Nova's strange demeanor left the bandits momentarily stunned. His words didn't register right away, it took several heartbeats before they realized they had all involuntarily flinched beneath the gaze of a mere youth. Embarrassment burned in their cheeks, quickly smothered by anger.

One broke the silence, and the others soon followed, voices rising in aggression.

"Boy! You won't be walking out of here alive."

"I'll make you suffer for this, brat."

"Kill him!"

With snarling grins and bloodlust in their eyes, the bandits lunged at Nova. But he didn't so much as blink.

Instead, he confidently stepped forward and met the charge head-on. The fastest of them was already in front of him, blade slashing through the air.

Nova's eyes missed nothing. With a precise flick of Dreadscape, he parried the strike and, in one seamless motion, cleaved through the bandit's right arm.

A piercing scream tore through the cave only to be silenced a moment later as a head hit the ground with a dull thud, plunging the air into a biting, unnatural cold.

Thump.

'It's reacting...' Nova thought, pressing a hand to his chest, feeling the rhythm of his heart. 'I may not even need to kill them all to awaken my Aura.'

He raised his gaze to the remaining bandits, now frozen in place from such a perfect display of skill, fear etched across their faces.

Nova chuckled.

"Why stop now?" he said, voice laced with mockery. "Whether you charge or not, I'll still have to kill you all. Might as well give it your best shot. After all, if I die, you live."

Before the words had fully left his mouth, he rushed forward like a phantom. His spear swept low in a brutal arc, severing a bandit's leg, and before the man could hit the ground, Nova's spear flashed, ending him with a final, merciless strike.

"DIE!"

Shouted a bandit who lunged at Nova's back with a knife, but with a swift sidestep, he evaded the strike. His foot lashed out, catching the attacker in the gut and sending the blade clattering to the ground.

Dreadscape fell in a clean arc and the bandit's head hit the floor with a sickening thud.

The easiness with which Nova was reaping lives like wheat wasn't due to his Stats but his technique and skill. These bandits might as well have been kids using toys in front of him.

Realizing there was no escape from the monster before them, the remaining bandits abandoned all caution. With a chorus of desperate cries, they charged, blades raised and eyes filled with madness.

Meanwhile, deeper within the cave, in a crude stone chamber lit by flickering torches, a burly, middle-aged man lounged on a makeshift throne, a big chair covered in furs. Around him stood the bandit captain, Ilos, four more bandits, and two bound captives.

"Leader," the captain said, gesturing to the trembling young woman among the prisoners, "we found something you might enjoy. Thought we'd bring her back."

The blood drained from the woman's face as Jovar, the bandit leader, swept his gaze over her. He leaned forward, eyes gleaming, and let out a low, guttural cackle.

"Well done, Letto," Jovar said, a smug grin spreading across his face. "As a reward for delivering such a beauty, I'll let you have the second turn. What do you say?"

He looked at Letto with a smug smile.

Letto gave a sharp nod. "Thank you for the reward," he said, his expression as unreadable as ever.

Off to the side, Ilos' face twisted in envy, but he held his tongue. The last man who had dared to challenge the leader's word now rotted beneath the earth and Ilos had no intention of joining him.

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

"Perfect," Jovar muttered, waving a hand lazily. "Anything else to report?"

His attention, however, was already drifting, locked onto the trembling young woman before him like a predator savoring the prey.

Letto hesitated for a moment, then spoke. "We don't know her exact background, but judging from the quality of the carriage and the three guards escorting her, it's likely she's from a noble family."

"Hmm?" He tore his gaze from the captive and looked at Letto with a touch of irritation. "If you didn't know who she was, why didn't you ask the old man?"

He pointed his finger toward the elderly prisoner standing beside the girl.

The old man stiffened instantly. Beads of sweat rolled down his forehead as his eyes darted between Letto and Jovar as he silently plead for a miracle.

"I didn't touch him for a reason," Letto said evenly. He continued, "If she truly has noble blood, we might ask for a ransom for both of them. Even if they won't pay for him, he's still valuable, he might give us details about her family. After all, she may stay loyal, but this old man doesn't look like the trustworthy type."

The old man flinched at those words.

Jovar leaned back with a smirk, nodding in approval. "Then let's not waste any more time." He turned his gaze toward Ilos and pointed. "You, make the old man talk."

"Yes, sir."

