Chapter 4: The Ambush

  The road connecting Petita Vilge to Saikono Vilge was eerily silent, as if the world itself had paused to hold its breath. The fields on either side were wild and untamed, a sea of green grass dotted with occasional bursts of flowers. There was no trace of human touch here—no fences, no plowed earth, just nature reciming its dominion. The sun hung high in the sky, its heat growing more oppressive with each passing second. It felt like the height of summer, though it was only November.

  The only sounds were the distant calls of birds soaring above and the rhythmic crunch of footsteps on the dirt path. Fun and Fayrouz walked side by side, beads of sweat forming on their brows. There was no water in sight, no refreshing breeze—just the relentless sun and the endless road ahead.

  "Despite all the negatives," Fayrouz said, her voice calm and measured, "this road is perfect for getting robbed."

  Fun gnced at her, his lips twitching in amusement despite his growing thirst. "Wait, isn’t getting robbed also a negative?"

  Fayrouz tilted her head slightly, her blindfolded gaze seemingly fixed on the horizon. "What are you talking about? We came here specifically to get robbed."

  "Maybe you’re right, but there’s no need to phrase it like that... Anyway, are there really bandits here? I don’t see anyone."

  Fayrouz fell silent, her steps steady for a few moments before she suddenly stopped. The air around her seemed to still as a serious expression settled on her lips. Beside her, Fun hesitated, unsure why she had halted so abruptly. Her eyes remained hidden beneath the blue bandages, concealing whatever emotions might have flickered within. Then, in a low murmur, her voice barely above a whisper, she spoke:

  "They’re here..."

  Fun frowned, scanning the empty fields around them. He saw nothing—no movement, no shadows, no signs of life. The stillness was unnerving. "What do you mean? I don’t see anyone."

  Before Fayrouz could respond, nine figures materialized out of thin air, surrounding them in a tight circle.

  Their appearance was nothing short of shocking. Colors, shifting like the iridescence of soap bubbles, flickered around their bodies before they emerged from nothingness—as if they were lizards gifted with the power of invisibility.

  They wore dark cloaks that obscured their faces, their heads covered by hoods. Their sizes varied—some were tall and burly, others short and wiry—suggesting a mix of ages and builds. The air grew tense as the bandits closed in, their presence suffocating.

  The first to speak was Fun, his voice steady but ced with disbelief. "They appeared out of nowhere? How is that even possible?"

  The bandits remained silent, their movements deliberate and unnervingly coordinated. Fayrouz, however, was unfazed. "Saying they appeared out of nowhere is incorrect," she said calmly. "They’ve been around us the entire time. I could sense their Menma."

  Fun turned to her, his brow furrowed. "You mean they were hiding? Is that even a thing in this world?"

  Fayrouz’s lips curved into a faint smile. "Perhaps you’re the one who doesn’t know much about this world. The ability to hide is a dull power, and its users are cowards 99.8% of the time."

  The leader of the bandits, a tall man with a medium build, chuckled at her words. His face was mostly hidden, but his teeth gleamed in the sunlight as he spoke. "That’s a bit harsh, but you seem well-informed. Still, this is the only way we can survive in this world. The nobles and the gifted will never understand the struggles of people like us."

  Fun remained silent, his eyes darting between the bandits as he assessed the situation. Fayrouz, however, wasn’t done. "For nine people to possess the exact same ability?" she said, her tone cutting. "That’s unthinkable. Such power cannot exist without a shared bloodline."

  The leader listened quietly, but one of the bandits—a slender figure with a voice that sounded young—spoke up. "Big brother, this girl seems smart. She can track and sense Menma. Maybe we should try to recruit her instead of... you know."

  All of them had their features concealed beneath their hoods, except for the leader. His fierce gaze cut through the shadow, and the way his teeth showed hinted at an unsettling confidence.

  The leader nodded thoughtfully, his respect for his comrades evident. "You’re right," he said, turning to Fayrouz. "You’ve got a sharp mind, and you sensed us despite that blindfold. Are you blind, or is that just a fashion statement? Either way, my little brother sees potential in you. How about this? Join us as the tenth member of our group, and we’ll let your friend here walk safely to Saikono Vilge. Not a bad deal, don’t you think?"

  The silence that followed was heavy, the tension palpable as everyone waited for Fayrouz’s response. But before she could utter a word, Fun took a slow breath, his chest rising and falling in measured control. Then—he moved.

  Whoosh!

  In an instant, he surged forward, the ground beneath him barely disturbed by his step. A faint white aura clung to his body, subtle yet undeniable, like the st traces of moonlight before dawn. It flickered along his form, neither blinding nor overwhelming, but adding a sense of raw, untamed energy. His bck hair swept back from his face, caught in the force of his momentum, strands whipping through the air as he closed the distance.

  The leader had only begun to approach Fayrouz when the attack nded. A single, devastating punch struck his face, sinking into flesh and bone with a sickening crack. His nose colpsed under the force, blood bursting outward in a crimson spray. A loose tooth spun away, lost in the chaos of the impact.

  The moment Fun’s fist connected, the impact was nothing short of brutal. The leader's body was sent hurtling backward, lifted clean off his feet as if struck by a charging beast. He soared through the air for several meters before crashing onto the ground with a heavy thud, rolling lifelessly until he came to a stop among his cloaked comrades. His limbs sprawled awkwardly, his chest barely rising—a crumpled form that, for all appearances, might as well have been a corpse.

  The shock had barely settled in when Fun moved again. His figure blurred, vanishing from where he stood. By the time the remaining bandits processed what had happened, he was already among them, striking like a storm.

  The first fell to a sound-fast kick that snapped up beneath his chin. A sharp crack rang through the air as his head snapped back violently, his hood falling to reveal wide, unfocused eyes before his body slumped bonelessly to the ground.

  Before the second could even flinch, Fun pivoted, his movements fluid yet merciless. His leg shot out, striking the man’s side just beneath the ribs. A muffled thud followed, air forced from his lungs as his body folded inward. He was lifted clear off the ground before crashing onto his back, gasping but too stunned to move.

  The third barely had time to react before Fun was upon him. Twisting in midair, he delivered a spinning kick to the side of the man’s head. The impact sent him sprawling, his hood whipping away as his body crashed against the dirt with a dull thump. His limbs twitched briefly—then stilled.

  His movements were precise, his strikes fueled by the white energy coursing through him.

  But the victory was short-lived. The rest Five of the bandits managed to activate their cloaking abilities, vanishing from sight. Fun’s advantage was gone, and the battlefield became a deadly game of cat and mouse.

  Fayrouz’s eyes widened behind her blindfold as she observed Fun’s transformation. ‘What is this? His Menma particles turned white? How is that even possible? I'm about to swear that his Menma particles were colorless.'

  Fun, meanwhile, was already calcuting his next move. ‘Five of them are still active. It’s been four seconds since I held my breath. I can’t dodge attacks from enemies I can’t see. I have two options: rely on Fayrouz to track them, or start swinging blindly. Either way, I can’t afford to lose here. I haven’t even taken my first step toward Ragandarok yet!’

  The real fight had just begun.

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