Chapter 166: "The Thieving-god Amongst Mortals"
Grinwall Country—Rhemon City—Rhemonic Camp
Tessa lay still, her unconscious form cradled by the soft cushions of Bandel Blue's sleek truck. Nine months had crawled by since the brutal clash with the Rhemon agents, and though her body remained unresponsive, the camp buzzed with the quiet hum of resilience.
Nymff, Ecdy, Nyala, Abdel, Lhize, and Lhaze had kept a constant vigil, ensuring someone was always by Tessa's side. They took turns, each day merging into the next in a relentless cycle of hope and despair. Yet, despite their efforts, there was no sign of change. Her stillness was both a source of sorrow and a strange, unspoken motivation for the camp.
Everywhere around the world, people were struggling for survival. The famine outside the camp walls worsened. Crops withered, markets emptied, and desperation clawed at the populace. Starvation drove people to theft, and lawlessness became the norm. It was all part of Rhemon's master plan—a calculated strategy to break the will of the people and force them to submit to his vision of singular world rule.
Within the camp, however, defiance burned brightly. The Rhemonic warriors knew they had to sustain not only themselves but the hundreds of displaced individuals who sought refuge under their protection. It was a monumental task.
Bandel Blue emerged as their unexpected savior. His reputation as the "Thieving God" had seemed a humorous exaggeration at first, a title whispered with smirks around campfires. But soon, the camp realized the depth of his abilities. He was a god, after all. Yet, apart from Tessa and Nyala, the rest of the camp believed him to be merely another Kaelrian, albeit an extraordinary one.
Bandel could steal anything—no, everything. From sacks of grain to advanced medical supplies, from bolts of fabric to door hinges, nothing was beyond his reach. Fortified warehouses, high-tech security systems, even heavily guarded Rhemon outposts fell prey to his skill. To Bandel, locks and codes were mere suggestions.
At first, his escapades left the camp in stunned silence. Every return felt surreal, like the unwrapping of a miracle. How could one man acquire so much, so quickly? But as the weeks turned into months, Bandel's exploits became routine.
"Another raid," Abdel would mutter with a resigned shake of his head as Bandel rolled into camp, his battered truck groaning under the weight of his latest haul. Food, medical equipment, tools, and even luxuries like chocolate and books overflowed from the vehicle.
The camp thrived, and spirits lifted, but beneath the surface, unease festered. Ecdy, Nymff, and the others knew the dangers of overreliance. What if Bandel Blue decided to leave? What if the enemy finally caught up to him? Or worse, what if there was simply nothing left to steal?
Their fears weren't unfounded. The lands were already suffering under Rhemon's latest bioweapon—a virus designed to poison the soil and rot crops before they could yield. The threat loomed over them like a shadow. They needed a solution, one that didn't hinge on Bandel's next daring heist.
Thus, the camp pivoted to farming. It was an audacious gamble in the face of poisoned lands, but desperation breeds ingenuity. Ecdy spearheaded the effort, gathering knowledge from every scrap of information they could find—ancient texts, captured enemy data, even forgotten Kaelrian techniques. Together, they developed a hybrid strain of crops, resilient enough to withstand Rhemon's blight.
Fields were tilled under the relentless sun. Warriors traded weapons for plows, and civilians abandoned their routine tasks to plant seeds of hope. The work was grueling, sweat soaking their clothes and muscles aching by nightfall. Yet, with each green sprout that emerged, their determination grew.
It wasn't just about survival anymore; it was about defiance. If Rhemon came, they would not find a camp of scavengers cowering in fear but a community standing tall, fields of green flourishing where none should.
And through it all, Bandel Blue watched with a knowing smirk. He kept stealing, of course. But now, his loot wasn't just sustenance; it was fertilizer, irrigation systems, and rare plant specimens. He'd always been their savior, but now, he was helping them save themselves.
