"Hand over your valuables!" one of the bandits threatened.
Crowne, upon hearing that, remained silent. He didn't feel afraid at all. Instead, he stroked his chin.
"Ah, that's right."
Crowne reopened the shop screen he had closed earlier. He had 99,999 Market Points. That was an enormous amount. With that much, he could buy countless things.
As he absentmindedly pondered, an idea crossed his mind, though he dismissed it. Yet, when he looked at the bandits surrounding him, the idea suddenly felt quite interesting.
[Wind Element]
[Price: 10,000 Market Points]
[Buy: Yes. No.]
"Wind…" Crowne muttered. Four choices were before him: wind, fire, water, and earth elements. Each cost ten thousand Market Points.
Aside from those four, there were other elements too, but they were far more expensive.
"Alright then."
With a single touch, he bought the Wind Element. In an instant, warmth spread through his body. At the same moment, the shop screen flickered, and a new skill entered his skill slot.
[Skill Acquired: Element – Wind]
[Effect: Infuses weapon with elemental power]
Crowne closed the interface. Without hesitation, he raised his sword. As he focused, the wind began to swirl around him—gentle yet sharp.
He swung his sword, and without a sound, a thin spiral of wind appeared, slicing the air with precision.
"Woooh, this is amazing," he murmured, eyes narrowing at the bandits encircling him.
The bandits, however, still looked at him with arrogance, completely unaware of what was happening. They assumed Crowne was silent because he was scared.
"I never imagined I'd be able to use an element."
As far as he knew, a Beast Tamer could only tame wild beasts. They weren't supposed to wield elements like mages. Beast Tamers fought by relying on their tamed beasts and ordinary weapons without elemental power.
"Well then, let's start the fight," Crowne said with a smile.
He stepped forward. Earlier, he had obtained the skill Learning by Experience. It allowed him to create skills from what he practiced. The more he repeated a move, the stronger it would become.
And that skill could be combined with the new Wind Element. The combination of Learning by Experience and wind might create something incredible. Crowne nodded several times, various ideas forming in his mind.
He took a stance. "Don't interfere! Let me handle this myself," he said with confidence.
Jörmungandr shrugged her shoulders and stepped back. "Alright. I'll leave them to you."
In the next moment, Jörmungandr vanished. The bandits were startled. They tried to search for her presence but couldn't find her anywhere.
At the same time, Crowne lifted his sword, staring at the bandits with a calm gaze, as though they were nothing more than insects he could crush with ease. Now, he was already Level 40—stronger than before.
"You will die." He spoke casually as he pointed toward the biggest bandit among them.
"You arrogant brat!" one of the large bandits spat on the ground. "Kill him!" he roared.
The bandits charged at once. They aimed to overwhelm Crowne, but he didn't move. He simply waited. When the massive axe was about to cleave his head, he shifted half an inch to the side.
SWOOSH!
His sword moved. At first, the bandit felt nothing—until the tearing sound echoed. The leather armor across his chest split open, and fresh blood spurted out.
"Arrrgh!!" he screamed as he collapsed.
Crowne looked at his blade. A thin spiral of wind cloaked its edge, almost invisible. That wind made every swing sharper and faster.
"Interesting…" he muttered.
"Kill him!" another bandit shouted.
Four more men rushed in. One carried a spear, another a sword, and two drew their bows. They thought Crowne had just been lucky earlier. Together, they attacked him from all sides. Their strikes came quickly, but Crowne only gave a slight glance.
"Channel Mana and imagine the wind wrapping around the blade."
He slashed in a flash. His movements were lightning-fast. Dozens of arrows were deflected instantly. As two bandits closed in with their weapons ready to slash and stab, Crowne leaned forward into his stance.
"Gather Mana in your legs and make the wind like a spring," he whispered.
He closed his eyes to focus, drew in a long breath, then pushed off with a tiny movement. His body shot forward at incredible speed. In the blink of an eye, he was behind the two bandits.
He spun and unleashed a swift slash infused with wind across their backs.
Slash!
The two didn't even have time to react. Their backs split open, blood spilling as they screamed in agony. But Crowne didn't stop there. He struck again—this time, fatally.
Crash!
Their heads rolled to the ground. Both died in a single, clean motion. The other bandits instinctively stepped back, realizing their opponent was not what they had expected.
Crowne stared at his own hands, astonished. His movements were faster and sharper than ever before.
"This is incredible. I should have done this from the beginning," he said.
Seeing his men tremble in fear, the bandit leader grew furious. He gripped his axe tightly.
"What are you doing? Kill him!" he bellowed.
But no one stepped forward. They only exchanged uncertain glances. The boss clicked his tongue, glaring at Crowne with killing intent burning in his eyes.
The bandit boss raised his axe and swung it down.
Brash!
One of his own men was cleaved in two. The others froze in shock, swallowing hard. In the end, they assumed their stances again, forced to fight. The bandit boss grinned. This was what he wanted.
"We have the numbers. Don't be afraid!" he shouted to motivate them. Raising his axe, he pointed it at Crowne. "If you don't advance, you'll die by my hand."
"Kill him!" the boss roared.
His men charged once more, attacking Crowne from every direction. Crowne stood still. He stretched his arms slightly, then shifted into stance again. A faint smile curved on his lips, as though this would be easy.
"Come at me, losers!" he taunted.
The battle grew fiercer. Crowne fought alone against the many bandits. He had to stay focused, for a single mistake meant death—the bandit leader was no weak opponent.
The boss was the strongest there, his body far more powerful than an ordinary man's. Perhaps two or three times stronger.
"Who is this boy? I've never seen movements like that. Interesting," the bandit boss said with a small grin.