Following the initial day, Kael swiftly established a routine. He would rise early, tend to the chickens, savor breakfast, tackle weeds, exercise his body, hone his aura, and then concentrate on magic. His family grew increasingly concerned about his abrupt transformation in behavior, but they seemed to accept his explanation: "I'm a working man now, so I should act like one." His father even found it amusing. Whenever Kael ventured into the woods to train, he carried his childhood stick-turned-sword, now sharpened to resemble a makeshift stick-spear. Thus, he could inform his family he was off for "secret training," enabling him to be truthful while they simply attributed it to the whims of a young boy.
Anxiety gnawed at Kael over the possibility of anyone discovering his training or current abilities. He recognized that the more he practiced, the harder it would become to explain. Yet, revealing it outright lacked feasibility. Consequently, he endeavored to keep his secret and resolved to address it later, hoping an opportunity would eventually arise. Even more troubling, however, was his slow progress in magic. Although he hadn't anticipated advancing as rapidly as in his martial skills, at this pace, he wouldn't be able to employ magic in combat for at least a decade.
After a week, Kael could finally sense the aura bullet he discharged until it fully dissipated into the ambient mana. Another week passed, and he managed to sense the mana even after its dissipation. Intriguingly, the mana from the bullet simply merged with the ambient mana after losing its cohesion. This indicated that all mana absorbed by living beings would ultimately return to the environment. With this method, Kael was finally able to detect ambient mana after two weeks. Once he achieved that, he began expanding his range of mana sense.
One night, as Kael practiced honing his mana sense within the confines of his room, he detected an unusual presence. It felt akin to a group of animals encroaching upon the farm from the woodland depths. While he couldn't recall any animal attacks or incidents befalling the farm in his past life, he deemed it wiser to err on the side of caution. Grasping his makeshift spear, he stealthily crept out of the house, taking care to evade the creaky sections of the stairs, and headed directly towards the source of the disturbance.
Upon his arrival, Kael was astonished to discover not a pack of animals, but a group of eight individuals. As he inched closer, he overheard one of them chuckle before speaking. "Well, would you look at this. What's a kid doing out this late? And that's a mighty sharp stick you have. You wouldn't be planning on fighting us, would you, kid? I'm shaking in my boots." As Kael's eyes adjusted to the darkness, he discerned that each of the men wielded weapons—mostly swords, with a couple of axes interspersed. "Bandits?" Kael wondered aloud.
"Would you look at that, he's a smart one too. A scholar and a warrior? How rare," another man retorted, bursting into laughter.
"Why are there bandits here? There's nothing but poor farmers around. The farmers here are even worse off than the average lot, with nothing worth taking," Kael interrogated the intruders.
The man at the forefront, presumably the leader, spoke up. "True, there might not be much. But, unfortunately for you, little lad, we'll still be taking what we can. Worst-case scenario, maybe we can sell off some of the people. In fact, some folks fancy kids like you. Kids might not be strong, but they can be molded however the buyer wants. You shouldn't have wandered so far from home little lad, no one will be able to hear you from here. You know what to do, boys, nothing that won't heal."
No sooner had the leader finished speaking than the two men flanking him advanced, not even deeming it necessary to unsheathe their swords. Kael's entire being seethed with fury. How dare these men plunder from those who already possessed so little? From those who toiled relentlessly just to keep their families alive? Kael initiated the circulation of his mana, prepared to wield it the instant the need arose.
As the men closed in to a mere meter away, Kael lunged swiftly at the one on his right, utilizing his aura to augment the power of his leg muscles. The hapless man had no time to react before Kael's aura-fortified stick pierced his heart. Without hesitation, Kael withdrew the weapon and turned to the next man, dispatching him just as swiftly.
The leader chimed in again, "Are you even human? Tell you what, we apologize for intruding into your territory. We'll consider the lives of the men you killed as compensation and be on our way."
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Kael regarded them, his face devoid of emotion. He began to stride towards the remaining six men. Seeing this, their expressions hardened, and the leader issued another command. "Alright, men, all at once. You don't need me to tell you that your life depends on it. You saw how fast this bastard is; there's no chance of outrunning him." The bandits readied their weapons and formed a line, advancing to encircle Kael.
