Chapter 117: Conflict
Upon learning that there might be giant-level terrifying creatures in the ruins, Enzo showed no fear.Instead, he seemed eager for the challenge.
Danger often represents opportunity.
Of course, he was not a man who was reckless.
After asking a few questions and receiving the answers he sought, Enzo left the mountain cave, taking Nellies along with him.
He returned to the area where he had previously stayed, but despite waiting for a long time, Freya did not return.
"Was something going to happen?" Enzo had a bad feeling in his heart. He hurriedly brought Nellies to the Servolk market.
At the same time.
At the Servolk market, Freya had exchanged mature plants cultivated by Enzo for various materials. She was preparing to leave and meet Enzo in the forest when suddenly she was blocked by several individuals.
"Leave everything behind!"
The leader said fiercely, eyeing Freya up and down with a menacing look.
This kind of gaze made Freya very disgusted.
Freya, apart from Enzo, regarded others with disdain, so she coldly replied, "Get lost!"
This response infuriated the road-blockers.
Their expressions darkened, and people around started to gather.
The leader hesitated, then growled at Freya, "Do you know who I am?"
Before Freya could answer, he continued, "I'm a member of the Allen Exploration Squad! Be smart and hand over what you've got, or you'll find it hard to walk around Servolk market in the future!"
The Allen Exploration Squad!
This name had caused many people who gathered here to change their faces.
In the Servolk market, the name sent chills through many of the onlookers who knew them for their brutality, especially their penchant for plundering others' possessions. Led by the powerful Allen, the team's reputation made most people too afraid to intervene.
Thus, seeing Freya being accosted, many people merely watched.
They did not dare to intervene.
Freya's expression turned cold, though her strength had not fully recovered, she was operating at only twenty percent of her peak power. It was enough to deal with these individuals, but certainly not a match for those who lurked in the shadows, observing silently.
In Freya's perception, the immediate foes were not her only concern.
There were others with far greater power, hidden in the vicinity.
What were their intentions?
A sense of urgency surged within Freya. Without further ado, she chose action over words. A beam of golden light shot towards the individuals blocking her path. Their faces contorted in fear as they hastily dodged, but their retreat was undeniably awkward.
The murmurs from the surrounding crowd further infuriated them.
"Damn it!" cursed their leader, barking orders to his companions. "Capture her!"
Freya smirked disdainfully.
Suddenly, the ground cracked open. Several vines erupted from beneath, piercing swiftly through the chests of the assailants. They barely had time to register pain, their faces frozen in shock as they met their demise.
Who was this?
The abrupt turn of events shocked the onlookers, their faces paling.
Then, they saw the one who intervened.
A young man, calm-faced, walked over to Freya with a friendly smile. "Are you alright?" he asked gently.
Freya nodded slightly. "It's not that simple." she murmured.
Enzo replied, "I see."
After entering the Servolk market, the enthusiastic traveling merchant Gary they had encountered on the road, the now compliant Hermes who sold wares, the subdued Nellies, and now these troublemakers...
Enzo was keenly aware that he and Freya had drawn attention.
Not from a single person, but from a collective.
Realizing this, Enzo decided to act directly, eliminating those who threatened them.
He needed to flush out those lurking in the shadows .
And he needed to ascertain their motives.
However, the bystanders seemed utterly terrified, their incessant murmuring suggesting they saw Enzo as a person about to meet a gruesome end.
They kept talking.
"It's over! These people are members of the Allen Expedition Squad. Although they're not core members, knowing Lord Allen's character, killing members of the squad is tantamount to challenging him. This person is as good as dead."
"Trouble is coming!"
"Look, it's Allen! Allen is here!"
Just then, someone exclaimed.
The crowd erupted into a frenzy, those who had been discussing the Allen Expedition Squad immediately fell silent and obediently cleared a path.
Enzo also looked towards the newcomer.
The newcomer had an extremely muscular build, resembling a standing bear. His hands were calloused, and a long scar ran down his face, giving him a fierce demeanor.
He was Allen, the captain of the Allen Expedition Squad.
