Chapter Five: If a Bandit Falls in the Forest, Will Anyone Hear?

This was supposed to be an easy score. I personally don’t see the appeal, but there was something about small white haired tigerkin that rich nobles would pay big gold for. After scoping out the house for a few weeks, I knew there wouldn’t be any problems. The kid’s parents were simply a farmer and a seamstress. Neither of them was level 20, so I figured that just the six of us was more than enough.

Just as the sky was growing dark, we made our move. Three guys were to come from the rear, meanwhile, me and the other two would attack from the front. Yet we had underestimated the father’s hearing. What they say about how sometimes levels lie, was proven true at this moment.

After we managed to get them surrounded I ignored everything else and went for the child. I was about to grab the kid; however, his dad scooped him up and tossed him out of our encirclement. Before I could stop him, the annoying bastard roared at the kid, telling him to run. I barely managed to shoot him with a poison tracking needle before he vanished into the woods.

In desperation, the dad managed to get ahold of his sickle, and kill Markus. Finny also took a few hits from the dad before we finally managed to finish him off. I had thought of selling the mother off to the slave market, but that changed when she managed to take Finny’s life with a well-placed knitting-needle. In a rage after seeing Finny die, Nise easily killed the mother.

So much for a free lunch, I’d already lost two men. I had Nise deal with cleaning up the mess, as me and the other two went after the kid. I could tell that he knew this forest well. Thanks to the trees and the cover of darkness, he had practically disappeared. If it wasn’t for my tracking needle we might have lost his trail.

We were catching up with him, but we were stopped by a dark treant. I got the feeling that the treant was purposely trying to help the kid. Worrying about the retribution of the Keeper of the Trees, we didn't kill the damn thing. It took us nearly an hour to escape its entanglement. The moon was already starting to sink on the horizon by the time we found the kid’s scent again.

By now, come hell or high water, I was going to get my hands on that damn brat. My desire blinded me to the fact that we were heading deeper and deeper into the sea of trees.

After chasing him through the night and well into the day, I worried the poison would start to kick in before long. It was then that we heard the yelling. Thinking that the little shit had gotten attacked by some monster, I quickened our pace. I was not letting him get eaten before I got paid.

When we arrived at the clearing, I saw our target being dragged away by another brat. In anger, I yelled with my skill [Commanding Voice] to get the kids to stop. However, I was surprised when I noticed that the little-horned child ignored my skill.

“Oi! Who you callin’ a bastard ya ugly ass slimy fuckers!” Larson’s voice was loud as he snapped at the gawking men. He put on his most intimidating face as he waited to see how they would react. The first to come to was the Bandit Leader.

“You’re a Dragonling!” The leader said as his eyes went wide. The next moment gold coins could be seen clouding his vision. All the bandit leader’s grief for the earlier wild goose chase instantly evaporated. Staring at the boy, he almost drooled as he thought about how much he could sell this kid for.

Larson got goosebumps, as he saw the way that man was looking at him. Thinking about what that creep might have in mind for him, made death sound like a more pleasant option. Wondering what to do he took a glance at his MP bar. Calculating how many magic attacks he had left in him, he mentally cursed. If he only used [Holy Shot] and didn’t care about healing or protecting, he’d be able to get out five more at most. [Void Shot] would get him one extra attack, but that wouldn’t make a difference in the long run. And as slimy as these guys were, they weren’t slimes. They wouldn’t just stand still and wait to get hit.

Deciding to take the initiative, Larson quickly fired a spell at the weakest link in the group. The attack from Larson signaled the start of the show.

“Catch him alive!” The leader bellowed as he rushed forward.

Dodging the leader, Larson shot another [Holy Shot]. This time aiming for the leader’s chest. The leader managed to evade the spell, but the golem guy behind him didn't. Larson’s celebration for his hit was halted when he was caught off guard by the third bandit.

As revenge for the earlier spell, the bandit landed a rough kick to Larson’s side. A dull crunching sound came from his ribs as the force of the kick knocked him into the air. Larson groaned as he plummeted to the ground a short distance away. The pain Larson currently felt was so realistic he nearly blacked out. As he laid on the ground trembling due to the pain, he brought up his stat box.