On this particular day, the atmosphere in the camp was lighter. The usual tension, born of endless training and looming danger, seemed to have taken a back seat. Ecdy and Nymff sat cross-legged in the shade of a sprawling baobab tree, their hands moving with practiced precision as they played a game called Guess the Hand.
"Left," Nymff said confidently, her sharp eyes narrowing as she studied Ecdy's face. Her brows furrowed in concentration, convinced she could read his tell this time.
Ecdy smirked, the corners of his lips curling mischievously. Slowly, he opened his right hand to reveal a small pebble. "Wrong again."
Nymff groaned dramatically, throwing her head back. "You're cheating! You always cheat!"
"I'm just better," Ecdy teased, tossing the pebble into the air with a nonchalant flick of his wrist, catching it effortlessly.
Their laughter rippled through the camp, catching the attention of nearby Rhemonic warriors. One by one, they drifted over, forming a semi-circle around the duo. For a brief moment, the camp's usual seriousness was replaced by the sound of carefree amusement, as though the weight of their collective struggles had lifted.
Ecdy reset the game, holding out two closed fists. In his right hand, a smooth blue pebble; in his left, nothing. Nymff hesitated, her confidence faltering as memories of her earlier failures resurfaced. Her fingers twitched indecisively.
Then, Bandel Blue emerged from the shadows. His presence was quiet but commanding, as though the air itself shifted in acknowledgment of his arrival. He leaned down, his voice barely a whisper as he spoke to Nymff.
"Choose the right hand."
Nymff blinked, unsure whether to trust him. Bandel Blue, with his aloof demeanor and enigmatic aura, often left people questioning his motives. But there was something in his tone—steady, knowing—that convinced her to follow his advice.
Ecdy's smirk deepened. He believed Bandel Blue's interference was baseless, that even the so-called "creep" couldn't outwit him. What Ecdy didn't know was that Bandel Blue possessed the legendary God's Eyes—an ability to see through illusions, matter, and even time itself. He was no ordinary Kaelrian but the fabled thieving god, the one whose mere touch could disarm the most secure vaults, whose legs could cross continents in mere minutes, and whose voice could summon lost relics by name.
Nymff swallowed her doubt and slapped her palm decisively on Ecdy's right hand. "This one."
The crowd held its collective breath as Ecdy, for the first time, hesitated. Slowly, he unclenched his fist, revealing the blue pebble.
Nymff's eyes widened in shock and delight. "I won!"
Ecdy's face darkened. "You cheated!" he barked, pointing a trembling finger at Bandel Blue. "This good-for-nothing creep! First, he claims credit for saving us during the war, and now he's meddling in—"
Before he could finish, Nyala surged from the crowd, her movements swift and deliberate. She clamped a hand over Ecdy's mouth, silencing his outburst, and delivered a sharp slap to the back of his head. "You idiot," she hissed. "Do you have any idea who you're insulting?"
Nyala turned to Bandel Blue and bowed deeply, her voice laced with genuine remorse. "My sincerest apologies, my lord."
Bandel Blue merely smiled, a serene, almost otherworldly expression. Without a word, he turned and disappeared as quietly as he had come.
The murmurs among the crowd swelled.
"You fool!" Nyala snapped, glaring at Ecdy. "That wasn't just any Kaelrian. He's a god."
"A Kaelrian god?" someone gasped.
"In the flesh," Nyala confirmed. "You're lucky he's merciful. Cross him, and even the heavens wouldn't save you."
"I... I almost got on his bad side," Ecdy stammered, his bravado crumbling.
"I always thought he was some petty thief," another voice chimed in. "But now it makes sense—his skill, his presence. He's the legendary thieving god, the master of trickery and stealth."
The realization sent ripples of awe through the camp. Whispers of Bandel Blue's legendary feats spread quickly, each tale more incredible than the last. For a fleeting moment, they were reminded of the extraordinary beings who walked among them, and the fragile line between mortals and gods.