Ardent collapsed the Earth Wall, letting the water and now dead bandits on the ground.
"There are no Mages or Aura User among you, so, there should be some in the other directions." he muttered grimly.
As much as he wanted to believe in his fellow Mages, he did not think they can be much of a match against more experienced 2nd Circle Mages, much less a 3rd Circle Mage.
He turned his gaze to the one he sensed, who possessed the highest amount of Mana in the area except for himself.
"To kill a snake, you have to strike its head." Ardent muttered to himself before hiding himself under the cover of darkness.
-x-
The Bandit Boss was waiting patiently when he sensed the death of some of his bandits.
"The bandits at the east side had all fallen? So quickly as well?" sure, there are no Mages among them, but there still some Aura User, albeit weaker one.
"But, it's all a trap." the Bandit Boss let out a smirk. The reason he put weak bandits on the East Side is because that is where he is hiding, along with most of his elites.
Should the villagers try to escape by East, he will be waiting to swoop in and capture them all.
"Oh, to think of how much we can get." the Bandit Boss almost salivating at the thought of all the gold he could earn.
"So, you are the leader?" a voice suddenly asked, causing the Bandit Boss to jump in shock before looking around for the Source.
He did not find the source of the voice. However, he did find a Giant Fireball to the face.
Quickly casting a Barrier in front of him, the Bandit Boss watched with terror at how the flame burning at point blank, only stopped by his Barrier. Even then, he could sense small cracks appearing on it.
"You manage to block it. I'm impressed." the voice continued. Immediately, the two 2nd Circle Mages that remained by his side leap to his side, their Mana flaring as they search for the voice.
The Aura Users followed next, with the strongest, four 2nd Rank Aura User getting in front of the Bandit Boss.
"My, so eager to die." the earth suddenly shook, causing the Bandit Boss' eyes to bulge in shock.
"Jump away!" the Mages and 2nd Rank Aura Users managed to jump to safety. The same cannot be said to the rest of them, who find themselves crushed by the earth itself. The Bandit Boss' eyes turned bloodshot.
While 3rd Rank Aura User is not that impressive, it still require a lot of investment to get them to reach such level.
"Damn you! You will pay for that!" he yelled, sending his Mana around to search for the person responsible.
"Funny," the Bandit Boss definitely did not flinched at the hate-filled voice, "I'm about to say the exact same thing."
Soon, a person emerged from the treeline, his Mana released akin to the Bandit Boss. The Bandit Boss would have replied, if not for him to busy falling in shock.
'H-how? How can a 3rd Circle Mage appeared in this barren place!'
The person laughed, causing the bandits to become even more angry at him.
"You dare laugh at u-" the Bandit that spoke, a 2nd Rank Aura User did not even finish when he was sliced at the jaw, the upper part of the head sliding downward, before the body fell.
Seeing how a 2nd Rank Aura User die so quickly get the rest of the bandits to somber up. For someone, despite how young he looked now they can get a look on him, manage to kill someone next to them so quickly, he clearly far stronger than the rest of them.
"So, who's next?" the person asked. The bandits all took a step back, the sole exception being the Bandit Boss who managed to calm himself
'He might be the same level as myself, but he still an inexperienced brat.'
"So, who's next?" the person continued, his eyes wandering around. At that time, the Bandit Boss took action.
Getting in front of his underlings, the Bandit Boss create a claw out of wind, sending it towards the person.
The person scoffed before a large Earth Wall appeared. The Wind Claw managed to cut it through, but it was weakened and easily block by a Barrier.
However, that was what the Bandit Boss waiting for as he used his Wind Magic to go to the side of the person. He cast several Wind Blade, trying to cut the person while his defense was focused on the Wind Claw.
However, the person seem to expect that as he easily dodge the attack, not even bothering to give it a glance. The Bandit Boss grit his teeth and take a step before pulling his leg in time for a hole appear from where he just stepped on.
'When?!' while the Bandit Boss wondered when the person managed to put a spell there, the said person turned his attention to the other bandits. Seeing the clearly malicious look on his face, the other bandits prepared themselves to run, knowing they don't stand a chance against the person without most of them dying.
They're bandits, so dying heroically is not a thing for them.
"Do you think I will let you run?" the person's voice wake up the Bandit Boss, just in time to see a Giant Fireball hurled towards his underlings.
"Run!" "Nooo!" "I don't want to die!"
Many words are yelled around, but it all end in futility as the rest of the Bandits were burnt to crisp, their skin and bones turned into black cinder.
"Noo!" the Bandit Boss was greatly distraught. The 2nd Circle Mages and 2nd Rank Aura User all took a long time to nurture, and now, all of them die in the middle of nowhere.
"You will pay for that!" he yelled as he poured his Mana into one final attack, "I will keep you alive, and I will kill all your loved one, and raped your mother, sisters, and woman!"
At that moment, the Bandit Boss just seal his fate, even if he did not realize it just yet.
"Y-y-you, dare." the person whispered. The Bandit Boss took the chance to use the Wind Claw, planning on cutting the limbs of the person, and barely keeping him alive.
However, the Wind Claw hit a Barrier, which did not even get scratched as the Wind Claw dissipate into nothingness.
Shocked at how easy his attack was blocked, the Bandit Boss turned his gaze to the person, his eyes filled with fear. His attack, one that can even hurt, if not kill 3rd Circle Mages of Cruom City was blocked so easily by a 3rd Circle Mage in the middle of nowhere.
His confusion and shocked was quickly replaced by abject fear when he sensed the rise in Mana of the person.
"Y-you are not a 3rd Circle Mage, you are a-"