"Damn it!" Miguel blurted.
He gave Jacob a dirty look. Actually, when the ghost lich witnessed the Champ's energy draining expertise, he was deeply impressed. Yes, he experienced it when it was used on himself but seeing it used on others gave him a different interpretation. Jacob couldn't help yelling.
Unfortunately, it disturbed the sleeping bandits. They were naturally affected by the power the apparition named 'Life Gutter' thus causing them to feel fatigue. This lead them to fall asleep. Now, because their sleep was disturbed, it put their brain on a high alert.
The bandits were stirring from slumber, Miguel had no choice but to act now. Before Miguel was experimenting with the uses of his capability, he predicted that if there is no obstacles he could permanently put others to sleep.
Miguel dashed out, since the purple phantom woke the enemy there was only one thing left to do. He headed over to the bandits.
The bandit guarding that woke up first was the one that went to sleep last. Seeing that a figure was approaching him very fast, the sluggish man tried his best to shake himself awake.
"Haa!" He roared. Grabbing the sword at his waist, he lunged forward.
The one approaching the rogue was Miguel. When he was at his closest, right next to the enemy, Miguel brought his body to a halt. He had to jump back again, avoiding the blade that swung at him.
Remaining cautious, Miguel didn't know how fragile he was. Even with an ability to recover, it would be irresponsible if he got seriously wounded in the wrong place.
Third slash!
Fourth slash!
Miguel managed to dodge by a hairs breath. He waited, waiting for an opportunity to end this in one go. The bandit was getting more sluggish under the effects of 'Life Gutter' and gave Miguel the opening he was looking for.
When the enemy's weapon missed again, Miguel leaped forward. Launching both feet at the enemy, his soles was firmly planted on victim's chest
Bang!
The guard bandit was sent flying, the sword from his hand fell to the ground along side Miguel who fell to the ground as well.
"W-wh-what's going on?" The other bandit trembled, getting off his seat. The bandit's sight met Miguel getting onto his feet, while the latter added the fallen weapon to his grip.
"WHO ARE YOU?!" The awakened bandit screamed. He tried to take action yet found himself to be too tired as he moved.
Miguel was swift. The enemy had to be taken down even if the enemy appeared to be useless at this point. Miguel lifted the sword, ready to swing it across the other's neck.
"Hey, don't cut his head off. Kill him some other way." Jacob yelled, appearing right beside the Champ.
As an instinctual correspondence Miguel pulled back the sword, instead the he lifted a leg. Launching a superb kick to the groin of the bandit.
"AHHH-"
Miguel kicked the guy's balls in. Using the groin area as the pickup point, the man was elevated off the ground.
When Miguel pulled back his leg, the guard bandit came down with a 'THUD'. Lying on the ground and holding the crotch area, the guy attempted to scream from excruciating pain. Miguel as the assailant pierced the man with the sword before the scream can go out of hand. The blade of the sword went right through the victim's skull ending his life.
Miguel wasn't finished yet. He could feel a sliver of life from his first victim, sprinting over, he came to the guy laying on the ground.
"It looks like he passed out." Miguel murmured, lifting the sword over the guys chest. Dropping the sword with a little force, Miguel ended another life.
Miguel relaxed a little, he turned to the ghost lich and asked, "Was there anything special about that guy?"
"No, that guy was trash." Jacob replied, leaving the corpse with the pierced skull. He drifted over to Miguel and started to check out the second corpse.
"You need the bodies?" Miguel asked.
"Yeah, come wave your hand over it." Jacob replied, he saw Miguel wave a hand then stopped him. "Wave the hand with the 'Ring of the Dead'.
Miguel was curious to see what the purple phantom wanted to do. He waved his hand above the corpse. Instantly, the dead body began to shimmer. It disappeared after that.
"What did you do?"
"Nothing much, just stored it in the bracelet."
Miguel tensed up, "The bracelet has a storage effect?!"
"Nah, it's just something I added when I made it my phylact- GYAAAAAAH!"
Miguel smirked after activating 'Life Gutter', "What else can this thing do?"
"That it, that's the only other thing it can do." Ghost lich Jacob quickly replied, making sure as to show how upset he is.
