After talking to Jelly, she was about to say goodbye to the three of them when suddenly Edlin asked her:
Edlin - I know it's not right to ask, but can you find anything about my brother Dong?
Jelly (smiling) - I knew when you were unconscious, I read your mind and saw Dong in it too, who is now missing. Then I used my power to scan the nearby area, and I found out that Dong might still be alive. If you go south from here, you'll find a bandit base. I saw some prisoners there, and Dong might be one of them.
Edlin - Wait a minute! A bandit base? That could be it! When Dong and I left our village for help, the ones who attacked us were bandits. Someone stabbed me from behind and then hit me on the head, and I passed out. When I woke up, I remembered nothing. It must be those same bandits who attacked us.
Albert - If that's true, then we shouldn't delay.
Joshua (angrily) - Wait for us, my brother Dong. We're coming soon, and I'll bury those bandits alive.
Jelly - Alright, you should leave now. If you go right away, you might reach there by evening.
Edlin - Alright then, Jelly. I hope we meet again.
Jelly - We definitely will—but not soon, because my purpose here is complete. Now I must return home.
Suddenly, Jelly takes a human form, which surprises everyone.
Joshua - So you can take human form too? Wow, you're beautiful.
Then Jelly returns to the water and says:
Jelly - Edlin, Joshua, and Albert—I've given each of you something. And Albert, what I told you must be done quickly.
Saying this, Jelly disappears.
Albert - "Let's go."
The three mount their horses and ride at such speed that they spot the bandit base even before evening.
Albert - This bandit base seems unusually well-defended—watchtowers all around with archers on them, and four guards near the front gate. Something's fishy.
Just as Albert says this, Joshua suddenly attacks.
Edlin - This idiot! He doesn't understand anything.
Albert - Now we have no choice. Let's attack too.
Both join the fight.
Joshua leads the charge and quickly kills the guards at the front gate, alerting the entire base of the attack.
Albert draws his sword and attacks the watchtower:
"Wind Blade!"
The tower collapses, and Albert grabs an arrow from a fallen archer and kills another enemy as he moves forward, killing bandits one by one.
Edlin isn't far behind—by now, he's already decapitated eight bandits.
Soon, a crowd of bandits surrounds them, and they're trapped.
Then, from a tent, a man steps out—the bandit leader—and he laughs as he speaks:
Leader - Sir Albert, never thought we'd meet like this.
Albert (angrily) - I never thought I'd finally get the chance to torture you. Seems like luck is on my side today.
Leader - That same arrogance. Kill these fools!
He then returns to his tent.
Edlin - Albert, do you know him?
Albert - I've been chasing him for years. He always managed to escape, but not today. Today you won't escape, Karl—your time is up.
Edlin - We're surrounded. Got a plan? Joshua, I'll deal with you later.
Albert calms down, focuses on his sword, and says:
"On the count of three, duck."
"1... 2... 3..."
"Fire Wheel!"
Albert uses his sword's fire element to launch a fire wheel attack, burning nearby bandits to ash.
Joshua - "Wow!"
From inside the tent, Karl realizes Albert has escaped the trap and starts fleeing, but the three of them block his path.
Albert - Not today, Karl.
Karl - Let's talk this out.
Albert punches him hard, sending him flying.
Karl stands up again and starts acting strangely—then transforms into a shadow.
Karl - Edlin, Edlin, Edlin—you killed Khanda, who was my host. Now you've come here to interfere again. Today, I'll finish all three of you.
Edlin - So you're a shadow? You were the one who provoked Khanda too?
Karl - Yes! And I was the one who orchestrated the attack on you. Do you remember anything about Dong?
Hearing this, Edlin's eyes turn green, and he also begins to act strangely.
Karl - Yes, that's it! There's something about you—whenever your eyes turn green, you become ten times stronger. But even so, today you will die.
To be continue...