The figure could barely be outlined due to the dim environment, but his rough hair was quite visible, along with his 5'8" stature.

The one on the left turned to stare at the makeshift bed by the side, only to notice that it was empty.

"That is the brat," He voiced while trying to stay calm.

'How did he get behind us without making a sound?' The other one was just as dumbfounded.

"Brat, get out of the way if you know what is good for you," They swiftly calmed their hearts after recalling that he was just a weak kid.

"Hmm... Palace guards," Ingal said with a tone of certainty.

"I saw you two yesterday. Both of you were watching the Sword Hero hand me coins," He added.

Both men were instantly taken aback...

How did he figure out who they were with a single glance in the dark? They couldn't form a credible explanation since they were completely covered from head to toe.

However, one thing was certain now... since the boy knew of their identity, he had to die!

Shiiihhhh~

The one on the right unsheathed his sword while the one on the left conjured up a fireball.

"You should have just kept your mouth shut. Now the sword Hero will have to find another party member to replace you," the one with the Sword lunged forward to grab Ingal by the collar.

They knew he could report them to the Sword Hero, which would get them stripped of their titles and land them in the dungeon.

"Humans are just as terrible, ununited, and incredibly foolish," Ingal watched them approach in extremely slow motion like time had come to a stop.

Just like what happened at the gate, his gaze turned focused and deep. His voice became even more mature and overbearing, while his demeanour was graceful and majestic. His eye bore an indescribably merciless look.

"There will be no redemption for thieves who would take the life of a child for their selfish benefit," His entire eyes suddenly turned dark as he reached out to grab the first guard.

Huumm! Pfff! whuu!!

Muffled groans rang out as Ingal's hand covered the entire face of the guard while holding him up like a helplessly weak chick.

Before the second guard could properly interpret what was going on...

Bang!

The first guard's entire head blasted to smithereens, causing brain matter and blood to rain onto the makeshift bed ahead.

Plop!

The headless body fell to the floor of the shed with blood seeping out endlessly.

The guard with the flame floating above his palm stared in disbelief mixed with horror as cold sweat instantly dribbled down his back.

"Who... are... you...?"

He felt his throat turn dry as he subconsciously took a step backward. His flame began flickering like it was about to get snuffed out.

He slowly lowered his face towards the floor, and all he could see was red. He didn't even notice when his knees began shuddering.

Trriiiissssss~

Warm liquid flowed from his groin area to the floor, mixing with the blood and brain matter.

The stench that permeated the shed would leave anyone nauseated, but Ingal's expression remained indifferent.

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

"Let me help you with that," He said while snapping his finger.

Fwwwhooommmm~

The fireball in the guard's hand instantly quadrupled in size, bursting with uncontrollable ignition as it grew even further.

"Kiarrhhh!" The guard yelled as he brought his other hand close to the flame in a bid to put it out.

Unfortunately, the flame continued to increase, and the guard found himself unable to quell it.

"Come on, it's just a level one flame. You can at least handle this much, right?" Ingal's tone was filled with ridicule as he spoke.

"Help! Please help! Help me! Kiaarrhh!" He cried while the flames spiralled out of control and spread to his body.

"Kiaarrhh! Please! Please help me! It burns!" He kept crying out while ripping the cloak off his body.

He turned out to look like a middle-aged man with brown hair.

Both his face and hair were on fire, but Ingal didn't care.

He leaned against the side of the wall and watched as the guard tried his best to combat the flames.

Even ripping the cloak off didn't help since his green armour had caught on fire. The flames had spread to every part of his body.

He proceeded to naked himself while running about aimlessly and slamming into the walls of the shed.

"Please! Kiarrrhh! Help me, please! Argh! It hurts! My eyes! Kiarrh! My face! It hurts everywhere! Kiarrrhhh!"

He kept crying and pleading for mercy while the flames spread to the shed.

Everything was already on fire, but Ingal still didn't have a single look of empathy on his face as he watched the scene play out.

The wall he leaned against, already had flames on it, but not even a single thread on Ingal's raggedy clothes was smoking.

He remained unbothered and expressionless till the guard before him got charred completely black.

At one point, he could no longer speak or run about. His throat had been roasted by the fire, and cooked flesh was starting to peel off his bones.

His eyeballs had popped out and were on fire too as he fell to the floor.

"Died to a level one flame, ptoi!" Ingal spat in disgust before walking out of the burning shed.

"I'll have to redo this one precisely to how it was and reshape my memories... again." Ingal let out a sigh.

~sigh~

"I would have remained clueless about killing that idiot at the gate had these new bunch of idiots not come here to steal from me... the universe is truly filled with idiots who just keep disrupting my plans," Ingal rubbed his temples after noticing he was getting frustrated.

"No matter, this is not a situation of grave conseque..." He suddenly paused the moment he sensed something.

Ingal's face turned dark as he looked towards the east. The winds began to howl, and the trees danced as Ingal tightened his right fist.

"Bastards!"

His figure suddenly blurred, and he instantly vanished.

....

( The next morning )

As dawn's first light painted the sky in hues of rose and gold, Arudine Kingdom stirred to life. Streets, still damp from the night's dew, echoed with the distant clatter of blacksmiths preparing their forges.

Shopkeepers unlatched wooden shutters, revealing wares that glistened in the soft, morning light.

Peasants in earth-toned attire meandered towards the bustling market square, baskets slung over their arms.

The fragrance of freshly baked bread wafted through the air, enticing both commoners and nobles alike. Townsfolk gathered at the well, exchanging morning pleasantries and sharing whispers of the latest news and rumors.

"Did you hear? Two heroes got attacked last night."

"They got attacked by beasts?"

"Not beasts, I heard they got attacked by high-level Mages after closing a C-ranked gate."

"Who in the world could have attacked the heroes?"

A feminine figure in a black cloak stepped through the well-structured streets. The words of the passers-by drifted into her ears, but she paid them no heed.

It looked like she was arriving at the upper-class part of the Kingdom as the streets became less busy and more sophisticated in appearance.

Carts were now a more common view around the vicinity, and the number of guards patrolling had tripled.

It looked like she was heading in the direction of a large adventurers' guild up ahead.

The adventurers' guild stood as a formidable structure at the heart of the kingdom.

Massive wooden double doors, reinforced with metal bands, served as the entrance, inviting intrepid souls into the heart of this hub for exploration and daring quests.

Above the entrance, a grandiose sign, in wrought iron, displayed the guild's emblem – two spears in a crossed format, emblematic of the unity and courage that defined the guild's members.

She soon arrived before the large structure and stepped in.

....

"Heretics?" Sword Hero Morningster voiced in a tone of concern.

"That is what they are referred to by the Church. They seem to be an opposing construct of what it stands for," the masked feminine figure before Morningster responded.

They were currently seated across from each other in the dining area of the adventurers guild.

"They want the gates to remain open so the world can be overrun by beasts from the demon plane?" Sword Hero Morningster was having a hard time believing what he was told.

"Yes, that is why they are known as heretics. They believe the demon lord is meant to take over this world and rule humans as his slaves. They are worshippers of the demon lord," She explained.

"Why am I just hearing of this, Ruri?" Morningster couldn't make sense of why the information was kept from the five heroes for that long.

"That is because they disappeared for centuries... the world forgot about their existence since the past calamity of the gates was put to an end by the last heroes," Ruri subtly narrated.

"Unfortunately, they reappeared last night and ambushed both the Spear and Shield Hero," She added.

"What?!"