It was a strange kind of satisfaction, knowing you were stronger than the beings standing before you and could slaughter them without giving them a genuine chance to fight back.
When Bran extinguished the only source of light inside the cave, the goblins were plunged into complete darkness. They swung their weapons wildly, striking at shadows and whatever they thought was an enemy. In their panic, some even ended up wounding their own comrades.
Without their leader to command them, the goblins were caught between fear and rage, struggling to understand the anomaly that had suddenly interrupted their meal. Their crude minds could not comprehend what was happening. One moment, they had been feasting. The next, an unseen predator had descended upon them from the darkness.
But fury alone could not win battles.
With his Assassin-class night vision allowing him to see through the darkness with ease, Bran moved among them like a phantom. The goblins never even saw their killer before death found them. To him, they were nothing more than prey waiting for the executioner to finish his work.
And so, when everything finally fell silent, Bran stood near the entrance of the cave, surrounded by more than fifteen goblin corpses lying in pools of their own blood.
He was now in the process of lighting the branches again so he could properly examine the condition of the woman he had rescued.
At the same time, he asked the system, ’Put a good amount of these corpses up for barter.’
Originally, Bran would have handed the bodies over to the guild, collected the monetary reward, and then sneaked into the office to exchange the corpses for credit points, much like he had done with the devil’s corpse.
But now, the woman he had saved would surely make him considerably richer. There was no reason to go through all that trouble and risk when he could simply take advantage of the system’s barter function.
[Assessing the condition of the goblins. The host ensured minimal damage to the subjects.]
Bran grinned.
’Of course. When your opponents are practically blind to your attacks, you can choose exactly how cleanly you want to kill them.’
A simple cut to the throat had been enough to put most of them down. And that was exactly what he had done.
Still, his smugness would mean little if the system couldn’t offer him a worthwhile number of points for the haul.
There were several things in the shop he wanted to purchase, items that could prove invaluable in his coming battle against the Governor. Sooner rather than later, Bran had a feeling he would have to deal with that man himself.
If that happened, he needed to be prepared.
[After assessing the corpses presented by the host...]
[Barter Price: 250 CP]
[Additionally, the host has gained 300 CP from the quest.]
[Current Balance: 210 → 760 CP]
"..." Bran stared at the notification for a moment.
Damn.
That was one hell of a haul for a single day.
Taking the risk and plunging into this cave of uncertainty had certainly paid off. He had earned a substantial amount of credit points, and there was still the matter of the reward he had been promised.
’You mentioned something about a Blood Reaper or something?’
[Indeed, host. You may find the weapon in the Dojo.]
Bran hummed thoughtfully.
He had never visited the Dojo before, but it seemed he would have to make time for it. This was the first time the system has handed him a weapon as a reward and it was A-rank no less. Surely, he was eager to use it.
But for now...
Click.
Bran flicked the lighter he had purchased from the shop and held it beneath the dry branches. A small flame caught almost immediately, spreading along the wood until a warm glow began to push back the darkness.
The cave slowly emerged from the shadows once more, revealing the aftermath of the slaughter and, more importantly, the woman he had risked himself to save.
As illumination returned to the cave, Bran saw the woman, Countess Mitchfall, huddled in a corner and trembling from head to toe.
However, the moment her eyes adjusted to the light and landed on the carnage surrounding her, they widened in disbelief.
"You... killed them all?" she asked, her voice trembling with utter shock. "But how...?"
She had clearly heard the goblins snarling and thrashing around in the darkness. She had even heard the sounds of their weapons clashing and bodies hitting the ground. Yet before the darkness had swallowed the cave, Bran had been cornered by the taller goblin.
So how had he dealt with all of them so easily?
"It doesn’t matter. I just want to know if you’re safe," Bran said as he cautiously approached her, careful not to startle her after everything she had endured.
The woman’s eyes glistened with tears. She shook her head weakly before lowering her gaze.
"No... I’m not. I’m not okay..." Her voice cracked, followed by a quiet sniffle.
Bran let out a slow sigh before gently pulling her into his arms.
The woman immediately gave in to the warmth and support she had been desperately craving and wrapped her arms around him. Her composure finally broke.
Her wails echoed through the cave as she released the fear, helplessness, and anger she had been bottling up. Her body trembled against him, and for a while, Bran said nothing. He simply held her, allowing her to cry without rushing her or demanding an explanation.
He remained patient until her sobs gradually weakened and her breathing became steadier.
Only after several minutes did he gently pull away and look at her.
"We need to get you cleaned up first. Whatever fluid they applied to you isn’t safe."
Now that she had calmed down enough to become aware of herself, Marcella glanced down at her disheveled state and immediately flushed.
Her gown had been torn in several places, leaving much of her legs exposed, while the fabric around her chest had been pulled loose enough that she hurriedly covered herself with her arms.
She looked away in embarrassment, clearly uncomfortable with how exposed she had become.
Rumble.
The sudden boom of thunder from outside made both of them flinch.
For a moment, they simply stared at one another before Bran turned toward the cave entrance.
The rain had grown heavier.
Water poured down outside in thick sheets, its relentless drumming against the stone echoing through the cave. With the storm showing no sign of stopping, it seemed they would be staying here for a while.
Bran stared at the woman and said, "We can’t risk delaying this any more. This poison needs to be cleaned now."
"Thoroughly."
~~~
A/N:- There are things he might do in his path of attaining what he desires which morally would feel bad to some. I believe just stop reading if it feels unbearable to you.