I'm an Extra, so What?
Chapter 103 - 103: Rescue

Luka crouched even lower behind the thick underbrush, his eyes locked onto a small rabbit nibbling on scattered clovers just a little distance away.

With a steadying breath, he activated [Beast Whisperer], reaching out with his mind.

He felt the connection form—

A faint thread linking him to the creature's simple thoughts.

Its ears perked up, twitching as if listening to something unheard.

Luka motioned with his hands, a soft wave and a pointed gesture deeper into the forest.

The rabbit stared at him for a moment, its nose twitching rapidly, before it gave a small hop forward.

Luka's lips curled into a grin.

"I hope you understood what I was trying to say…" he whispered.

To his surprise, the rabbit returned mere moments later, but it wasn't alone.

An entire band of rabbits followed behind it, their tiny feet rustling leaves and pattering against the dirt.

"…" Luka raised an eyebrow, impressed despite himself.

"Well… that's more than I expected," he muttered.

The small herd of rabbits began hopping boldly through the bushes, skittering around the makeshift camp with surprising persistence.

Their tiny feet drummed against the ground, noses twitching as they sniffed around the traffickers' supplies.

"What the hell?" one of the traffickers spat, glaring at the rabbits as if they'd personally offended him.

"Where did these things come from?" another asked, brushing one away with the tip of his boot.

"These little bastards are gonna attract monsters."

"Just kill them!" the third one growled, unsheathing a small blade.

The group began stomping around, swatting at the rabbits and cursing loudly.

Luka wasted no time.

With the traffickers distracted, he circled around the perimeter, staying low and light on his feet.

Their shouting grew louder as they argued over how to get rid of the pests.

"Damn things are everywhere!" one of them barked as another took a clumsy swing with his staff, sending a rabbit skittering off into the bushes.

Slipping around the side of the cage wagon, Luka reached out to grab the latch…only to find it locked.

He clicked his tongue in frustration.

"Of course it would be locked," he whispered, mentally kicking himself for not anticipating it.

His eyes scanned the traffickers—

One of them had the key, dangling loosely from his belt loop.

He clenched his jaw.

'Now… how to get that…' Luka pondered, eyes flicking back to the group as they finally managed to shoo away the last of the rabbits.

The trafficker with the key stretched, scratching his head. "

I gotta take a piss," he announced, waving dismissively.

"I don't know when the others are getting back, so I'm using this time to drain the tank."

Luka's eyes sharpened with opportunity. 'Luck is truly on my side!'

He slunk back into the shadows, trailing the man with quiet footsteps.

The trafficker wandered deeper into the forest, whistling a tune as he unfastened his belt, sighing loudly as he relieved himself.

His eyes were half-lidded, and his head tilted back in satisfaction.

He didn't notice the shadow creeping up behind him.

Luka raised the hammer, the weight reassuring in his grip.

He took a deep breath, steadied himself, and—CRACK!—brought it down hard on the back of the man's skull.

The trafficker dropped like a stone, face-first into his own puddle of piss.

Luka grimaced. "Yikes… that's just embarrassing."

He leaned down, snatching the key from the man's belt and stepping back before the smell could stick.

Slipping through the shadows back toward the camp—

Luka saw the other two men back to their regular posts, weapons put away, muttering amongst themselves.

He moved quickly, positioning himself by the cage wagon and sliding the key into the lock.

Click.

The cage creaked open, quieter than the torches crackling.

Luka slipped inside, coming face-to-face with the young elf girl, as he then placed down the hammer and grabbed her.

She tensed immediately, her head jerking up.

Underneath the heavy hood, wide eyes, her breathing ragged and muffled through the strap that bound her mouth.

Before she could scream—

Luka moved quickly, covering her mouth with his hand.

She struggled—kicking, flailing—but he held her firmly, his other arm securing her legs.

"I'm here to help, but you have to be quiet," Luka whispered urgently, his voice low and soothing.

Her resistance faltered, and she nodded, albeit hesitantly.

Luka moved quickly, stepping out of the cage wagon with the elf girl in his arms.

His movements were careful, his footsteps deliberate as he weaved through the underbrush.

He held his breath, doing his best to avoid any fallen branches or dry leaves.

Each step like walking on thin ice.

He was almost clear, almost—

CRACK.

The sharp snap of a branch underfoot echoed louder than a gunshot in his ears.

Luka froze.

Silence.

For a second, it seemed like maybe they hadn't heard.

But then—

"What the fuck? Who are you?" one of the traffickers shouted, his hand already drawing a sword from his back.

The other wordlessly grabbed his staff, eyes narrowing with lethal intent.

