Seun-mi Ho, now in possession of the five shards of rare ore, headed towards the cavern's exit. The daylight, though dimmed by the clouds that blanketed the mountain sky, loomed in the distance, signaling the end of his underground exploration. He had been faster than he had imagined. Thanks to his agility and passive intimidation aura, the goblins posed no real threat. Even the venom of the cave spider could not stop him.
_"Mission accomplished,"_ he muttered as he walked with a steady but cautious pace, his dagger always ready to draw. The weight of the ores in his inventory was reassuring. With the new weapon he'd be rewarded with, he would be even more powerful for the challenges ahead.
But just as he crossed the threshold of the cave's exit, he sensed another presence. A slight movement, almost imperceptible, caught his attention. He stopped dead in his tracks, his senses on high alert, and his gaze instinctively focused on a figure standing not far from the entrance.
The man standing there wore heavy metal armor, gleaming under the faint daylight. His helmet, adorned with a bright red crest, partially obscured his face, but even from this distance, Seun-mi could discern his arrogant expression. The man held a long sword in his hand, its tip casually planted into the rocky ground.
_"A warrior,"_ Seun-mi thought, immediately analyzing his equipment and stance. He nodded to the Interface.
_"Interface, scan him."_
The Interface responded swiftly, displaying the information directly in his field of vision.
[**Scanning…**]
**Type: Warrior**
**Level: 23**
**Class: Heavy Fighter**
**Statistics: High strength, moderate agility, significant resistance.**
**Skills: Charge, Shield Bash, Fortified Defense.**
Seun-mi furrowed his brow slightly. Level 23. That made him a formidable opponent, especially with heavy armor and a long sword. But what caught his attention the most was the man's attitude. He stood there, planted as if waiting for someone, his gaze fixated on Seun-mi with palpable arrogance.
_"Hey there,"_ the man called out in a loud, disdainful voice, breaking the silence at the cave's exit. _"What's a little adventurer like you doing in such a dangerous cave? Aren't you afraid of getting bitten by spiders?"_ He chuckled as if he had just made a particularly witty joke.
Seun-mi remained impassive, staring at the man without responding immediately. He knew this type: arrogant warriors, confident in their strength and status, convinced that everything belonged to them. He had encountered people like this in other villages, and he knew that ignoring their provocations only irritated them further.
_"I was just passing through,"_ Seun-mi replied in a neutral tone, his eyes still locked on the warrior. _"And you? You seem to be waiting for someone."_
The warrior shrugged, making his armor clink. _"Yeah, you could say that. I'm keeping an eye on things. You know, this mountain has some interesting treasures, and I can't let amateurs like you roam around unsupervised. Who knows what you might steal."_ He took a step forward, his smile still as smug as ever.
Seun-mi felt a slight tension in the air, but he didn't move. He knew the man was looking for a confrontation, or at least a reason to provoke him further.
_"I haven't stolen anything,"_ Seun-mi replied calmly. _"I'm just doing my job. If you don't have anything useful to say to me, I'll be on my way."_ He turned slightly, ready to bypass the man and head down the mountain.
But at that moment, the warrior's expression shifted. He squinted as he saw that Seun-mi wasn't impressed by his attitude. He took another step forward, resting his sword on his shoulder.
_"Hold on a second. You say you're just doing your job, huh?"_ His tone had grown more menacing, though tinged with a hint of nervousness. _"And what exactly did you find in that cave? Ores, I bet. Valuable stuff you're planning to keep for yourself. But you see, I'm the one who decides who keeps what around here."_
He pointed his hand at Seun-mi, his fingers trembling slightly. _"Give me the ores you're carrying, and maybe I'll let you walk away without any trouble."_
Seun-mi remained silent for a moment. He could see through the man's armor and arrogance. Behind the bravado, there was something more fragile. The Interface never lied: Seun-mi's passive intimidation aura was already taking effect. Even if the man didn't show it openly, he felt the fear. Every movement of his body, from the slight tremble in his fingers to his shift in tone, indicated that he wasn't as confident as he wanted to appear.
_"I see you're already afraid,"_ Seun-mi said in a calm yet cold voice. _"You feel it, don't you? This pressure. You say you decide things here, but you're not even in control of yourself. You're already trembling."_ He took a step forward, and immediately, the warrior stepped back half a step, his sword lowering slightly from his shoulder.
_"Wh… what?!"_ the man shouted, trying to regain his arrogance. _"I'm not trembling! You… do you really think you can intimidate me? I'm a level 23 warrior! You're just a kid, a low-tier adventurer!"_
Seun-mi didn't respond. He simply stared at the man, his gaze as sharp as a blade. The passive intimidation aura intensified, making each second more difficult for the warrior. The air around Seun-mi seemed to tighten, as if it had grown heavier.
_"Give me…"_ The warrior's voice faltered slightly. He tried to steady himself, but the fear had already taken hold. _"Give me those ores… or I… I'll kill you."_
But his threats rang hollow. The man was subconsciously retreating, his face paling under his helmet as Seun-mi advanced slowly. Each step the young adventurer took seemed to weigh tons on the warrior, who realized he had underestimated his opponent.
_"I told you,"_ Seun-mi said in an icy tone. _"You're not the one in control here. You've already lost this fight before it even began."_
The warrior gritted his teeth, now sweating profusely beneath his armor. He tried to lift his sword, but his arm trembled too much to hold it steady. His eyes, once filled with arrogance, were now wide with fear.
_"You… you can't do this to me! I'm… I'm a warrior! I…"_
But before he could finish his sentence, Seun-mi vanished from his view.
_"What?!"_
The warrior blinked, desperately scanning his surroundings. But Seun-mi moved so fast the man simply couldn't keep up. In an instant, Seun-mi was behind him, his dagger ready to strike.
_"Too slow,"_ Seun-mi whispered in the man's ear.
In a fraction of a second, his dagger flashed, cutting behind the warrior's knee, just beneath the joint of his armor. The man cried out in pain, collapsing to his knees, unable to stand back up.
_"Don't… don't kill me,"_ he begged, his voice breaking with fear and pain. _"I… I'll let you go… Keep the ores… please."_
Seun-mi stood over him, his dagger still drawn. He glanced at the man, now kneeling, pitiful and trembling, before sheathing his weapon.
_"I don't kill the weak,"_ he said coldly. _"But next time you pick a fight with someone, make sure you have the strength to back it up."_
Without another word, Seun-mi turned on his heel and descended the mountain, leaving the man kneeling, humiliated and terrified.
End of Chapiter 9.