MPWATMBC Chapter 114

Ryan was the backbone of Bandner, but the suggestion this backbone offered was to retreat.

Bandner abruptly turned his head to look at Ryan. “Retreat?!” Why? Although the situation was becoming increasingly unfavorable, they were in the dark while the enemy was in the open. As long as they stayed hidden, they could kill more pirates and create more chaos. Ryan had said they would have reinforcements, and as long as they held out until reinforcements arrived, it would be a victory! “No, no, my people are watching. The confidence they’ve just regained cannot be lost. Retreating would deal a blow to their morale.”

There were only a few clansmen within the walls, but as long as they achieved victory, these few could influence many more. The entire cave-town could emerge from the pirates’ control and live normal lives—no longer feeling inferior, timid, anxious, or afraid. They could integrate into the new society better and live freely.

Bandner had never been so clear-headed as he was today. Under Ryan’s guidance, he recognized the importance of building his people’s confidence. No, perhaps he had always vaguely understood it in the past but had only ever skirted around the edges, never delving deeply into the core or thinking about how to solve the issue. Now he understood—it was Ryan who had awakened him! Since Ryan had guided him to “step forward,” why was he now trying to stop him at this critical moment?

Bandner looked at Ryan in confusion. Wasn’t he supposed to help him defeat these pirates? Without realizing it, he voiced his doubts aloud.

Ryan pressed down on Bandner’s head and raised his gun to take out a pirate who had already taken aim at Bandner, intending to kill him. After swiftly and cleanly eliminating the threat, Ryan said, “Before seeking my help, shouldn’t you become stronger yourself? I can carry one burden, barely two, and three is already my limit. But now, the number of burdens far exceeds three.”

In truth, ever since Ryan brought the people from the eastern side into the walled area, he had been carrying a whole circle of burdens on his back. Even so, he managed with ease. But he couldn’t keep holding onto these “children” forever—at some point, they had to grow up, and growing up required letting go.

Bandner froze. “We’ve already stepped forward and started resisting. Isn’t that a sign of growing stronger?”

“No.” Ryan shook his head and chuckled softly. “If you were truly strong, you wouldn’t need my help. And you definitely wouldn’t be so careless, focusing on one thing while neglecting another. Without me, you’d have died seven or eight times by now.”

“…This is a paradox,” Bandner felt like Ryan was about to completely confuse him.

Ryan replied, “So what if it’s a paradox? So what if it’s sophistry? I’m strong, so I have the right to be unreasonable.”

Reluctantly, Bandner said, “…Fine, I have nothing to say.” Though unwilling to admit it aloud, deep down, he understood that Ryan was right.

Amid the chaos, Ryan led Bandner and a few people who had always followed him to the back of a dark tent. Using his professional skills, Ryan ensured that this corner was temporarily safe. Emphasis on temporarily—within ten minutes at most, they would have to move again.

Given a moment to catch his breath, the disheveled Bandner glanced at Ryan, only to see him removing the disguise that made him look like Rennie, revealing his gentle and handsome face. While switching disguises, Ryan didn’t spare Bandner so much as a glance. Bandner opened his mouth several times but couldn’t figure out how to phrase his words to convince Ryan. What should he do now? How could he lead everyone out of this predicament? What to do, what to do, what to do…

Time ticked away, second by second. Outside, the sound of pirates running grew louder, their heavy footsteps indicating they were armed with heavy weaponry.

There was no need for such a grand mobilization just to deal with a few people armed with simple weapons… Bandner twitched the corners of his mouth in self-mockery. At a time like this, he still had the mind to let his thoughts wander in such a mess!

His gaze, locked on Ryan’s eyes, began to waver uncontrollably. Suddenly, his attention was drawn to a stone structure in the distance. It was one of the few buildings within the walls made of solid material. Though not tall—only two or three stories—it was high enough to overlook the entire enclosed area. Here, tents dominated the landscape. If not for being trapped within it himself, and if the pirates weren’t hiding vast amounts of ammunition, Bandner would have loved to set the place ablaze and cleanse all its sins in one fiery sweep.

