Unable to resist looking down again at the unconscious Barbara in his arms: "You want me to carry you away in the presence of so many enemies?!"
This is no longer a matter of whether I want to save her.
It's a matter of whether I'm able to save her!
After clearly assessing the situation, Andrew was basically certain: if he could indeed bring Barbara through this "Fire Net"-like encirclement, it would undoubtedly still align with the Fire Extinguishing Upgrade Method. The approach to aiding others in extinguishing fires wasn't entirely futile.
After all, there were so many people, so even if they didn't "extinguish," merely helping Barbara "escape" still counted as "aiding in fire extinguishment"!
The premise is: if he could really lead Barbara to escape!
The "Water Spirit Sensing" provided more than just a "Panoramic Image".
It also enhanced the subtle sixth sense inherent in the Water Soul Constitution, making it clearer.
A sort of "water-like sixth sense."
This sixth sense said: "I can do it!"
Andrew, however, felt like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, and immediately cursed internally: "Do it? Do what the hell? Didn't you see how many Hubert's men there are in town now?
Don't think you can brainwash me with the hype of a sixth sense, you bastard!"
"Um..."
A weak voice suddenly came through.
Andrew was taken aback and turned to look.
Only to see the girl he had previously saved and had Barbara drape a coat over, waking up again.
Earlier, Andrew was so focused on his rounds of confrontation with Barbara that he almost forgot the girl he and Barbara had jointly saved from Raymond's clutches.
The girl looked at the scene, now entirely different from before, dumbfounded for quite a while before reacting and said to Andrew: "Thank you, thank you, Andrew! Ugh..." she cried softly, still somewhat scared.
She thought Andrew had already driven away Raymond and his men, unaware that Raymond's people were all gone, with just a shoe left behind.
"You don't have to thank me."
Andrew shook his head, took a deep breath, his voice turning a bit cold, "She saved you, and it's she who gave you her coat," pointing at Barbara.
"Huh? What?"
The girl was a bit dazed, stopped crying for a moment.
Thinking that she distinctly remembered Andrew jumping out and shouting "Let go of that girl."
She looked at Andrew with some confusion.
The girl was very perceptive and felt a subtle change from Andrew, different from when he shouted "Let go of that girl."
Andrew bent forward, and placed the unconscious Barbara on the ground.
The girl saw Barbara seemed to have lost consciousness, quickly ran over to hold Barbara, letting her head rest on her lap.
Indeed a very kind-hearted girl.
She looked up, looked at Andrew again.
But saw Andrew after putting down Barbara, was looking around, searching for something on the ground.
Moments later, Andrew bent down again, picked up a fist-sized stone from the ground.
He stared viciously at the stone in his hand, it was hard to say whether he was confronting the stone or dealing with his own internal struggle.
Suddenly raised his voice, shouted fiercely: "Enough, stop pretending!"
The scene fell silent for two to three seconds.
Then, under the incredibly surprised gaze of the girl holding Barbara—
A figure suddenly sprang up from the ground, lunging straight at Andrew.
It was the lackey whom Raymond had previously knocked unconscious on the ground!
Also the same lackey who had thrown stones at Andrew during the daytime.
Since he had passed out earlier, he was the only one among Raymond's cronies who hadn't run away yet.
This person had actually been awake for a while.
And had almost tricked Andrew by feigning death.
Yet ultimately could not hide from Andrew's newly acquired "Water Spirit Sensing"!
Upon hearing Andrew's murderous "Stop pretending," the person hesitated for a few seconds but couldn't resist springing up!
Also quite a ruthless individual, rather than choosing to flee.
He opted to seize a slim chance of survival from within a hopeless situation.
One must say the explosive power of a person in dire straits is truly strong.
Seeing this person already rushing up to Andrew.
The girl holding Barbara nearly screamed again upon witnessing this—
Andrew remained silent, his wrist flicked, and the stone he had just picked up was sent flying from his hand.
With a "pop" sound.
It hit precisely on the person's face.
This flying stone was still guided by the lingering feeling of the "Water Needle."
Simultaneously, he exerted the new strength given by the "Water Soul Constitution" to the utmost!
The Water Soul Constitution enhanced perception and also improved overall motor skills, hand-eye coordination, static strength, small muscle group control... basically, apart from explosive power and absolute strength, all other aspects of physical fitness saw a considerable upgrade.
The result was that he was hit by a stone, didn't even let out a grunt, and immediately lost all strength in his body.
Not long ago Andrew needed to expend a Water Needle Prop to deal with the lackey; now he merely flicked a hand to take care of him.
With a thunk, the person fell to the ground like a broken cloth bag, landing at Andrew's feet. His fingertips barely touched Andrew's toes. This time, no pretending, truly dead.
Andrew silently brushed the dirt off his hands.
Then returned to the girl holding Barbara and said: "It's okay now. Leave her to me." pointing at Barbara.
He had already made a decision in his heart.
Andrew considered himself a very ordinary person, without particularly noble moral sentiments.
The premise of aiding in fire extinguishment is "able to extinguish". If the cost would be to eliminate all of his own people, Andrew genuinely couldn't do it. He wasn't that kind of great heroic firefighter. Even though he truly respected those great firefighter warriors, Andrew honestly felt it's really difficult for him to do the same.
Say truthfully, if Barbara hadn't helped him earlier, Andrew thought he might have hardened his heart and simply left her behind.
"But... who asked her to save me once just now."
Andrew muttered to himself, feeling somewhat helpless.
A girl, despite being severely injured, still lent him a helping hand, and then, before losing consciousness, asked him to take her away.
That was tantamount to entrusting her life to him!
If he could still harden his heart and leave her behind, then Andrew felt he wouldn't need to extinguish any fire.
Because what he would do would essentially be similar to the rampant evil fire in the Flame Realm.
Since you've entrusted me with your life, well... I absolutely won't let you die.
Or rather, if he decided to cling to someone's thigh, he would cling to it with tears till the end!
If that thigh breaks, he would personally reattach it and cling harder!
The strong "I can, I can do it" water-like sixth sense had already vanished.
Andrew this time completely told himself: "I, can do it!"