"Ha ha ha, what a fine merchandise you’ve brought us," a new voice sneered as a man stepped out from the shadows.He was tall and imposing, with a cruel smile that showed off yellowed teeth.His hair was greasy and slicked back, and he wore a long, tattered coat that hung off his gaunt frame. His eyes gleamed with malice as he looked over the group."Put your weapons away already—you’re scaring our merchandise," he commanded, and the rest of his men emerged from the woods, all armed and ready, with bows aimed at Oasis and the others."Take it easy, kids. We won’t mistreat you. After all, you’re all precious merchandise," the man said with a smirk, licking his lips."Ha ha ha, these girls are damn pretty," he continued, eyeing Lila and Kaelith with a leer. "If they weren’t merchandise, they’d be warming my bed tonight."Kaelith began to shake, her eyes wide with terror as tears welled up, threatening to spill over. Lila let out a scream for help, her voice shrill and desperate."Don’t w
The leader of the bandits stopped in his tracks, his smug confidence replaced by a mixture of shock and fury as he slowly turned back to face Oasis,realizing that this "merchandise" was not as helpless as they had assumed.The leader of the bandits, his face contorted with a mixture of shock and fury, barked out a command, "Kill that brat!"His henchmen, who had been momentarily stunned by the death of Roy, snapped into action.They drew their weapons, the sharp scrape of metal against leather filling the air.Two men advanced on Oasis, their faces twisted with killing intent, their eyes locked on him as if he were nothing more than a target to be eliminated.The first bandit, a burly man with a scar running down his cheek, lunged forward with a heavy broadsword, aiming a powerful overhead strike at Oasis. The second, a leaner man with a dagger in each hand, circled around, looking for an opening to strike.Oasis remained calm, his eyes narrowing as he assessed their movements. In a
The last remaining bandit, witnessing the gruesome fate of his comrades, felt all his bravado drain away.His legs gave out beneath him, and he fell to the ground with a thud, landing on his backside.His face was pale, and his eyes were wide with terror as he stared at Oasis, who was now walking towards him.Among the recruits, the girls huddled together, trembling with fear.Toren remained unconscious, while Ronan, though scared, tried to maintain his composure. He mustered the courage to move closer to Oasis, though his legs shook with each step.Oasis stopped just in front of the terrified bandit and crouched down to meet his eye level.The bandit’s face was a mixture of sheer terror and disbelief, as if he couldn’t comprehend whether the person before him was a normal child or a monster in disguise."You have only one painless choice," Oasis began, his voice cold and menacing."Tell me everything about your businesses in Dawnhail—your organization, its power hierarchy. Or, you ca
"Let's get back to Belvan," Oasis said gently, sensing the pain in Ronan's voice.He then moved toward the girls, who were still trembling from the ordeal.He spoke to them softly, offering comforting words to ease their fear, and then gave Toren a light kick to wake him from his unconscious state.After a few breaths, everyone was ready to move.However, Oasis knew he needed to catch up to Garron and his group, and he wouldn’t be able to do that if he stayed with the others.!"Ohh... here," Oasis said, handing a scroll to Ronan after a moment of thought."I’ll be moving ahead. This scroll will protect you. Just inject some mana into it if you get into trouble. We’ll meet in town."The scroll was a powerful spell, a piece of his parents' legacy that he always kept with him. Oasis knew it would keep the group safe while he dealt with Garron.Without wasting any more time, Oasis took off, using his Dancing Phoenix footwork technique to move at incredible speed.He darted through the den
Without waiting for an answer, Oasis reached into his storage bracelet and pulled out his sword, Kaze no Kagutsuchi.!!!"That’s definitely a high-grade artifact," Jerek blurted out, his voice betraying a mixture of awe and fear.The others in Garron’s group, upon hearing this, suddenly realized the gravity of their situation.Garron’s earlier confidence began to waver as he reassessed the young man standing before them."Who are you, kid?" Garron asked, his tone no longer as assured as before."Oasis of Lunaris," Oasis replied simply, flicking his wrist casually as he adjusted his grip on the sword."Since it’s come to this, there’s no turning back. Either we die, or you die, kid… unless you decide to join us," Garron said, trying to maintain his composure despite the growing unease."Then, Uncle Garron, and the rest of you," Oasis began, his voice chillingly calm, "I’ll give you a few minutes to write your farewells to your families, because today shall be your last."Garron’s group
As Oasis slid his sword back into his storage bracelet, he took a moment to survey the carnage around him.The bodies of Garron and his group lay sprawled on the ground, lifeless, their blood soaking into the earth.The wind stirred gently, carrying the scent of death, but Oasis's expression remained calm, almost contemplative."I don’t know how you all started down this path or what led you to this life, but you were a thorn in the lives of the parents of the children you abducted," Oasis said, his voice soft but carrying a weight of finality.He looked down at the corpses beneath his feet, his gaze unwavering. "May you help others in your next lives instead of hurting them."With that, Oasis extended his hand, and a surge of his blue flames erupted from his palm.The flames roared to life, intense and unyielding, as they engulfed the bodies of Garron and his fallen comrades.The azure fire danced and crackled, consuming the corpses with relentless ferocity.The air was filled with t
The embrace was soothing. Oasis felt his body relax, the tension melting away as he allowed himself to lean into the warmth of her embrace.It was a simple gesture, but it was exactly what he needed. The tightness in his chest eased, replaced by a sense of calm and comfort.After a moment, she pulled away slightly, looking him at him."Don’t keep it all to yourself," she said softly.Then, with a gentle smile, she left him, closing the door quietly behind her.Oasis stood there for a moment, still feeling the warmth of her embrace.He wanted to thank her, to say something, but the words wouldn’t come.Instead, he just watched as the door clicked shut, feeling at peace.He took a deep breath, feeling the tension in his body dissipate.The air in the room felt lighter, the weight on his shoulders slightly lifted.With a newfound sense of clarity, Oasis sat down in the lotus position on the floor and began to meditate, focusing the flow of energy within him.The events of the day still l
The camp was alive with grim activity as the first light of dawn cast a dim, eerie glow over the valley.Guards moved about with stern expressions, dragging a line of boys and grown men from their tents.Their hands were bound, and their faces were etched with hopelessness as they were herded towards the nearby mine.The camp, it seemed, was not just a hideout for the bandits but a hub for forced labor, where the strong preyed on the weak to extract the valley's riches.The guards pushed and prodded the prisoners, who stumbled forward, their bodies already weakened from previous days of grueling work.The sound of chains clinking and the shuffling of feet filled the air, mingling with the distant clang of pickaxes striking rock from the depths of the mine.The mine's entrance loomed like a mouth ready to swallow them whole, its darkness a stark contrast to the cold morning light.In his tent, Vakar, the Vulture of the Valley, was engaged in a hushed conversation with a man dressed ent