The group of four was currently having a break from their training. They are seated in a circle on the ground. Ortix brought back some of the creatures he hunted. One of it was a creature called a Komat. It was a camouflaging creature that is no animal or plant. It appears like a thick carpet but its top appears as a patch of grass. It has small pores that could trap small creatures. As for larger targets, it encloses the target with its whole body to suffocate it. It could also release acid to slowly kill the trapped target.
Cyziel confirmed that it was edible. They are also lucky that the Komat that Ortix found would soon reproduce asexually by dividing itself. These usually happens when the Komat was wide or thick enough. This means that the Komat that they caught have large amount of edible part to eat. The Komat's exterior cannot be eaten because it would just taste like soil but its inner body was soft like a smashed potato and watery like a watermelon.
"Hey Cy! What is in the Eastern forest? I saw some really strong animals but they don't really seem that much of a threat." Ortix asked.
Cyziel shrugged. "Truthfully, I don't know. I just knew from my family that the place was really dangerous. They have brought me multiple times in the southern forest but they never even once brought me there."
"Are you not curious to check it out?"
"Oh! We definitely would. Just not now. If my guess is correct, there should be another trial in that place. I recently read a journal from my people in Vera's house. They found another one in the western mountain so the northern ocean and this eastern forest should also have one." Cyziel answered.
Ortix jerked. "You mean the trial like the one in the southern forest with the puzzles and stuff?"
"Yeah. It should be but I don't know what challenges would be there."
Ortix shivered. "Uhh... I think I would pass on that one. I don't like those challenges before. Whoever created those trials are insane."
"Not only insane. Whoever it is, he is far stronger than us." Volus turned to Cyziel. "Are you sure that it is not one of your ancestors?"
Cyziel confidently shook his head. "I am pretty sure it is not made by my people. We have scriptures though of some beliefs that might be related to those trials. Maybe it is from another race who are even more ancient than us."
"Is it possible that it is from some God?" Lucia muttered.
Ortix chuckled. "God? Do even those things exist? The only Gods are the people who are strong enough to rule."
"The only God that my people believed was our previous sect master and-" Volus scowled. "He is a fake. He is more of a devil than a God."
"My people believed in prophecies and they said that it came from the creator but I never really have seen who that guy is." Cyziel said. "But from my perspective, there is probably someone or something that created everything."
"Our people once had many gods but many agree that there is one true God but-" Lucia looked down. "we also are not able to give any proof for it."
Suddenly, Volus, Ortix and Cyziel looked at each other.
"Quite a number of people seems to be coming here." Ortix calmly said.
"Should we leave? Or do we wait for them?" Volus asked. "If it is the militia then I commend them for their ability to actually chase us here."
"Well, the three of us are here. Let's wait for them and see who they are or what they want." Cyziel answered. No worries could be seen in his face.
"Shouldn't we try to hide? We could observe them if they are dangerous or not." Lucia meekly said.
Ortix smirked. "Heh! There is no need. If they can't even conceal their auras even from that distance then they must be weaklings."
The group continued with their meal as they waited for the incoming people. The group of people soon arrived in a nearby plateau. They numbered more than 20.
"Captain! Look! They are actually still here. They also seem to be young people." A man wearing a thick parka jacket shouted.
"Very good! There even seems to be a young woman with them. Fardo would really be happy with it." The man who was called a captain was wearing a cloak with some kind of inverted omega symbol.
Cyziel, Volus and Ortix slowly stood up and stared at the new arrivals' camp. Lucia also stood up and went beside Cyziel.
The newly arrived group started to charge towards Cyziel's camp after they saw that the group of four have also noticed them. They were afraid that their targets would suddenly escape.
"That mark! I think I have seen that before." Ortix uttered as he watched at the rushing enemies.
"Its the Vile Brigands. The same as the one we fought in the cave before." Volus said.
