Chereads / Zaboru Tales : The Negative Charm Martial God / Chapter 10 - Chapter 9 - Helping Hand and the Fight Against the Bandit Leader

Chapter 10 - Chapter 9 - Helping Hand and the Fight Against the Bandit Leader

Chapter 9 - Helping Hand and the Fight Against the Bandit Leader

"Well, well, well… quite the strong one, aren't you, fucker? Beating up four of my underlings like that." The bandit leader sneered, his grin twisted as he pressed the edge of his sword against the boy's throat. The boy's face turned pale, trembling with fear.

Zaboru stood frozen, his sharp gaze locked onto the scene. While observing the bandit leader's movements, he quietly activated the Relaxing Breathing Method to recover some of his stamina.

'Damn, what do I do?' he thought, his mind racing for a solution.

The bandit leader chuckled darkly. "Here's the deal: if you agree to be my slave, I'll let the kid go. How about it?"

Zaboru cursed inwardly, his teeth gritting in frustration. He knew exactly how this would play out. If he surrendered, the bandit would kill him without hesitation and still take the boy.

"I'll count to three. If you're still playing the hero, the kid dies. One..."

Shit, think! Zaboru's mind spun, searching for a plan.

"Two…"

Then he noticed it—a large green spider creeping silently behind the bandit leader. Its many eyes gleamed with intent, and it seemed ready to act.

"Three—"

FWIP! The spider shot a thick, sticky web, wrapping it around the bandit leader's arm and head. The force yanked him backward, loosening his grip on the boy. The child stumbled free, gasping, as a woman in a mage's robe dashed forward. She scooped up the boy and quickly moved to distance him from the leader.

"Don't worry! The boy's safe, mister!" the woman called out. "Please hold him off while I get the kid away!"

Zaboru nodded, determination sparking in his eyes. "Got it. Go!"

The bandit leader growled in frustration, tearing at the web. Meanwhile, the woman attempted to leave the campsite with the child, but an invisible wall shimmered into view as they reached the perimeter.

"What is this? A barrier?" she exclaimed, her tone laced with alarm.

The bandit leader chuckled menacingly, holding up a glowing Perimeter Barrier Scroll. "Hehehe… always gotta have a backup plan, you know? No one's getting out, mage lady. That kid's going nowhere. And you—" His eyes lingered on her, his grin growing lecherous. "You're quite the catch. This ugly bastard over here? Not worth keeping alive. But you… oh, I could make a fortune selling someone as hot as you."

The mage's face twisted with fury. "Shut up, you filthy animal!" she spat.

Zaboru glanced at her, his voice cutting through the tension. "Miss Mage, what's your name?"

Caught off guard, the woman hesitated before answering awkwardly, "It's Renny…" A strange discomfort crept over her as Zaboru spoke, an inexplicable unease she couldn't shake. His -1 Charm was clearly at work, souring her impression of him despite his good intentions.

"Miss Renny, keep the boy safe. I'll deal with this scum." Zaboru cracked his knuckles and turned to the bandit leader. "Alright, bandit fucker, ready for a beating?"

The leader sneered. "Hah! Acting tough just because you took out a bunch of grunts? Don't kid yourself. I'm not like them."

Zaboru smirked and let out a mocking laugh. "Yeah, yeah, I've heard that one before. Trash mobs like you always say the same thing."

The bandit leader's face darkened, his sneer fading into a furious scowl. "You're gonna regret that, fucker. But if you think cheap insults will provoke me—"

"—then you're absolutely right," Zaboru interrupted, his grin widening.

Fueled by Zaboru's taunts and his low Charm stat, the bandit leader's rage boiled over. His composure shattered as he gripped his weapon tightly, veins bulging with anger.

"Fine!" he roared, his voice trembling with fury. "I'm going to make you pay for that, you ugly piece of shit!"

Zaboru's stance shifted as he readied himself. His mocking expression faded, replaced by cold determination 'This guy is strong , but I can handle it'. The battle against the bandit leader was about to begin .

Bandit Leader quickly charged at Zaboru, his sword raised high. He slashed downward with deadly precision. Zaboru sidestepped just in time, avoiding the blade's deadly arc, and countered with a straight punch enhanced by Strike Breathing.

But the bandit leader was quick, raising his shield to block the blow. The impact was strong enough to send a shockwave through the air. Without hesitation, the bandit leader shoved his shield forward, attempting to bash Zaboru. Zaboru swiftly rolled back, narrowly avoiding the blow.

The bandit leader smirked, sensing Zaboru's momentary hesitation, and swung his sword again, this time coated with Chi—a surge of energy that amplified the sword's cutting power.

'I knew it,' Zaboru thought, his eyes narrowing. 'He can use Chi!'

Zaboru narrowly dodged the strike, feeling the rush of air as the sword passed inches from his body. With barely a moment to react, he launched a hook kick aimed at the bandit leader's torso. But the leader raised his shield once more, deflecting the blow.

