The people inside the cage naturally noticed Starlight’s arrival, but most were so accustomed to their plight that they mistook him for just another bandit on patrol. They remained numb and despondent, seemingly having long since lost any hope of escape.
Only Tara, huddled in a corner of the cage, was sharp enough to recognize the newcomer’s face. In a state of shock, he asked in a low whisper, “Starlight? What are you doing here?”
“Uncle Tara! It really is you! Thank goodness you’re alright!” Hearing the call, Starlight immediately stepped forward and crouched by the cage. Seeing that the old man was safe, the heavy weight in his heart finally lifted.
Tara was in relatively good condition compared to the others. Since he hadn't directly participated in the battle against the bandits, he wasn't seriously injured. Aside from exhaustion, he was merely covered in scratches from thorns and branches sustained while the bandits dragged them through the forest.
Those who had fought back were not so fortunate. The bandits had no intention of treating their wounds, and many of their injuries had already begun to fester.
Starlight also noticed many unfamiliar faces in the cage—likely other travelers or members of different caravans who had been kidnapped for no apparent reason.
“What about the bandits? Did you come here alone? It’s too dangerous!” Tara wanted to keep asking questions, but Starlight cut him off urgently. He knew Po Kong could only draw the bandits’ attention for so long.
“Uncle Tara, wait... we can talk about that later. I’m getting you out of here right now!” At Starlight’s signal, the people near the cage door instinctively scrambled back a few steps.
He focused his palm, summoning a bright red fireball. The flames danced playfully in the air before he guided them toward the iron lock of the cage.
In just a few dozen seconds, the iron lock began to melt. Searing droplets of molten iron dripped from the cage, burning several large holes into the wooden floor.
Once successful, Starlight summoned a stream of water to cool the iron door. Finally, the captives were free.
Because many were severely injured, they had to support one another to escape the building. It took them a full five minutes to get everyone out.
The thundering sounds in the distance had not ceased. Starlight immediately began to gather the crowd, preparing to retreat in the opposite direction.
The bandits likely never expected someone to brazenly infiltrate the deepest part of the stronghold to rescue the prisoners, so even with such a large group moving, they remained undetected.
Starlight could have led the captives safely to the unguarded side of the camp, but as they passed a cave, something went wrong within the group.
The man being supported by Tara suddenly looked toward the cave in terror. Shaking uncontrollably, he collapsed to the ground as if he had seen something horrifying.
“What’s wrong with you? Do you want to get us all killed? Get up!” Tara urged in a low voice, but the man couldn’t stand. The old man tried to pull him up several times, but the man wouldn't budge.
“That... that’s a de... demon’s den! Why are we here? Help... save me!” the man babbled incoherently, pointing at the cave and screaming.
His scream shattered the silence. The sound hit the mountain walls and echoed back, sounding exceptionally piercing.
“We’re going to be spotted! Uncle Tara, go, quickly! I’ll carry him!” The moment the man screamed, Starlight felt a surge of unease—a scent of danger.
While urging the crowd forward, Starlight grabbed the fallen man and threw him over his shoulder, sprinting toward the fence.
Just as the crowd neared the perimeter, Starlight, still carrying the man, felt a sudden chill from behind. He instinctively ducked to the side.
A streak of pitch-black light flashed past, nearly grazing his arm. Unfortunately, one of the captives beside him was hit directly by the black light.
The black light seemed to have a life of its own, instantly boring into the captive’s body. Large patches of blood seeped from his skin as it began to rot at an alarming rate.
With a blood-curdling scream, he was quickly transformed into a bloody mess and collapsed lifelessly to the ground.
Starlight spun around to see the black-robed figures he had encountered two days ago appearing at the mouth of the cave. This time, there were seven of them.
The lethal magic had come from them. With a single strike, they had taken an innocent life.
They were already gathering their next wave of attacks, threatening the safety of everyone present.
“Don’t stop! Keep running!” Starlight’s face hardened. He didn't care about stealth anymore as he shouted to the crowd, who were paralyzed by the gruesome sight. He hurled a fireball directly at the nearby wooden fence.
Under Starlight’s precise control, the fireball exploded the moment it touched the wooden palisade, blasting a gap large enough for people to pass through.
Seeing the path open, the crowd immediately surged toward the gap, desperate to survive.
“Don’t stop once you’re out! Keep running toward the marsh! It’s safe for now. Wait for me there!”
Starlight gave Tara his urgent instructions and then threw the man on his back toward the crowd. He then turned to face the several streaks of black light shooting toward them.
In the chaos, Starlight managed to block four of the black lights with his own magic, but the other three fell mercilessly into the fleeing crowd.
Three more unfortunate souls collapsed under the magic. Their already weakened bodies could not withstand the erosion of such spells, and they lost their lives in seconds.
Seeing this, Starlight immediately manipulated the surrounding water elements. Fortunately, the sun had not yet fully risen, and a thin mist still hung in the air, making his task much easier.
Under his control, the mist rapidly condensed into snowy white ice crystals. While they couldn't harm the black-robed figures, they served as a temporary visual obstruction, buying the fleeing crowd some precious time.
Once that was done, Starlight didn't wait to help the crowd further. He lunged into the icy mist, vanishing from sight.
He knew the enemy had the advantage in numbers. He had to strike first to create a larger opening for Tara and the others; if even one black-robed figure escaped to hunt them, it would be a devastating blow.
Using the icy mist as cover, Starlight advanced dozens of meters and fired dozens of light spikes at the enemy.
However, the black-robed figures seemed to have anticipated this. Once their vision was obscured, they immediately huddled together, combining their power to manifest a black barrier in front of them.
The light spikes Starlight threw vanished into nothingness the moment they touched the barrier.
After blocking Starlight’s attack, a black beam as thick as a barrel gathered in the center of the barrier and shot back toward Starlight’s position.
“Those guys are using dark magic, which leans toward corrosion. It’s hard to break their shields with ordinary light magic!” Noah’s voice came from beside Starlight, offering a timely warning.
“I can see that. If there were fewer of them, it would be one thing, but a shield condensed by this many people is indeed troublesome.”
After dodging the black beam, Starlight threw several spells of different elements at the black-robed figures, but they were all neutralized by the black shield, failing to cause any damage.
When he had faced two black-robed figures before, their shield could be easily broken, but with more of them, their defense had undergone a qualitative change.
Starlight finally realized his shortcoming. If he knew one or two high-level spells, he could change the tide of battle instantly with his massive mana reserves.
However, he currently had to rely on basic magic, which made the battle extremely difficult.
Even though his magic hadn't been effective, he had successfully drawn the black-robed figures’ attention.
“Don’t you know dark magic? Why not try using your own mana to neutralize their shield?” Noah suggested as Starlight continued to dodge.
As someone with an affinity for almost every element, Starlight naturally possessed dark magic. Although he currently only knew the most basic spell, Shadow Wave, the method Noah suggested was not impossible to try.
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