Under the mountains, dozens of horse hooves could be heard, disrupting the peaceful forest at night.

The knights of the Restinia Empire had arrived, led by none other than Hulk, the captain of the Empire's Second Knights Order!

Riding a strong warhorse, dressed in emerald green armor embossed with the imperial emblem, he carried a magic sword adorned with elemental gemstones.

Ever since Princess Anna was kidnapped and disappeared, Hulk had been leading his elite soldiers, tirelessly searching for her for weeks. His efforts paid off, as he finally obtained a clue related to Anna!

To his surprise, the princess was captured in these mountains!

Although Hulk had roughly tracked down Anna's whereabouts, he had never heard of this mercenary group that had kidnapped her. Moreover, information about their leader, Slu, was scarce, only that his strength had already reached the super-level.

As he looked at the mountains ahead, Hulk couldn't help but frown.

Not only because of the mysterious mercenary group, but also because within these mountains dwelled a mighty and ferocious beast - the Smaug!

If it were to be alarmed, even as the captain of the knights, it would be difficult for Hulk to face these two super-level powerhouses at once.

However, Hulk had no intention of giving up.

Why, you ask?

Naturally, it was because he loved Princess Anna!

There was a time when he was lost and hopeless, before he became the captain of the knights, and it was Princess Anna's pure and innocent smile that saved him countless times.

One could say that without her, he wouldn't be the person he is today.

He was willing to do anything for Anna, no matter the cost!

He imagined the fearful look on the princess's face at this moment, and a shadow fell over Hulk's face.

Why... why did the princess have to go through such a thing!?

After all, she was only thirteen years old this year!

Although Anna was only thirteen, Hulk had also developed feelings for her.

Because as a member of the royal family, it was normal to be engaged before the age of fifteen.

Hulk knew that it was impossible for him to be with Anna, given his status, but if there was even a slight chance, he would fight for it!

He wanted to protect, to keep Princess Anna safe, and to preserve her smile. With these thoughts, Hulk felt a surge of strength in his body-

At this moment, even facing two super-level experts, he didn't feel like he would lose!

Hulk turned around and gestured for his fellow knights to continue forward.

However, shortly after entering the forest, he observed his surroundings and his expression suddenly became serious.

"Have any of you noticed that this forest... is a little too quiet?"

Even at night, the forest would undoubtedly be filled with dangers, including tree spirits and magical beasts, which tended to ambush during the night.

Yet, at this moment, not to mention these dangers, even the traces of elemental magic that would occasionally appear under the moonlight were nowhere to be seen.

This was strange.

Based on Hulk's accumulated experience, he knew that something must be happening in this forest!

Just as he was contemplating, a sudden change occurred!

Numerous ragged individuals riding tamed wolves rushed out from the woods.

"Kill them! Kill the imperial dogs!"

Led by Bagir, the mercenaries ambushed the imperial knights from the shadows, their angry roars breaking the silence of the night forest.

Startled by this sudden commotion, the warhorses began to panic, and the formation of the knights gradually became disrupted.

But Hulk was no pushover. He quickly reorganized the formation and launched a counterattack against the mercenaries.

The difference in strength was apparent, as Bagir's mercenaries, lacking the unity of the knights, quickly fell into a weaker position after several clashes.

Hulk drew his elemental sword from his waist and pointed it directly at the nearby Bagir.

"You can't be Slu, can you? According to the information, he is not as weak as you! Hand over Princess Anna, and maybe I'll spare your life!"

"Hmph! Slu has more important matters to attend to. A person like you is not enough to make him take action!"Riding on the magic wolf, Bajir sneered and shouted at the members of the mercenary group, "Retreat!"

They never intended to engage in direct combat, but instead used the terrain of the forest to launch continuous sneak attacks on the knight's group.

"Don't let them escape! Chase after them!"

Hulk ordered urgently, but in this densely wooded forest, the horses couldn't run as fast as the well-trained magic wolves of the mercenary group. They agilely maneuvered through the trees, quickly leaving the knight's group behind.

However, what nobody expected was that at this moment, a powerful magic suddenly erupted not far away, creating a massive tornado!

The roaring wind affected even them, unable to avoid its influence!