Chapter 4: Bandit Cave
Luo Yi cautiously proceeded along the road in the rain.
The surrounding terrain was very open, with no cover he could use for concealment, so he could only slowly feel his way forward.
However, Luo Yi did not encounter any enemies until he approached the scene of the crime.
It seemed the culprits responsible for the tragedy before him had already left, leaving only chaos behind.
Luo Yi squatted down, covering his nose, and inspected the area that reeked of blood.
"This is... a horse carcass. Only remnants are left, clearly showing signs of being cut by a sharp weapon. The meat must have been stripped and carried away."
"There are many footprints, but the wheel tracks are intact. No damaged parts were found nearby, so the carriage was likely hijacked."
"The trail of the wheel tracks leads straight in that direction—"
Following the tracks left by the carriage, Luo Yi looked up at the nearby hill, where a faint depression was visible on the shaded side.
Recalling the name of this Adventure Card, "Bandit Cave," the enemies he was about to face were obvious.
Luo Yi held his breath, treating the situation as if facing a formidable enemy.
Just as he approached the cave entrance, he heard a commotion inside. Rude threats mixed with screams occasionally drifted out of the opening.
"There are still survivors."
Luo Yi slightly relaxed. The "person facing difficulty" mentioned by The Hierophant Card must refer to them.
Just then, it seemed a bandit inside the cave wanted to step out to relieve himself.
Luo Yi hid to the side, took a Wooden Sword from his inventory, and quietly waited in ambush amid the pattering rain.
After a disheveled bandit walked out of the cave entrance and took out his tool for draining water, Luo Yi first raised his hand and released a Ray of Frost, then immediately rushed forward with his sword, ready to finish him off.
[Enemy slain. Gained 50 kill experience (950 experience remaining until level up)]
"...He's already dead?"
Luo Yi looked at the bandit, who was frozen solid like an ice pop, with a shocked expression.
Wait, Ray of Frost is only a 0-ring Cantrip, and its damage is very limited. Even with the Intelligence bonus, it's still less than double digits... How did he die instantly?
He wasn't even as tough as a Slime.
As a commoner without Transcendent power, a bandit's "HP" was less than 10 under the OmniNet rules!
In fact, someone like Luo Yi, who starts level 1 with 100 Health and Mana, was the anomaly in this world.
Realizing this, Luo Yi immediately gained confidence and swaggered into the cave.
The lighting inside the cave was dim, relying only on torches on the rock walls for illumination, barely allowing him to see the surroundings.
About a dozen fierce-looking bandits were scattered in various corners of the cave. Seeing Luo Yi appear, they immediately grew wary.
"Who are you?!"
"Where did this brat come from? You're looking for death!"
Immediately afterward, Ray of Frost shots taught them a lesson for their next life.
0-ring Cantrips inherently have no spell slot restrictions, let alone the fact that Luo Yi was using Mana to cast spells instead.
A single Ray of Frost only consumed 5 Mana. Based on the Terra Body Talent, Luo Yi possessed 100 base Mana under Terraria rules, along with a Mana recovery rate as high as 10 points per second!
"Damn it... he's a Transcendent!"
Watching his brothers fall to spells being fired like they were free, the burly Bandit Leader was both shocked and enraged. He finally let out a roar and charged toward Luo Yi with a death wish.
The gap between commoners and Transcendent beings was greater than the gap between a man and a dog—it could even be said they were two different species!
Powerful Transcendent beings could manipulate the weather at will, travel the Astral Plane in the flesh, and shake dragons with their might, while commoners would be killed or injured by a mere 0-ring Cantrip.
When they encountered Luo Yi, the fate of this group of bandits was inevitable, unless the former suddenly became overly compassionate and let these villains go.
"Done."
Casually freezing the Bandit Leader into a human-shaped ice pop, Luo Yi looked around. Seeing no enemies still moving, he wiped the sweat from his brow.
Maintaining the casting posture the whole time was quite tiring.
After eliminating the last enemy, the "Devil" Card he had drawn appeared before Luo Yi.
The Devil Card slowly dissipated, eventually vanishing completely.
[Encounter Card Completed]
[Would you like to settle the current journey?]
"No."
