Julius sat cross-legged on his stiff, lumpy mattress, staring at the glowing interface in front of him. His Quest Log had finally updated, syncing with the Angelicist's quest bord. A single quest was highlighted in gold letters in his system.
[Hunt the Low-Level Bandit]
Description: A bandit known as Korvak the Rat has been terrorizing the outskirts of Linia. Find and eliminate him, he is also known as the weakest bandit in Linia.
Reward: 500 EXP, 5 Silver
Julius smirked. A low-level bandit? This should be easy.
After all, he had trained in combat before, fought monsters in the wild, and knew his way around a sword. How hard could one petty criminal be?
He pressed [ACCEPT], and the quest window minimized. Immediately, a small map flickered in the corner of his vision, displaying a glowing marker on the outskirts of the city. Syncing with the Angelicist system had its perks. Now, he had an active tracking feature.
Julius grabbed his basic iron sword, slung his worn-out satchel over his shoulder, and stepped out into the bustling streets of Linia. He still wasn't used to the strange Eastern aesthetic of the city, but there was no time for sightseeing—he had a mission to complete.
The sun hung low in the sky, casting log shadows over the town of Linia. Julius stood at the town's outskirts, his boots crunching on the dirt road as he gazed toward the local tavern, where whispers of an easy quest had reached his ears.
The word around town regarding Korvak was simple: a bandit who had been causing trouble on the road nearby, and the townsfolk were eager to see him dealt with. The bounty was small, a mere handful of coins since the challenge was minimal. At least, that's what the rumors suggested.
He adjusted the scabbard on his back, feeling the weight of his legendary sword, The Soul Blade. It was the blade that had caused him to sever his ties with the group, he just hoped it was worth it.
'No. I did it for my own morals, not just for the blade...' Julius sighed as he thought about what had happened.
Inside the tavern, the scent of roasted meat and ale hung thick in the air. A few weary travelers sat at the tables, while a group of local farmers discussed the day's events. Julius made his way to the bar, where the innkeeper, a stout woman named Greta, was wiping down mugs.
"I heard there's a bandit on the loose," Julius said casually, his voice steady. "I'm looking to deal with him. Can you tell me where I might find him?"
Greta paused, eyes flicking up from the mug she was cleaning. She studied Julius for a moment, sizing him up. She'd heard of him before, a wandering swordsman with a reputation for cutting down anything in his path. But the bandit... he was a different kind of opponent.
"You must be one of those new people in town... Welcome to Linia. The bandit's been causing trouble for a few weeks now," Greta said, her voice low. "But he's tricky. Real slippery. You won't find him just anywhere."
Julius raised an eyebrow. "Where can I find him, then?"
"Some say he's holed up in the forest east of here," Greta replied, lowering her voice further as though she didn't want anyone else to overhear. "But he's been using the roads at night, too. Robbing travelers, then disappearing before anyone knows what happened. No one's been able to get close enough to catch him."
Julius considered this. A bandit hiding in the woods wasn't anything unusual. But the mention of his trickery piqued his interest. A weak bandit who could outwit and outrun a group of seasoned hunters? It was strange.
"Got a name other than Korvak?" Julius asked, hoping to gather more details.
Greta leaned in. "They call him... the Ghost Bandit. No one's seen his face and lived to tell the tale. But I've heard he's got a nasty scar on his left cheek. If you manage to corner him, that's the only thing that'll give him away."
"One last thing. Where are we right now?" Julius fished for a little more information. "You know, not just Linia, what's the name of the continent or the country?"
"We are in Wooxia, Linia is just a large city in Wooxia."
Julius nodded, his mind already racing through plans and contingencies. He turned and left the tavern, heading toward the eastern road. The wind was cool against his skin, and the trees on either side of the path whispered their secrets. Despite the calm exterior, his senses were on high alert.
The forest loomed ahead, dark and foreboding. Julius could already feel the weight of the quest pressing on him, though he was sure the bandit would be no more than a mild nuisance.
The Ghost Bandit Korvak, as he was called, seemed like nothing more than a cowardly thief, hiding in the woods and picking off weak travelers. That also meant it was gonna take a lot of effort for Julius to track him down.
But the deeper he ventured into the woods, the more unsettling the silence became. The birds had stopped chirping. The wind had died down. It was as though the entire forest was a stage set, a ploy to lure him in.
"Where the hell is this bastard!"
Then, just as Julius began to wonder if he'd made a mistake, he heard it. A rustling in the brush. Quick, deliberate. Someone was moving just ahead of him, too fast for the casual hiker. Julius tensed, his hand going to the hilt of his sword.
Suddenly, a figure darted from the trees, barely visible in the fading light. A flash of steel. Julius instinctively unsheathed his sword, bringing it up to block the attack. His Soul Blade rose with an aura of purple, he felt his bones strengthen.
The clash of metal rang through the air as the bandit's blade met Excalis. Julius immediately felt the weight of the attack—the bandit's strike was sharp, focused, and far more powerful than he'd anticipated. A low grunt escaped Julius's lips as he parried the blow, stepping back to reassess his opponent. His hand screamed in pain, the strike carried a lot of force.