Luka managed a strained smile. "Just passing by," he quipped, immediately turning and sprinting, the elf girl held tightly in his grip.

A bright crackle of energy lit up the darkened woods.

ZAP!

Lightning surged past Luka's head, arcing through the air and slamming into a tree, splintering it with a thunderous boom.

Bits of bark exploded, showering the area with debris.

"Shit, I missed!" the man snarled, cursing under his breath.

"You're too rusty," the other man said.

Luka didn't bother listening; he just ran.

His legs pumped furiously, dodging low-hanging branches and vaulting over gnarled roots.

He could hear the two men chasing after him.

Luka felt his adrenaline sharpening his senses.

He could hear mage skills slicing through the air, thudding into trees just inches from his head.

"This guy has bad aim…" Luka couldn't help but mutter to himself as he weaved between thick tree trunks and jagged rocks, his path erratic and unpredictable.

He zigzagged with sharp turns, kicking up leaves and dirt, making it harder for the two men to predict his movements.

More mage skills whistled past his head, clattering against trees.

Luka glanced back, spotting the men stumbling after him.

Then, just up ahead, his eyes locked onto a massive entrance—

A dark, yawning maw in the earth framed by thick roots and jagged rocks.

The entrance to an underground cave.

Luka's grin stretched wider. "Perfect."

He bolted straight for it, slipping inside and immediately pressing his back against the cold stone wall.

He stopped his heavy breathing, forcing himself to relax, his heartbeat steadying as he closed his eyes for a moment to regain his composure.

The elf girl squirmed in his grasp, but he tightened his hold just enough to keep her still.

"Quiet," he whispered.

Heavy footsteps thundered outside.

He heard voices, rough and angry.

"Where the hell did he go?"

"I saw him go in here! Little bastard can't hide for long."

The footsteps grew closer, echoing through the mouth of the cave.

"…" Luka pressed himself further into the darkness.

His breathing was almost nonexistent, just shallow whispers of air.

The two men stormed in, weapons drawn, their eyes darting wildly in the darkness.

One of them shouted into the blackness.

"Come out, you little shit!" His voice boomed, reverberating off the cavern walls.

That's when it happened.

At first, it was just a ripple of movement above them—barely noticeable.

But then—

Hundreds of tiny red lights flickered to life.

Pairs of eyes opened in the dark, glowing like embers scattered across the ceiling.

The traffickers stopped dead in their tracks.

One of them glanced up, his eyes going wide.

"Holy shit…"

The glow multiplied, spreading across the cavern's roof until it looked like a blood-red constellation.

'I just need to stay quiet…' Luka felt his pulse quicken, but he stayed deathly still, pressing his back further against the rock.

He knew these monsters—Skeleton Bats—a rare and vicious type of monster that only appeared in the deepest parts of the forest.

They were massive, wingspans stretching nearly six feet, their skeletal forms clattering as they moved.

One of the men dropped his weapon with a loud clang, panic spreading across his face.

He turned to bolt for the entrance, but it was too late.

The Skeleton Bats descended with a deafening screech, wings flapping like torn leather, bones rattling as they swooped down.

"No! Get off me! Get off!" His screams were muffled as dozens of the monsters latched onto him, skeletal jaws gnashing and tearing through flesh with ruthless efficiency.

He staggered forward, hands flailing uselessly, before crumpling to the ground, his body a writhing mass of wings and bone.

Blood pooled beneath him, dark and slick against the cave floor.

The other man stumbled backward, eyes wide with terror.

"Get the hell away from him!" he shouted, gripping his staff with shaking hands.

He unleashed a blast of lightning, arcs of electricity crackling through the air and slamming into the Skeleton Bats.

Sparks flew, lighting up the cavern for the briefest of moments.

But the lightning did nothing.

The Skeleton Bats remained untouched, their bones unyielding to elemental force.

The man stared, disbelief etched across his face.

"N-No… that should've—"

He didn't get to finish his thought.

The Skeleton Bats swarmed him, wings whipping around his body, skeletal claws raking across his flesh.

He screamed—a piercing, guttural sound—as they tore into him, pulling him down to his knees.

He swung his staff wildly, arcs of lightning shooting out in frantic bursts, but it was useless.

They overwhelmed him—

Until his screams turned to choked gurgles.

"…" Luka watched it all unfold from his hiding spot, eyes unblinking.

He held the elf girl tighter, his hand still covering her mouth.

Her tiny body shivered, but she didn't fight him.

She knew better.

Luka took a slow, measured breath.

While the Skeleton Bats continued their feast—

"…" Luka seized the opportunity to sneak off with the elf girl.