Takson was a genius. Stell had made that assessment way before. But his primary focus was the path of the warrior, which meant his progress in magic was inherently limited.
In this world, the training regimens for a warrior and a mage were diametrically opposed. To pursue both was to master neither.
Stell had explained this to Takson when he had first expressed an interest in learning magic. He had listened, and had tempered his expectations accordingly.
To have developed even one spell that was uniquely his own was a source of immense pride.
And what a spell it was. His "Spell to Reflect Ranged Attacks" did exactly what its name implied: it caught any and all incoming projectiles, and sent them hurtling back at their source, complete with a tracking enchantment.
Stell's internal assessment: Excellent. [Stell gives a thumbs up.jpg]
Now, he was using that very spell to turn the bandits' own attacks against them. A fresh wave of screams echoed through the cavern.
The truth was, this gang of over three hundred men was not without its skilled fighters. But to Takson, they were nothing.
He had faced down countless demons in the highest difficulty setting of Stell's Virtual Combat Arena.
He had a wealth of experience fighting humanoid opponents, and he moved through the bandits' ranks with a brutal, effortless grace.
Soon, he had carved a path of blood and bodies through the heart of the hideout. A counter on his terminal, which he had set to track his kills, now read 314. He had arrived at the deepest part of the cavern, the lair of the bandit chief.
The last of his targets were in here, including the mage who controlled the monsters. He gave his gear a quick check, then raised his foot.
BOOM!
The heavy, iron-banded doors were kicked clean off their hinges.
….
Takson's progress is satisfactory.
Stell walked through the now-quiet corridors of the bandit hideout, tracking her apprentice's position on her internal map. Trailing behind her, like a small, golden-haired shadow, was Alice.
At Takson's request, and for her own strategic reasons, Stell had not left the girl outside. Alice had been reluctant, still unnerved by Stell's cold demeanor, but she'd had no choice in the matter.
The hideout was a labyrinth of interconnected tunnels and secret passages, a naturally defensible position that would have been impossible for a normal person to navigate. For Stell, with her perfect, 3D map, it was a simple stroll.
"Um, Miss... Stell... ma'am," Alice stammered, "where are we going?"
The deeper they went into the cave, the more Alice's anxiety grew. Stell glanced back at the girl. In the dim torchlight, her glowing golden eyes seemed to shine even brighter, and Alice flinched.
"Answer: The storeroom," Stell said.
"The storeroom?" Alice immediately understood. "Oh, right. Bandits always keep their loot in one place. The bigger the gang, the more organized they are. If they took my family's money, it should be in there."
Stell listened to the girl's deductions, a flicker of something like amusement passing through her processors.
While recovering Alice's property was indeed one of their objectives, Stell had another reason for being here.
She was hoping to find some grimoires. A bandit hideout of this size was bound to have a few rare books, looted from unlucky travelers. In her past life as a "gamer," Stell had "looted the looters" on many occasions. With Takson currently eliminating the owners of said loot, it would soon be up for grabs.
Stell: Well, I guess no one is using this...
She didn't bother to explain her full reasoning to Alice. A few minutes later, guided by her internal map and the trail of carnage left by Takson, they arrived at a massive, two-meter-tall iron door.
"Is this the storeroom?" Alice asked, peeking out from behind Stell. The image was a little absurd; the shorter Stell could hardly conceal the taller girl, who was hunched over in a strange, contorted posture.
"Affirmative," Stell said, ignoring her. She placed a hand on the iron door, her fingers tracing its surface as if searching for something.
A moment later, she drew back her fist and punched.
To Alice's utter astonishment, a deafening boom echoed through the cave.
BOOM!
….
The heavy iron door flew off its hinges, crushing one of the bandits who had been hiding behind it.
A volley of fireballs immediately shot out from the doorway, aimed at Takson.
Voom—
His translucent shield appeared, and the fireballs were redirected back into the room, engulfing several of the charging bandits in flames.
"Aaaah! The fire! Put it out!"
The burning men ran around in a panic before collapsing into charred heaps.
The bandit chief glanced at the rest of his men, who were now cowering in the corners, their will to fight completely broken.
He wanted to kill the useless cowards himself, but he had a more pressing problem.
This intruder... this boy who had single-handedly slaughtered his way to the heart of their fortress... was no ordinary opponent.
And his clothes... was he a cleric? He wore only minimal armor over simple robes.
The chief hefted his massive broadsword onto his shoulder, trying to project an aura of command. "We have no quarrel with you," he bellowed down at Takson. "Why have you slaughtered my men?!"
"..."
"So, you're the leader here, aren't you?" Takson asked, his voice calm, ignoring the man's question. He didn't wait for an answer. He simply opened his holy book.
"Spear of the Goddess!"
But he was not the only mage in the room. Just as he began to cast, the ground beneath his feet erupted in a series of sharp, earthen spikes.
So the mage is hiding in the crowd.
Takson dodged the attack, his own spell fizzling out. He quickly scanned the terrified faces of the bandits, searching for the caster.
Whoosh—!
The bandit chief's broadsword sliced through the air.
BOOM!
Takson's axe met the massive blade. The force of the impact shattered the stone floor beneath them.
"Hah," the chief grunted, "your strength is nothing compared to Zera's."
But as he pressed his attack, he realized something. The boy was holding his axe with only one hand, yet he was effortlessly blocking the chief's full-powered, two-handed swing.
This was no fluke. This was real strength. He poured more and more of his power into his blade, but it was useless. The boy didn't budge.
What is this monstrous power?!
….
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