“Ugh!” The bandit groaned as his sword clattered to the ground.
“Come here!” Michael called.
The sword levitated from the floor as if controlled by a master swordsman and landed perfectly in Michael’s palm.
The moment it did, its rank jumped to C-Divine.
“You… Who are you?!” the bandit stammered, scared out of his boots.
Michael didn’t waste words.
With a single swing, the bandit’s head rolled onto the ground.
By then, the remaining bandits in the village had gathered, their attention fixed on Michael.
“You damn beast!
Boys, kill him!” the bandit with higher authority shouted.
“With what swords?” Michael asked coldly.
His Sword Heart resonated with every bandit’s weapon, forcing them to fly out of their owners’ hands.
The bandits stared in shock as their own blades turned against them.
“Rise!” Michael commanded.
All the swords levitated into the air.
With a simple mental command, they shot downward, stabbing the bandits through the chest and ending their lives instantly.
All except one.
“Hiik!!” the surviving bandit cried, eyes wide with terror.
He stared at Michael as if he were the god of death.
“You.
Take me to your hideout,” Michael ordered coldly.
“Yes, sir!” The bandit nodded frantically.
Together, they made their way to the bandit camp.
When they arrived, Michael saw his father and several other men and women bound together.
He was tempted to summon Void Slayer and slaughter every bandit in sight, but he knew the risks.
Using such overwhelming power would draw dangerous attention and rob him of the peace he wanted in this life.
Taking a deep breath, Michael decided against a direct approach due to their numbers.
After silently killing the bandit who had guided him, he sneaked into the hideout.
It was already dark.
Torches provided the only illumination, which worked to Michael’s advantage.
He moved like a well-trained assassin, silently taking down bandits one by one.
He knew exactly when to move and where to hide, thanks to his Sword Heart communicating with the bandits’ weapons.
Michael continued his stealthy assault until he could kill no more without alerting the rest of the camp.
Just as he was planning his next move, a cold voice spoke behind him.
“I knew I smelled a rat.”
Michael turned, but before he could react, a powerful slap sent him skidding across the ground.
The bandit leader had discovered him.
“You really thought you could keep killing my men as you pleased?” the bandit leader asked, his voice as cold as his eyes.
Michael looked up and noticed the man wasn’t using a sword but a spear.
He rose to his feet, staring at the leader with annoyance.
“You attacked an innocent village.
Why?”
“Because I could,” the bandit leader replied with a smirk.
He blurred forward and appeared in front of Michael.
Michael tried to react, but he was too slow.
The pole of the spear struck him, sending him flying into a stack of stored alcohol drums.
“A measly unranked dares to fight me?
A C-rank spearman?” the bandit leader sneered.
“C-rank?
If you’re really C-rank, why are you just a measly bandit?” Michael asked.
Anyone at C-rank could easily join the Adventurer’s Guild or work as a mercenary.
Becoming a bandit leader was the last thing someone of that strength would do.
“What do you know?” the bandit leader spat.
“I offended a baron, and he took revenge by slaughtering my entire family.
I ran for my life and have been hiding ever since to avoid certain death.”
He stepped closer.
“So until I’m strong enough to get my revenge, I won’t let anyone stand in my way.”
“I can’t win this fight,” Michael realized.
He was tempted to pull out Void Slayer, but doing so might invite enemies he still couldn’t handle.
“Hah.
Guess I’m the unluckiest human in the world,” Michael sighed, trapped between a rock and a hard place.
[Host can temporarily take a loan from the System to be repaid at a future date.]
[Read the terms and conditions sent to you for better understanding.]
“A loan?” Michael thought.
He didn’t have time to ponder.
The bandit leader grabbed him by the neck and squeezed tightly.
Michael struggled for air, his vision blurring.
“Accept the loan!!” Michael croaked desperately.
[Very well.]
[800 copper coins loaned.]
[Drawing Gacha…]
[Draw: Null]
[Failed to draw a reward.
Draw again?]
“Urgh!!!” Michael groaned, slowly losing consciousness.
[1600 copper (16 bronze) loaned.]
[Draw: Null]
[32 bronze loaned.]
[Congratulations!
You have received the B-rank battle pet: Two-Headed Wolf.]
Michael saw the final notification before he blacked out completely.
The bandit leader continued choking Michael’s unconscious body.
Suddenly, a spatial rift tore open beneath their feet.
From it emerged a majestic two-headed wolf.
One head was covered in snowy white fur, the other in fiery orange.
The moment the Two-Headed Wolf saw Michael being held captive, it howled in rage.
The twin heads separated into two distinct wolves.
The white wolf leapt from the ground, its razor-sharp fangs biting off the bandit leader’s hand.
“Ahhh!!!” the leader roared, staring at his mangled wrist.
The orange wolf caught Michael before he could hit the ground.
“You damn wolves!” the bandit leader growled, switching his spear to his remaining hand.
Mana surged around him as he prepared a destructive attack.
“Awooo!”
The snow-white wolf howled and unleashed a blast of ice from its mouth.
“Shit…!” the bandit leader cried.
He raised his hand to defend himself, but it was futile.
The ice encased him completely, turning him into a frozen sculpture.
The snow wolf leapt forward and shattered the ice sculpture with a powerful strike, destroying the bandit leader.