Chapter 279: Crime O’Clock
[Return and begin anew, Child of Fate.]
[Return and begin anew, Child of Fate.]
[Return and begin anew, Child of Fate.]
...
...
...
Ruvian had already stopped counting long ago. After dying and crawling back through time hundreds of times, the strange voices had become little more than another cruel part of his regression process.
Yuzuki, unfortunately, had kept the count.
And this... was Ruvian’s 801st cycle.
Furthermore, by this cycle, Ruvian had already mastered the ability to choose his regression checkpoint at will.
And this time, however, he had chosen to skip the enrollment ceremony, cast aside the scholastic path entirely, and become an adventurer instead.
Two months had passed since then.
Ruvian had spent every waking day exploiting the knowledge carved from his previous regressions, turning every past mistake into another weapon. If Yuzuki had to make a comparison, the Ruvian of the 801st cycle had already surpassed the version of himself on Vazrun Island.
A Second-Class Magus.
However, strength was not the only thing Ruvian had gained from those eight hundred failed lives. He had also amassed knowledge that no ordinary person could ever hope to uncover.
Tonight, he intended to exploit it.
Before midnight, Ruvian left the small inn where he had been staying and slipped beyond the city walls. A dark cloak concealed his body, while a plain sword rested beneath it at his waist.
Yuzuki silently followed him through the deserted streets and onto the northern road.
The night air bit against his skin, while a thin mist crept across the ground between the trees. Even their footsteps sounded unusually loud within the suffocating silence.
After walking for nearly an hour, Ruvian veered away from the main road and slipped into the woods. He moved between the trees with instinctive confidence, as though he had crossed this path countless times before.
In truth, he probably had.
Before long, he reached a narrow bend where the road cut between two steep hills. Dense trees loomed on both sides, concealing the area from anyone approaching at a distance.
There was no other route nearby, which meant every carriage heading north was forced to pass through this place.
Ruvian climbed the smaller hill and crouched behind a fallen tree. From there, he had a clear view of the road while remaining concealed beneath the thick branches.
Lowering himself beside Ruvian, Yuzuki settled quietly at his side. His gaze drifted toward the empty road, but nothing about it appeared unusual.
Still, he already understood what Ruvian was waiting for.
A carriage transporting goods to the Ashway Bazaar would pass through this road before sunrise. It bore no mark or crest linking it to the hidden market, appearing no different from an ordinary merchant carriage.
However, beneath the carriage floor was a sealed compartment hidden from sight. Inside it were the very things Ruvian intended to get his hands on.
After staring at the silent road for a while, Yuzuki finally shifted his gaze toward Ruvian. The boy remained crouched. His stare never left the bend below.
"Ahem, listen, whatever you do, do not charge in the moment that carriage appears," Yuzuki warned quietly.
"You tried that in the previous cycle, and you’re surprised by the four shadow guards. Anyway, you probably know that already... so, just don’t let them box you in this time, alright?"
Naturally, Ruvian gave no response.
He could neither hear nor sense Yuzuki, yet Yuzuki continued as though they were planning the ambush together.
He looked at Ruvian.
There was no hesitation nor uncertainty left in his eyes.
Yuzuki smiled proudly.
"Alright, it seems like you got it," he muttered. "I’ll just support you from the sidelines... like I always do."
He reached out and gave Ruvian a light pat on the back. As expected, his hand passed straight through Ruvian’s body without the slightest resistance, and simply pulled it back.
For some reason, he couldn’t touch human or trying to harm things in this vision.
Anyway, he had already gotten used to it, so it didn’t surprise him anymore.
Several more minutes slipped by in silence.
Then, at last, a faint sound reached them.
Clop. Clop. Clop.
The steady rhythm of horses echoed from the distant road. It grew louder with every passing second until the outline of a lone carriage slowly emerged through the thin mist.
Ruvian’s eyes narrowed.
Without wasting a moment, he reached beneath his cloak and pulled out a small glass vial filled with a colorless liquid. He removed the cork with his thumb and drank the entire potion.
The instant the last drop slid down his throat, his presence vanished.
"Alright, Ruvian... it’s time for your crime o’clock."
Minutes later, the mounts finally reached the narrowest part of the road. Immediately, Ruvian cast [Light Devourer].