"Don't you two have a classmate that is a member of these bandits? Have you taken care of him?" Cyziel asked before noticing the shivering Lucia. "Are you alright?"
Lucia jerked. Her eyes focused at one of the person in the opposing group. "Uhh.. Yes... It's nothing."
"Don't worry. We are here." Cyziel said, thinking that Lucia was just scared.
"You mean Jaza? Heh! I am waiting for him to bring his brother to me. That is the only reason I have let that guy live." Ortix' eyes opened wide. His bloodlust has become more apparent. "Wait! Maybe that guy leading them is his brother! Wouldn't this be great?"
The Vile Brigands finally reached their location. They immediately surrounded the group of four, laughing, licking their weapons, and showing an antagonistic look full of malice.
"Hah! Are you kids actually stupid? Or do you not recognize who we are?" The brigand's captain laughed.
"Are you bandits?" Cyziel calmly asked.
"Hahaha!" The woman beside the brigand's captain laughed. She was holding an axe in her hand and she was wearing a more provocative leather armor. "We are not just any bandits! We are part of the Vile Brigands."
"It seems that you were right." Ortix uttered, momentarily staring at Volus.
"You don't seem alarmed. It looks like the only one with a brain in your group is that pretty girl!" The captain licked his lips. He could see that Lucia was shaking but the three young men seemed to not care. "Wait! Are you from the new race?" He pointed at Volus, seeing his milk white skin.
"Yeah! He looks like from the new race." The man with a parka jacket confirmed as he scrutinized the looks of Volus by activating enhanced vision.
"Yes. I am from the new race. Is there a problem with that?" Volus asked.
"Aren't we really lucky? Fardo said he needs more specimen of the new race." The woman added.
Volus frowned. "What do you mean by that?"
"Oh! Nothing really. We just took one of your people before and you will be next." The woman replied.
Nether energy started to leak from Volus. Cyziel could feel the anger of his friend creeping up.
"Where is he? Where is the person you took?" Volus said with a slow but seething tone.
"Oh! Are you getting angry?" The woman chuckled. "But I don't actually know. I am sure though that he definitely is not in a good state."
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"That guy is probably dead." The man with a parka jacket laughed.
"Ort! If you have any questions to them. Do it now." Volus said. He was containing his anger since he also needed more information about the person they kidnapped.
Ortix understood that the news they just heard angered his friend. Volus seldom does show any emotion and anger is even rarer. Volus usually acts apathetic and even if he was not, he normally doesn't show it. He knew that their won't be any escape for their enemies this time.
"Heh! Do you plan on fighting us? Do you actually also think that you could just question us?" The captain smirked before turning to the man beside him. "Okay! Enough chit-chat! Capture them!"
"Wait! Do you guys know Jaza?" Ortix quickly said as he kept on taking a glance at Volus. He knew that Volus would soon make a move.
"Who is that? Are you buying some time?" The captain shouted.
"Uhh sir. That seems to be the brother of captain Jako." One of the men behind the captain answered.
"Jako? Hmph! It doesn't matter. We just need to capture them first. If they are recruits then we will let them go." Their captain ordered.
"So you are not his brother huh? But still thanks for the name." Ortix grinned. "You guys could die now."
Cyziel then turned to Lucia. He was not sure if Lucia would actually agree with them killing the bandits. He remembered that some people like Ru didn't really like violence. Fortunately, it seems that Lucia has no qualms with it.
"If you are worried about me then you should not. Scum like them should be killed." Lucia said. She was not actually shaking of fear but it was actually of anger. For some reason, she seemed familiar to the captain in front of her. She then turned to Volus. "Please don't kill that man immediately."
"Don't worry. I have many things to ask him too." Volus answered.
The brigand captain was furious. The exchange between the four people in front of him happened fast but each word they said enraged him. "Are you really talking about killing us in front of me? Everyone kill those three guys! Leave the woman alive!"
