Chương 101: Chapter 99 – Some Help Is Fine.

"That's a lot of noise and a lot of people…" The night erupted into chaos as the camp scrambled to defend itself. Rusty remained still, his mind trying to adapt to this unexpected twist. Gleam perked up beside him, her antennae twitching with unease. The merchants shouted to one another, their voices strained with panic.

"(˶°ㅁ°)!!"

"Stay down Gleam, they probably don't know that we are here… if I understand people's behavior correctly, then they are here to steal the goods so we might be safe in here if they just don't find us…" Rusty communicated silently with Gleam, compelling her to stop moving even as a few arrows pierced through the wagon's canvas. His life-detection skill was picking up numerous signals outside, but he couldn't distinguish friend from foe. This was supposed to be his shortcut to Ferndale, his new area of operations.

Yet, just as they were about to sneak through, disaster struck, leaving them stranded.

"Rusty." Aburdon's voice cut through his thoughts, urging decisive action.

"If those bandits find this cart, you'll be in a worse position. Do you really want to sit here and hope they miss you? I say we get out while the adventurers and merchants are still keeping them busy!" Aburdon's argument made sense. Amid the chaos, most of the bandits would be preoccupied with fighting humanoid opponents, giving a monster ant like Gleam a chance to slip away unnoticed. Gleam was rested enough to cast a silencing spell, making stealth a viable option.

"But what about the merchants? Are we just going to abandon them to their fate?"

"Hah! You expect Rusty to risk his life for some random merchants? That's absurd! Our survival comes first," Aburdon retorted his tone rough. Alexander was maddened at this suggestion. His protest revealed the good-hearted nature he couldn't suppress. He wanted to help, but Rusty wasn't convinced it was a wise idea. Without Albert's body stored in his inventory, he couldn't convincingly pose as an adventurer.

While he could shift into his armored form to resemble one, that guise came with a critical drawback - he wouldn't be able to speak. Then there was the matter of odds. It seemed clear that this small merchant caravan had gravely underestimated the dangers of this treacherous route. Rusty weighed the options as the camp fell into further disarray. The muffled clanging of swords and the crackling of flames reached his metallic 'ears' through the canvas of the wagon.

The merchants' terrified shouts mingled with the bandits' battle cries. He could feel Gleam trembling slightly beside him, her sharp instincts picking up on the growing carnage and chaos. Alexander's voice chimed in again, this time in a more pleading tone.

"Rusty, listen. Perhaps you can help these people. With your skills, we could…"

"We could what? Involve ourselves in the petty squabbles of these insignificant people? What have they ever done for us? If any of them see Rusty for what he truly is, they'll kill him on the spot! And what about Lady Gleam? Her form could be exposed during the chaos of a fight. We must flee instead! Don't listen to this fool of a hero!" Rusty sat silently amidst the clamor, his mind a battlefield where Alexander and Aburdon waged a war of ideology.

The life-detection signals from outside painted a vivid image of the chaos unfolding. Merchants scurried for safety, their movements frantic. The guards were outnumbered, their efforts barely holding the line against the bandits.

"Gleam… get ready, we will use the chaos to retreat!"

"Hah, I knew you would see it my way!"

"No… you can't be serious, we have to help them.!" Aburdon gloated, reveling in his argument, while Alexander desperately tried to convince him to reconsider. Rusty, however, knew that fighting was highly disadvantageous for him. As an unknown third party, he had no idea how either side would react if he revealed himself. For a moment, he considered hiding and waiting for the battle to end. But waiting wasn't always the safest option either.

If the bandits won, they would undoubtedly search every wagon - or worse, take them all to their hideout. Once there, Rusty would be trapped in yet another prison, just like the one he had barely escaped from when dealing with the cultists. That harrowing experience was still fresh in his mind. No, waiting was too risky. Using the chaos of the battle and the cover of the dark night, Rusty resolved to run. It was his best chance at survival.

"٩ (^ᗜ^) و" Gleam didn't seem to care one way or the other and began casting the silencing spell. There didn't appear to be any mages on either side, so no one would be able to detect her use of mana. Soon, a soft white light enveloped both of them, signaling it was time to move.

