Chapter 527: Saving People
Chapter 527 -370: Saving People
She had met with Shawn Summers, dealt with Summers Eight, and then returned to the inn.
That night, there was still no word from The Shaman and his group.
However, Paige Summers and Marcus Monroe both speculated that the following night would be the best time to make a move.
So, during the day, the two of them went out to buy a few things, mainly materials needed for shipbuilding. Paige had plenty of tools and materials in her storage space, but boat building required some special items she still needed to purchase. For instance, the hull had to be coated with a special paint to make it waterproof and prevent corrosion. She also picked up some other small components along the way.
To avoid attracting too much attention, she and Marcus Monroe bought everything in two separate trips.
That night, they packed everything and waited.
Sure enough, just after twelve, the talismans they carried began to react.
They grew scorching hot.
They quickly threw the talismans out. Before they could even hit the ground, the talismans transformed into two tiny, transparent flying insects.
They were tiny, almost like fireflies, but their light was even fainter. You could easily miss them if you weren’t careful.
The tiny insects wobbled as they flew off, picking up speed. Paige Summers and Marcus Monroe had no choice but to quicken their pace. Fortunately, the insects seemed to be sentient, deliberately choosing deserted paths, which allowed the two of them to chase at full speed without holding back.
After about half an hour, they could hear a commotion in the distance from Districts R1-2. By then, they had reached a small forest on the edge of District R3.
The trees on the island were different from those inland, with straighter, taller trunks. This forest was no exception, so visibility was decent. It wasn’t long after they entered that they saw Rhonda Rhodes leaning against a tree, meditating.
“Are you okay?” Paige Summers asked, stopping beside him.
Rhonda Rhodes, who looked as if he had recovered a little after being completely exhausted, sighed in relief upon seeing Paige Summers and Marcus Monroe.
“Up there.”
Paige Summers followed his gaze up into the trees and saw The Shaman. He seemed to be injured. She frowned. “I’ll get him down.”
Marcus Monroe was about to say he should be the one to go, but Rhonda Rhodes pulled him back and pointed to another tree. “There are two more over there. If you would be so kind.”
Once everyone was down, Marcus Monroe and Paige Summers stared in confusion at the two strangers—one adult, one child—lying semi-conscious on the ground. The Shaman leaned against Rhonda Rhodes. “Take them with us. Let’s find a safe place first. I’ll explain later.”
Paige Summers and Marcus Monroe didn’t ask any more questions, simply leading the group according to the map Shawn Summers had provided.
With the injured in tow, they were fortunate that no one was chasing them. They finally reached the inlet Shawn Summers had told them about.
Carrying the older child, Paige Summers pushed through the bushes with the others and crawled through a tunnel dozens of meters long. The scene that greeted them could hardly be described as a wide-open vista… It was a small, makeshift harbor. The boat Shawn Summers had procured wasn’t large, but it was more than enough to hold ten or twenty people.
According to him, Hunters often rented or bought boats like this for hunts at sea. Because the vessels were small, they didn’t venture into the deep ocean, sticking to the surrounding waters instead.
However, the island Summers Twelve had tasked him with reaching wasn’t too far away, so a small boat like this would just barely suffice.
As soon as they arrived, Shawn Summers came out to greet them. He was momentarily taken aback when he saw the two extra people, but he was tactful enough not to ask questions and simply hurried forward to help.
Everyone boarded the boat, and they set off immediately.
The boat only required Shawn Summers to pilot it. Once the wounds of the three injured people, including The Shaman, were treated, Rhonda Rhodes finally left the cabin with time to explain things to Paige Summers and Marcus Monroe.
“Those two are Finn Sherman and the heir to the Sherman Family, Cameron Sherman.”
Paige Summers raised an eyebrow. “So the Vortex is dealt with?”
“Mmm,” Rhonda Rhodes replied sullenly. After a moment, he continued, “Don’t be fooled by that Finn Sherman. He’s incredibly cunning. While he may have been forced to use that secret technique, I’m sure he also intended to lure Wade over. He knew he couldn’t rescue Cameron Sherman on his own, so he didn’t hesitate to drag someone else into his mess! The counter to the Vortex Technique was destroyed, yet he used it anyway, even at the cost of severely draining his Power. It’s not like he couldn’t have used other Spells, right? He insisted on using that one because he made an oath to Wade once, knowing Wade wouldn’t just ignore it! Hmph!”
Paige Summers was silent. ‘He’s getting jealous, isn’t he…’
‘Still, that Finn Sherman is pretty ruthless, even to himself,’ she thought. ‘From the looks of it, his injuries are severe, and they’re internal. They won’t heal anytime soon. And if he’s lost that much Power, he’ll probably never recover his former strength, even after he’s healed.’
After stewing in his anger for a while, Rhonda Rhodes slowly regained his composure.
“By the way, where are we going?”
Paige Summers blinked and explained the situation, omitting all the drama and personal history, of course. She simply said she had run into some members of the Summers Family by chance.
Rhonda Rhodes was silent for a long moment. “No wonder Wade agreed to come with you. I suppose he sensed you had a fateful connection here…”
Paige Summers was a little startled. ‘Is he really that perceptive?’ she wanted to ask.
But before she could speak, Rhonda Rhodes said, “I’m pretty worn out myself. Since we won’t be there for a while, I’m going to get some rest.”
“…Alright.”
As Rhonda Rhodes returned to his cabin, he felt much more at peace.
‘Originally, we could have just left Finn Sherman behind,’ he thought. ‘But Wade insisted on bringing him, even whispering that he was still useful. I didn’t understand at first, but from what Paige Summers said, it sounds like they’re planning to take a boat back to Astoria… Suddenly, Finn Sherman’s usefulness is obvious.’
It’s said that his lineage practices Mixed Skills and has done extensive research into things like meteorology. For a long sea voyage, that would certainly be useful.
‘That Wade, he really knows what he’s doing!’
The short voyage took three days, as the small boat’s speed was limited.
Fortunately, with half the people on board recovering from injuries, the three days didn’t feel long.
By the time they reached the small island, both Finn Sherman and Cameron Sherman had woken up, though Finn Sherman was still bedridden.
Finn Sherman was supposedly over fifty years old, but he looked remarkably young. To Paige’s eyes, he could have passed for a man in his late twenties. His nephew, on the other hand, was only thirteen but looked more like sixteen or seventeen.
Both of them were strikingly beautiful.
The bewitching kind of beautiful.
Paige Summers thought to herself, ‘No wonder Rhonda Rhodes was so worried. He’s using Hugo Perry’s body, which is only passably handsome, though he has an excellent disposition. Based on looks alone, he really can’t compare to that Finn Sherman.’
‘Of course, if you asked me,’ Paige mused, ‘The Shaman has no intention of falling for someone else. He’s been single-mindedly attached to Rhonda Rhodes from the start…’
After indulging in some silent gossip, she went ashore with the others.
No one was there to greet them. Shawn Summers explained that everyone knew he had arrived, but they were all concentrating on building the boat. They wouldn’t leave their workstations unless strangers set foot on the island.
‘They’re so… dedicated…’
Paige Summers couldn’t help but let out a small sigh.
Marcus Monroe took her hand and said softly, “Don’t worry. Once we get back to Bloodfall, we’ll have Sean Raines help them recuperate. They’ll be back on their feet in no time!”
Paige Summers smiled.
‘He always knows exactly what I’m thinking!’