"Ha ha ha, what a fine merchandise you've brought us," a new voice sneered as a man stepped out from the shadows.
!!!
He was tall and imposing, with a cruel smile that showed off yellowed teeth.
His hair was greasy and slicked back, and he wore a long, tattered coat that hung off his gaunt frame.
His eyes gleamed with malice as he looked over the group.
"Put your weapons away already—you're scaring our merchandise,"
he commanded, and the rest of his men emerged from the woods, all armed and ready, with bows aimed at Oasis and the others.
"Take it easy, kids. We won't mistreat you. After all, you're all precious merchandise," the man said with a smirk, licking his lips.
"Ha ha ha, these girls are damn pretty," he continued, eyeing Lila and Kaelith with a leer.
"If they weren't merchandise, they'd be warming my bed tonight."
Kaelith began to shake, her eyes wide with terror as tears welled up, threatening to spill over.
Lila let out a scream for help, her voice shrill and desperate.
"Don't waste your energy," Oasis said calmly, his voice cutting through the panic.
"No one is coming to help you in this place."
He turned to the two boys. "You two, just protect the girls," he commanded, his tone brooking no argument.
!!!
"Hopeless," Oasis thought as he saw one of the boys, Toren, wetting his pants in fear.
"Yoh, uncles, I understand that this is how you make a living, but I don't approve of it," Oasis said, addressing the bandits.
"Ha ha ha, since when do we need approval from brats who still reek of breast milk?" the leader sneered.
Oasis remained unfazed.
"I think you're all old enough to have families. How would you feel if someone smuggled your children?" he asked, his voice steady.
The leader's eyes narrowed, his smile fading.
"A talkative one, huh?" he said, his tone dangerous. "This time, you really brought valuable merchandise."
Garron, unfazed by Oasis's words, turned to the man who had just arrived and spoke.
"Since we've delivered the merchandise, we'll be taking our leave. We'll be waiting for our pay."
"Ha ha ha, good, good," the man replied with a sinister grin. "You and your men can take your leave."
As Garron and his men started to walk away, Oasis called out, his voice cutting through the tension his voice cold and commanding.
"Yoh, Uncle Garron, you still have time to redeem yourself from this mess."
Garron paused, but didn't turn around.
"It's either you take out these guys here, or you leave and I'll catch you before you even reach Belvan Town."
"After I'm done with these guys, you will pay," Oasis threatened, his voice steady and filled with conviction.
Bronn, the heavyset man with the battle axe, scoffed.
"Ha ha ha, threats from a puppy. That rusty sword is probably too heavy for you."
Oasis didn't waver.
"I don't have time for threats, but I promise you this—I'll keep my word," he said, his gaze fixed on Garron's back.
The man who had arrived laughed heartily, his laughter echoing through the forest, harsh and grating.
"Ha ha ha! Kids these days are sure hilarious," he said, wiping a tear from his eye.
"Surely the veteran Garron isn't taking the words of this kid seriously?"
"No, of course not," Garron replied, already several steps away, not even bothering to turn around.
"You can take your leave now," the man said, dismissing them with a wave of his hand.
Garron and his group walked away, leaving Oasis alone with the frightened young recruits and the nine bandits who had emerged from the woods.
The recruits were visibly terrified, some shaking, while others looked pale and sick.
The bandits, on the other hand, were grinning, their weapons at the ready.
The man turned back to Oasis, his demeanor smug and confident.
"Since you're the witty one and still have your senses intact, I don't think we need to drag you."
"Just follow us, and we won't break too many bones," he said, licking his lips again, a habit he seemed unable to shake.
Oasis's expression darkened, his voice turning icy.
"Old man, I don't like you at all," he said, his words chilling.
"So I'll give you a chance—tell me about your organization and every shady business you're involved in."
The man's grin faltered, his eyes narrowing.
Oasis continued, his tone sharp and biting.
"I can tell you're nothing more than a dog given a few bones, wagging your tail for your masters."
The man's smirk vanished, his face hardening as Oasis's words struck a nerve.
His eyes, which had previously been filled with amusement, now burned with anger.
The weight of Oasis's words bore down on him, and his pride was clearly wounded.
"Brat, I gave you a chance to speak, but that doesn't mean you can stomp on a man's pride," the man snarled, his tone menacing.
He turned to one of his men.
"Roy, break a few bones and carry the brat," he ordered, waving his hand as the others started to move back.
As the leader waved his hand, the bandits turned their backs, confident that Roy would handle Oasis and bring him along with the rest of the merchandise.
They began walking away, their footsteps crunching on the dry leaves, oblivious to the danger that lingered behind them.
Whoosh!
Thud!
A sickening sound of an object rolling through dry leaves echoed in the forest.
A sudden, swift motion cut through the silence, followed by the dull thud of something heavy hitting the ground.
The bandits stopped in their tracks, the sound catching them off guard.
They turned around just in time to see Roy's head rolling across the forest floor.
The sudden violence stunned everyone.
Kaelith and Lila, the two girls near Oasis, screamed in horror, their voices piercing the stillness of the forest.
The sight of the severed head and the blood pooling around the man's body was too much for Toren, who had already wet his pants in fear.
His eyes rolled back, and he collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
The remaining bandits froze, their confident smirks replaced by wide-eyed shock and terror.
They hadn't expected such a swift and deadly response from the boy they thought was just another piece of merchandise.