"Rusty, maybe if…"

"Be quiet, you two! We need to focus on escaping from here!" With the command given, both Alexander and Aburdon were forced to become silent. Rusty's glowing eye sockets dimmed as Gleam began her careful movements, sneaking out from the fabric she had been hiding beneath. Her sharp mandibles made quick work of the material, cutting an opening to slip through. She skittered across the cart with silent precision, heading toward the rear.

Rusty, still perched on her head, surveyed the scene as they reached the back of the cart. From there, they could see the full scope of the chaotic battle raging in the darkness. What they saw was quite gruesome. The camp was ablaze with chaos. Fires crackled, their light casting eerie, dancing shadows over the battlefield. The merchants and their guards, overwhelmed and underprepared, fought desperately to defend their lives and goods. Bandits surged like a tide, wielding crude weapons and overwhelming force.

Some wagons were already on fire, and scattered belongings littered the ground - an unsettling mosaic of panic and despair. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. Rusty's life-detection skill painted a grim picture. The camp's defenders were outnumbered three to one. Merchants cowered behind crates, while their guards formed a shaky line against the bandits. The attackers were well-coordinated, their movements suggesting a seasoned gang accustomed to raids.

The odds for the merchants seemed slim. As Rusty and Gleam slipped from the wagon's cover, they paused behind a thick stack of crates.

"See? Look at this mess. And you wanted to help these fools, Alexander? They're already finished. Rusty, we're wasting precious time just standing here." Aburdon's voice broke the silence but they continued with the escape, even as the two guides continued barter.

"Even so… This is wrong. We could turn the tide. Rusty, if you distract the bandits and give the merchants a chance, they could probably escape or perhaps launch a counter attack."

"Did you miss the part where they're outnumbered and outmatched? A distraction would only expose Rusty! Don't let your misplaced nobility get us killed." Rusty ignored the argument, focusing instead on scanning the battlefield. The bandits weren't only after goods; they were brutal and methodical, cutting down anyone who resisted. The merchants were beginning to flee, abandoning their carts as guards fell one by one. This was a good opportunity and he would use this confusion to their advantage.

"Quick Gleam, now is the chance, let's go for those bushes!"" (•̀ - •́) " The small monster ant darted swiftly, using the shadows for cover. There wasn't much ground to traverse, and the chaos around them ensured that no one paid them any attention. Soon, the pair reached a dense thicket of bushes and dove straight in. This was it. There were no pursuers, and the flickering light from the burning flames didn't reach this far. They were finally safe.

Gleam continued to skitter forward without hesitation, but suddenly—"Gleam stop." Rusty called out to his partner and she stopped. The voices of the bandits and adventurers clashing could still be heard and they weren't fully safe so she was cleary confused.

"(╹ -╹)?"

"No, I'm fine but could you lower me down." Gleam nodded and used her forelimbs to carefully lift Rusty off her head. Once he was on the ground, he activated one of his loadouts. His helmet began to expand, pieces of armor materializing and assembling themselves into a full suit. Within moments, the transformation was complete, and he stood in his familiar all-rounder Iron Twilight armor form.

Now back on his own two legs, the distant flames danced and reflected against his metallic surface, casting an imposing silhouette in the dark.

"Have you reconsidered, Rusty?" Alexander asked, his voice seemingly hopeful but Aburdon sounded far less happy.

"I hope not! You aren't seriously going to charge in there to help those … those insignificant pests?"

"Charge in? No but… I can at least do this." Rusty wasn't entirely sure why he was doing this, but something about abandoning the group didn't sit right with him. It felt as though, in some small way, they had helped him. Their presence had enabled his escape from the city, and letting them be slaughtered left a strange, bitter aftertaste. Perhaps Alexander's constant complaints had finally worn him down, but whatever the reason, Rusty decided to act.

He wouldn't directly help these people as doing so would be far too risky but there was one thing he could do from his position without putting himself in too much danger. Thanks to her small size, Gleam was able to squeeze through the bushes with ease, and now Rusty found himself behind the bandits. They were encircling the merchant caravan from all sides, but most of their forces were concentrated here.

