"Thanks a lot, brother."
Bain panted heavily as he looked up at Lin Mo.
Just a moment ago, his squad had been on the brink of disaster. If Lin Mo hadn't suddenly intervened and taken out their Ranger, his squad would've been completely wiped out.
"The enemy of my enemy is my friend. I was just protecting myself."
Lin Mo pulled the blade from his chest, tending to his wound as he replied.
The reason Lin Mo had turned back to circle around and take out that Ranger wasn't just for revenge, nor was it because he was feeling particularly charitable.
The most important reason was that if he hadn't, there was a high probability he would have been in danger himself.
He was injured, which would affect both his Combat Power and speed. If those people had easily dealt with this Adventurer Squad, they would have likely continued to hunt him down, and that would have been a huge problem.
So, it was better to take the initiative and eliminate them himself.
But even so, Lin Mo didn't think he was safe yet.
Although their composition resembled an Adventurer Squad, their clothing and appearance suggested they weren't Ordinary Adventurers.
This meant that the five from before were likely not all of them. Especially with one having escaped, who knew if he would go back to alert his comrades and bring more people to hunt them down.
So now, any information about this group was extremely important…
Bain had clearly thought of this too, which was why he had deliberately spared the Heavy Sword Warrior's life for the time being.
"Even so, I still have to thank you for intervening when you did."
Bain slowly steadied his breathing. After thanking him again, he didn't waste any more time on the topic. "We can chat later. Right now, we need to take care of business."
Lin Mo nodded and walked with him toward the fallen Warrior on the ground.
"Who are you people?"
Bain placed his hand on the hilt of the Sword pinning the man's thigh, watching him warily as he asked.
"Heh—"
The man sneered, seemingly unwilling to answer.
"Looks like you know you're a dead man."
Lin Mo slowly walked over and crouched about two meters away—a distance from which he could easily react even if the man suddenly attacked.
"So you're not planning on us letting you go? Decided to act tough before you die, play the hard man?"
He didn't answer, just snorted again, but his gaze couldn't help but shift toward Lin Mo.
Lin Mo smiled and continued, "But how do you know for sure we won't let you go?"
"Trying to trick me? I'd advise you not to waste your breath…"
He finally spoke, his words still showing no hint of compromise, but a flicker of uncertainty was evident in his eyes.
If they could live, no one would choose to die. Lin Mo's words had shown him a sliver of possibility, perfectly stirring his will to survive.
"We're all just trying to get by out here; it's not easy for anyone. How about a deal? You answer my questions, and we'll let you go… No problem with that, right, Bain?"
Lin Mo looked at Bain and gave him a meaningful look.
"But Kent…"
Bain instantly understood and put on a troubled expression. 'If he had agreed too readily, it wouldn't have been believable.'
"The dead are dead. There's no real point in avenging him. We should be more concerned with the here and now."
Lin Mo patted Bain's shoulder, glancing at the Warrior on the ground out of the corner of his eye. Those words were also meant for him to hear.
'You have to think about the present…'
"Sigh, alright!"
After some "agonizing," Bain finally nodded.
"Now, you can talk. Who are you people?"
The man met Lin Mo's gaze, as if searching for something in his eyes.
"If I talk, will you really let me go?"
It seemed like a question, but it was more like he was talking to himself. After a few seconds, he finally spoke again. "I don't trust you."
"Sigh."
Lin Mo shook his head helplessly. "Is it worth dying for a few Silver Coins? Or is it that even if you talk, your own comrades won't let you live?"
The man didn't answer. He didn't even snort. It seemed he had completely given up on communicating and was just waiting to die.
Unable to probe for any more information, Lin Mo could only wave to Millian and Evan, who had just gotten back on his feet. "You two, come give me a hand."
When the two younger adventurers walked over with confused looks, he pointed at the enemy on the ground. "Help me hold him down."
As he spoke, he pulled out the small knife he carried.
"What are you trying to do?"
With his wrists pinned, the man had worn a disdainful expression, not intending to speak. However, seeing where Lin Mo's blade was heading, he started to get anxious.
Lin Mo's expression was calm, his tone soothing as he explained, "Back where I'm from, when we deal with tough guys like you, we tend to grant your wish and show you plenty of respect…"
As he spoke, the blade roamed over the man's body. "We have a habit of using a blade to slowly, piece by piece, carve the flesh from your body until you're nothing but a skeleton… If you're lucky and your Constitution is high enough, you might be able to withstand a few hundred cuts and slowly enjoy this feeling of being a tough guy."
As his words fell, the blade came to a stop back where it had started. "Let's start right here."
The Sharpness of the blade broke the skin. A piercing pain shot through him, making the "tough guy" who had just heard those words shudder from head to toe. As he imagined the scene Lin Mo described, his eyes widened in terror. His will, which he had believed to be so Tenacious only moments ago, instantly crumbled.
"You… you bastard!"
'That son of a bitch! He's starting the cut right at a man's pride!'