Chapter Forty-Seven: Tina's Parents

“What should we do?” Wolf glanced back at Ji Keen.

“Fight, of course!” Ji Keen was utterly unconcerned. “Do you really think that old man can arrange everything flawlessly? He never imagined we’d return with Tina, so there’s no way he had guards stationed ahead of time. And remote control? What, you think he has a cell phone? Just deal with them quickly, then go save my father-in-law and mother-in-law!”

“Alright!” Wolf, now with orders, burst out laughing and launched into the fray. The brawny villagers were no match for him; in the blink of an eye, they were all knocked down.

“You—you dare! You’re finished! I’ll report this to the mayor and have the town guards arrest you!” The fat village chief, seeing his men so effortlessly defeated, immediately turned to flee, but not before hurling threats at Tina. “How dare you defy my will! Prepare to mourn your parents!”

Tina, hearing this, grabbed Ji Keen’s hand anxiously, her voice trembling as she called for her parents.

“Don’t worry!” Ji Keen gave Wolf a meaningful look. Wolf leapt forward, tracing a graceful arc through the air and landing perfectly in the path of the fleeing old man.

“Don’t—don’t come any closer!” The chief, who thought he could escape, was dumbfounded that this foreign giant could jump so high and far. With his way blocked, he finally understood why his opponents seemed so confident.

Wolf ignored him, striding over and grabbing the chief by the collar, lifting the heavy old man effortlessly with one hand.

“Wow! Incredible…” Amber, witnessing it all, watched with sparkling eyes. “This uncle must be a high-ranking warrior! Even the town guard captain probably isn’t his match! Tina, could you ask him to teach me martial arts? I want to become a powerful warrior too!”

But Tina had no mind for her friend’s words. She clung to Ji Keen’s hand and walked over to Wolf, looking up at the chief who struggled fruitlessly. “We didn’t want to fight, but we were forced to! Chief, I am now a follower of Keen, and I will never betray him. Release my parents and let us leave, and nothing will happen to you—I promise!”

“Alright, alright! I’ll let them go!” The chief’s attitude shifted instantly. He had no choice; his life was now in their hands. Empire laws? Those only matter if you’re alive!

Just as Ji Keen had said, the chief hadn’t arranged any backup. His earlier threats were merely an attempt to scare Tina into submission. In truth, Tina’s parents were locked in a dungeon behind the chief’s house, watched by an old, ugly servant.

Tina retrieved her parents from the dungeon, unable to hold back her tears as she threw herself into their arms. The ordinary-looking middle-aged couple hugged their daughter tightly, silently weeping as well.

The chief, widowed, wanted to marry again. The lecherous old man had his eye on Tina for some time, though he’d restrained himself while his wife lived. With her gone, he no longer held back. Naturally, Tina’s parents refused to marry their daughter to such an elderly man, opposing him fiercely. The chief, enraged, tried to force the marriage and sent men to search for Tina. Coincidentally, Tina disappeared while picking wild berries, and never returned. The chief assumed her parents had hidden his future bride and had them thrown in the dungeon, interrogated daily, and sent people to search every possible hiding place. This led to today’s events!

Tina sobbed in her parents’ embrace, recounting what she had endured. Wolf tugged the chief toward Ji Keen. “What should we do with this old bastard?”

“He’s already ancient and won’t live much longer. Let’s show a little mercy and let him go!” Ji Keen looked at the chief. “Respect the old, care for the young, you know! But before he leaves, let him play with my mount for a while. After a day’s journey, my little dragon must be bored!”

Wolf arched an eyebrow, then grinned wickedly and whistled toward the two triceratops following behind. As their attention shifted, Wolf hoisted the chief high.

“What are you doing? What are you doing!” The chief struggled in terror.

“Catch!” Wolf hurled him, and the fat old man flew like a ball onto the triceratops’ heads.

Thump! The triceratops, seeing a ball drop from the sky, instinctively lifted their heads to knock it.

“Aaah~~!!” The chief flailed wildly, spinning through the air as he was sent flying.

Thump! The other triceratops joined in, hitting the chief back.

The two triceratops played with him as if he were a toy ball, tossing him back and forth. Though they claimed to let him go, after being played with by these beasts, the chief likely wouldn’t live much longer.

Who was to blame? Only the chief himself for courting death. Ji Keen, a transmigrator living as a player in a game world, cared little for the fates of NPCs—especially enemies!

Meanwhile, Tina and her family finished their tears. Tina led her battered parents over to Ji Keen and pointed at him. “Father, Mother, this is the hero who saved me in the Beast Forest! I’ve sworn to follow him. He’s a mighty warrior with incredible powers! His name is Ji Keen—Keen for short. But he doesn’t speak our language, so he can’t understand us. I’m working hard to learn his language.”

“He looks like a fine young man! And he has two triceratops as mounts—is he a noble?” Tina’s father asked. “Can he take us to his homeland? They’ve violated the laws of the Empire of Valor; the empire won’t spare them, nor us!”

“Yes! Ask the hero if he can take our whole family away. Staying in the Empire of Valor is truly dangerous!” Tina’s mother urged anxiously.

“Well… the truth is, it’s a bit complicated!” Tina glanced at Ji Keen, then at her parents, hesitating. “Actually… I don’t know what status Keen holds in his homeland. I only know he now resides in the Beast Forest, building his own village.”

“The Beast Forest? That’s a terribly dangerous place!” Tina’s parents gaped in shock.

“Yes, but we live near the outskirts—it’s very safe!”