In response, shadows pooled under the carriage like dark oil. Then, the lantern hanging beside the driver suddenly went out.
Both horses released uneasy cries.
The driver immediately pulled the reins and stopped the carriage. There was no confusion on his face — his hand had already slipped beneath his coat and closed around something hidden there.
His gaze swept across the trees, cold and alert.
"Hey Gullard," the driver whispered. "The horses are sensing something. Check out the road."
The moment the words left his mouth, a man rose from the shadow beneath the carriage. Another stepped out from behind the rear wheel, while two more emerged from the trees.
All four were dressed in black, short blades already drawn.
Ruvian watched them for a moment, then picked up a small stone.
With a flick of his fingers, he sent it toward the right side of the road and cast [Guiding Breeze]. The wind caught the stone in midair, pulling it deeper into the woods.
A second later, it struck a tree with a sharp crack.
All four guards turned toward the sound. Gullard moved first, slipping between the trees without making a sound, while the other three spread out behind him. Even the driver shifted his attention toward the right side of the road.
That brief moment was all Ruvian needed.
He descended from the hill without disturbing a single branch. [Guiding Breeze] wrapped around his body, carrying his steps and swallowing the faint rustle of his cloak. By the time his boots touched the road, he was already standing next to the driver.
Then, he struck the driver’s wrist with the flat of his sword.
The hidden blade flew from the man’s hand.
"Hak... e-enemy!" he shouted almost instantly.
At the same time, his other fist shot toward Ruvian’s chest with enough force to crack the wooden carriage behind him.
Ruvian twisted aside. The fist passed his cloak and smashed through the driver’s seat instead.
The four guards moved. Their bodies blurred through the darkness, crossing the distance in an instant. Short blades flashed from four different directions.
Yuzuki’s expression tightened.
"Here it comes."
Ruvian planted one foot against the ground.
[Wind Burst]
Wind exploded from his body.
The nearest two guards were thrown backward. The others lowered their bodies and pushed through the blast, crossing their arms before their faces.
They were skilled, which was very troublesome, but Ruvian could handle it.
One appeared behind Ruvian and slashed toward his neck. Another attacked from the front, aiming to trap him between their blades.
Ruvian sank into the shadow beneath the carriage.
Both attacks cut through empty air.
The guards froze.
A second later, Ruvian emerged from the darkness behind the first man and struck the back of his knee. The guard dropped lower, only for the pommel of Ruvian’s sword to slam against his temple.
His eyes rolled back.
Before his body could touch the ground, Ruvian caught him by the collar and threw him into the second guard.
The two crashed through the carriage door.
"Damn it!"
Then, the second guard pushed the unconscious man away and rose with blood running from his nose.
Meanwhile, the driver had already recovered.
He tore a broken piece of wood from the seat and swung it like a club. The strike ripped through the air, carrying enough force to crush a man’s skull.
Ruvian raised his sword, blocking the attack.
Due to the impact, the driver’s broken club split down the middle.
The man threw it aside.
His expression had finally changed.
"You... you are not a common thief!"
Ruvian remained silent.
Naturally, Yuzuki answered for him.
"Yeah, why of course not? He is a very experienced thief. That’s not something to be proud of by the way."
The remaining guards rushed forward again.
One moved low, while the other leapt over him. Their timing was nearly perfect, forcing Ruvian to defend against two attacks from different heights.
Ruvian raised his free hand.
[Bind]
Bundles of mana-like chains appeared beneath the guard before twisting around his ankle.
His step broke.
The second guard was already in the air and could not change direction. Ruvian shifted half a step aside, caught the man’s arm, and used his own speed against him.
The guard struck the road hard enough to split the ground. Before he could rise, Ruvian pressed his hand against his face.
[Wind Burst]
The guard’s head slammed back into the dirt, and his body went limp.
The trapped man cut through the chains around his ankle and lunged forward with a furious cry.
Ruvian met him halfway.
Their blades clashed several times in less than a second, sparks flashing between them. The guard was fast, but Ruvian had already seen every move he knew.
He stepped inside the man’s guard, struck his ribs with his elbow, and followed with a sharp blow to the side of his neck.
And with that, the third guard collapsed.
Ruvian turned around facing the driver.
Only he and Gullard remained.
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[Chapter 279: Crime O’Clock]