The Lord of the Rings: Lords of Middle-earth.

"It hurts...kill me...please..." Naluye uttered a weak, whispering sound, her face filthy from a mixture of cold sweat and dust. Tears and blood mingled on her face as she gazed at Roland with eyes that would soften even a dragon's heart.

"I gave you a chance..." Roland paused for a moment. Who was right? Who was wrong? No one was right. Everyone just wanted to survive in this chaotic world.

"Heh...pop!" A blood bubble appeared at the corner of Naluye's mouth. After hearing Roland's words, she trembled all over and then silently shrank back on the torture cart, no longer moving.

However, her bound hands would sometimes struggle to open and sometimes clench into fists. This was one of the few ways she could relieve the pain besides screaming. In fact, with the torture device inserted into her throat, even screaming became a luxury.

"Alright, I'll give you a quick death after this battle is over! In the name of the King, I guarantee you the highest honors of a Rune Warrior! You can choose for yourself then!" Roland turned away, no longer looking at the woman who was suffering because of his order, but in the end he still retained a trace of mercy, his voice and footsteps fading away.

"Thank you...cough cough~" Naluye opened her eyes, glanced at Roland's back, and for the first time, her eyes lit up.

"Your Highness, you actually agreed to give her a quick death?" Caslo followed Roland with some surprise.

"What happened? She's already been punished," Roland said casually.

“Sigh…” Ajax sighed and didn’t speak. Although she was an enemy, she still felt a little sorry for this woman.

“If we don’t kill her, with her third-tier berserker vitality, she can struggle there for at least seven more days…” Roland glanced at Caslo’s expression.

Sure enough! Caslow's expression immediately transformed into a subway-like, old man-like, phone-marked face. He and Ajax exchanged a glance, both feeling a chill run down their spines—this was too cruel!

"I must say, this woman's life is quite tragic. Not only were you captured alive, but you also dared to torture and kill our people! The executioner's technique was also perfect; he didn't even puncture any vital organs on his first execution!" Roland exclaimed in amazement. To be honest, for the first execution, Roland was prepared for the wooden stake to pierce through the prisoner's shoulder, but he never expected that the first execution would be perfect... plus, the round-headed wooden stake used... that must have been excruciating!
……

Two days later.

“Your Highness! It’s time to end this… We’re almost at Iron Hills…” Caslo hugged Ajax tightly in his arms with a hint of helplessness.

"Even with a beautiful woman in your arms, you still can't shut your mouth!" Roland retorted helplessly.

"Are you alright, Ajax?" Roland asked with concern.

"It's alright!" Ajax replied sweetly, then buried her head in Caslow's chest again.

The story begins the day before. To help the hot-headed Darky regain his senses, Roland sent out his dragon riders. However, Ajax and Renoir were ambushed by the Chariot Warriors. Two magical armor-piercing arrows were aimed directly at Ajax, and Renoir, after desperately dodging the arrows aimed at his knight, was shot in the abdomen... The noble dragon blood instantly stained the sky red. For a period of time afterward, Roland dared not let Caslo fly again. Dragon riders are powerful, but they are really big targets!

"It's time to end this, Roland!" Verway was also looking rather disheveled. After three days of fighting, everyone was exhausted. On average, there were at least three or four battles a day, and everyone's nerves and bodies were constantly on edge.

“Hmm!” Roland nodded. It was time to end all of this! In the past three days, the original 4,000-strong chariot civilian army had been reduced by half by Roland and his men. Similarly, although Roland had not suffered any casualties, everyone was injured. The key was that the 500 professional chariot civilians still had more than 400 men left! This was the reason why Roland wanted to end it.

……

"Wait!" Lanso suddenly caught up with Roland and the others in a light armored vehicle carrying a white flag.

"You're still alive? You're really lucky!" Roland smiled. "You've encountered a fifty percent survival rate."

"Greetings! Young King!" Suddenly, a burly man in bronze armor sat up in the wagon's cargo bed, leaning on his halberd. "Commander of the Chariots..." Roland narrowed his eyes. This man was truly bold; fearless...

“Young king, you cannot kill me. I possess a magical artifact blessed by my ancestors, which allows me to instantly travel to a place far away from here,” Darky said calmly.

"What do you intend to do?" Roland sneered. A fixed teleportation magic circle? What a clever trick!

"Release my daughter..." Darky pointed with trembling hands at the girl who was stuck in a wooden stake in the distance.

“…Impossible! Find someone else! She massacred my people!” Roland remained silent for a moment before refusing him.

“Give her some dignity… I beg you as a father,” Darkie said, his voice trembling.

“Alright! I will! But only after this battle is over…” Roland nodded.

"..." Darkie took a deep look at his daughter who was still being tortured, and two hot tears streamed down his face. In the end, it was his own pampering that ruined his willful daughter.

"...I hope you will keep your promise! In the name of the human king! I will lead my troops away from this sorrowful land, and I hope you will grant her the dignity she deserves as a rune warrior, as you have said!" Darky's eyes were filled with sorrow.

"Should we see her?" Roland suddenly asked, feeling that this great father should see his daughter one last time.

"Never mind... I hope you won't cause her too much pain." Darky waved his hand somewhat forlornly.

Watching Darky's light tank depart, Roland sighed. Even if Darky wouldn't retreat, he was too exhausted to fight anymore.

……

"Are you alright?" Roland gently touched Naluye's head. If it weren't for the fact that she was still breathing, he would have thought she was dead.

"..." Naluye opened her somewhat dim eyes and stared blankly at Roland. Three days of bumpy travel had made her numb to the pain in her body. She could even clearly feel the loss of her life force.

“I’m here to keep my promise! To give you some dignity! This is what I promised you and your father!” Roland reached out and placed his hand on her back; the soft holy light made her feel more comfortable.

"You can choose for yourself," Roland said somewhat listlessly.

“Give me… a wash…” Naluye’s eyes suddenly lit up as she pleaded, her throat bobbing.

……

"Splash, splash~" Ajax gently splashed water across Naluye's jade-like back with her hand. Out of pity for this dying woman, Ajax even specially boiled some hot water.

"Hmm~" Naluye, who was stuck in the wooden stake, comfortably stretched out her limbs that were originally curled up.