Glancing at the survivors locked in the cage, Luo Yi did not leave immediately.
"T-Transcendent Lord... Thank you for dealing with these bandits!"
The person in the cage, who had witnessed the massacre-like battle, was utterly terrified. Seeing Luo Yi approach, he violently shook his head to clear his mind.
"Tell me how you were captured by them."
Luo Yi was not in a hurry to free the man, instead sizing him up with interest.
The person locked in the cage was a young man named Faye Er, in his early twenties. He spoke in a very slick manner, constantly addressing Luo Yi as "Transcendent Lord," even though Luo Yi looked several years younger than him.
Faye Er claimed to be an Itinerant Merchant, mainly traveling back and forth in the nearby region, earning a profit by buying low and selling high.
"Have you heard of Moonstone Town?"
"Moonstone Town? I used to go there, but I haven't been much in recent years."
Faye Er was stunned and racked his memory for relevant information.
"After Moonstone Town's mineral deposits were exhausted, there was nothing valuable left to trade. I heard the Lord ran away too, and now they don't even have a church. You can't make any money there, and my colleagues don't bother going near it."
It seemed his cheap piece of territory was truly detested by everyone.
Luo Yi shook his head inwardly, then used the key he had looted from a bandit to open the cage and release Faye Er.
Not only were these bandits less durable than Slimes, but they were also poorer than Slimes.
At least Slimes actually drop Copper Coins and materials.
Aside from the "original flavor" clothes they had been wearing for who knows how long, these bandits only had some dirty daily necessities and a pitiful amount of coins.
As for those rusty, dull, rudimentary weapons, Luo Yi picked one up only to find its damage was lower than his Wooden Sword. He didn't even bother picking them up; they'd just take up space in his inventory.
"Come out."
After releasing Faye Er, Luo Yi noticed his gaze constantly sweeping toward one corner of the cave, so he snapped his fingers.
—Prestidigitation!
A cluster of sparks bloomed in the dark corner, illuminating the surroundings.
There are many ways to use Prestidigitation. Essentially, it is a minor magical trick used by junior spellcasters for practice, capable of creating various effects within casting range.
As the light spread, a relatively intact wooden cart stood quietly in the corner.
"That's great."
Seeing that his means of livelihood was still there, Faye Er breathed a sigh of relief. He stepped forward to inspect it while beginning to wail.
"Damn bandits, all this food has been ruined by them!"
"The fabric I bought at a high price! These guys are simply wasting God's gifts!"
"At least these books haven't been flipped through, even though I can't read them..."
Luo Yi casually looked around nearby. After opening a box on the cart, he immediately frowned.
"What is this?"
Faye Er glanced over upon hearing the question and replied dismissively.
"Sir, those are bones."
"I know they're bones..." Luo Yi rubbed his temples, pointing to the skull with very distinct features. "What kind of bones are these?"
"Human bones, of course, Sir."
Faye Er explained, half puzzled and half bewildered.
Due to the existence of Transcendent powers like Black Magic, Witchcraft, and Necromancy, the "corpse trade" is very common in this world, at least in the Karar United Duchy.
Commoners do not possess great power, but their flesh, bones, and even souls can become research consumables or crafting materials for Transcendent beings.
If someone dies in the family, sending them to the church for burial requires paying funeral expenses. However, selling the body immediately can yield a profit. For commoners, it goes without saying which approach is more appropriate.
Watching the young Itinerant Merchant who found this perfectly normal, Luo Yi fell silent, staring at the human bones in the cargo box.
The smallest skull was not even as big as his fist; it was the skeleton of an infant.
"What a pity."
Faye Er sighed as he looked at the remaining goods.
"There's not much I can take away. It's all because these bandits killed my horse."
The cart and horse were assets he had saved up for a long time to acquire. For a commoner, they were tools of production that could facilitate class mobility.
Having suffered this disaster, although he luckily survived, everything would have to start over.
Then Faye Er saw the young Transcendent Lord beside him wave a hand, and the cart before them vanished.
"The cart is with me. If you want it, come to my territory."
Faye Er was momentarily stunned, then immediately overjoyed, nodding repeatedly.
"Sir, where should I go to find you?"
"Moonstone Town."