Without warning, Kael dashed towards the leader, his body moving at a blinding speed that would defy the tracking of an ordinary person's eyes. He observed the leader as he poised his sword to intercept the spear and sensed aura surging into the blade. Upon witnessing this, Kael dug his foot into the ground and instantly veered to the left, materializing abruptly in front of the leftmost bandit. Before the man could swing his ax, Kael plunged his spear through his forehead.
Kael anchored his feet onto the shoulders of the lifeless man, pushing off to extricate both himself and his spear from the carcass, narrowly evading the sword from the man on his right. The instant his feet made contact with the ground, the leader lunged at him. Kael had no choice but to contort his body awkwardly to dodge the strike; he couldn't block the leader's sword due to the disparity in weapons and aura. An ax-wielding bandit seized the opportunity provided by his leader and swung for Kael's head. Kael raised his palm to the ax and deflected it with a concise burst of aura.
Kael resolved that this charade had persisted long enough. He channeled the majority of his aura into the tip of his honed stick and swiftly executed a 360-degree spin, emitting a razor-sharp aura blade from his makeshift weapon. Four of the remaining five men crumpled to the ground, severed from their legs just above the knees. The leader, however, remained standing, having sensed the impending danger and managed to block it with his sword and aura.
The surviving bandit leader contorted his face with a mix of rage and desperation. He brandished his sword and bellowed, "You bastard! I'll fucking kill you!" as he charged towards Kael. Aura surged through the sword as the man poured every last ounce of his power into it. He brought the sword down upon Kael, who nonchalantly sidestepped the blow before driving his stick into the man's heart. Though a mortal wound, it failed to quell the fury of the bandit. As Kael withdrew the stick, the man grasped Kael's wrist, the one holding the weapon, and hoisted him off the ground, preparing to deliver a devastating swing at the immobilized Kael.
In a flash, Kael released the stick and kicked it with his foot, driving it upward through the man's skull via the base of his jaw. The pair collapsed, and Kael wrested himself from the dead man's clutches.
Kael paused for a moment, catching his breath and attempting to replenish his depleted aura reserves. That had been too close. He had been too reckless. And he wasn't strong enough. Undoubtedly, he was the most formidable child in the world. Yet, it was inexcusable that he had struggled so intensely against a disorganized gang of bandits. Had he employed magic, the confrontation would have ended instantly, and there would have been no concerns about cleaning up the aftermath. Now, he had to deal with disposing of the corpses.
Kael meticulously searched the corpses, hoping to unearth something of value among the bandits' possessions. His efforts yielded a few silver pennies, a smattering of copper coins, and a solitary silver piece. His heart deflated slightly at the meager findings, but he conceded that it was better than nothing.
He took a moment to scrutinize the men's arsenal. Regrettably, none of them carried spears, Kael's weapon of choice. The majority were armed with swords, but a couple wielded axes as well. Kael harbored little enthusiasm for axes, finding them cumbersome and demanding to wield effectively.
As Kael rifled through the bandits' pockets, he couldn't help but ponder their motives for attacking the farm. There was nothing of worth to be seized, and the farmers eked out a meager living at best. It was a senseless act of brutality, and Kael's indignation began to simmer within him once more.
Heavy-hearted, Kael concluded his search and commenced the grim task of dragging the lifeless bodies deep into the woods. He wanted to spare his family from the macabre spectacle. As he toiled, he ruminated on the need for greater strength. The confrontation should have been an easy victory for him, yet it had proven to be a challenge. Kael acknowledged the necessity of intensifying his training to further hone his mastery of aura and weaponry.
Having attended to the aftermath, Kael cleansed himself in a nearby stream before returning to his room. He reclined on his bed, attempting to drift into slumber, but his thoughts were preoccupied with his subpar performance in the skirmish. Eventually, he sat up and resumed training his mana sense, a renewed determination to grow stronger blazing within him. Ultimately, he expended himself to such a degree that he succumbed to sleep, utterly unaware of the moment he drifted off.