Quinn pushed the bandit through the thick bushes, keeping a close watch on him as they walked the tangled pathways that were rarely used. The air was thick with tension, each rustle of leaves reminding him that he was still in danger. Quinn's mind raced, dancing between thoughts of how he would confront the rest of the bandits and doubts about whether he was strong enough to defeat them alone.
He looked at his interface.
<[ HP: 650/650 ]>
<[ Mana: 800/ 1170 ]>
<[ XP: 595 ]>
<[ Kill Count: 9 ]>
At least he still had quite enough amount of magic. But he just wasn't sure if it'd be enough for whatever stupid thing he had up his sleeves.
'Can I truly take them on by myself?' He recalled his recent experience with his magic, the raw power surging through him, mingling with fear. 'What if I'm not strong enough? What if I fail?' He glanced sideways at the bandit, who was visibly trembling. Quinn couldn't help but notice the fear in the man's eyes—fear that stemmed from the rumors of humans wielding such mighty abilities. The bandit had witnessed Quinn's power, and it terrified him.
Demon Arts.
Just as Quinn's thoughts spiraled twisted into doubt, the serene sounds of the forest were shattered by the sharp snapping of twigs. Instinctively, he turned his head towards the sound, and in an instant, flames rippled to life around him, forming the shape of a growling fox. Its fierce gaze locked onto the direction of the noise, ready to pounce.
But then, Quinn's heart sank as he recognized the figure emerging from the shadows—the unmistakable silhouette of Lilith, stepping calmly into the clearing. Her presence immediately quelled the fiery fox, which dissipated into nothingness.
"Where do you think you're going?" Lilith asked, her tone teasing yet serious.
"I'm going to stop the rest of the bandits!" Quinn declared, clearly irritated by her presence. He didn't want her anywhere closeby.
"Alone?" she raised an eyebrow, clearly shattered by his response. There was no way he was going to win alone.
"Yes!"
"Don't be such a joke!" Lilith laughed, crossing her arms. "You really think you can take them on by yourself?"
"Yes." Quinn said, wishing he could tell her he had butchered the other ones behind? His magic was growing stronger, and there was no way he could deny it. The bandits weren't as strong as he thought they'd be. "And I thought I told you to protect the wagons."
"I did..." Lilith said. "...but you're not the boss of me. You don't control me, Quinn. I'm supposed to be the one protecting you, not the other way around."
Quinn rolled his eyes, clearly annoyed by Lilith's playful yet infuriating demeanor. "This isn't a game, Lilith!"
Suddenly, the bandit, who had been silently trembling, piped up. "You two should really be focusing on—"
"Shut up!" both Quinn and Lilith shouted in unison, their irritation aligning perfectly.
Lilith shot Quinn a knowing glance and smirked. "If you were the one in charge, you'd be the one carrying me to whatever destination we have."
Quinn sighed, realizing the absurdity of their banter. "Fine, I guess I wouldn't mind that."
*
After what felt like an eternity they finally approached their destination—a hidden cave shrouded by dense bushes. They crouched low in the bushes, peering out cautiously at the scene before them.
The area was bustling with activity. A group of bandits milled about, laughing and shouting, while others stacked crates brimming with fruits and stolen goods just outside the cave's mouth. Quinn's heart raced as he took in the sight, his thoughts racing with strategies.... He just wasn't sure how exactly was he going to ambush all of them.
They weren't many bandits who were gathered outside the cave, just a few...maybe around twelve if not mistaken. But judging from their appearances, they had to be stronger and faster. But, there was one problem. How was he going to ambush them exactly?
"This is it," the bandit whispered. "I fulfilled my part of the bargain, now you've got to let me go."
"No," Quinn said. "I can't, not when I'm not yet sure if I'll survive this."
"What's he talking about?" Lilith asked.
"I promised him I'd let him go in exchange of showing me his hiding place." Quinn explained. "But it seems this place is already overpopulated. I doubt we'll be able to survive if we attack."
*
One of the bandits, a burly man with a thick beard, looking around the woods nervously, his eyes darting towards the trees.
"I don't like this," he said, his voice low and worried. "We've been hearing rumors of mages in the woods. What if they find us?"
A younger bandit, with a scar above his left eyebrow, snorted. "Mages? Don't be ridiculous. We're safe here."
But the burly man wasn't convinced. "You don't know what they're capable of. I've heard stories of mages leveling entire village with a single spell."
The younger bandit rolled his eyes. "You're just spooked because you're a coward. If your mages are that powerful, why aren't they using that power against the demon kingdom?"
The burly man took a step forward, his fists clenched. "I'm not a coward. I'm just cautious. And we should be too."
As the two bandits continued to argue, a third one approached them, his eyes glued to the woods. "Guys, I think we should focus on getting the goods ready. We don't know when our contact will arrive."
The burly man nodded, his expression still worried. "You're right. Let's get to work."
As the bandits continued to work, one of them walked straight into the cave, his footsteps ringing off the cold walls. He stopped in front of a large man with silver hair, who was leaning against a rocking chair, smoking a cigar.
The large man looked up, his eyes narrowing. "We're running late. What's taking you so long?"
The bandit swallowed hard, his eyes fixed on the large man. "The men we sent haven't come back yet."
The large man was silent for a while, his expression unreadable. Then, he blew out his cigar, saying with a small breath, "that's because they're dead."
The bandit's eyes widened in shock, and he took a step back, his heart racing. "D-Dead?"
"Yes." The large man said, clearly not shaken by what he said. He took a deep breath, breathing in enough smoke before he let it out of his nostrils, where it went rushing like water gushing out. "Tell your men to keep their guard up. We have company."