As we continued north, I decided to break the tension with some small talk, hoping to get more out of the bandit. “So, what’s the world been like for you?” I asked casually, keeping my tone light but my eyes sharp, watching his every move.

The bandit glanced at me, surprised by the question. His face still held a hint of fear, but now there was something else—weariness. He shrugged, rubbing the arm Thor had gripped earlier. “Same as it’s been for everyone, I guess. Since the Lightning Fall… it’s been chaos. Monsters roaming around, mana storms blowing through, and people like me just trying to survive.”

I raised an eyebrow. “People like you?”

“Yeah, people who don’t have any powers or grand destinies. Not like you or the other folks in that village.” He gestured toward Schoolville. “We’re just trying to get by, y’know? You don’t get the luxury of thinking about tomorrow when you’re hungry today.”

There was bitterness in his voice, a resentment that lingered just beneath the surface. I could tell this guy had seen some hard times, but that didn’t change the fact that he’d chosen to work with someone dangerous.

“So, banditry was the answer?” I asked, still keeping the tone conversational.

The bandit let out a dry laugh. “It’s not like I wanted this. But what other choice did I have? The cities are overrun or under martial law. The wilds are crawling with beasts that could tear a man apart. You find people who have resources, and you either join them or you… well, you become what I am.”

He paused, glancing over at me with a scowl. “Not everyone gets to live in a village with walls and safety.”

I didn’t respond right away, letting his words sink in. The Lightning Fall had changed everything for everyone. While we’d managed to create a sanctuary in Schoolville, it was easy to forget how harsh things had become for those on the outside. But still, that didn’t excuse the path this guy had chosen.

“And this ‘Shade’ character,” I said, steering the conversation back to the immediate threat. “What’s his deal? What does he want with Schoolville?”

The bandit shook his head. “I don’t know much. The Shade keeps to the shadows—literally. He’s got a group of us scattered across the region, gathering information, testing defenses. I figure he’s planning something big, but I haven’t heard the details.”

I frowned, thinking about what this could mean. "Sounds like a coward to me. Hiding in the dark, letting others do the dirty work."

The bandit smirked. "Maybe. But he’s got power. The kind of power that makes people fall in line. You think I wanted to follow someone like him? No, but when you see what he can do... well, you don’t argue.”

I stayed quiet for a moment, the forest around us alive with the quiet buzz of mana and the rustle of leaves underfoot. The mention of the Shade’s power was worrying. If he could control people like this bandit through fear alone, he was more dangerous than I’d initially thought.

“Well, whatever his plan is, we’ll deal with it.” I finally said, more to myself than the bandit. “And you’re going to help make sure of that.”

The bandit didn’t respond, just kept walking, his head down. I glanced over at Thor, who was silently padding alongside us, ever watchful. Loki was off to the side, her spiders skittering through the underbrush, keeping an eye on things from the shadows.

We were getting closer to whatever meeting point the bandit had mentioned, and my instincts told me this was just the tip of the iceberg. The Shade was planning something, and if this bandit’s words were any indication, Schoolville was in his sights.

I just had to figure out what his game was—and stop it before it was too late.

“What class are you?” I asked. “Why don’t you have power of your own? Building walls and safety isn’t that difficult, you know.”

The bandit glanced at me, his brows furrowed, clearly irritated by the question. "Class?" he repeated bitterly. "What class? I don’t have one. Not like you lot who got lucky when the system came down. Some of us didn’t get any powers, no fancy skills or magic. We just… survived."

I frowned, genuinely puzzled. “How’s that possible? Everyone gets something from the system. Even the weakest have a class, some kind of ability. Why don’t you?”

The bandit kicked a rock as we walked, his voice low and filled with frustration. “I don’t know, okay? I was there, just like everyone else, when the Lightning Fall happened. People around me started glowing, getting powers, talking about skills, abilities. Me? Nothing. No light, no notifications, no system prompts. Just me—same as I ever was, only now surrounded by people who can shoot fire from their hands or build walls with a snap of their fingers.”

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I stared at him, taken aback. "No abilities at all? No class…? That’s strange, man. You’re like the only person I’ve ever met that’s completely outside the system."

The bandit sighed. “Yeah, well, it’s not exactly a blessing, is it? You ask why I don’t build walls and safety. It's because I don’t have the means, Gavrin. Not everyone gets the option to grow apple trees or build homes out of nothing."

I scratched the back of my neck, thinking about what he said. “That doesn’t mean you couldn’t have made something for yourself, though. I mean, banditry is a choice. You could’ve found a different way.”

He laughed, a harsh, bitter sound. “Easy for you to say. You’ve got power. You’ve got a community. People who follow you, help you. Me? I had nothing. It’s hard to build when you’ve got nothing but your fists, and everyone else has a sword or magic.”

