[First condition- Fulfilled]
These words floated in front of Ryu's vision but he couldn't care less then he killed another bandit by throwing three daggers toward him when the bandit proudly dodged them, he was already too late to realize that Ryu was already behind him as Ryu mercilessly slashed his neck,
This was the third bandit who died, the leftover bandits were more scared of Ryu than Jue as Jue was deliberately knocking them unconscious,
"Big brother is more dangerous than back then," Jue said in a low voice as he looked towards Ryu whose body was emitting black miasma with a crimson glow. It was dense and threatening.
A bandit was about to smash Ryu's head from behind using a giant hammer but before he could Jue stepped hard forwards using [Mud wall] skill to stop the hammer, Ryu who sensed the impact from behind turned backward,
"I am sorry!! I won't do anything like this again!!" the bandit begged, but it was too late as Ryu threw the dagger toward his eyes, blinding him.
Aiena, who was looking at all this unfolding in front of her and such a madness-filled side of Ryu which was killing bandits without guilt and remorse, almost reflexively scared her. The little brother she knew was nowhere to be seen.
What was there was someone who looked like he had fought more fights than he had lived. Ryu scared a bandit on his knees and moved towards him slowly, sending a chill down her spine.
"Please have mercy on me!?" the bandit begged.
"Why though? I am sure it would be tastier this way" Ryu grinned. His eyes glowed crimson as a black circle became evident in them and the bandit filled with fear seeing them. Before he could utter anything, Ryu stabbed his chest by flicking the sword taught by Geld.
Suddenly, as Ryu felt cold on his back and he noticed another bandit had stabbed in his back using a spear,
"You bastard now you'll die!!" the bandit shouted, but it was his bad day as he forgot Ryu was the only one, Jue who saw the bandit stab Ryu from behind used [Gravel claw] and came rushing towards the bandit,
"How dare you!?" Jue shouted as he smashed the head of the bandit, even though Jue didn't plan on killing anyone he had done a murder as he couldn't see anyone harm his big brother.
one of the six bandits who was left tried to rush towards Aiena who was confused and overwhelmed with what was happening around her,
Not only did Ryu was killing people he was laughing at them as they died and Jue also killed someone she wasn't ready to see this and that is why even though Ryu was hurt she didn't move to heal as her head was occupied with various thoughts as a bandit was about to grab her neck,
"I will at least have the revenge!!" he shouted as he was inches away from Aiena's neck but suddenly an icicle came flying towards him banging right at his head although it didn't penetrate him it hurt like hell and he knew what was going to happen and he rushed towards the entrance of the cave when Ryu shouted,
"[Dagger shot]" the crimson-colored dagger shoots right through the neck of the bandit. Ryu, who was already bleeding a lot, started limping on his left leg as he moved towards the shadow, but Aiena was already standing there in front of 4 adventurers who were crying as if they were beaten a lot.
"Ra…. Rana grandma said…. No… not to…. Kill them" her voice was stuttering as she spoke. She was also feeling the fears that those bandits felt, malice she never felt coming from Ryu. Even though his smile was as kind as ever to her, the eyes were as if looking right through her.
Jue, who just knocked the last bandit down, noticed the blood pouring out from Ryu's back more than before almost to an alarming level.
Ryu, who was standing in front of Aiena, suddenly puked blood out of his mouth and stared once at the adventurer's throwing a reinforced dagger,
"Big brother!!" Jue rushed towards him and Ryu who stopped emitting the crimson sparks fall limp right on the ground his body felt cool as the blood was still pouring out from his back his new coat was tear-resistant but penetration wasn't,
"Big brother!? are you okay? Hey? Open your eyes?" Jue cried as he saw Ryu, who was limp and was feeling anemic.
Aiena, whose brain was still overloaded, couldn't comprehend what she should do until Jue shouted,
"Big sister heals him, heal big brother!? what are you waiting for" Jue was panicking bad and was scared from the core of his body he hoped his brother would say 'just let me sleep for a while' but he wasn't,
Aiena, who suddenly came back to her senses, realized what happened,
"No, Ryu!! pushing" kneeling beside Ryu on the floor she began chanting the healing miracle while also feeding him blood-increasing medicine.
