"Hah... Hah... Hah..."
In the middle of a dense forest, a young girl ran frantically.
She was exceptionally beautiful, with bright white skin. Dirt and dust stained her, yet her beauty remained undiminished.
Her golden hair flowed down to her waist, and her golden eyes shone splendidly. But what truly stood out were her long, pointed ears.
It was clear she was not human but an elf.
"I must escape! I can’t let them catch me!" She muttered through gritted teeth.
She didn’t even know how she had been captured. As she recalled, she was simply picking flowers near her house to give to her mother.
But somehow, she had lost consciousness and awakened to find herself kidnapped by terrifying humans.
"You damn girl! Don’t think you can escape!"
"Stop right there, or you’ll face dire consequences!"
Furious voices echoed from behind. Her face went pale as she glanced over her shoulder and saw the sinister men chasing her.
Their expressions burned with rage, as if they would devour her alive.
"No! I’m not going back!" she shouted, shaking her head.
"Bitch!" the burly bald man, their leader, roared in fury.
He turned to his two men and ordered coldly, "Don’t let her get away! That girl is the most valuable thing we’ve got! A nobleman from the western region has already offered a high price. We can’t afford to lose her!"
Hearing that, the two men nodded firmly. "Leave it to us, boss!"
With that, they quickened their pace. Although the elf girl had managed to get a head start, the difference in their physiques was overwhelming.
The distance between them quickly closed, intensifying the elf girl’s panic.
"No! I can’t be caught!" She shook her head, tears streaming down both cheeks.
But her wish went unfulfilled. The three burly men caught up and seized her.
"Hahaha!" The bald man laughed, gripping both of the girl’s hands. "Where do you think you’re going, pretty girl? You’d better stop dreaming about escaping—or you’ll face severe punishment."
His voice carried a menacing warning. The elf girl shook her head and struggled. "I don’t want to go with you! Let me go!"
Plak!
A sharp slap rang out. Her cries abruptly stopped as her small body was thrown to the side, rolling across the ground.
She clutched her right cheek in agony.
"It hurts so much," she sobbed, tears streaming freely down her face.
"Humph! This is what happens when you dare to rebel," the bald man snorted, crossing his muscular arms over his chest. "Quickly take the girl and tie her up firmly. Don’t let her escape again—otherwise, the leader will kill us."
The two men nodded and immediately lifted the young girl, locking her arms tightly.
She struggled, but another hard slap landed on her left cheek. Still, she refused to give up and bit down on the bald man’s arm.
"Argh!" he groaned in pain.
Anger flared, and he instinctively punched her hard in the face.
The blow made the girl flinch—and then she lost consciousness.
"This..." His two men froze, unsure of what to do.
They stared at the bald man with expressions that mixed shock and disgust.
"What do you mean by that look?" he snapped coldly. "If she hadn’t been knocked out, she’d have kept struggling. It would’ve only caused more trouble."
He never expected to punch a girl this young, but she had dared to fight back and bite him.
His gaze dropped to his arm, now marked with deep bite wounds. Red blood dripped down, stoking his irritation even more.
"Don’t waste time! Let’s go back!"
The two men nodded without protest. Yet, not even five steps into their walk, something unexpected happened.
The elf girl opened her eyes. Unlike before, they now glowed with an intense golden light. The sight shocked all three men.
The bald man narrowed his eyes, about to speak, but an overwhelming pressure slammed him to the ground.
"Argh!" he groaned in pain.
He tried to rise, but the force pinned him so tightly that he couldn’t even move a finger.
"Boss!" his two men shouted in panic.
They rushed to help, but the same crushing pressure struck them, pinning them to the ground as well.
"Argh!"
No matter how they struggled, escape was impossible.
"Damn... what is this?" The bald man muttered in horror.
Forcing his head up, he froze at the sight before him.
The elf girl floated in the air, her eyes blazing golden. Her expression was cold and indifferent, sending a chill down his spine.
"I—" His words died in his throat as the girl waved her right hand. In an instant, the bald man’s head was torn from his body.
"Boss!" the two men screamed, eyes wide with terror.
Before they could comprehend the horror, she waved her hand again. Both of their heads were severed just as quickly.
Blood gushed like a fountain, painting a scene of unimaginable terror.
"Ugh..." The girl let out a low groan, furrowing her brow.
The golden light in her eyes flickered faintly before fading completely. Her body collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
A short distance away, the bushes rustled as five warriors in white armor emerged.
At the sight of the elf, they froze in surprise.
"Ma’am, look! It’s an elf!" One soldier exclaimed, pointing toward the unconscious girl.
A young woman in professional attire stepped out of the bushes and followed the soldier’s gesture. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she ordered, "Let’s go over."
The five soldiers nodded and led the way, while the woman stayed behind.
"She really is an elf," one soldier said. "It seems she lost consciousness."
Turning to the woman, he asked, "What should we do, ma’am? Leave her here or bring her with us?"
The woman didn’t respond immediately. Her gaze lingered on the three burly men whose heads had been severed—clearly, they had died only moments ago.
"We’ll take the elf girl," she said casually. "I suspect she’s connected to the syndicate of women kidnappers we’ve been investigating. Any information we can get from her could be extremely valuable."
The soldiers nodded in unison. "As you command!"