Ilos stepped forward, his expression darkening into a gleeful sneer. "You heard them, old man. Start talking, and maybe you'll live. Stay quiet…" He trailed off as he pulled a knife from his belt, gently running the tip along the old man's cheek. "...and I'll use my methods."

Feeling the knife's tip on his cheek the old man trembled like a leaf, his breath shallow and broken. "S-S-Sirs… I-I'll t-tell you e-everything!"

Ilos lightly tapped the blade against his neck. "Then go on."

Swallowing hard, the old man croaked, "As the esteemed sirs have guessed… this young lady does indeed have noble blood. The highest in the kingdom."

The old man's words hit like a hammer. The young lady's expression darkened, her eyes losing focus as a hollow look crept in. Betrayal twisted in her chest, she couldn't believe the man she had trusted was bartering away her identity so easily.

Jovar glanced at her, noting the change in her demeanor, then turned back to the old man.

"Oh?" he said, tone laced with amusement. "And who exactly is she?"

Ilos punctuated the question with a sharp kick to the old man's leg.

With a thud the elder fell on his knees. His voice turned grim, his eyes avoiding the princess entirely. "She is Veliora Varr, fourth princess of the Lotra Kingdom's royal family."

Before Jovar could speak, Letto's eyes widened to pinpricks. "Impossible," he snapped. "A princess? With three squires guarding her and a useless old man? Do you take us for fools?"

Though displeased by the interruption, Jovar nodded slowly, his interest piqued. His gaze drifted back to the old man.

"Sirs, I swear I'm telling the truth," he blurted, panic rising in his voice. "We were en route to Myra on a secret errand for His Majesty, I don't know the details, only that it was urgent."

Jovar tilted his head slightly. "What do you think, Letto?"

Letto narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing the old man's expression for any hint of deceit. But the elder, although visibly scared, held his gaze. Letto frowned.

"I think—"

A bandit suddenly burst into the room, eyes wide with terror. "WE'RE UNDER ATTACK!"

Before anyone could respond, a spear ran through the man's skull with sickening precision. His body crumpled to the ground just as the weapon was yanked free.

From the entrance, Nova strolled into the chamber. Time seemed to hold its breath as every eye turned toward him.

A faint smile tugging at his lips. "Why's everyone staring?" he said lightly. "Did I catch you in the middle of something shady?"

Jovar stared at Nova as he took a deep breath to calm down. "Who are you?"

Nova twirled Dreadscape in one hand, his tone casual. "Just a tourist who took a wrong turn."

His eyes flicked across the room, lingering for only a moment before narrowing slightly.

'So this is what it feels like...' he thought, a faint thrill running through him. 'I've unlocked it. Aura hah, I can't believe it's this strong.'

[Aura – First Stage] (Increases defense against illusion. Strenghtens the body. STR, VIG, DEX, SPD +1000%)

"Are you mocking me?" Jovar hissed, rising from the throne.

The old man stood frozen, drenched in sweat, silently questioning whether surrendering to the bandits had been a fatal mistake. Beside him, Veliora stood hollow-eyed, her awareness shattered. She hadn't even registered Nova's entrance, her mind had already shut down to protect itself.

Nova stepped toward the group, his gaze sweeping across them, pausing slightly longer on Veliora.

'Still alive. Good. That means more money.'

Then he turned to face Jovar and said "I wouldn't dare mock you. But I've finished my business here, so let's make this quick. I'd rather not waste another moment in this cave."

"How dare you speak to our leader like that!" growled one of the wounded bandits from the side who've been silent until now.

They didn't know how but in the blink of an eye, the bandit's head was no longer attached to his body.

Nova exhaled softly. "Noisy," he muttered. "But I have a feeling the rest of you will start screaming soon enough, so…"

Aura coursed through his body as his figure blurred and three more heads hit the ground.

Stopping in front of Ilos, who trembled uncontrollably, he said with unsettling calm, "Those ropes must be heavy. Let me take care of it for you."

Before Ilos could utter a single word, both his arms fell to the ground cleanly severed, the ropes still wrapped around his now-useless hands.

Ilos shrieked, the sound so raw and wretched that the old man behind him whispered, "If I must die… please let it be quick. I don't want to end up like that."

The scream woke Letto and Jovar up along with the horrifying realization of what kind of person stood before them.

No, in their eyes Nova wasn't a person, he was a demon clad in human flesh.

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