Each one of the Vile Brigand members pulled their weapons. They then enhanced their weapons with reinforce hardness or sharpness. Unfortunately, the average strength of each one of them was actually not that high. Some of them can't even use elemental magic. The only people who seem to at least have the ability to last are the three people they are talking with.
Volus finally released the energy that he was containing. The nether energy he released transformed to a fast moving smoke like existence that engulfed the Vile Brigands. At first, it didn't seem to do anything. Its just like a translucent plastic passing through them. It didn't completely block a person's view. It didn't cause any injuries. It didn't also cause issues in their breathing. Unfortunately, its effect was actually more dangerous.
They soon dropped one by one. They were dead. Only eight people were left standing on the ground but they were perspiring heavily. One of them even fell down on his knees. Volus combined a soul technique he knew with a magic spell he learned. The dark nether spell he used was a weakness spell that lowers enemies' resistances. The soul technique that he used was an art that erodes the enemies soul. This means that those who died are the people whose soul are weak and have no great defensive capabilities against incorporeal attacks.
The eight who survived included the captain, the woman beside him and the man wearing a parka jacket. The five other survivors seem to be the older members of the group.
"What did you do?" The captain whimpered, shivering as he felt a little bit weaker.
"Are they dead?" A kneeling survivor was trying to shake the body of the people near him.
"That's not possible! They should have just lost consciousness." The woman groaned, touching his head. "It must be some kind of mental magic."
"It seems that you left quite a number of people alive." Ortix chuckled. "Did you feel bad for them?"
"Hmph! I am just making sure that I don't accidentally kill them all." Volus snorted.
The captain tried to pull himself together to assess the situation. He ate a pill to recover his strength. He looked at the remaining people around him. Seeing that the stronger members of is group are alive, this meant that he might still be able to win this or at least survive. He just need to know how strong his enemies are compared to his stronger subordinates.
"What are you guys standing there for! Kill him!" The captain shouted at the people on his back but they didn't really move. He then activated reinforce fist and resist heat on his hands before activating increase hardness on the metallic knuckles that he was wearing. Afterwards, He used the fire based enchant spell sear to increase the heat of his knuckles. His knuckles started to glow bright. "I won't say it again!"
The surviving five members charged forward towards them. They knew that their captain would absolutely kill them if they refused. After all, they don't know that their fellow members are already dead. They thought that they might still have a chance to survive if they fought. Unfortunately, they were badly mistaken.
Before they could even get near Volus, their heads parted from their body. Ortix appeared behind their lifeless bodies with his dagger dripping with blood.
"We don't need these five do we?" Ortix asked without care. The sight of the headless bodies doesn't seem to faze him. He also showed no concern that his back was exposed to the 3 remaining members of the Vile brigands.
"No. I think those three would suffice." Cyziel nonchalantly said.
The three remaining survivors trembled. Attacking Ortix, whose back is just in front of them, didn't even cross their mind. The sudden decapitation of the five other members was a big shock for them. Could he had also done it to them? They were all now thinking of how they could escape this predicament.
"Who-who are you people?" The man with the parka jacket asked. His voice quivering.
"Suddenly interested about us?" Ortix chuckled. "What did you say about us earlier... Oh that's right.. You have no right to question us!"
"I-I remember now!" The woman shouted, her lower mouth was shaking incessantly. "You should be the new students in the institute who are said to have killed one of Jako's people!" .
The three didn't think twice anymore. They started to run towards three different directions. Alas, Cyziel pointed his three fingers on each of them then a ray of light appeared and pierced their legs. The three stumbled at the same time but they stood up again which caused Cyziel to shoot another three rays of light to pierce their other leg. He then snapped his fingers summoning three large vines from the ground that pulled the three back to them. The vines then entangled them together.
"What kind of magic is this?" The captain shouted. He tried to tear the vines but it only constricted harder. "Do not kill me! I know where Jako is hiding! I know the location of their hideout!"