'I am sorry, I am sorry' she was repeating in her mind as she should've healed the wound as soon as Ryu got it, but instead, she didn't do it right away and was lost in her fear and overwhelmed by what was happening and now Ryu was down on floor his body cold from losing too much blood,
"Please please!!" she cried as she used [Heal] skills and other healing chants her mind was filled with guilt for letting Ryu suffer from the wound this long, and the shame on herself as she couldn't heal him even though he got angry for her sake, even when he was about to fall limp, he threw a dagger near adventurer's warning them,
'How can I do this…. Why didn't I heal him?' Aiena thought as she poured more miracle mana into her chants, and finally, Ryu opened his eyes.
Aiena still kept healing him as she knew blood vomit means internal bleeding as she learned from the priestess.
'Ahh, I again fall under effects of maddening. I fulfilled a condition,' Ryu thought in a groggy state.
"Jue, did you tie them?" Ryu asked looking towards Jue who nodded. The adventures were tied up together neatly as they didn't dare move after Ryu's warning.
"Run away!!.... the map changer is here!! The Boss is killed run away! He is coming there!" the voice came from the communication device, which suddenly blasted, revealing a dungeon core of white color similar to what the adventurer guild receptionist explained.
"So that is where they got the dungeon core from!!" Ryu stood up staggering a bit when Jue held his shoulder, Aiena don't know what to say she couldn't face Ryu after what just happened and she didn't know if it was due to fear or due to guilt.
"I am fine, sorry I overdid it, Jue, Aiena," Ryu apologized,
"It's okay big brother, I knew you got angry for sake of grandpa and big sister" Jue answered as he supported Ryu but Aiena couldn't match his gaze with Ryu. She was worried,
'His eyes are back to normal right…' Aiena thought but didn't dare look straight which made Ryu think.
'After all… who would want to see in a maniac's eyes…. Ha-ha,' he was feeling hurt from Aiena not meeting him in the eyes but didn't say anything as he didn't want to burden her. The tied-up adventurers were quiet as Aiena give Ryu another medicine to increase blood and he put it in his mouth without a reply.
"Well with this the quest is completed!!" Ryu tried to sound cheerful, the knocked-out bandits were only 3. Every other bandit was dead,
"Big brother I ended up killing one too," Jue said. He was feeling complex emotion and weight of life when Ryu bowed down a bit to reach Jue's height and patted him as he spoke,
"I respect it, Jue, you didn't hesitate twice to save me… you really had grown and changed" he referred to the time when Jue fell limp in front of Naga, and Jue who heard that cried and hugged Ryu hard,
"I did it, big brother…. It was a second and he just died," Ryu just kept patting Jue as he said,
"It is okay Jue it is okay… you weren't bad for doing that if you hadn't done that, they would've killed big brother, it isn't wrong to kill evil or those who threaten you…" suddenly an unknown memory came inside Ryu's brain as he continued,
"Sometimes sacrifice of 10 is necessary for peace of 100 years, the one who you kill was worst kind of scum Jue did a good thing, unlike big brother who did it out of anger, Jue did it for protecting," and Jue finally separated from Ryu feeling a bit lighter and attaining a new principal,
'Killing evil isn't bad… no matter human or monster,' Jue thought as he wiped his tears,
"Big brother, should we take these people back?" Jue asked and Aiena wanted to suggest a bit of rest to Ryu first but before she could speak Ryu himself said,
"I am going to take a power nap first,"
When Ryu was about to fall for a power nap, a voice suddenly came from the entrance, and he became aware Jue too took a fighting pose.
"I just came to check on you children, sorry I am late,"
"Grandpa!?" Jue shouted,
"Grandpa chief, you are right on time," Ryu said with a smirk on his face as only he and Village chief know.