Leo Longblade found himself being kidnapped.
He was confined inside a carriage that swiftly traveled away from the City of Lancelot towards the looming Lancelot mountain range.
A special artifact had been crafted by Leo's abductors that kept his shadow-element powers suppressed. Accompanying him were five other Rankers, all complicit in this act.
Despite the circumstances, Leo remained surprisingly composed, giving off an air of calmness that unsettled two of his captors while frustrating the remaining three. They were determined to unsettle him, to coerce him into relinquishing his position as Baelin's new apprentice.
Envy and animosity fueled their actions, as they refused to accept Leo's victory in the test and his subsequent inclusion in Baelin's inner circle. Banding together, they conspired to force Leo out, creating a vacancy they could then contend for. Their intentions were clear—to remove Leo from the equation first and foremost.
Thus, they employed various means and threats to coerce Leo into the carriage, successfully executing their plan. However, they had not anticipated Leo's lack of resistance. This unexpected compliance put them on edge, sensing that something was amiss with Leo's acquiescence.
Yet, they were unable to voice their concerns as Leo complied with their demands. The abductors found themselves in a dilemma, unsure of their control over the situation.
"Hahaha. Thanks for coming with us willingly, you spineless turtle."
One of the contestants who had participated in Grandmaster Baelin's test mocked Leo, attempting to provoke a response.
'Umm… turtles have spines. You could have called me spineless jellyfish.
No… Perhaps you wanted to call me a pathetic turtle that did not have a spine? A unique turtle? In that case, that's a good insult. I applaud you for your creativity, Mr. Creative Insulter.'
Leo thought to himself after hearing the abductors' insults thrown at him, but he didn't voice his words. He then started thinking about the Shallot's Mirror and Soul Seed Insertion Array, ignoring the words and more insults that followed, coming out of his abductors' mouths.
Amidst the barrage of insults, Leo remained steadfast and quiet. The abductors' attempts to demean him with their poisonous words didn't make him budge. Even the insults directed toward his mother bore no fruits.
Leo simply refused to give them the satisfaction of a response. Instead, he turned his attention inward, contemplating the mysteries of spiritual artifacts and how he could improve his weapons. The insults and derisive remarks from his captors became mere background noise as Leo immersed himself in his own world of knowledge and expertise.
Each of the five abductors had their own motives for participating in this joint operation, but all sought to hear Leo speak to establish a sense of dominance. However, Leo remained lost in his thoughts, paying no attention to their appearance or names. It was as if he found no use in learning about their names or their aspirations.
His silence intensified the pressure on his captors, and they finally decided to join Leo in his silence, plunging the carriage into an eerie stillness broken only by the rhythmic hoofbeats of the magical colts and the creaking of the carriage's wooden wheels. The supposed full moon night was marred by clouds, obscuring the moon's radiance and casting a gloomy atmosphere. Only faint starlight pierced through the carriage windows, adding to the sense of foreboding.
"Hehe. Relax, guys. Our friend Leo is probably too scared to utter a word in response to our questions. After all, we did force him into this conversation," the other abductor lady spoke, unable to bear the deafening silence any longer.
She smiled wickedly at Leo before addressing her companions with a sarcastic tone.
"I think we've been going about this the wrong way from the start. Let's reach our destination first before attempting any friendly conversation.
Even if Leo lacks courage or isn't suited for the position of Baelin's apprentice, we should respect his right to feel scared," she said, chuckling and receiving nods and agreement from the rest of the group.
Leo, who had been lost in his thoughts, finally decided to look at the lady abductor who had just spoken and mocked him. He narrowed his eyes and sighed, thinking to himself, 'This loudmouth beauty has such a great figure. What a waste.' Leo appeared downcast after gazing at the lady abductor for some inexplicable reason. It was as if he genuinely felt sad for her.
One of the abductors, feeling a bit intimidated by Leo for unknown reasons, looked out of the carriage and observed the ever-changing wilderness scenery on both sides of the road. This four-eyed beauty, whom Leo had aptly named Miss Overthinker in his head, had spent more years in the City of Lancelot than anyone else in the group. Thus, she possessed a deeper knowledge of the region.
"You know, guys, there used to be bandits roaming this part of the Lancelot Mountain range," Miss Overthinker adjusted her glasses and spoke as she looked out of the carriage window.
"Of course, these mountain bandits haven't been heard of in years. Some say they disappeared suddenly one day.
But maybe we shouldn't venture into this region and test our luck. I heard a Master-ranked couple was leading these bandit groups," she said in a somber tone, turning to face the others inside the carriage, who were now giving her concerned glances.
"Hahaha," the one Leo had referred to as Mr. Creative Insulter burst into laughter at Miss Overthinker's words before responding.
"That's precisely why we chose this region to educate our dear Leo, you idiot. If our friend Leo acts stubborn and things go wrong, we can always blame this Master-ranked mountain bandit couple.
They can become our scapegoats and ensure we get rid of our problems without causing much trouble for us in the future," Mr. Creative Insulter spoke with laughter and jovial words. However, his intentions were far from friendly.
Moreover, he made sure to speak these words aloud while looking directly at Leo, conveying the message that his life was in danger if he didn't cooperate.
