Thrashing Some Bandits

A/N: Hey guys! I'm sure you noticed that the chapter I uploaded yesterday seemed incomplete and I apologize for that. My device bugged out a bit while I was editing so you guys only received half of the actual thing.

All sorted out now though, and I'll try to make sure that doesn't occur again.

Enjoy the rest of the story!

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About twenty minutes earlier...

Ethan's figure was a blur in the night as he leaped swiftly from tree to tree. Caliginia woods was a forest with thick foliage and closely packed big trees. There were still plenty of beasts roaming the forest floor and Ethan figured it would be safer for him to take advantage of the treetops to tranverse and explore more while looking for a place to sleep.

"HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!"

"Hm? Other people are in the forest at this hour?" Ethan frowned, a little surprised and confused at his discovery. To his knowledge, no one usually roamed the woods at this hour because certain dangerous beasts only hunted during the night. This led him to assume that perhaps a powerful hunting party was out hunting for certain rare beast materials.

Nevertheless, Ethan thought it wouldn't really hurt to investigate. Ethan followed the loud sounds of laughter until he arrived at a an open clearing with a small creek. His eyes widened in surprise before darkening the next instant when he witnessed the scene below.

"Bandits.", Ethan whispered to himself, his voice laden with obvious distain as he watched two children get surrounded by six shady looking men.

Ethan had heard stories of inexperienced cultivators getting attacked, harassed and even kidnapped by Bandits that prowed the forest. The bandits were ruthless and shameless individuals who would stoop to any level to achieve their goals. A person was considered quite lucky if they got to walk away from a bandit encounter with just a few scratches because if they didn't have any valuables on them, they would be sold, ransomed or even worse, used as entertainment for the twisted thugs.

"Everything's fine, Ava.", Ethan heard the young boy try to reassure the girl besides him.

'Oh?' Ethan raised a brow in surprise as he watched the young boy push the girl behind him and put up his fists. Although the boy's arms shook slightly due to fear, Ethan could see the look of resolve and defiance etched on the his face even as one of the thugs approached him.

The corner of Ethan's lips curved into a smirk of approval. "Good lad."

Without wasting more time, Ethan took out his crude bone dagger and leaped off the tree branch he had been perched on. Sensing a sudden presence, the bandit looked up in surprise and tried to draw his weapon but Ethan's attack was quicker. With one slash to his throat, the bandit's head was sent rolling onto the ground, shocking everyone else in the clearing.

[Pandora: You have slain an enemy of a significantly higher level than you.

+ 1 Instant level up!]

"Y-you bastard!" roared Butcher in outrage, glaring hatefully at Ethan. "What do you think you're doing?!"

Ethan returned the glare with one of his own. "I came to clear out some pests."

Without wasting another breath, Ethan used appraisal on Butcher and the rest of the bandits:

_____

- Name: Butcher Grimbold

- Race: Human

- Profession: Swordsman

- Level: 9 ( Peak Vitalis Stage)

- HP: 90

- MP: 60

- Strength: 20

- Agility: 13

- Intelligence: 12

- Vitality: 18

- Defense: 16

- Skills: Intimidation, Vital Strike, Bleed

- Equipment: Bloodstained bastard sword, Creep Wolf Leather Armor.

- Name: Grimgar Flokk

- Race: Human

- Profession: Assassin

- Level: 7

- HP: 95

- MP: 70

- Strength: 14

- Agility: 20

- Intelligence: 14

- Vitality: 19

- Defense: 17

- Skills: Severing Strike, Stealth, Key Instinct

- Equipment: Enchanted Short Sword, Creep Wolf Leather Armor.

_____

"Difficult, but not impossible.", Ethan noted after a quick evaluation.

Aside from these two, the other three bandits were at the same level as himself, at level 6, with no notable skills in their arsenals. Ethan looked at each of his opponents, his eyes daring them to make their move.

Grimgar, the second strongest of the group, stepped forward and decided to confront Ethan. "Do you know who you're messing with here? If you offend us here today, our organization won't take this lying down."

Ethan gave a curt shrug in reply. "That is none of my concern. What I care about is the welfare of these two children. If you people want to harass them-"

Ethan slowly lifted his dagger and pointed it at Grimgar, his eyes glinting with killing intent. "Then come."

Grimgar involuntarily flinched when Ethan's cold gaze landed on him. Grimgar could definitely sense that Ethan was of a lower level than himself but he couldn't comprehend why the young man in front of him seemed so confident. Ethan had no notable equipment on his body and his weapon was average at best. Was he hiding a powerful artifact or something?

"Shut up!" One of the level 6 subordinates had finally lost his patience and shouted angrily at Ethan.

"It seems we've been too lenient as of late", said another one with a sneer. "We'll teach you not to run your mouth at us!"

The two gave each other a brief nod before drawing their weapons and charging at Ethan with the intention of killing him. At that exact moment, Grimgar felt a chill run down his spine.

"Don't!" he tried to warn his comrades, but his warning had come several seconds too late.

Ethan easily weaved past the first swing from one of the two subordinates before burying the blade of his dagger into the left side of his opponent's chest. The bandit coughed up a mouthful of blood, instantly falling dead to the ground after having his heart pierced so easily.

[Pandora: You have slain an enemy.

+125 EXP!]

"Ive got you now!" Determined to make sure that his comrade's sacrifice was not in vain, the other bandit delivered an overhead strike with his sword and tried to split Ethan's head in two. Sensing the looming threat over his head, Ethan discarded the bone dagger and sidestepped, dodging the bandit's sword by just a hair.

"My turn!" Ethan growled as he maneuvered himself around his remaining opponent and stood behind him. He pulling his hand back and made a claw gesture. "Griffin Claw Fighting Style, killer move-"

"Piercing Talon Strike!"

Ethan drove his clawed hand through the bandit's chest. This move focused on ignoring an enemy's defenses and dealing maximum damage in a single strike. It was one of the first moves that Ethan's grandfather had made sure to teach to him because of it's efficiency and lethality.

Ethan made sure to crush the bandit's heart, just to be safe before pulling his hand out and allowing the man's corpse to fall to the ground.

[Pandora: You have slain an enemy.

+125 EXP!]

Having finished with the two, Ethan glared at the few remaining bandits who looked back at him with pale faces as if he were a monster. Even Butcher, who stood at the peak of the Vitalis Stage, revaluated his opinion of the young man before him.

"Do you guys wanna have a go as well?" asked Ethan, narrowing his silver eyes at them coldly.