Character Information:

Name: Larson Reed

Titles: The First Born, Avid Reader

Race: Dragonling

Main Job: Apprentice Mage

Secondary Job: None

Level: 7

Experience: 45/70

HP: 466/700

MP: 75/700

STR: 90 (+10)

INT: 120 (+10)

DEX: 100 (+10)

WIS: 120 (+10)

CON: 90 (+10)

CHA: 100 (+10)

LUC: 107 (+10)

Status: Internal Bleeding

Element Affinity: Light, Dark, unknown

Bounty: 0 Gold

Spells:

Light Spells:

[Protection] [Holy Shot] [Basic Heal]

Dark Spells:

[Void Shot]

Skills:

[Appraisal] (passive) [Light Steps] (passive) [Fast Casting] (passive)

‘One hit only took a third of my HP, and it hurt that bad!? My car crash was less painful than this!’ Not wanting to tango with such realistic pain ever again, he started frantically calling out to the system. ‘Shut down? Log out? Just let me out of here!’

Unable to log out during combat situations. Please try again when you've reached somewhere safe.

As he saw the system's words he nearly vomited blood. Stifling the urge to scream Larson resigned himself to his situation and forced himself to his feet. Stars dotted his vision as he glared at the bandits now surrounding him.

“What kinda man kicks an innocent kid?” He said mockingly before trying to cast another spell. Realizing what he was planning the bandit leader quickly lunged forward. Larson was unable to dodge, and the leader's hand latched onto his throat, silencing him.

Reaching into his pocket, the bandit leader pulled out a sealing bracelet he'd prepared earlier for the tigerkin. Securing it to the boy’s wrist he chuckled, “No more magic out of you, kiddo.”

No longer having to worry about any magic attacks, the bandit leader roughly tossed Larson to the ground. “Watch this one while I go after the tiger brat. You can rough him up, but don't kill him. He's merchandise after all.”

The bandit leader turned toward the direction Galdon had run off in. Just as he lifted his foot, all at once, the ground started to quake.

The surrounding trees appeared to be dancing as a deep laugh riddled with anger shook the forest. “Who has the audacity to lay a hand on my grandson!” The forest seemed to part as a figure violently stormed into the clearing. Without pause the figure appeared before Larson, knocking the bandits back.

Through his hazy consciousness, Larson could just make out his savior’s form. “Gramps?”

Hasson bent over and rubbed the boy's head before reaching over to remove the sealing bracelet. With a loving smile, he whispered, “You did well. So, let this old man handle everything now.” Sighing, Hasson cast a sleeping spell on Larson then covered him with a healing one.

Straightening his back Hasson turned to face the bandits, his expression frosty. Snapping his fingers, the ground rumbled, and a bunch of roots sprung out. In horror, the bandits tried to flee. Yet the roots wrapped around their ankles, locking their movements. Unable to move, the bandits were soon covered head to toe with thick tree roots.

“Tisk, tisk, tisk. I was under the understanding that the Bandit King and I had an agreement. But to think, a group of his underlings would still dare to enter my forest. It looks like I’ll have to make an example out of you gentlemen.” He flashed the trio a chilling smile before snapping his fingers again. Screams filled the area as the roots wrapped around them started to constrict.

The bandits struggled in vain, screaming and begging for mercy until the roots finally squeezed them to death. With their deed done the roots released the three corpses. Hasson looked at them expressionlessly before he shook his head, “Take them, use them as fertilizer. I have no need for them.” The roots trembled with excitement at his words. Like a dog with its favorite treat, the roots wrapped around the bodies once more before disappearing with them below.

Acting as if nothing had happened, Hasson kneeled beside Larson. He easily picked him up and cradled him in his arms. With Larson now safely in his embrace, he chuckled fondly, “Natulis have mercy, this kid sure is a hand full.” Then like the wind, Hasson vanished into the forest.