=====
9 P.M.
1067 Essence harvested.
=====
Lee drank half a bottle of Horned-Mow milk in a go, as he keenly observed a bandit group dancing and singing around the campfire like a nomadic tribe. Their 'settlement' was guarded with wooden spikes and regularly changing shifts of bandits. Lee counted 51 red dots and spotted 16 hostages locked inside a cage, which was inside a cave. There were 14 women and 2 men, and they were unharmed. Lee guessed that they were waiting for fun after their dinner. His brows rose with the revelation of existence of homosexuality.
Lee took out 13 unfinished mission requests from the inside of his jacket. He had travelled the way to Crogh and eliminated all the bugs. They were only worthy of being his affinity progress points. This was one among 4 bandit groups that plundered people on the way to the city of Festa, and they'll be the last to die. With this, western side will be cleansed, Lee thought.
'D, I have some doubts regarding immunity. Can you clear them as I carry on my work?!'
[I know what you're about to ask. You're wondering why you haven't acquired any immunities to the affinities you've brought recently. That's because those two immunities were not obtained from your affinities, but from external sources.
Think. You got poison immunity when you faced Swamp Serpent. You got lightning immunity when you received the Lightning Law fragment from the cloud. If you need to acquire Immunity, get exposed to something!]
Lee walked towards the settlement with complete silence. He slipped past the roaming guards with his superior nimbleness. The guards only felt a gust of wind and they didn't take it into consideration.
Lee had the whole area plotted out in his mind. He can walk with eyes blinded, and still not get caught in the act. He precisely took control of the situation and moved towards the cage like a flying owl. The bandits didn't know that their demise had already sneaked in!
The bandits were all common criminals grouped by their common interest to plunder and kill. They used women and men for their fun activities and killed them afterwards. Not even children were spared. Lee saw a dark pit near the cave entrance and sensed innumerous bones in different sizes and shapes in it, with the help of the Map. His rage was way over the threshold, but didn't let emotion control him. He thought of killing them without killing, making their life a living hell till they die, for their cruelty and savageness was unbearable for any living being. WOULD YOU HAVE FORGIVEN THEM?!
Lee saw a guard standing near the cave entrance. He was leaning on the wall and dozing off. Lee calmly walked past him, for his steps made no noise. The cave diverged into two. One leading to the hostages and the other towards the room of the bandit-leader. There was about 15 or 16 meters between entrance and divergence.
Lee walked towards the cage as his first priority was to rescue them. A bandit was standing guard, facing the cage, and the cage was strong and made out of Black Iron. It was similar to iron in all aspects, except that it acted as an insulator.
The guard was feeling tired and he yawned. The very moment, a thin black blade pierced the back of his neck and exited through his wide-open mouth. His eyes went wide as he was wonderstruck. Those in the cage saw this and gasped, as Lee signalled them not to shout. Lee pulled out his blade, laid the deadman on the ground silently. He stepped forward, took off his mask and asked almost silently-
"Are you the only hostages?!"
A woman nodded as tears well up in her eyes.
"Is anyone hurt?!"
They signalled that no one is seriously hurt or misused by the bandits. A few women had slap marks on their cheeks. Lee signalled them to stay put and to not make any sound. He assured them that he'll save them from this hellhole.
Lee glanced at the dead bandit and said inward-
'One down, fifty to go.'
Lee slowly came to the spot where the cave splits into two. The dance and enjoyment had ended and 8 men were walking down the path towards the cage. Lee hid in the shadows and the bandits passed him. He can smell intense alcoholic smell as they laughed out loud saying explicit jokes.
Lee came behind the one walking at the back and slit his neck with his blade. Lee took precaution to not make any noise, so he covered the bandit's mouth with his hand. He laid the body on the ground and followed the next one. They noticed the deaths of their companions after being reduced to a number of three. The drunk and loud bandits tried to make noise to attract attention, but the blade had gone through their necks like cutting butter!
Lee caught the three bodies before they hit the ground. He balanced himself on one leg as he held one body on each arm and one on the leg. He slowly lowered his body and let the bodies join the dust almost silently.
A few completely drunk stupids shouted out loud that the 8 men gone previously have not come back and they might be having fun with the women. A loud voice of disagreement arose. The leader came out hearing the shouts and sent 2 more to call them back with the women.
The 2 sent met the same fate as those 8 before. The leader sat on his high seat and was visibly annoyed as his subjects were disobeying him at plain sight. He sent another 10 to drag the previously gone 10 outside.
Lee became busy as this time, it was 10 at once. He killed 9 of them silently, but the last one made a short cry before biting the dust.
The cry echoed through the cave and reached outside. Those drunk and completely lost in the alcohol didn't mind the scream, but the leader and a few of his loyal servants became vigilant. They thought of many possible scenarios, but never in their wildest dreams have they thought of a bandit-exterminator!
Lee sensed the atmosphere outside through the Map. He had broken the cage and released the hostages outside, but they were afraid to walk on their own. So he told them to stay inside the cage until all bandits are dead.
Lee guessed that his time to make an entrance had come. He wore the mask and held his blade in his right hand. To amplify the effect, he smeared the blood of bandits on his mask and jacket. From the darkness inside the cave, his figure stepped into the light!
The leader was thunderstruck to see a stranger in the cave. He thanked fate as he was inside the same cave a few minutes before. He can tell that death went past him from Lee's appearance. His appearance made an uproar in the settlement. The guards rushed in from all directions. Under the command of their leader, they had charged at Lee with killing intent.
Lee held his blade and watched the trajectories as the weapons slowed down in front of his eyes. Lee activated Poison affinity along with the already active 4 ones. He decided not to kill the 30 bandits in one swing, and to make sure that they die in the most miserable way.
