Chapter 137: Rescuing Elizabeth
Hobert noticed the trampled and flattened weeds in the courtyard and the faint silhouette behind a tree. He deduced that this was the location mentioned in Archer's divination.
Reporting to the police would take too much time, and if the criminals decided to take Elizabeth away, it would be even harder to track them. So Hobert decided to rescue her immediately.
Besides, he didn't take a group of kidnappers too seriously.
Selena excitedly asked, "Mr. Lawyer, are you going to rescue Elizabeth alone?"
Melissa, on the other hand, calmly reminded him, "There might be more than a few of them, and they could have other weapons."
Hobert smiled, "Don't worry, I won't take unnecessary risks, nor will I charge in recklessly."
"Melissa, doesn't this seem like a grand adventure from a storybook?" Selena said, "And we are part of it too!"
Melissa replied, "The main character of the adventure is Mr. Hobert, and we are merely spectators."
Hobert chuckled: This girl is way too calm for her age; she doesn't act like a typical teenager.
The carriage traveled for about three more minutes before Hobert asked the driver to wait.
The driver offered help, but Hobert declined, stating that having him around would be a hindrance.
After stepping out, Hobert briskly walked towards the abandoned villa.
In the courtyard, two criminals were discussing the appearance of the kidnapped girl, maliciously laughing about finding ways to "enjoy" her.
Hobert, as if he were entering his own home, walked straight in and even closed the gate behind him.
Yes, this was his plan all along: to act boldly, not recklessly, like a true "Barbarian."
The two criminals were completely dumbfounded. A companion? Someone they hadn't met? The villa's owner? But hadn't the owner died from illness?
Hobert smiled, "I know this will hurt, but you brought it upon yourselves."
As he spoke, he broke one criminal's nose with a punch, knocking him out. Then, with a swift kick, he shattered the other's arm.
With the strength of at least three grown men, Hobert's attacks against ordinary people caused immediate fractures.
He kicked open the decaying door, just as another criminal rushed at him with an axe.
Hobert dodged nimbly, and seeing the right moment, tackled the criminal, knocking him out with a powerful kick.
Suddenly, Hobert's intuition kicked in, warning him of danger. He instinctively ducked.
Bang!
A gunshot rang out, but because of Hobert's sudden movement, the bullet missed its mark.
The shooter was hiding behind a half-broken wooden door.
"How rude! Shooting from hiding!" Hobert picked up the axe, swinging it toward the door.
Crash! Bang!
The door shattered under the force of the axe, and the head of the criminal behind it exploded.
Two more criminals rushed in from the back door, brandishing knives. But before they could attack, Hobert, like a charging battering ram, knocked one out and smacked the other unconscious with his cane.
The villa fell silent.
Remaining cautious of further ambushes, Hobert searched for Elizabeth.
He heard movement on the second floor, so he carefully ascended the decaying staircase. In the left room, he spotted Elizabeth, tied to a chair with a gag in her mouth.
She frantically shook her head as soon as she saw Hobert.
Hobert quickly assessed the room and guessed there was an ambush waiting for him, but he still walked in unhurriedly.
As soon as he entered, he heard a heavy object being moved on the left. With a glance, he saw a thick wooden beam hurtling toward him, with a gunman hiding behind it.
Such a heavy beam would have severely injured or killed an ordinary person, but Hobert caught it with one hand, effortlessly.
Both the criminal and Elizabeth were stunned.
Hobert pushed the beam back, slamming the gunman against the wall.
Crash!
The villa's entire wall collapsed from the impact, and the criminal fell into the backyard, his condition unknown.
Hobert removed the gag from Elizabeth's mouth and untied her.
"H-Hobert, what... what just happened?" Elizabeth asked in disbelief.
Hobert smiled, "I've always been strong. And as a lawyer, fighting is one of my skills. When words fail, we resort to 'physical persuasion.'"
Elizabeth rubbed her numb wrists, contemplating what "physical persuasion" truly meant.
"You're a 'Barbarian'!"
Suddenly, a cold voice echoed in the room.
It was Archer's voice!
Hobert immediately stood up, raising his cane with one hand and reaching into his pouch for the "Teleportation Statue."
His ability to detect weaknesses kicked in, and he quickly sensed Archer hiding in the shadows of the corner, though the shadows appeared no different from others in the room.
"I didn't expect you to act in broad daylight," Hobert said.
The two had clashed before, but it was more of a battle of wills rather than an actual fight.
Though Hobert's Sequence was lower than Archer's, he was not to be underestimated.
Archer hadn't been prepared at the time and couldn't find a clear opening, so he refrained from attacking.
Hobert thought Archer would flee or wait for the official Beyonders to arrive, preparing to fight them instead. He hadn't expected Archer to use his divination to arrive here in advance, laying an ambush.
"If it were anyone else, I'd choose to stay hidden," Archer said, "But you're different."
He continued, "Heyman from Backlund recently hid at my place. From his 'memories,' I saw your face. I know you've disrupted our organization's plans."
"So, I came here early to kill you!"
Archer had been observing Hobert and, after confirming that he was a Sequence 8 "Barbarian," decided to act.
Without hesitation, Hobert pulled out the Teleportation Statue and first teleported Elizabeth outside the villa.
But a shadow in the corner rose like a black cloth, extending a hand toward Elizabeth, making a choking motion.
Elizabeth immediately felt as if invisible hands were gripping her throat. Panicked, she clutched at her pale neck.
However, there was nothing there—just a red mark appearing on her skin.
Hobert swiftly brought Elizabeth back to his side.
Elizabeth, sitting in the chair, was utterly confused. What just happened? She felt like she had been outside on the lawn, and then suddenly, she was back on the second floor again.
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