The atmosphere inside the bandit's cave headquarters turned into a wild revelry. The scent of roasted meat and cheap liquor filled the main hall, mingling with the coarse laughter of men who felt they had won the lottery of life.
In the midst of the chaos, Keyzier stood calmly, his face remaining flat even though his heart still throbbed painfully, remembering the brutal actions he had been forced to commit earlier.
"Key, come here!" called the Bandit Leader with a raspy voice. The one-eyed man looked immensely satisfied. He pointed to several large wooden crates they had recently plundered from the merchant caravan. "You proved your madness today. Now, help me take these 'special' items to the safest place. Go with them!"
Keyzier nodded obediently. "Of course, Chief. I'll do it."
He shouldered one of the crates, following several bandit "comrades" who were with him. They all walked toward the deepest part of the cave. They passed through a narrow corridor camouflaged by a tattered, old curtain. However, behind that curtain was a thick iron door that could only be opened with a special key and a minor light-magic secret.
When the door opened, Keyzier narrowed his eyes. Inside the secret room, piles of loot gathered over years of pillaging reached toward the ceiling. Gold coins from various kingdoms, gemstone jewelry glittering under the torchlight, and antique weapons stolen from unfortunate knights.
Now, Keyzier knew exactly where the bandits stored all their plunder. The map in his head was now complete. He had mastered the base's weak points, and more importantly, he knew where the "gifts" were located, the ones he would use to compensate for Donovan's injuries and free Novalia.
Keyzier placed the crate in a corner of the room.
Once finished, Keyzier observed his surroundings. Then, he glanced toward the exit, ensuring that most of the bandits were still busy partying in the main hall, leaving only a few guards at strategic corridors. This was the time. The mask he wore had become too heavy, and he could not let this evil continue any longer.
Novan, I will free you soon. Forgive me for being so brazen as to hurt you for my goal.
He took a deep breath, calming his racing heartbeat. His hands moved slowly, chanting one of the rarest white magic spells, a spell intended not to destroy, but to isolate.
"Silence." he whispered in a nearly inaudible tone.
Instantly, an invisible transparent dome spread from his body, enveloping the corridor area until it reached the guard posts. Within his silent magic zone, the natural laws of sound were erased.
No matter how heavy the footsteps, how loud the screams, or how sharp the clashing of swords, nothing could ever cross the boundary of the dome. The surrounding area had become completely soundproof.
To an outsider, the corridor appeared peaceful. But for those within Keyzier's range, it was the beginning of a silent performance of death.
Keyzier no longer looked like an innocent boy genius. His gaze turned sharp and cold, exactly like his grandfather's gaze when hunting monsters in the Death Forest. He pulled a jet-black short sword from his inventory, a sword that did not reflect light in the slightest.
Keyzier began his move to exterminate every last bandit.
His movements were so swift and smooth, resembling a night breeze slipping through the cracks of stones. He used his assassin skill, a high-level movement technique called Shadow Step.
His first victims were the two guards standing in front of the treasure room door. They didn't even have time to realize Keyzier was there.
In one flowing motion, Keyzier appeared behind them. His sword glided swiftly, severing their breath in an instant. Their bodies collapsed to the ground, but thanks to the Silence magic, no sound of clashing weapons or groans could be heard.
Keyzier kept moving and kept walking without hesitation. Every time he encountered a bandit, death came to take their lives without warning.
There was a bandit sitting while chugging a drink, another staggering from intoxication, and another laughing while mocking the defeated adventurer party.
One by one, their lives were taken with horrifying precision. Keyzier moved with a lethal rhythm. Combined with his Silence magic, the bandit troop remained completely unaware that their comrades were dying one by one. They fell like wheat harvested in autumn, soundless, without resistance.
Keyzier felt an immense weight on his shoulders. Every time he plunged his sword, it felt as though he was scrubbing away the filth he had smeared upon his own name during this performance. However, he did not stop. He had to ensure this area was completely clean before facing the ranks of their leaders.
Blood began to soak the stone floor of the cave Keyzier had previously praised. The beauty of the cave that resembled a grand house was now stained by a pungent, metallic stench. Keyzier forced his eyes to keep looking forward, scouring every dark corner to ensure no bandit was missed.
Just a little more... Keyzier said in his heart.
Keyzier's speed was truly nonsensical. The efficiency of his attacks showed the results of more than four years of grueling training. Out of a total of 47 bandits inhabiting the cave, he had already killed 42 in less than fifteen minutes.
Most of them died before they could even set down their glasses or draw their swords.
The floors of the base's corridors were now littered with lifeless bodies. Keyzier paused for a moment at the threshold of the main hall, where the brightest torchlight glowed. He wiped the splatters of blood from his cheek using the edge of his black cloak.
His focus was now fixed on the large table in the center of the hall. There, the atmosphere still seemed festive, but something was different. The five people sitting there were the core of that bandit troop.
Only 5 people remained from that terrifying bandit group. And those five were the 4 high-ranking officers and the 1 Bandit Chief.