Chapter 192 – Robbing The Robbers.

“This took a while, but it should be enough.”

Rusty picked up a ladle filled with a strange purplish liquid. It was boiling in a large iron cauldron and was ready to be divided into smaller portions. Beside him were several containers he had fashioned from metal. Although he could have used glass, his system did not allow him to recreate it. He was still restricted to metals and materials the system recognized as weapons or armor. If he made a metal bottle with even a small spike, the system would categorize it as a weapon, which meant he could replicate it without difficulty.

“Oh?”

As he finished portioning the liquid, something landed on the roof of his home. A moment later, he heard soft giggles, and soon a light tap echoed at the entrance to his basement smithy.

“How is it?”

“( •̀ᴗ•́ )و”

“So it’s time. I am almost finished here. We will leave immediately.”

It was Gleam who had come to inform him of the bandits’ movements. Thanks to her ability to fly, she had become skilled at scouting the area.

“This type of work is degrading for a demon king.”

“You are doing great, Aburdon!”

His guide, Aburdon, moved along with her, just as he had in the past. With his help, they had created a complete map of the city and the surrounding lands. For now, Gleam kept to areas with few monsters, but in time, they planned to venture into the Orc forest and the territory of the barbarians.

A few days had passed since his first visit to the bandit camp, but they were not spent idly. Rusty had learned that careful planning was always the best approach. The city had shown no intention of attacking the bandits and seemed most likely to be working with them. Because of this, he had been observing the camp closely, watching for any sign of movement.

His guides claimed that the bandits were probably paying the lord for the right to remain there, which meant the best time to strike would be during the transfer of that money. Thanks to Gleam’s speed it was easy to fly back with news of the right moment, and that moment had finally arrived.

“Does it look right?”

“If we leave now, we should reach them at nightfall. That will give us enough time to attack the bandit camp and return before the night is over.”

Rusty answered Aburdon and shrank to his smaller form so the two could depart. They had a hard time limit to hit both targets, the bandits and the city guards. The guards defending the shipment of coins and supplies were none other than the mercenaries he had interacted with before, and he would feel no remorse for them after what they had done to the children.

Rusty hid behind a tree as the group of soldiers advanced. There was one carriage, four mounted soldiers surrounding it, and more life signals coming from inside. It was a surprisingly small force for transporting treasure, but the emblem of the city nobility was displayed on it, which meant no one would dare attack. The bandits were working with them as well, so the only ones who might strike were their partners in crime.

He remained still, waiting as the carriage drew closer. He had chosen a spot near a small hill in the forest where the carriage would be forced to slow while climbing. No one else was nearby, and with Gleam’s help the attack could begin. She hovered above, settled on a treetop, and prepared her magic. Once her casting was complete, the new spell took hold.

Her antennae twitched as a single bead of concentrated mana swelled at the tip of one, pulsing with colors that did not belong together. Rusty watched from the cover of the hill. His current form was the all-purpose armor, and his weapon was a steel bow. He drew an arrow, notched it, and waited for the lightshow to follow.

Gleam focused, and the world narrowed to a point of light. The Prismatic Mana Bolt condensed between her mandibles. It was the size of a hazelnut, a shimmering core of prismatic light. She held it for a moment, then released the magic directly at the soldiers.

The bolt streaked forward and, true to its name, split like a volley. Each fragment was no thicker than a sewing needle yet far more deadly. The magic arced through the air, its colors startling the armored men just as they were about to sustain multiple blows.

The first beam struck the lead soldier’s face through his open visor. He had no idea what was coming and died instantly as the ray burrowed into his skull. His horse, spooked by a flash of emerald light, bolted sideways and crashed into the carriage. One of the cartwheels splintered, and the vehicle began to slow.

Once the first man was down, the others grew more alert. Several rays of mana hissed against their armor, and although a few injuries were inflicted the remaining three held firm. Just as they began to locate their attacker, an arrow shot forward, pierced one of them through the throat, and carried him against the wooden carriage frame. The arrow went clean through, and chaos erupted as the horses pulling the carriage started to panic.

Left and right, attacks came while the protectors shouted and tried to deflect them. One of the colorful rays struck the coachman’s head while another arrow collided with the mounted guard. The top of the hill soon came into view but along with it, the carriage came to a stop and toppled to the side.

The carriage tipped, its axles screaming as wood snapped and iron-bound wheels broke free. The chest inside clattered against the frame but did not burst open. The horses thrashed, yet a stray shard of prismatic light had already severed their reins. They bolted into the trees and left the riders scrambling.

With the carriage overturned, those trapped within climbed out. Two guards emerged along with a man Rusty recognized. It was the same merchant who had once entered his store with two burly men to cause trouble. These guards, however, were different. They bore the mark of mercenaries from the city, it was clear that a deeper conspiracy was at work.

“Above!”

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

One of the soldiers shouted just before the second volley split apart in midair. Seven rays of pure magical fury rained down. Their shields held and deflected the light, but Rusty had already moved. He abandoned his bow for a halberd and swung it cleanly, decapitating the last mounted soldier.

“S-stay back, what do you want? We had a deal!”

The merchant’s words were met with silence. He screamed when Rusty’s shining frame advanced. At first he mistook him for a man, but as Rusty drew closer the soldiers saw the truth.

“It’s not a man. It’s a living armor? What is a thing like this doing here?”

The magical barrage from above ceased, and one soldier rushed forward to strike Rusty. His strength was far below Rusty’s. He was nothing compared to a D-rank monster, and after a single exchange his head flew through the air. The remaining soldier raised his shield, glanced at the merchant, and then broke into a run. He fled into the forest without hesitation, leaving the chubby man to die alone.

“Wait, what are you doing? Don’t leave me here!”

The man’s footsteps echoed through the trees, followed by a strange crunching sound. There was no scream, only wet gurgling that faded quickly. The merchant stared in horror, clutching the chest filled with coins in his arms. Soon, from within the forest, another creature emerged, a shiny silver ant.