Lee flashed from the spot as his blade pierced stomachs and chopped off the legs of many bandits. He made sure to cut all the limbs of the leader scum.
=====
10 P.M.
1067 Essence harvested.
=====
The bandit camp turned into the concentration camp. The hostages were guided outside by Lee. He warned them about the potential mental trauma that they might suffer from seeing this. But the men replied that they were ready for hell the moment they were captured and kept as hostages. Lee admired their courage and guided them outside. He gave them Honey Bread loaves to eat and Horned-Mow milk to drink. They ate a total of 34 loaves and 16 bottles of milk.
Lee dragged the half dead scums and piled them up. The pile contained 18 bandits, whose stomachs were pierced. Lee took a torch and passed it to a woman and said-
"Light them up. Let those who are destroyed by them be happy as they are this. May there be no more scums!"
The woman looked at Lee with utmost admiration. She took the torch and lit the bandits. Their screams and cries echoed far and wide as their bodies slowly burned away in front of their eyes.
The leader was trembling with fear. He can tell that there will be no better treatment than what he saw. He kept begging to leave him alive. He repeatedly promised to be a good man in the future.
Lee briefly glanced at him through his mask. The leader lowered his head in fear. He can only watch Lee dragging his loyal 'comrades' away. The men and women found his method of torture completely justifiable. They thought that this man here had lost someone dear and near in a bandit attack.
The limbless 11 bandits no longer screamed. One, they saw what had happened to their companions. Two, their throats were sore with screaming. They had given up all hopes on life and cursed the day they turned evil.
The 11 bandits were lined up horizontally on the ground. Lee came towards the women and men with 11 clubs made from wood. He placed each one before each bandit and spoke-
"We burned 18 bandits, but that will never heal the scar they have left in this world, in the hearts of many. So, this is your chance to take justice into your own hands. Take a club and release your anger. Remember the atrocities you have heard about these barbarians, remember the horrible experiences of women caught by them, remember to make them scream louder than their victims had!!!"
The bandits shuddered in complete hopelessness. They thought that burning alive was a much easier way to die. They cursed their misfortune to be in this state.
What Lee said stimulated their hearts. A burning sense of justice appeared in their eyes as they stared at the clubs. One by one went forward and thrashed the bandits. As Lee said, their screams were louder than their victims!
=====
12 Midnight.
1067 Essence harvested.
=====
The last bandit hit the ground around by midnight. An air of justice prevailed in the atmosphere. The splattered brain and internal organs were all over the floor. The leader had passed out from the blood-loss, but he was nowhere near the death.
The 'justice enforcers' glanced at Lee and the bandit-leader repeatedly. At the slightest hum of Lee, they will beat that guy to pulp. But Lee walked towards the bandit-leader, kicked him in the stomach and he woke up. Lee asked-
"What was your group called?!"
"Bone crushing bandits."
The leader replied in a feeble voice. Lee took out the 13 mission requests and found the one with that name. He shoved it into the leader's mouth. Leader was confused by this behaviour.
"Your punishment is different from what you saw. It'll be slow and you'll enjoy it."
Saying this, he lifted the limbless body of the bandit-leader and walked towards the dark pit near the cave. Upon knowing where Lee was heading, the leader cried like a toddler inside.
"Say hello to your friends in hell!"
Lee spoke as he throwed the torso into the pit with great strength. The men and women saw this and they came near the edge of the pit. It was dark inside, but they heard a deafening yell from the darkness. They were curious as to what thing inside the pit caused the already half-dead and sore-throat leader to cry with such energy!
Lee saw the bones piercing into the limbless body. His eyes were gouged out as he writhed in pain. He rolled over the bones that immediately punctured him like a million needles. The long awaited death greeted him after a long time of agony and pain.
Lee searched the inside of the cave and found that the room of the leader was decorated and spacious. He told the men and women to get some rest as he sat at a distance, his eyes at the cave mouth. He was concerned about their safety as the blood might attract wild beasts. D told him that the concern was useless as there are no beasts in about 3 mile distance around the settlement. They all have run away in terror of screams. The people closed their eyes with happiness and satisfaction. Lee felt delighted to complete 11 requests in half a day.
............….
==========
Name: Lee
Age: 20
Title: Grim-reaper, Soul Liberator
Fame: 1801
Essence: 12879 (12 PM)
Money: 1000 Gold, 0 Silver, 31 Copper
----------
Partner: An
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Health: 320
Strength: 320
Vitality: 320
Agility: 320
Defense: 320
Endurance: 320
Sense: 320
Intelligence: 320
Resolve: 320
----------
Immunity:-
• Greater Poison Immunity (6/1000000)
• Medium Lightning Immunity (3217/10000)
Affinity:-
• Lesser Poison Affinity (54/100)
• Medium Lightning Affinity (781/10000)
• Lesser Fire Affinity (0/100)
• Lesser Water Affinity (0/100)
• Lesser Ice Affinity (0/100)
• Medium Rock Affinity (64/10000)
• Medium Metal Affinity (64/10000)
• Lesser Sand Affinity (0/100)
• Medium Nature Affinity (64/10000)
• Lesser Air Affinity (0/100)
• Medium Sound Affinity (64/10000)
----------
Mastery:-
• Absolute Blade Mastery
• Absolute Nunchuck Mastery
• Medium Bow Mastery (421/10000)
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Cultivation: Peak stage Core Formation realm
Qi: 0/1100
Mana: 0
----------
Innate Skills:-
• View
• Foresight
• EsGen
• EsConv
• Curse Remover
----------
INVENTORY:-
QUESTS:-
MAP:-
SHOP:-
RE-MODEL:-
==========