Chapter 12.
He wasn't a fool, no matter how much Richard's words stung his pride, because he knew the enemy was intentionally goading him to take action, trying to lure him within striking distance of whatever trick had been used to capture Eva.
If he were to do such a thing, he would definitely lose, and then there would be no one left to rescue anyone.
Richard turned to glance at Eva with a pitiful expression, shaking his head slowly as if he was genuinely disappointed in what he was seeing.
"That's the guy you chose as your boyfriend?" He massaged his temple with one hand, looking almost embarrassed on her behalf.
"You couldn't have found anyone better than someone who abandons you the moment things get difficult?"
"Shut up! What do you know!" Eva snapped at him, rattling the bars of her cage in frustration. "Tony isn't a fool to fall for your plans so easily, so don't think your little words are going to make him do something stupid!"
"Oh? So Tony's his name?" Richard snickered, a glint of amusement in his eyes. "I wonder whether you'd be screaming his name later after I'm done having my way with you."
An ominous smile made its way onto Richard's face as he spoke, his words dripping with implication, and something in his expression caused Eva's own face to turn a bit fearful, because there was no telling what this strange man might do to her now that she was trapped and helpless.
"You hear that, Tony?" Richard called out across the clearing, raising his voice so it would carry. "I've taken a fancy to your girl! You sure you're not gonna come and save the poor damsel in distress before things go too far?"
"Tch... This asshole," Tony gnashed his teeth in rage, muttering beneath his breath as his knuckles turned white around the grip of his great sword. "Just who does he think he is, talking to us like that?"
Seeing Tony's boiling expression from across the clearing, Richard grew more satisfied, because that was exactly what he wanted, for this bastard to lose his cool and come charging within striking distance where the system could deal with him just as easily as it had dealt with Eva.
"No," Madison placed a hand on Tony's shoulder, her touch gentle but firm, causing him to turn toward her with a confused look.
"But he has Eva," Tony said, his voice torn between duty and survival. "We can't just leave her here with that man, who knows what he'll do to her."
"I know that, and I'm not saying we should abandon her forever," Madison replied, her voice grief striken.
"But it's clear he can't harm us from this distance, otherwise he would have already done something instead of just standing there talking. He's obviously trying to get you to come closer, and my guess is that he doesn't have any long range spells that can reach us way out here."
Tony considered her words, hating that she was probably right. "Then what do you suppose we do?"
"I know you won't like it, but why don't we go back and get more help from the Adventurer's guild?" Madison suggested.
"I don't think we can beat him by ourselves since we still don't know how he's able to cast spells without a magic circle or chanting. We need information before we can fight him properly."
"You want us to leave Eva with him?" Tony frowned, his expression conflicted, because everything in him rebelled against the idea of abandoning a party member, even one as difficult as Eva.
"I know it's hard to accept, and I hate the thought of it just as much as you do," Madison said, her eyes sincere. "But would you rather have us all be captured by him instead?"
" Give it some thought, He's been living in this forest all alone, so he mustn't be simple."
"And now he's captured one of us without exerting himself. If he's a demonic mage or something worse, then we'll definitely get more support if we report him to the Adventurer's Guild and come back with a proper team."
' Eva's right... If we fight him head on, who knows what sort of tricks this bastards hiding.'
Tony turned silent, his jaw working as he pondered her words with a deeply conflicted expression.
Richard watched on from his position by the cage, his arms crossed over his chest as he waited to see what would happen next, curious whether the blonde would take the bait or not.
"Oh?" He blinked his eyes in genuine surprise when he saw Tony suddenly bend down, scoop Madison into his arms, and then turn tail and run back into the forest without so much as a backward glance, his great sword bouncing against his back as he fled.
The sound of his footsteps quickly faded into the trees,
"He left?" Eva's eyes turned dazed for a moment, her voice hollow as she stared at the treeline where Tony had disappeared, as if she herself couldn't believe what had just happened, as if some part of her was still waiting for him to come charging back with his great sword raised letting out a battle cry.
But shortly after, that expression of disbelief turned into one of bitter resignation,
Eva had always felt that deep down, Tony had always had an eye for Madison ever since they met her but she never truly believed it, only now did those suspicions surface in her heart.
While grabbing the steel bars of her cage, Eva slowly fell to her knees, her body slumping against the metal as her grip remained tight, her eyes turning moist as tears slowly slid down her cheeks and dripped onto the dirt below.
"I can't believe it," she whispered, her voice cracking with each word. "Tony actually left me here. Tony ran away with that bitch instead of me?"
Eva's tears slowly fell onto the back of her hands as she pressed them against her face, trying to hide her shame from the stranger who had captured her and the goblins who were watching.
[AN: Please, if you've got the time and funds, kindly support my other book on my other account so I can meet my tuition next month (*﹏*;).
The title is : SSS RANKED DRAGON KING: My Innate Ability is Unbelievable.]
[If not, some Powerstones and reviews on my books would really help as well.]
[Thanks for taking the time to read my stories]