. Please teach me how to become strong like you."

The girl shouted at the masked person in a last-ditch attempt, and it seemed to work as the masked person abruptly halted in his steps and slowly approached the girl.

The girl could now see the figure's mask clearly as the figure stood before her.

The mask depicted a demon's face with protruding teeth carved on it, adding to the aura of ferocity and strength emanating from the figure, despite its shorter stature compared to hers.

"Do you have the will to bear the pain to become strong?"

The figure said to the girl, to which the girl nodded hurriedly as her life depended on it.

And after waiting for a moment observing the girl's face, the masked person said.

"I don't have the time to teach you anything," the masked person answered straightforwardly, causing the girl's face to fall with disappointment.

"But I can recommend you to a well-known instructor in the Revolutionary army who taught me combat during my learning years.

However, this offer stands only if you join the Revolutionary army," the figure continued, then turned to the soldier, instructing them to ask the girl if she wished to enlist.

With that, the figure resumed their stride toward the hidden base.

"Thank you, Mam! I will never forget your help!" The girl shouted with gratitude, bowing once again to her saviour.

However, the said saviour stumbled upon hearing the girl refer to him as "Mam."

The masked person shifted his attention to the girl, giving her a menacing look, making the soldier nearby struggle to hold back laughter, which quickly stopped when the masked person glared at them.

It wasn't the first time someone mistook the figure for a beautiful girl, and the figure had grown weary of correcting everyone.

With his melodious voice and beautiful hands, it was a common misconception, but one he had no patience to rectify every time.

It wasn't that the masked person was afraid to show his face to other people.

He just wears a mask out of convenience and to conceal his identity, aiming to stay safe, especially since he has already infiltrated the border territories of the empire numerous times.

If he were to reveal his face, the reactions would likely be filled with horror, given its ugliness.

However, subjecting others to such trauma and hearing their shrieks is something he prefers to avoid.

He couldn't even wear full-sleeve clothes, as they always hindered the use of his poisonous blood, tearing away due to his physical strength.

With bitterness swirling in his thoughts, he shook his head and dashed towards the base with astonishing speed, contemplating cruel ways to torture the one responsible for his condition.