Chapter 453 – Unwilling Savior.

“What do you want? Stay back!”

“I don’t think we will… Now, how about you make this easy for everyone and just come with us…”

A large group of rough-looking individuals was surrounding a carriage. Two armored men were standing before the door to this carriage, their swords drawn and ready to defend whoever was inside. On top another two could be seen, holding longbows and ready to fire. Inside the carriage sat a young lady, her face filled with tears and an expression of uncertainty. She clutched onto a pendant around her neck while her body trembled.

The group that looked like bandits spread out to let a person through. He was a burly-looking man with a scar running down his left cheek, wearing ragged clothing that indicated a life of hardship. He had a menacing aura about him as he approached the guards, a cruel smirk playing on his lips.

“Well, well, what do we have here? Seems like we’ve stumbled upon quite a little treasure, haven’t we?”

The man’s voice was gruff and filled with malice as he eyed the guards who were defending the carriage. Though he couldn’t see the girl within, her weak sobbing echoed from inside. The guards tightened their grip on their swords and were ready to spring into action if necessary.

“You won’t get away with this! We’ll defend the young lady with our lives.”

“Strong words for soon-to-be-dead men, but how about we make a deal? We just want her and what’s inside, nothing more. All of you can leave, so don’t be stupid, I’m sure you have families that rely on you… Just walk away, and no one will ever know.”

The guards exchanged uneasy glances, knowing that they were outnumbered and outmatched. The bandits had them surrounded, and their leader seemed confident in his ability to take what he wanted by force. However, numbers alone didn’t dictate the outcome of a battle, and upon closer inspection, the bandits didn’t appear particularly strong or even healthy. Retreating now would also have severe consequences. Failing to fulfill their task could potentially make them into wanted men and they would have to flee the entire region.

“I will repeat again, stay back! We will not bargain with bandits!”

The guard speaking was older than the other three and wearing a more defined piece of armor. His voice was firm and it didn’t let a smidge of fear through that was slowly bubbling up. The man was determined to protect the young lady, even if it meant facing these bandits head-on.

“Stubborn fool, kill them all!”

The bandit leader smirked widely at the response as if he didn’t care. With one swift motion, he drew his sword which was a damaged blade coated in something more than just rust. The other bandits knew that the moment the blade was pointed forward it was time to charge forward. However, right before the man could finish his motion an arrow flew. It flew in a swift arc and connected with one of the other men’s forehead, killing him instantly.

“Shit… Get them!”

The bandits were taken aback by the sudden attack, their leader cursing under his breath as chaos ensued. The guards seized the opportunity, charging forward to engage the bandits in combat. Swords clashed, arrows flew, and the sounds of battle echoed through the air as both sides fought.

Their leader remained at the back, his frown deepening as he observed the standoff. Despite their overwhelming numbers—over thirty men—they couldn’t close in on the opposition. On the other side, there were only four guards and a coachman armed with a peculiar crossbow. It was evident that his men were outmatched and outgunned. However, he wasn’t deterred, knowing there was one trump card up his sleeve. He turned to the side, where a lone figure clad in a black robe awaited, and called out to him.

“Sir, I think we will be needing your help…”

“…”

The man clicked his tongue in annoyance as he surveyed the chaotic scene before him. The bandit leader’s call for assistance was met with silence from the figure in the black robe. He stood there, unmoving at first but eventually stepped forward. Though his body was concealed to some extent by the robe, a long blade was visible on his left side. It differed from regular longswords, with a slight curve and a distinctive eastern hilt, a katana.

“Fine, but remember, this will cost you extra…”

Once this man stepped forward, the other bandits spread out to the sides. His presence commanded attention and emanated a strange aura. The guards near the center of this chaotic battle reacted almost instantly. The two archers, along with the coachman, launched projectiles in his direction – two arrows and a bolt from a crossbow. However, to their surprise the man didn’t seem to perturbed.

His right hand moved with uncanny swiftness as he drew the katana from its sheath in a single fluid motion. To the people watching, his hand movement seemed like a blur. A faint clang of metal resounded through the air as the arrows and bolt were sent flying off course. This display of skill left the guards in awe and instantly identified their foe to be above them.

“A tier 3 master…”

“You should have taken the deal when it was offered. Now, all of you will have to die…”

The man stepped forward with the bandits behind him grinning. The four guards were already out of breath and knew that it wouldn’t be possible for them to defeat this one person, his tier was above theirs.
“Why are you doing this? If you want money then I’m sure we could work something out!”

The guard leader shouted out while trying not to panic. The man in the dark robe moved at a slow pace as if he had no care in the world. It was evident that he had no intention of making a deal and their target was the person within the carriage. His words seemed soft and his voice nonchalant as he replied.

“Please don’t hold a grudge in the afterlife, this is just business…”

The guard leader gritted his teeth, realizing that negotiation was futile. He raised his sword in defiance and prepared himself to defend the lady behind him. The other guards followed suit while the bandits watched from outside. It was clear that the smaller group was outmatched and that they would die here. However, just when it seemed that all hope was lost, a sudden gust of wind swept through the area.

“Shit, I wasn’t supposed to come out so close to the ground!”

The burst of wind was accompanied by a strange noise and someone shouting. All eyes turned upward to witness an unexpected disturbance. Descending rapidly from above was a figure clad in a darkened robe, with gleaming armor visible underneath. The voice that echoed belonged unmistakably to a man. To his right side, a large tower shield could be seen, which he seemed to be trying to position under his feet for some reason.

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Closing in at a rapid pace, the descending figure startled the bandits surrounding the carriage, causing them to jump aside in fright. Much to their surprise, he skillfully positioned his feet on the large shield that then shone with strange glowing symbols they didn’t understand. Once his feet were there, his descent was slowed but he still kept rocketing in their direction.

As the figure drew closer to the ground, the shield beneath him emitted a burst of energy. It somehow cushioned his landing and sent out shockwaves that knocked back the bandits surrounding the carriage. With a resounding thud, the figure touched down with his robe fluttering in the wind in an imposing fashion.

The bandits along with the guards were stunned by the unexpected entrance. This robed man landed right between the carriage and the approaching hooded swordsman. The man looked at this new arrival and halted his advance as he could feel that this person was not as trivial as the rest.

“Who the hell are you?!”

The bandit leader who had called for the tier 3 class holder shouted. This was certainly not something they expected, an unforeseen variable had arrived. The figure in the darkened robe slowly straightened up and glanced around. He ignored the bandit’s question, and began to survey the scene. The group of guards was just as perplexed as the bandits. They realized that he was not allied with them either and prompted the bandit leader to shout out again.