{Korvak, the Ghost Bandit}
{Level 10}
The bandit was quick—too quick. He was dressed in dark leather armor, a hood covering most of his face, but Julius could make out the distinctive scar running down the left cheek, just as Greta had said. The Ghost Bandit.
"You've got guts, coming after me," the bandit sneered, his voice barely audible through the mask. "And you're a hard one to spot, it's a good thing you decided to shout for some reason."
"You clearly haven't. Hiding all the way done here." Julius sighed, it had been a long day of searching. Night had crept in.
Julius narrowed his eyes, focusing on his opponent's movements. The bandit's stance was unorthodox. Every move seemed calculated, designed to wear Julius down. He wasn't just fighting with strength; he was fighting with precision, using every ounce of his surroundings to his advantage.
Another strike came. Julius barely dodged in time, the bandit's blade grazing his side. Pain shot through his ribs as he staggered back, his vision momentarily blurring. This was not what he had expected.
The bandit laughed softly, stepping forward with the kind of confidence that only comes from years of experience. "You're slower than I thought," he taunted. "Which is surprising, as they call me the weakest bandit."
Julius gritted his teeth, shaking off the pain. His eyes narrowed. The bandit's taunts meant nothing. He'd fought stronger opponents before. He'd fought things like beasts that were far more dangerous than this. But this... this bandit was different. He was using tricks. He was using his environment, his agility, his unpredictability. Julius could feel himself being worn down.
The bandit lunged again, this time aiming for Julius's throat. But Julius was faster this time. With a quick slash, he cut through the bandit's guard, sending the blade flying from his hand.
The bandit's eyes widened, and for a moment, he looked stunned. But then, with a flash of desperation, the bandit dropped to the ground, rolling away and pulling out a hidden knife from his boot. Julius had no time to react. The bandit lunged at him, knife aimed at his heart.
Time seemed to slow.
Julius's instincts kicked in. He twirled his blade in his hand, executing the Quick Slash technique in one fluid motion. The bandit's knife collided with the sword's edge, and the force of the blow sent a shockwave through Julius's body. He staggered, his legs buckling under the sudden strain.
The bandit was quicker than Julius had anticipated, and for the first time in a long while, he felt a flicker of doubt. Julius accepted a stab to his chest, if it meant he could strike back.
His sword was a legendary blade. With one final, decisive strike, Julius brought it down swiftly, and the bandit crumpled to the ground, blood staining the dirt beneath him.
"Soul Breaker." He used the ability, he felt his energy drain down to a single drop.
[Sword- No Level Requirement- The Soul Blade] [Legendary Boss Drop]
[Soul Breaker: Release a blast of energy from the blade that goes through all armor and barriers. Once per 24 hour Cooldown]
[Passive: This sword only has one master, to utilize it's power it's current master must be killed. Furthermore, it is dull as a hammer if it is not in it's owner's hands."
A blast of purple flames engulfed the bandit, causing him to scream out in agony.
As the flames wore off, the bandit had no more strength to continue fighting, he merely lay on the ground in defeat.
Julius stood over the fallen bandit, breathing heavily. His muscles burned, his body aching from the fight. He had nearly lost. The bandit had nearly killed him—and he was only level 10. How had that been possible? Julius assumed his system would've made up for the level difference, with all his equipment, his skills and his attributes.
Julius felt the wound in his chest, the strike he had accepted to kill the bandit. It seemed worse than he had thought, he would need urgent help from a healer. Just a little more, and the bandit would've pierced his heart.
As he knelt beside the bandit, he noticed something strange. A small pouch, hidden inside the man's cloak. It was filled with coins, but there was something else—something heavier. A crystal. Dark, gleaming with an unnatural light.
Julius frowned, his exhaustion momentarily forgotten. This was more than just a simple bandit. This was something deeper, something sinister.
The bandit groaned, and Julius knelt, drawing his sword close.
"Why?" Julius asked, his voice low.
The bandit's eyes flickered open, and for a brief moment, they met Julius's gaze. Then, in a rasping voice, he whispered, "It's not over... you've only scratched the surface. I'm just a pawn for the organisation that man runs.
And with that, the bandit fell silent, all signs of life left his body.
"I guess that means something..."
Julius stood over him, his thoughts racing. He had barely survived this fight. If a bandit like this could bring him close to death, what would happen when true danger arose? He needed to get stronger. There was no other option. If he almost lots to a level 10 bandit, what would become of him when faced with an enemy that was truly powerful?
"Just one more inch, and his strike might've actually killed me. I need to get stronger." As he walked back, a trail of blood was left in his wake.
When Julius returned the healer from the Angelicis orginsation asked how he got his injury.
"Well, I was fighting a fearsome bandit, you might have heard of him."
Julius gained a level up when he handed his quest in, he also gained 5 medallions.
{You have levelled up to level 9, one more and you gain another attribute point}
{Current Attributes: Speed+}
{You gained 5 medallions. The organisation sent you 5 silver.}
The organisation gave him a bowl of noodles that night as a reward for his quest completion, life was getting better, but it wasn't enough. The monthly rankings would decide everything.
{New Quest}
{Visit the main hall tomorrow morning at 9 AM for the assembly which will uncover the true reason you have all been summoned here.}
The next morning a meeting would be held, Julius slept without thinking much of the matter.