Rudeous had barely taken a step forward with his sword when the mage flicked a finger. Air swirled sharply, condensing into a medium-sized spear. With a casual wave of his hand, the mage sent it darting straight at Rudeous.
But Rudeous tightened his grip on the hilt mid-stride. The blade shimmered as a faint aura spread across its edge, curling outward like wisps of pale blue smoke.
The instant the spear reached him, he swung.
One clean slash....
and the spear split in two, vanishing into the air as if it had never existed.
From Martha's arms, Derek gazed without blinking. 'Father is amazing. That bald guy is weak, but still… Father dealt with his attack like it was nothing.'
In two lifetimes combined, this was the first time Derek was seeing his father in real combat. The longer he watched, the more his young eyes glittered with awe.
Rudeous was already there, standing in front of the six bandits.
The mage had been rattled by Rudeous's earlier counter. His face twisted. 'What the hell… how is this village bumpkin so strong?' His eyes narrowed for a heartbeat, but his confidence quickly crept back. 'So what if he's a little strong? No way he can take all of us on his own.'
He leapt backward, signaling his men to charge. As a mage, he needed space... distance to cast.
The other five obeyed instantly, rushing in together.
Two Aurans swung their blades, aura flaring sharply and dangerously. But Rudeous was no novice. He ducked low and dashed forward, slipping between the slashes as if he had read them in advance.
The three cultivators stiffened in alarm. One shouted, "He's fast!" but before they could even react...
BAM!
Rudeous's left fist buried itself in one man's gut. The cultivator's eyes bulged, blood spewing from his mouth.
"Urghhh!" He crumpled. Clutching his stomach, he collapsed onto the dirt with a heavy thump.
The other bandits froze for half a second.
"Damn it... he took him down with just one hit!" one of the Aurans cursed.
Another snarled, trying to mask his unease. "Don't back down! He's just one man!"
But their voices carried a tremor they couldn't hide.
But Rudeous didn't have it easy either.
Another air spear was already there, just a hair's breadth away. He twisted his body at the last moment, dodging by an inch.
One of the Aurans seized that opening and slashed from behind.
But Rudeous's senses were sharp.
He sprang upward, flipping over in midair, and landed smoothly behind the Auran. His blade swept out in the same motion.
Shclk!
Another clean slash. Blood sprayed across the dirt as the Auran was hurled forward, collapsing in a heap.
Out of six, two were already down.
In Martha's lap.. 'If only I could whistle right now…' Derek's tiny fists trembled with excitement.
Martha, too, knew how strong her husband was. But her heart remained heavy. "From the looks of it… that mage is B-class, and the strongest among them. The two Aurans are C-class at best. The cultivators are even weaker. But still… they're six in total. Anything could happen at any time."
Derek could hear his mother's whispers. He understood the risks as well. But after countless battles in his past life, he could judge a fighter with a single glance. And from the steady posture, from the unwavering confidence etched into his father's face, he knew it. 'He sure is a veteran…'
But with certainty, there were unanswered questions as well. 'Why did he quit being a hunter and choose to become a village Keeper? Was it because he wanted to live away from the crowds of city life?'
In the front, one more cultivator was also down. Now only three remained. But the mage was becoming more of a nuisance.
'That guy is just trying to take me down while I am busy fighting the others, but he doesn't have the guts to engage in close combat. I have to take him down first.' Rudeous was fighting and planning his next steps as well.
Suddenly...
Leaving those two minions, he jumped in the air and shot forward, where the mage was.
'Shit! This guy knows his stuff.' The mage cursed inwardly and tried to leap back to increase the distance even more.
But just then, Rudeous threw his sword, aiming at the mage mid-flight.
The mage was startled. And instead of leaping back, he had to twist and dodge the attack.
And that's what Rudeous wanted...
In that split second of time, Rudeous reached him and threw a clean uppercut. The moment his fist connected with the mage's chin, spit and blood burst out together. His feet left the ground as his body was hurled backward, crashing through the air before slamming down hard.
Rudeous still didn't stop. He yanked his sword from where it was embedded in the ground and rushed forward.
The mage lifted his head, ready to get up, but the edge of a blade was touching the skin of his throat in a threatening way. Just a slight push, and his veins would be torn apart.
"What about now? Do you still want to keep going?"
'Checkmate!' Derek was over the moon. He could barely contain the rush of adrenaline watching his father. A giggle slipped out as he flailed his tiny arms and legs, trying to show just how happy he was.
Arthur and Daisy clasped their hands together in excitement. Moments ago, the sight of the bandits had shaken them to the core. Arthur had wanted to dash forward and help their father, while Daisy was prepared to unleash her healing magic the moment it became necessary. But their hearts had been pounding in fear until now.
Martha, too, let out a long sigh of relief.
But just then...
something happened.
From the bushes, two more men suddenly burst out, charging straight toward the three of them.
"No!" Rudeous, who hadn't let his guard down even for a second till now, shouted in warning.
But it was already too late....