I could see the frustration and helplessness in his eyes, and for the first time, I understood a little bit more about why someone like him might turn to banditry. It wasn’t just about greed or malice. It was about survival, about not being left behind in a world that had suddenly given everyone else a leg up.

“Well,” I said, thinking it through, “you’re with me now. I might be able to change that. It’s not too late to learn. You’re not powerless. You just haven’t found what you’re capable of yet.”

The bandit shot me a skeptical look. “You really believe that?”

“I do.” I nodded. “Look, power isn’t just about what the system gives you. It’s what you make of the world around you, too. Maybe you weren’t given powers, but that doesn’t mean you can’t grow stronger. I’ve seen people without magic accomplish amazing things just by working with the world they’ve got.”

He was quiet for a moment, digesting my words. “Maybe… maybe you’re right. But I’m not sure if someone like me deserves a chance anymore.”

I shook my head. “Everyone deserves a chance. What matters is what you do with it.”

The bandit said nothing, but for the first time, there was a glimmer of something other than bitterness in his eyes—hope, maybe, or at least the start of it.

“C’mon,” I said. “Let’s get this over with. And after that, we’ll see what we can do about finding your real potential.”

As we continued north, the forest started to thin, and I knew we were getting close to the meeting place. The bandit remained quiet, maybe thinking over my words, or maybe just trying to figure out his next move. Not that it mattered.

I wasn’t planning on giving him much of a chance.

When we finally reached the spot, I could see the remnants of an old camp ahead—a few scattered tents, some discarded supplies. There was no movement, no sign of anyone else. Perfect.

The bandit looked around, clearly uneasy. “This is it,” he said nervously. “This is where we meet up.”

I nodded, taking in the sight. “Good.”

Without warning, I turned to the shadows behind me. “Loki.”

Loki padded out of the underbrush, her spiders trailing behind her in a silent wave of shimmering ice and legs. The bandit’s eyes widened as he realized what was happening, panic setting in.

“Wait—what’s this? I thought—”

“You thought wrong,” I interrupted coldly. “I don’t help bandits.”

He stumbled back, his eyes darting between me and the spiders. “No! You said—”

“I said I’d take you to the meeting place,” I replied, my voice flat. “And I did. But you’re no use to me alive.”

I turned to Loki. “Feed him to your babies. They need the experience.”

Loki’s eyes gleamed with predatory glee as she nudged the spiders forward. The bandit let out a terrified scream, trying to back away, but it was too late. The spiders swarmed over him in an instant, their icy fangs sinking into his flesh as he thrashed and struggled. His cries echoed through the clearing for only a few moments before silence fell once more.

The spiders fed quickly, their bodies glowing faintly as they leveled up, gaining strength from their meal. Loki watched with satisfaction, her tail wagging lazily.

“Good work,” I said, turning back to the clearing. “Let’s see if there’s anything useful around here.”

Loki padded back to my side, her spiders scattering to search the area. Thor emerged from the shadows as well, his eyes glowing faintly as he sniffed the air, already moving to track down the next threat.

“C’mon,” I muttered, wiping my hands on my coat. “Time to clean up the rest of this mess.”

My skin crawled, and I shuddered as I watched the spiders finish their gruesome feast. No matter how many times I saw it, I couldn’t get used to the sight. The way they swarmed, so precise, so efficient—it always left a hollow pit in my stomach.

"Alright, you guys," I called out, my voice steadier than I felt. "Make it look like a monster attack."

Loki glanced up from her little brood, her icy eyes gleaming with a kind of feral intelligence. She barked once, and the spiders scattered, quickly setting to work. It was unsettling how they mimicked the chaos of a beast’s rampage—ripping up the ground, slashing at the trees, even dragging the bandit's torn body in different directions to make it seem as if something far more vicious had been through here.

Thor, who had been silent in the shadows, sniffed the air, his nose twitching as he picked up on lingering scents. His fur glistened as he shimmered back into view, his nose pressed close to the ground as he moved in a slow circle around the perimeter of the camp.

I watched him carefully. Thor’s tracking skills were unmatched—there was a reason I trusted him to do this part. If anyone had fled, if there were more bandits lingering nearby, he’d know.

After a moment, he lifted his head and looked at me, his tail swishing lazily. "Got some faint tracks leading west," he growled, his voice low. "One person, maybe two. They left a while ago. Might’ve sensed trouble."

I nodded, rubbing my chin in thought. "Alright, we’ll follow those next. But let’s finish up here first."

The scene was coming together nicely—blood splattered, claw marks on trees, and deep gouges in the earth that looked like something had dragged its prey away. Anyone who stumbled upon this camp would think it had been a brutal monster attack, no questions asked. Perfect.

Loki sat at my side, her tail flicking with a mix of pride and satisfaction as her spiders scuttled around, finishing their work.

“Let’s clean this up and head out. No use sticking around any longer than we need to.” I said, keeping my eyes on the tree line.

Thor’s nose was already pressed to the ground, ready to track.