Kyle strode down the dimly lit corridor, his movents smooth and unhurried, like a shadow gliding over the ground.
The faint pulse of mana guided him forward, leading him to a simple wooden door at the end of the hallway.
He knocked once, a polite, almost lazy tap against the surface.
No response.
Kyle's eyelid twitched slightly.
"Tch. How rude."
He lifted his hand again, this ti pressing his palm flat against the wood. A pulse of mana surged outward—
CRACK—!
The door snapped open violently, swinging so hard it slamd into the wall, causing dust to shake loose from the ceiling.
Inside, the innkeeper jolted in alarm, nearly tipping over his chair. His round face twisted in shock before contorting into an ugly expression of rage and panic.
"W-What the hell—"
His eyes darted to the wall, where a dusty old sword hung on a rusted hook. In one swift motion, he snatched it down, gripping the hilt with both hands.
lissa was collapsed on the floor behind him, her breathing steady but weak, her body twitching as though on the verge of waking up.
She did not look hurt, but it was clear that lissa had been treated roughly by the innkeeper and his wife.
Kyle's gaze flickered to her for only a second before shifting back to the flailing fool in front of him.
The innkeeper raised the sword shakily, his knuckles turning white.
"You—You better step back! Do you realize what you're doing? Trespassing is punishable by law!"
He barked, though the slight tremor in his voice betrayed his nerves.
Kyle didn't even blink.
His expression remained flat, unreadable, as if he were watching a particularly boring play.
Instead of responding, he casually adjusted his gloves, brushing off an invisible speck of dust.
The innkeeper twitched in frustration.
"Damn brat!"
He lunged forward, sword swinging in a wide arc.
Kyle sighed.
"Why is it that all idiots charge headfirst?"
With barely a movent, Kyle lifted his hand and caught the man's wrist mid-swing.
The sword halted instantly, its montum vanishing as if it had slamd into an invisible wall.
The innkeeper's face twisted in shock, his arm trembling as he struggled to move it.
Kyle tilted his head, watching him as if inspecting a particularly uninteresting insect.
Then, without any effort, he squeezed.
"Ghh—!!"
The innkeeper let out a strangled noise, his fingers involuntarily loosening their grip.
The sword clattered to the floor, forgotten.
"L-Let go!"
He wheezed, his face turning red as he desperately tried to pull back.
Kyle obliged—without hesitation.
The mont he let go, the innkeeper stumbled backward, clutching his wrist.
Then—
He laughed.
A wheezing, self-satisfied chuckle.
"Hah! Y-You think you're tough? You'll regret—"
WHACK!
The room shook as a shockwave of mana exploded outward.
The innkeeper flew backward, his body slamming into the wall with enough force to leave a deep dent in the wooden surface.
Kyle barely reacted.
He already knew who was responsible before even turning his head.
Sure enough—lissa stood there, her hand raised, faint traces of mana dissipating from her palm.
Her breathing was heavy, but her stance was firm.
Her gaze locked onto Kyle's, frustration clear in her slightly furrowed brows.
"Master… I let my guard down."
Her voice was tight, her fists clenching at her sides.
Kyle studied her for a mont, his expression unreadable.
Then—he gave a small nod of approval.
"Your control is improving."
lissa brightened, her chest puffing up slightly in pride.
But then—
Kyle tilted his head, his tone shifting.
"Still, if soone like this managed to catch you off guard, you need more training."
The mont of triumph shattered.
lissa winced, her pride deflating like a punctured balloon.
She bowed her head sharply.
"Understood. I'll do better next ti."
Kyle nodded once more, satisfied.
anwhile, the innkeeper groaned, his body still half-embedded in the wall like a bad painting.
"Haa… why… why does this keep happening to …?"
he mumbled in defeat.
Kyle didn't bother answering.
He had more important things to deal with.
His eyes flickered back to lissa, who was silent but clearly berating herself.
Kyle did not say anything to lissa, mostly because he knew that she was blaming herself for what happened. But it was also an experience she needed to have in order to grow stronger.
"Let's head out now. You can think about what you did wrong later and what you can do to improve."
Kyle spoke his order and lissa looked disappointed but resolute.
"Yes, Master."
Kyle turned on his heel and strode toward the door—
lissa falling into step behind him.
Her mind was set.
She would not make the sa mistake again
Kyle stepped out of the dimly lit corridor, lissa following closely behind.
The atmosphere in the tavern was thick with tension—locals whispering nervously, eyes flickering toward the defeated guards still groaning on the floor.
Bruce, who had been pacing anxiously, let out a relieved sigh the mont he spotted Kyle.
His shoulders sagged, and for a brief second, he almost ran over to voice just how worried he had been—
But Kyle raised a hand, stopping him in his tracks.
"We're leaving this place soon. Make sure you settle the account."
His tone was calm but final.
Bruce snapped his mouth shut and straightened up.
Kyle stepped forward, his sharp gaze sweeping over the room. The innkeeper's wife stiffened, her once-arrogant expression crumbling into barely concealed fear.
But just as it seed they would simply walk away, Kyle paused, then spoke again—this ti, his voice carrying a dangerous edge.
"But before that…We'll be cleaning up this village."
He glanced at Bruce and lissa.
Bruce blinked.
"Cleaning up…?"
lissa, having been by Kyle's side long enough, imdiately understood.
Bruce, however, looked baffled—until Kyle turned back toward the trembling innkeeper's wife and smirked.
"Consider it paynt for the way we were treated."
A chill ran through the room.
The villagers stared at Kyle, confusion and fear mixing in their eyes.
But Kyle had already made up his mind.
This village had too many rats—and he was in the mood to exterminate them.
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