It was clear they wouldn't anticipate an attack from their rear - let alone one that could affect such a wide area. While Rusty had no intention of engaging them directly, he did possess skills that worked exceptionally well against humans and other intelligent races. Using the last moments of Gleam's silencing spell, he crept closer to their position. Once he was in place, he began to execute his plan. Rusty crouched low behind a pile of rocks and activated his limb control ability.

His right armplate moved, and the gauntlet flew forward, its metallic gleam catching the faintest glimmers of moonlight. The bandits, engrossed in their brutal work, didn't notice the metal hand moving into their midst. Suddenly, with a small thud, it landed at the center of the group. Some of the bandits noticed that it was there but were unable to comprehend what this was until it was too late. Black smoke began to seep out, thick and heavy, expanding rapidly and engulfing the bandits.

The smoke swirled and writhed as if alive, infused with Rusty's dark energy. A pitch-black glow pulsed intermittently within the shroud, casting eerie shadows that made the bandits freeze in their tracks. One by one, the bandits began to cough violently, clutching their throats as if choking on the oppressive air. The smoke wasn't lethal, but it drained their strength, filling their lungs with an unnatural weight and sapping their will to fight.

Rusty had used this tactic before; and to maximize the effect the darkness needed to escape from within his body parts. The smoke spread quickly, and soon, the once-confident attackers were on their knees, wheezing and disoriented. Their weapons clattered to the ground, and the bandits who had been coordinating the assault now squirmed helplessly. From the other side of the camp, the besieged merchants and their defenders noticed the sudden turn of events.

The bandits' rear line had crumbled and even the ones not there had stopped their assault out of confusion. They were looking around, trying to find the enemy that was responsible for this black miasma but before they could, the adventurers shouted out.

"Now's our chance!" The defenders seized the opportunity, loosing a volley of arrows into the incapacitated bandits. The projectiles struck true, and several bandits fell instantly, their cries lost in the chaos. The merchants rallied, some grabbing what weapons they could find and joining the fray. The sudden burst of resistance turned the tide, and the attackers, demoralized and weakened, began to retreat. Rusty watched from his vantage point, satisfied that the merchants were gaining the upper hand.

He didn't linger. With the camp still in turmoil, he turned and motioned to Gleam, who had been waiting in the shadows. Together, they slipped away into the night, leaving the merchants to finish what remained of the fight. As the pair moved through the forest, Rusty glanced upward. Two large spheres illuminated the night sky - the moons of this world, rarely seen together. One glowed with a deep, dark blue hue, while the other shimmered faintly red.

Their combined light reflected off his metallic frame, casting an ethereal glow as he walked through the shadows toward his next destination: the city of Ferndale. He wasn't sure what awaited him there, but one thing was certain - he was finally free to carve his own path and pursue his desires.

"You did the right thing, Rusty. You may not realize it, but you've saved lives tonight."

"Is that so?" Rusty responded to his guide, the bright white light from his right eye socket casting a glow. His reflection in the left socket was Aburdon, his pitch-black form barely visible against the night.

"Bah, that was just a waste of magical energy, energy that you might need! What if they attacked us instead?" Rusty knew Aburdon wasn't wrong. One wrong move in this treacherous world, and he would be dead. He wasn't in a dungeon anymore and there was no dungeon core to restore him now. He didn't know what happened to monsters that died in the outside world, but he wasn't eager to find out.

"Now then… in which direction is this Ferndale and how long will I need to walk there?" While his guides continued to bicker, Rusty asked his question. He was deep in a darkened forest, with no clear idea of where to go. His navigation skills were virtually nonexistent.

"On foot? Probably at least a week from here but it could take longer…"

"Hm… well then, let's go!"

"(˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶)" Gleam chittered softly beside him, the sound a reassuring one, as if expressing her enjoyment of the situation. Together, they pressed deeper into the forest, leaving the chaos behind and focusing on the uncertain journey ahead.