Chapter 3: Bandits
He tried to create another Ice Beast, surprised that he could create another one. Soon, he had created three Ice Beasts, their icy forms shimmering in the dim moonlight. He was about to create a fourth, but he felt a wave of fatigue wash over him. His mana was depleted. Without the support of mana, the three Ice Beasts crumbled to pieces, drifting to the air like sparkling dust.
"So, three Ice Beasts is my limit," he sighed, a little disappointed but happy inside. "Not only that, I felt like controlling three Ice Beasts at once wouldn't last for a minute." But he was excited, his heart pounding with a mixture of exhilaration and trepidation. It felt great being transmigrated to this world, a world he didn't even know the name of. He was still trying to process everything that had happened. It was his first time being intimate with a woman, and his first time using magic. He had experienced so much in a short time, and he knew that this was just the beginning.
He returned inside the bamboo hut, the whole place was dark, but he could still clearly see Freya sleeping, her face serene, her breathing soft and even. He laid beside her, his heart filled with a strange mix of tenderness while looking at her.
"System, open my personal status," Lucien thought to his mind.
Name: Lucien
Age: 17
Magic Cultivation: Beginner 10 star
Body Cultivation: None
Class: Mage
Magic Aptitude: poor
Body Aptitude: poor
Elemental Affinity: Ice
Spell and Skill:
-Ice Beast Creation 3 Star (High Grade Spell)
-Heavy Stike 1 Star (Low Grade)
Breathing Technique
-Mana Absorption Technique 3 Star (High Grade)
-Knight Breathing Technique 1 Star (Low Grade)
Spouse: 1
Name:
-Freya
Offspring: 1
Name:
-None
He was surprised to see that his Magic Cultivation was already at Beginner 10 star. He had never thought he would be able to achieve such a high level so quickly. He was grateful for the system's help, for the gifts it had bestowed upon him.
After a while, Lucien fell asleep beside Freya with a sense of contentment on his face.
Time passed by, and soon the morning came. The first rays of sunlight peeked through the cracks in the bamboo walls, painting the hut in a warm, golden glow. Lucien opened his eyes, his body still a little stiff from sleep. He looked at his side and found that the bed was empty. Freya was already up.
He stood up and found that Freya was serving food on the table, her movements graceful and efficient. She was wearing a simple dress but it looked elegant on her.
"Humm... you already got up," she said, her voice soft and sweet. "I don't have to wake you up anymore. Let us eat."
Lucien nodded, his heart warm, he washed his mouth and face, then went to the table. The table had a bowl of porridge, with chopped leaves on top of it. It looked simple, but it smelled delicious. He took a spoonful and tasted it. It was warm and comforting, a perfect start to the day.
He blinked a few times, his mind still adjusting to this new world. "This place is no longer Earth," he thought. "Maybe in this world, for common people, porridge is already a luxury." He thought as he and Freya continued eating.
At the deeper part of the foot of Whispering Mountains, a crude wooden house can be seen, hidden in a slope of the valley. It was a ramshackle structure, its walls made of rough-hewn planks, its roof leaking in places. But it was a home, a haven, for a band of criminals who had made this valley their own.
Inside the biggest wooden house, a group of men sat around a rough-hewn table. They were bandits, outlaws, criminals who had fled the law and made their home in the wilderness.
"Boss, everyone is ready," a thin middle-aged man with monkey cheeks and yellow teeth said, his voice a low rasp. His name was Benny, one of the bandit leader's lackeys.
The one he called boss was named Beru, a hulking man with a thick beard and a cruel smile. He called himself Black Bear, a name that reflected his brutality and his strength. He was a criminal hiding from the pursuit of the knights, a man who had committed unspeakable acts. He abducted women and children, raped them, and sold them to slave traders.
His group of bandits consists of criminals who committed heinous crimes. In his group, there were 35 people, and a dozen of them were Beginner Knights, Rangers, or Assassins.
Beru was the strongest, reaching 7-star Beginner Knight. He was a powerful warrior, a force to be reckoned with. He had a reputation for ruthlessness, for his willingness to use any means necessary to achieve his goals. He was a man who lived on lust, violence and greed.
"Boss, I heard that there are great beauties in the Bamboo Village," Agu said, his voice dripping with lust. He had long, disheveled dry hair and sunken eyes.
"Two of them were daughters of the village head, the other one was a widow. She was beautiful and fresh. I heard she has a husband, a knight, but before her husband could touch her, he died escorting a noble who travels to other towns." He licked his lips, his eyes gleaming with a predatory hunger.
Everyone who heard Agu licked their lips, their eyes filled with greedy and lustful desire.
"Boss, why don't we attack now?" one of the bandits said, his voice filled with a cruel glee. "One of the playthings you gave us was already dead. After I remove her fingers one by one, she can't even last a day." He chuckled, a dark, chilling sound that echoed through the room.
"Ooh... alright, get ready," Beru spoke in a hoarse voice, his words laced with a chilling indifference. "We will be going to attack the Bamboo Village this morning." He paused, his eyes narrowing. "Alright, what about the one who escaped from the Spring Village we attacked two weeks ago?"
"Boss, it was probably run towards the nearby village, it should be the Bamboo Village," Benny said, his voice is filled with certainty.
"If that's the case, get ready," Beru said, his voice a low growl. "We should be able to reach the Bamboo Village in an hour. And those beauties, don't touch them. They're mine. After I played for a bit, they'll be yours," he said greedily, his eyes gleaming with anticipation.
Everyone cheered, their voices a chorus of depravity. For them, killing and abducting women and children was a norm.
Story continues..