"Really? Then where is it?" Ortix asked, smiling at the brigand's captain.
"Just promise me that you will let me go! I'll tell you! I really don't like that guy after all!"
Ortix frowned, pointing his dagger forward. "You still don't understand your situation do you?"
"Alright! I will tell you! They are located deep in the northeast woods just outside the Styrtan village." He loudly said, fearing that Ortix might not hear him.
"North of the Styrtan village?" Cyziel frowned. "Do you have any connections with the Styrtan militia."
The captain twitched and the two others looked away.
"Its an easy question you know." Cyziel uttered. One vine suddenly moved towards the captain's stomach then it was seemingly trying to drill inside.
The captain groaned, feeling the vine trying to puncture his skin. "Y-Yes! We do!"
"What deals are you having with them?" Cyziel asked.
"J-just some weapons and chemicals an-and we are not supposed to meddle with each other."
Lucia frowned. "You are lying! Your people took my parents!" She shouted full of anger.
Everyone was stunned by Lucia's sudden outburst. It seems that her anger is even greater than Volus. She would have probably killed the man in front of her if not for the other's interrogation.
"Who are you? I don't know what you are talking about." The captain scrutinized Lucia.
"It was 7 years ago! I was with my parents during that time when you ambushed us! My mother helped me escape but she went back to help my father and they never were seen again! It was you!" Lucia screamed as she started to cry.
The man with a parka jacket shuddered. He understood that they might be in an even worse position now. "I remember now! Weren't you promoted as a captain after that mission?" He was trying to save himself.
"Shut up! I do--Gahh!" The vines have now pierced his skin and it could at anytime scramble his organs.
"Lucia! What do you want to do with him?" Cyziel asked.
"Wait! Wait! I didn't do anything to them! I was just a vice-captain during that time! We were just tasked to capture them." The captain argued.
"But why did you take them?--- No! You probably already killed them!" Lucia wailed and Cyziel hugged her to both console her and prevent her from attacking the captain.
The captain was starting to get pissed at her but seeing the reaction of the other three men standing in front of them, he could only cower down. "T-They have become suspicious of the relation between their leaders and our leaders so we are dispatched to capture them but I didn't kill them. "
"It seems that your bandit group have sinned against every one of us. How unlucky." Ortix sniggered. He was the only one in the mood to joke around.
"Wait! You said that you will not kill us!" The captain shouted.
"Please let me go! I have nothing to do with the things that they have done before. I am also a victim! I was forced to join them!" The woman shouted.
"Oh! I won't kill you but-- Volus I think its your time." Ortix smiled.
Volus have been keeping his hands on himself and letting the others talk as a form of respect but as the current sect master and leader of the survivors of his race, touching them without acceptable reasons are a taboo for him.
"Tell me what you did with the person you took from my race?" Volus distantly asked. The aura that he was generating was obviously not friendly.
"I don't know... I really don't!" The captain was shivering with fear.
"Its him!" The woman stared at the captain. "He sent them to Fardo! He is probably experimenting on that guy!"
"Experiment? You are experimenting on my people?" Volus' eyes opened wide. Evil spirits started to come out from him. The spirits appeared as white silhouette of faces encircling around them. Their wailing cries silenced the area. The word experiment made him remember the vision that he saw in the labyrinth where his master have used his fellow disciples for his master's own research. "Die!"
The spirits flew towards the three constricted people. After a minute, the spirits came out and went back to Volus. The eyes of the man with the parka jacket and the woman was now completely white. The two have finally lost their life. As for the captain, he seemed to have aged quite a bit. He was still alive but he seems to have lost any motivation to live.
"Fardo huh?" Volus turned around, looking at Lucia. "Do what you want with him."
Cyziel nodded at Lucia. "Don't worry. We will avenge your parents."
Cyziel has the least hatred of the four. He was only caught into the chaos due to his friends. Still, hurting his friends are the same as hurting him so he also vowed that he will make them pay the price.