"Hm... That's pretty impressive." Miguel added, analysing the bracelet on his wrist.
On the other side, Lydia didn't come forward to the battle Miguel fought. She instead went to the carriage. Finding the entrance at the back, the elf priestess did her best to climb inside.
She called for Cloud, her familiar. It just so happened that night had arrived and the inside of the carriage was much darker.
Cloud's appearance made the inside fairly visible. Lydia found a cage inside, it was just the right size to hold about five large men.
"Priestess?!"
Lydia's presence was immediately discovered when she entered. Inside the cage, three elven girls from the marshlands stood up.
"Shh, there's no time. Tell me, where do you find the key?" Lydia asked. She was afraid she might get caught should any mishap claim Minerva's chosen.
One of the girls spoke, "I have seen it with one of them. I think he was the leader."
"Priestess, they are too strong. we have accepted our fate. Please return to the swamp." Another elf said with tears rolling down her cheeks.
The swamp chief's daughter scolded, "Don't talk nonsense. How can I leave and run away? All is not lost. Goddess Minerva has a chosen. Just wait a few more minutes."
Lydia acted tough, in reality she didn't know what the situation was with Miguel. That made her uneasy on the inside.
She jumped out of the carriage, Cloud followed behind. When Lydia stood beside the carriage, it was silent out there. Lydia felt fear, she couldn't see anyone. Not even a dead body. Miguel and the ghost were absent.
Suddenly, the cloud fairy rose up and came in front of her. It changed it's shape, turning into an arrow head. Cloud appeared to be pointing at a certain direction.
Lydia glanced over and felt relieved. She found Miguel, he was taking long strides towards the little wooden house. The ghost named Jacob floated along as well.
Lydia quickly ran after, believing in the man, Miguel, she prayed in her heart.
In no time, Miguel came to the cottage door. He put his hand on the handle, ready to open it.
Before he did, Miguel stared at Jacob. "Hey, don't you want to peak inside and see if there's any danger."
"What you take me for? A ghost?"
Jacob was being sarcastic. He poked his head through the door anyway. Not even a second passed before he pulled his skull head out, screaming!
"AAAARGH! MY EYES, MY EYES! AAAARGH!"
Jacob screamed, he used his transparent hands to dig into the eyeless sockets of his skull face. Every time he pulled a hand away from his face, a purple stream of miasma would float out.
Miguel became apprehensive. What could've been seen to make ghost go crazy?
"FUCCCKK, THE TORTURE! THE PAIN!"
With all the ruckus, Miguel knew that whoever was inside will definitely come out. By sensing them inside, he was right. Miguel quickly moved to the side, following which, the cottage door flung open.
"WHO'S FUCKING MAKING NOISE?"
A beast man came out, clearly he wasn't appreciating the tantrum the ghost lich displayed. The man from the bestial race held a mug in his hand, raising it to his mouth, he gulped its contents.
Miguel understood something. First, the beast man was drunk. Second, he didn't come out because they were being spied on but because of the noise created by Jacob.
Miguel made his move. The beast man was just an arm's length away. Miguel came close up, believing in his strength. He bent forward before raising a fast fist to meet the bestial's lower jaw.
Kachuck!
A jaw appeared to have broken under the pressure coming from Miguel's uppercut. More so, the head of the beast-kin sprung backwards, it almost caused the entire figure to somersault.
The body fell to the ground, light from the beast man's eyes faded. Although the bestial race have strong bodies, it wasn't enough to prevent Miguel's strength from snapping their neck.
"You, you with the white hair." The other man from inside the house blurted, throwing out a weapon at Miguel.
Miguel was completely alert to his surroundings, he immediately jumped out of the way. Following which, an almost naked man wobbled out from the wooden shelter.
Wearing a top but no bottom. The man yelled again, "Boys, we got a kid acting toug-"
Jacob, who seemed to regained some clarity became furious, "How dare you show that display before I, your great grandpa."
An invisible wave seemed to fill the surroundings, it especially seemed to concentrate on the half naked man.
A violet hue emanated on the remaining bandit. In an instant, an invisible pressure began to crush the bandit. Sounds of bones breaking and scenes of limbs bending in a way that shouldn't happen, happened.
The last bandit died just like that.