Allen walked up to Enzo, glanced at Freya with a greedy look in his eyes, then turned to Enzo with a blank expression and asked, "Why did you kill my men? I need an explanation from you."
Enzo replied, "An explanation? You should give me one first!"
This remark caused the people around them to once again change their expressions.
This guy was too bold!
He actually dared to speak to Allen like that — it's Allen, after all. In a past conflict, he directly killed over a hundred people, earning himself such a fearsome reputation in the Servolk market.
Upon hearing these words, Allen chuckled.
He looked at Enzo with a cold expression in his eyes and said, "You're the first person in all these years to talk to me like this. And the people before you, their bodies were torn apart by me and thrown to feed the monsters in the Ruins. Tell me, what do you want to end up with? I can satisfy you."
Enzo smiled and was not intimidated by the threat.
He looked straight at Allen and said firmly, "No matter what you did before, how you were at the Servolk market. But now that I'm here, be honest with me. Otherwise, I don't mind letting your life end here."
The surrounding crowd completely exploded.
They were frightened by Enzo's words and convinced in their hearts that Enzo must be mentally unstable. Otherwise, no normal person would dare to threaten Allen.
Allen burst into laughter.
He said with a laugh, "Well, well, well! Kid, you dare to talk to me like this! Since you're asking for it, then go ahead and die!"
Allen's temper matched his appearance.
It was like a powder keg ready to explode.
Therefore, right after Enzo finished speaking, Allen immediately acted. A white light appeared on his arm, swelling into a circle like a swinging heavy hammer, incredibly powerful.
Just as it seemed he would strike Enzo, someone stepped forward.
A slender palm, seemingly fragile, blocked the powerful punch. Allen's face changed drastically as he stared at Nellies, who had suddenly intervened, and demanded, "Nellies, what do you think you're doing?"
Nellies hesitated.
Under threat to her life, she had agreed to become Enzo's servant, but she didn't want others to know. So, she simply said, "Allen, he belongs to me."
Allen scoffed, completely disbelieving. He sneered, "Yours, Nellies? You're joking! They've only just arrived, and you claim he belongs to you. Could it be you've fallen for this person?"
With that, Allen laughed.
His face darkened again, and he snapped, "Nellies, get out of my way, or don't blame me for being rude!"
"Nellies, act," another voice said.
Nellies looked to Enzo, exhaled softly, and no longer hesitated. Flames flickered on her palm, floating towards Allen.
The flames seemed light and harmless.
But Allen's expression changed dramatically. He frowned and asked in displeasure, "Nellies, have you lost your mind? What do you intend to do!"
Nellies seemed to have made a decision. Speaking each word clearly, she said, "This is the master's decision."
Master?
The phrase hit Allen's mind like lightning, and he couldn't believe that Nellies would actually refer to Enzo as "master." This was Nellies, the most knowledgeable potion master in the Servolk market.
What had that kid done to Nellies?
Of course, disbelief also spread among the others in the market. They widened their eyes, doubting if they had misheard.
How could Nellies possibly call that kid her master?
However, what happened next completely convinced them. Nellies's title was real; she had indeed become Enzo's servant.
The strand of flame in Nellies's hand floated towards Allen.
Allen dared not be careless. He knew well the power of this flame, known as the undying fire, which once ignited, could not be extinguished.
Unfortunately, Allen couldn't escape.
Originally, Nellies' strength was outstanding in the Servolk marketplace, and with Enzo removing many black line curses for her, Nellies' strength was greatly enhanced. Although Ellen was strong, this strength was mainly manifested in her physical body.
Allen lacked resistance against such unique abilities.
Therefore, when the flame hit Allen, he ignited instantly. He couldn't even scream before turning into ashes, surprising Enzo, who became interested in Nellies's flame.
Onlookers stared in disbelief at everything unfolding before them.
It wasn't until Enzo and the others walked away that they came to their senses. They looked at the bodies on the ground, including the pile of ashes, realizing fully—Allen was dead.
Servolk market would experience significant changes.
Meanwhile, Enzo and Freya arrived at the wooden house where Nellies lived.
"Enzo, what just happened?" Freya asked.