The Smiling Death

The battle was over.

The forest had finally fallen silent.

The smell of blood and burnt earth still lingered in the air as the five students stood around Luke’s lifeless body.

Amon, Seraphina, Marcus, Aisha and Eliana.

The feared bandit leader who had terrorized Black Raven Hills for years now lay motionless before them.

His twin battle axes rested beside him, stained with blood.

After Marcus, Aisha, and Eliana had joined the fight, the battle had shifted completely in their favor.

Even a Master Ascendant could not withstand five talented Master Rank fighters attacking in perfect coordination.

In the end Luke had fallen.

Amon let out a long breath before wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth.

"...Finally. The mission is complete."

Seraphina glanced at the corpses scattered throughout the camp before nodding.

"Before we leave, we need evidence."

She took out her pager from her storage ring.

"I’ll record every body, their weapons, and the camp itself. The academy will require proof of the mission’s completion."

Amon nodded.

"Good idea. While you’re doing that, let’s search the camp. There may be stolen goods and we can return to the village. They will be happy to get extra loot."

The others agreed before splitting up.

---

Amon stepped into one of the larger tents.

Unlike the others, this one appeared to serve as a storage area.

Several large wooden crates were stacked neatly against the walls, while numerous leather bags lay scattered across the floor.

He opened the nearest bag.

"...Coins?"

Silver coins gleamed beneath the lantern’s light. He quickly opened another.

Then another. Every bag was filled with money. They were mostly broze or silver coins. Bronze were in great number.

His eyebrows rose.

"So much..."

His gaze soon landed on several storage rings resting inside a small wooden chest.

He picked one up and infused a thread of mana into it.

The storage space opened before him.

His eyes widened.

"...Whoa."

Inside were lots of silver and gold coins, along with jewelry, precious gemstones, and expensive ornaments.

"Oh, God...They looted far more than I expected."

A slow grin spread across his face.

His heartbeat quickened.

"Is this... their treasury?"

Or perhaps everything they had stolen over the years?

For a brief moment Amon’s conscience fought against another emotion.

Greed.

His eyes wandered toward one particularly full storage ring.

’Just one... No one would even notice...’

The temptation was overwhelming.

Just as he reached for it.

"Amon?"

Aisha’s voice suddenly came from behind.

Amon nearly jumped.

Without missing a beat, he casually slipped one storage ring into his pocket.

’Jackpot. Even one of these is enough to give me one years worth money. This mission was definitely worth it.’

He quickly turned around with an innocent smile.

"Oh."

"I found what looks like their treasury."

He pointed toward the remaining bags and storage rings.

"We should take all of this back to the village."

"It belongs to the people they robbed."

Aisha looked around before nodding.

"You’re right."

"We might even receive a reward for recovering it."

Amon smiled awkwardly.

"...Hopefully."

The two gathered the remaining bags and crates before carrying them outside.

---

Nearly an hour later. The entire camp had been searched.

Every useful item had been collected. The corpses had been recorded.

The stolen goods had been secured.

Seraphina closed her pager. "Everything’s finished."

Marcus stretched his arms with a loud yawn.

"Can we leave now? I’m exhausted. I just want to find a bed and sleep."

Amon laughed. "Same here."

Seraphina nodded. "Let’s head back."

The group left the abandoned camp together.

Fortunately, Amon had carved small marks into several trees during their journey deeper into the forest.

Those markings now served as a reliable trail leading them back toward Eriye Village.

The moon quietly illuminated their path as they walked through the peaceful forest.

After a while, Eliana broke the silence.

"So... Once we return to the academy, we’ll have to report the mission’s completion, right?"

Seraphina nodded.

"Yes. "We’ll submit our report, hand over the evidence, and receive our mission rewards. Mostly points."

A mischievous grin appeared on Amon’s face.

"Actually... How about we stay in the village for one more day?"

Marcus looked at him in confusion.

"...Why?"

Amon shrugged as though the answer were obvious.

"To relax. We’ve spent nearly a week chasing bandits through the forest. I’d like to enjoy the village before going back. It really is a beautiful place."

Aisha shook her head.

"I’d rather train."

She clenched her fists.

"You and Seraphina are getting stronger too quickly. I need to work harder if I want to keep up."

Amon smiled.

He genuinely admired her determination.

Out of everyone in the group Aisha possessed the strongest desire to become more powerful.

She never complained. Never made excuses.

She simply trained.

Seraphina thought for a moment before speaking.

"...One extra day won’t hurt. We’ve already completed the mission. We can leave for the academy the day after tomorrow."

Amon immediately raised both fists in celebration.

"Yes! I knew you’d agree!"

"You’re the best, Sera!"

Seraphina simply smiled helplessly.

"You really are impossible."

Laughter echoed softly through the forest as the group continued walking beneath the moonlit sky.

Several hours later. The dense trees finally began to thin.

Warm lights appeared in the distance.

At last they reached the edge of the forest.

Beyond it lay the peaceful silhouette of Eriye Village, quietly waiting beneath the night sky.

The group continued walking along the forest trail.

Amon walked beside Seraphina while Marcus, Aisha, and Eliana followed a few steps behind, chatting quietly among themselves.

Amon casually stepped ahead of the others.

Then a chill suddenly ran down his spine.

His instincts screamed.

Danger!

His pupils contracted. At the exact same moment, Seraphina’s expression changed.

She had sensed it as well.

"Amon!"

She shouted.

Without hesitation, Amon twisted his body toward the source of the killing intent and raised his shadow-coated sword.

But before he could even react. A streak of purple lightning tore through the darkness.

It crossed the distance in an instant.

It was too fast.

Seraphina’s figure suddenly flashed in front of Amon.

CLANG!

Her radiant golden sword intercepted the lightning-wreathed attacker. The collision unleashed a deafening explosion.

BOOOOOOM!!

A violent shockwave erupted outward, uprooting nearby trees and scattering leaves in every direction.

The attacker was completely enveloped in crackling violet lightning, making it impossible to distinguish their appearance.

Only two glowing purple eyes could be seen through the storm of electricity.

The pressure behind the strike was overwhelming.

Seraphina’s eyes widened.

"Damn—!"

She gritted her teeth as both hands tightened around the hilt of her sword.

Even with her full strength. She couldn’t stop the attack.

The tremendous force pushed her backward.

Amon immediately stepped behind her, planting his feet firmly against the ground as he pressed one hand against her back to help absorb the impact.

It wasn’t enough. The mysterious attack carried terrifying power.

Both of them were blasted backward together.

Crash!

Crash!

Their bodies smashed into two massive trees before finally coming to a stop several meters away.

The trunks cracked from the impact.

Splinters of wood scattered across the forest floor.

Amon coughed as he forced himself to look at the person who attacked them.

His eyes immediately locked onto the figure standing in the middle of the path.

Purple lightning crackled wildly around the stranger’s body, illuminating the surrounding forest with an eerie glow.

The oppressive aura pouring from the newcomer was even greater than Luke’s