“Brother, what do we do now?” Audei clutched her brother’s sleeve nervously. She didn’t want to be scared—she was supposed to act strong—but when the moment came, she realized she was nothing more than a little girl crying quietly by her brother’s side.

Bandner gritted his teeth and said, “We’ll go to that building over there.”

“Why?” Audei couldn’t stop herself from talking more when she was nervous.

“There’s no time for all the ‘whys.’ Just follow your brother,” Bandner replied. He stood up, took a deep, lingering look at Ryan, and said softly, “Thank you.”

Ryan didn’t use words to guide him, but everything he did was silently showing Bandner what he needed to do. Ryan gave Bandner a smile without saying a word. Audei, seeing Ryan’s true face for the first time, let out a small gasp. As she followed her brother, she couldn’t help but glance back at Ryan several times. When she caught his gentle smile, her frantic heartbeat gradually calmed, and her face turned a deep shade of red.

The relocation went smoothly, except for one thing: along the way, they came across two of Bandner’s clansmen who had gone missing. They were lying on the ground, already lifeless, blood seeping from their bodies and pooling beneath them.

The people from the “East” had faced the deaths of their clansmen before, and they knew this wouldn’t be the last time. But this loss hit differently—it was the most shocking yet, because it stemmed directly from their rebellion. They didn’t linger long in their grief. Dragging the bodies of their fallen comrades to a secluded spot where they wouldn’t be disturbed, they pressed on with heavy hearts. Every pirate they encountered was swiftly dealt with, leaving behind a bloody trail as they carved their path forward.

Before long, they arrived at the three-story building they had seen earlier. The square, angular structure was a dull brownish-yellow, blending seamlessly with the desert surroundings. The windows were small, narrow, and few in number. From any angle, it was clear this wasn’t a place meant for living. Though the pirates had been recklessly firing their guns and causing destruction elsewhere, they slowed their steps and steered far around the stone building, as if avoiding it.

What was this place?

Bandner glanced at Ryan. Without needing an explanation, the answer became obvious—it was an ammunition depot, and not just any depot. This one housed heavy, highly dangerous weaponry that even the pirates feared. A wave of excitement surged through Bandner as he kicked open the flimsy wooden door. The pirates hadn’t even bothered to secure or guard it—no encryption, no watchmen. Their overconfidence and arrogance were evident.

Stepping inside first, Bandner quickly surveyed the area. The ground floor was stacked with crates, their labels bearing warning symbols that screamed danger—extreme danger.

“What kind of weapons are these?” Audei asked curiously, reaching out to open one of the crates to find out.

Bandner whipped around, shouting loudly, “Don’t touch that!” His tone was sharp and commanding.

Audei froze on the spot, her hand stiff in midair. Feeling a bit wronged, she murmured, “I… I was just curious.”

“Good girl, don’t be too curious,” Ryan said, his footsteps light as his gentle voice broke the tense silence. Addressing everyone, he added, “Don’t wander around, and if you have anything metal on you, toss it out immediately. A tiny spark of static here is enough to send all of us flying—along with every pirate outside.”

Audei’s face turned pale. “What?!”

Ryan replied calmly, “No need to panic. As long as we’re careful, nothing will happen.”

The group fell silent. Careful? This wasn’t just about being careful—it felt like even breathing had to be slow and shallow. They were afraid that a loud word or a heavy exhale might cause the air to ripple and trigger some deadly spark. The terror was palpable.

Ryan, however, remained at ease, saying lightly, “It’s nothing, really. Just be cautious. Let’s head upstairs and see what’s up there—it might help ease everyone’s nerves.”

Bandner, once again, took the lead. Every step he took felt laborious and heavy. Behind him, Ryan followed as casually as if he were strolling through a serene garden on his home planet. In stark contrast, the others trailed behind in a state of pure dread, their steps tiny and measured, terrified that one misstep could doom them all.

