Kyle stood still, his senses sharpened as he felt the faint but unmistakable flow of mana creeping toward him.
It was erratic, unrefined—clearly the work of amateurs. But it was still vivid enough to tell him that soone was headed his way.
It made Kyle sighed.
If this was supposed to be an assassination or an ambush, then whoever sent these people had horribly low standards.
Without turning his head, he spoke, his voice calm yet commanding.
"Co out. If you want to live, face head-on."
The forest remained still for a mont, but then a low chuckle echoed from the shadows.
From behind the trees, several n in dark, weathered clothing stepped forward, their weapons glinting under the dim light. Their faces bore confident smirks, as if they had already won.
One of them, a burly man with a scar running down his cheek, let out a snort.
"And why would we listen to so noble brat who's out for a stroll?"
Kyle tilted his head, his expression unreadable.
"Because you're lucky."
The leader of the group, a rough-looking man with a jagged blade resting on his shoulder, raised a brow.
"Lucky?"
Kyle nodded, his lips curving into a smirk.
"Yes, lucky. Because I'm a pacifist."
The entire group burst into laughter. The leader grinned, shaking his head as if he had heard the most ridiculous thing.
"A noble brat, lost in the woods, pretending to be a pacifist? That just makes things easier for us. No need to waste too much effort then."
With a flick of his wrist, he pulled out his blade.
Kyle let out a quiet chuckle and turned toward a nearby tree.
With one smooth motion, he reached out, snapped off a thin branch, and held it like a weapon in front of him.
The laughter from the group quieted. A few exchanged glances, wondering if they were dealing with a complete fool or if there was more to this than t the eye.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?"
One of the n asked, his tone a mix of amusent and irritation.
Kyle twirled the branch in his fingers, testing its weight.
"Isn't it obvious? I'm arming myself to defend against you."
He said, his voice laced with mock innocence.
The leader sneered.
"Enough of this. Take him down."
The Ashen Blades rushed forward, their weapons glinting as they aid for a quick, decisive kill.
But the next mont, chaos erupted.
Kyle moved.
With a flick of his wrist, the small branch whipped through the air, colliding with the nearest attacker's wrist with a sharp crack.
The man cried out as his weapon flew from his grasp. In the sa motion, Kyle twisted his body, sidestepping an incoming blade and bringing his branch down onto another man's knee, forcing him to collapse with a strangled gasp.
The leader barely had ti to process what was happening before Kyle appeared before him, moving with a speed far beyond human limits.
A single, precise strike from the flimsy branch sent the leader staggering back, pain shooting up his arm as if he had been struck by an iron rod.
In less than a minute, the fight was over.
Kyle stood amidst the fallen n, his stick resting against his shoulder, completely unhard. The air was thick with the groans of the injured and the occasional pained whimper.
The leader of the Ashen Blades was kneeling, one hand clutching his bleeding arm, his expression a mixture of shock and disbelief.
"Impossible! You… you're supposed to be weak. A disgrace. How—?"
He muttered, staring at Kyle as if he were seeing a ghost.
Kyle crouched in front of him, eting his gaze with calm, cold eyes.
"Why did you attack ?"
The leader swallowed hard, realizing there was no point in lying.
"Money. We heard the rumors… that the Armstrong family's weak son had wandered off. We thought we could make an easy profit."
He admitted.
Kyle exhaled through his nose.
"I see. So your plan was to kidnap , huh? Not a bad idea."
The leader quickly lowered his head.
"It was. A huge mistake. Please, let live. I swear, we won't co after you again."
Kyle's expression remained unreadable as he tapped the stick against his palm.
"And why should I let you live?"
The leader hesitated for a mont, before desperation took over.
"I'll do anything. Anything you ask."
Kyle studied him for a long mont before speaking.
"Then prove it."
The leader blinked.
"How?"
Kyle's voice was devoid of emotion as he delivered his next words.
"Cut off your own arm."
A heavy silence fell over the clearing.
The remaining conscious mbers of the Ashen Blades stiffened, their eyes widening in horror.
"Y-You can't be serious—"
The leader stamred, his voice shaky.
Kyle tilted his head slightly.
"I don't repeat myself."
The leader's breathing grew ragged as he looked down at his injured arm. He knew that if he refused, Kyle would kill him without hesitation.
And sohow, the thought of that calm, cold execution terrified him far more than losing a limb.
His hands trembled as he reached for the dagger strapped to his belt.
A mont later, the forest was filled with the sound of a blade cutting through flesh… and a scream.
Kyle watched, indifferent, as the leader collapsed, clutching the bleeding stump where his arm had once been.
Satisfied, Kyle turned to the remaining Ashen Blades.
"Take your leader and leave. If I see any of you near again, I won't be so generous next ti."
"D-Didn't you say you were a pacifist?"
One of his opponents asked while trembling and Kyle let out a bloody smile on his lips.
"What do you an? I am a pacifist. I prefer to make people unable to fight, hence ending the conflict. I an, if they are unconscious, or even better, dead, then they won't be able to cause a conflict, right?"
Kyle's smile looked innocent and dangerous at the sa ti.
The n wasted no ti. Scrambling to their feet, they hoisted their leader up and vanished into the forest, their fear overriding any lingering thoughts of revenge.
Kyle exhaled and turned his gaze to the bloodied ground.
Weak.
These rcenaries, these so-called killers, were weak.
And if they were any indication of this world's strength, then he had nothing to fear.
His lips curled into a smirk as he turned away, heading deeper into the forest.
It was ti to truly begin his training.
Reviews
All reviews (0)