The five remaining men gritted their teeth and wiped the blood from the corners of their mouths. Their bodies trembled with the strain of channeling their mana into their weapons, a clear indication that all of them were 2-star Awakened.
The air around them buzzed with the weight of their combined energy, but despite their wounds and fear, they stood ready.
One by one, the bandits prepared for their final stand. Three of them, wielding heavy axes, growled as their weapons glowed faintly with the essence of their mana, while the other two gripped swords, poison dripping from the edges of their blades.
They knew they couldn't outmatch the young man in pure power. But they were bandits—dirty fighters by nature—and they had their tricks. Poisons that could paralyze, weapons with hidden spikes, and a deep-rooted instinct for survival at any cost.
