I was shaking not because of the bandits around me but because of the disappointment I faced. I would have never expected this from someone like Ark.
Dude, you are Lich, a fucking terrifying undead, and you just got beaten up like that? And what about that fire attack? It was like a useless firecracker.
He surely does have a mind of its own and that was why he got panicked and pretended to pass out. He knew what was coming for him.
"Look at him! He can't even stand still on his feet" The bandit with the spear laughed, then spun the weapon horizontally aiming the spearhead at me again. "you better crawl up to my feet and beg for mercy"
The other three laughed encouraging him but what they never expected was... My laugh. I followed them as if I was also one of them. Aint I shameless?
"let's just get over with... I have some things to take care of, chickens" I said, nonchalantly.
The man holding the spear cursed at me as he thrust his weapon to stab me. The jab was straight but wobbled by his clumsy movements and close footing which also affected his speed.
The strike was slow, all I had to do was move my body out of the way and close the distance between us.
I shoved my fist hard into his abdomen. His feet lifted in the air and his upper body leaned down by the impact, eyes wide and mouth open.
He sank into the snow, facing his head down and ass pointing up at the sky. Motionless.
I summoned the Red blade and pushed it down into the back of the neck.
It was hard to do what I did to finish him because there were weird ideas that popped into my head about how to kill him. I am not shoving this sword in some weird place!
Catching sight of the scene in front of them the rest of the bandits panicked, their weapon points shifted here and there, and their bodies moved back continuously.
I smiled back at them politely, showing off my dark bloody Red blade. It was an instant kill and now they were next.
The fear in their eyes lessened looking at their numbers, they nodded their heads to each other communicating something or probably saying they have to work together to take care of me.
The three guys kicked the ground and jumped at me raising their weapons to take me down.
I gripped my sword, facing the hard hilt of it, and then ducked down avoiding their blows. The third guy who swung last happened to be in my attack range.
I struck him down with three consecutive slashes. One vertical and two horizontal and he was done. His body dropped with splashes of blood.
Another one came forward to strike but I avoided him and went to the second one who was dumbfounded by the death of his comrades. His head dropped down with a single strike.
The remaining bandit cried dropping down to his ass and crawling back to the open surface of the herb garden.
Now he knows what the fear is.
I watched him amusingly, who knows how many he killed or robbed before getting this result? Well, I am not the kind of hero who fights for justice and bullshit but I hate these scums.
I walked back with silent steps until I faced the dead lich. I kicked him hard as he jumped back up looking around confused.
I smacked his head, every muscle on my face pulled by the outrage inside me. He was supposed to be a special-grade Slave, which means who knows? But at the least, he could have done awesome things but no, he can't even cast fucking fire spell.
I saw big tears in his empty eyes, hands grabbing his head.
"How useless can you be?" I proceeded to choke his neck until a system interfered.
[The host does not have to be angry!]
"Seriously? You lied to me saying that it is a special grade but this is just a useless punching bag" I replied continuing my actions.
[Ark is indeed a special grade, it is just that he is mid-grade at the moment due to forcible class transfer!]
I stopped looking at the blue panel. What does that mean? Ark also turned to look at the screen. Did he just see the screen?
[ The previous person was Acropash, The master swordsman, and using him as a slave would have restricted his potential forever.]
[ The System had to reshape his entire body and produce the most desirable outcome using the curse energy that he accumulated throughout his life and after death.]
[ In return He becomes vulnerable as if an infant like a host! ]
[Don't forget you were also inadequate when you entered the world!]
[ Compared to you he is much stronger and more useful!]
"..."
There was a smile on the skeleton's face. Of course, he reads everything on the panel. He bowed down to the panel and then posed as if he was on a photoshoot.
I rolled my eyes.
They are teaming up against me. Anyway, let's focus on the huge guy inside.
I entered the tomb, Ark on my rear. I have never fought against a Bandit chief before but I heard a lot about them. They are the strongest among the bandit groups and whenever they make an appearance they are planning something big like plundering villages or some big merchants on the road.
He was out here in the north means, he had been trashed out of other regions by other strong bandit groups compared to his gang of thugs.
At least I should see if I can take him, the higher the risk the greater the reward. I laughed silently.
Ark looked at me and copied my laugh. Dude don't! You are looking hideous.
There were drastic changes inside the tomb. It was less of a tomb and more like a den, a den of pirates or bandits.
The burning wooden torches were hung in every nook of the tomb, lighting everything around it. The floor was cleaner than before and no skeletons were inside the slots in the walls. Now there were rusted weapons and glasses and green ale bottles. Cheese wheels, potatoes, and cabbage sacks. The wooden stools and tables with candles on them.
The look was proper of a habitable dwelling. Certainly, even bandits want to live in home-like layouts. I wonder how long they have been living here?
We both slowly approach the narrow tunnel, avoiding the lights of the torches as much as we can. Heck even if Ark stood in the light nobody was going to notice him there due to his appearance but, a flicker of light was enough to show where I was.
We peeked from the corner at the big ground before us.
The so-called stone grave was nowhere to be seen instead there was a tent with heavy bedrolls and a chest. The chief sat writing something inside the notebook or maybe I should call journal.
There were several bedrolls around his tent and one big hell of a kitchen. The slaughtered animals hung over the rope, rabbits, birds, and lizards, and before them was a fire pit with an iron pot hung above.
One guy was doing the cooking while another one was at the corner chopping up the wood. Wow! This is no less than a perfect hideaway outside of the security zones.
Everything makes sense now, why would bandits set up to stay out in the wilderness of Britannia? They know their things...
Eat, sleep, Rob, repeat...
Ok, now it's time to make a plan.
There are three people in total. One Bandit chief and two regular men. I am not very positive about taking them all head on but if I managed to take down the underlings first then I can do something about that chief dude.
I turned to Ark. "Is there anything you can do besides, Debuff? Or fire spells?" I asked him. Raising my finger first "Only things that are effective, no useless stuff get it?"
He nodded his head. The Courage word appeared on his head.
"Of course!" I mumbled.
[ Hosts And all the allied forces morale has been raised.
All states boosted to 10 perfect for five minutes!]
Woah, that's new. I guess he is not completely useless.
"Good! Now don't come unless you are sure you can help me with the fight" I said using Shadow strike to appear behind the guy who was chopping the wood.