After Ryan’s careful inspection, he announced that the second floor was relatively safer. Everyone collectively let out a breath of relief—until Ryan added, “Just don’t move around too much. If the vibrations are too strong… well, you get the idea.”

The group’s faces were stiff with forced smiles. “Ha, ha… Yes, we understand. Perfectly clear.”

Ryan shrugged; sometimes, he couldn’t resist indulging in his own dark sense of humor.

The third floor was significantly better. Ryan allowed everyone to sit down, and as they sank to the floor, it felt like a moment of salvation. But true relief was still far off.

Outside, the pirates had pinpointed the “East’s” exact location. More and more of them gathered around the small stone building, though none dared to act recklessly.

“Strategist, what do we do with this group of fleas now?!” one pirate asked angrily, pointing at the distant stone structure.

The “strategist,” pale-faced and wrapped in a thick coat, gazed at the building with a faint, eerie calm. “They’ve really chosen a great spot,” he murmured. Using a phrase he’d learned from Ryan, he added, “It’s like being caught in a dilemma—afraid to harm the rat for fear of breaking the vase.“

The “strategist” continued, “We wait.”

One of the pirates beside him, catching the drift, immediately began to flatter him. “The strategist is brilliant! They don’t have food, so they’ll either starve to death in there or come out and surrender. We’ll just wait them out and finish them off. Haha! And we’ve got leverage—we can grab more people from the ‘East’ and threaten them with their underground rats. Heh, if they’re so bold, let them blow it all up. Everyone goes down together!”

The “strategist” cast a cold glance at the pirate who had spoken. The man’s heart skipped a beat—had he said something wrong?

The “strategist” said, “If you know what needs to be done, why aren’t you doing it already?!”

The pirate immediately caught on—this was a criticism of his slow pace. “Yes! Strategist, we’ll move out right away and make sure to capture those damned underground rats from the ‘East’!”

The “strategist” nodded, his tone cold and indifferent. “Mm.” As he stood there, his mind drifted back to his conversation with Ryan. Ryan had told him that now was the time to wait. The stone building housed a large amount of dangerous weapons, and the pirates were too afraid to charge in head-on. It was the perfect hiding spot. If the pirates suggested going to the “East” to capture people, he shouldn’t stop them. The underground caves were easy to defend but hard to attack—nothing could break through in the short term.

Before leaving, Ryan had taught the people staying behind some basic defense strategies. If they followed the plan step by step, fending off the pirates wouldn’t be an issue.

Ryan had also mentioned that the general would be arriving soon, bringing reinforcements.

Fan Lanting gazed at the bright, almost blinding sky of Savage Star. How quickly could “soon” really be, according to Ryan?

The standoff was the hardest part of the wait. The hours stretched endlessly, from day to night, each moment feeling like several times longer than usual. Those inside the building were uneasy, while the pirates outside weren’t faring any better. No one knew if something unexpected might happen.

The heat of the day had been unbearable. The pirates, accustomed to being nocturnal, were growing drowsy in the intense sunlight. The ones with little to no discipline had already slumped into sitting positions, nodding off. Their lives were in the hands of others, yet they seemed so relaxed about it—truly, their confidence was remarkable.

Fan Lanting, wrapped in thick clothing, hadn’t stayed under the sun for long. After standing for about ten minutes, he returned to the tent. This fit the strategist’s persona—if he had remained there too long, it would have seemed suspicious.

The sun finally set, the last sliver of light vanishing over the horizon. Night had fallen, and unlike usual, the pirates didn’t begin their normal nocturnal activities. Instead, they all stayed outside the stone building, an eerie quiet hanging in the air.

The sound of rustling—

The skittering of many claws filled the air, and several pirates’ faces turned pale with fear as they heard it.

It was the leader’s flower spider.

The tall, silent leader walked over and stood beside the strategist, his eyes fixed on the stone building in the distance. He gave a cold order, “Bring them up here, let’s kill them in front of them.”

Fan Lanting glanced behind him, his pupils suddenly narrowing in dread.