'Shit! This is just like fighting Oswald,' Zaboru thought, recognizing the patterns. 'But unlike Oswald, this guy is a skilled warrior.'

The bandit leader sneered at Zaboru, his voice dripping with contempt. "What's wrong, ugly fuck? Cat got your tongue, huh?"

Zaboru grinned, his lips curling into a taunting smile. "As for my tongue, you better ask your mom where it was last night, dude."

For a moment, the bandit leader's grin faltered. Then, his face twisted in rage.

'Perfect,' Zaboru thought. 'His temper's getting the better of him.'

The bandit leader snarled, his fury evident in every vein on his neck. "You'll pay for that, asshole," he growled, but unlike Oswald, he kept his guard up, his mind still calculating.

'This might be a hassle, but I'm used to fighting sword-and-shield warriors from Rising Live,' Zaboru mused. 'I can handle him.'

Zaboru's taunt worked. With a growl, he charged forward, closing the distance between them. His fist shot out with deadly precision, landing a powerful punch to the bandit leader's midsection, but once again, the bandit blocked with his shield.

Without wasting a second, the bandit leader raised his sword arm, preparing for another deadly strike. But Zaboru anticipated the move. He surged forward, delivering a front kick with the force of Strike Breathing and internal energy, driving it straight into the bandit leader's shield. The leader's body slid backward, the attack enough to throw off his sword strike.

Zaboru followed up immediately, taking a Straight Punch stance, but the bandit leader raised his shield once more, blocking the blow. Zaboru feinted left, then quickly swept his leg low, delivering a kick enhanced by internal energy and Strike Breathing straight to the leader's knee. The bandit leader winced but didn't fall.

"FUCK YOU!" the bandit leader roared, his anger intensifying. With blistering speed, he swung his sword at Zaboru, charging with all his might.

"Watch out!" Renny shouted from behind.

But Zaboru had seen this move before—sword-and-shield warriors, like the ones he'd fought in Rising Live, were known for their resilience to pain. They often counterattacked after taking damage. Zaboru sidestepped just enough to avoid the strike and then leaped into the air, spinning to deliver a Jumping Spinning Side Kick to bandit leader sword wielding arm, his leg enhanced by both Strike Breathing and internal energy.

The impact was brutal. The bandit leader's sword arm snapped back, and with a strangled yell, he dropped his weapon.

"Amazing..." Renny whispered, stunned by Zaboru's precise timing and skill.

The bandit leader, now weaponless, gritted his teeth in rage. "Who needs a sword, fucker? I'll bash you with this shield!"

Zaboru grinned, unflinching. "Time for a beatdown, motherfucker!" he roared.

Zaboru struck first, slamming a straight punch into the bandit leader's face. The leader blocked with his shield, but Zaboru's assault didn't stop there. He followed up with a low kick, then a front kick, only for the bandit leader to step back, dodging just in time. Zaboru moved with lightning speed, delivering three consecutive hook punches—each one blocked, but with every deflection, the bandit leader's arms grew more and more fatigued.

'Shit!' the bandit leader thought, realizing his strength was waning.

Zaboru saw his opening. With a roar, he launched an Axe Kick, driving it into the bandit leader's face. This time, the bandit leader didn't block it in time with his shield. The force of the impact sent him staggering back, his hands feels of pain.

Zaboru didn't waste the opportunity. He powered his legs with internal energy and sidestepped, moving with blinding speed. He closed the gap and delivered a series of crushing hook punches to the bandit leader's ribs, each one enhanced with Strike Breathing and internal energy.

The bandit leader winced, the pain overwhelming him, Zaboru quickly follow up and do Axe kick to the Bandit leader's shield wielding arm , his arm yanked and he dropped his shield in surrender. Zaboru quickly followed up, kicking the shield further away. The bandit leader, now desperate, found himself weaponless and on the defensive.

"Fuck you, ugly bast—" His words were cut off as Zaboru landed a brutal hook punch to his face. The assault continued—two, three, four, five, six more hook punches rained down on the bandit leader, "BAM , BAM , BAM , BAM, BAM, BAM!" each one pushing him closer to defeat.

Finally, Zaboru finished him with a brutal Jumping Spinning Hook Kick, enhanced with Strike Breathing and internal energy "Eat this cock sucker!" Zaboru roared, Zaboru kick cut the wind with the sound of "WHOOSH" before impacting the bandit leader's face with "BAM". The bandit leader's face crumpled under the force of the blow, and his body flew backward, crashing into a nearby tree.

"Unbelievable…" Renny muttered, wide-eyed at the scene. Even as a C-rank adventurer, she knew she wouldn't have been able to take on a skilled fighter like that without preparation. Zaboru, however, had taken down the bandit leader with ease.

Zaboru let out a long sigh, wiping the sweat from his brow. 'Finally done. Anyway, let's loot and interact with the adventurer and the boy now. Let's hope my -1 charm doesn't affect them too much…'

With that, he approached Renny and the boy.