When Troubles Comes, It Comes In Hordes!

Ewaan's sudden suggestion sent shockwaves through the group, prompting Maya to exclaim, "Absolutely not! How could you suggest something so reckless?!"

Ayami, equally concerned, added, "Are you out of your mind? I acknowledge that you're strong, Ewaan, but not that strong. Don't get arrogant after gaining a little strength!"

Ayaka chimed in, her voice tinged with worry, "Taking on a horde of Reptide Lizards alone? That's madness. Let's find another solution and stick together."

In response, he said, "Look, I know it seems inappropriate, but it's not a decision made on a whim. I can always escape using my skill, Shadow Movement, like you saw earlier..."

He looked at Maya and with a smile, he added, "I'm not throwing away my life that easily. I made a promise, after all."

He continued, "Besides, if we split up, we can secure both the kidnapped girls and those townsfolks safety altogether. And if you think for a moment, those bandits are more dangerous than those lizards."

His reasoning left the girls puzzled, as they tried to reconcile the notion of bandits being more dangerous than those powerful Reptide Lizards.

Sensing their confusion, he continued, "Think about it. Bandits are humans—they can think, plan, and ambush. Those monsters on the other hand, are straightforward and thick-headed."

– Yeah, taste my cooking and leave me alone with those lizards,

He added with a straight face, "So, in truth, I'm actually taking on the less dangerous task!"

They couldn't argue further with his reasoning. Ayami conceded, "Well... He does have a point."

Instantly, both Maya and Ayaka glanced at her with shock, with Maya shooting a piercing glare.

Sheepishly, Ayami continued, "You both, hear me out! We've seen his darkness skill, so if he uses that, those lizards won't be able to predict his movements."

Her words seemed reasonable, and even though reluctant, they agreed with his somewhat ridiculous reasoning.

With the plan settled, the girls prepared to head southwest to find and confront the bandits, and Ewaan ready to venture toward the start of the river flow further north.

But before setting off, Ewaan retrieved the ‹Magisteel Pendant› from his Inventory and called out to Maya. Placing it around her neck suddenly without saying anything, he surprised her, causing her cheeks to flush red with fluster.

Flustered, Maya stuttered, unable to articulate a proper response.

Ewaan proceeded to explain, "This pendant is made from something called Magisteel found in this world, and it has a protective shield built inside, so it'll protect you in dangerous situations."

He took out the ‹Blank Basic Spellbook› and the ‹Tier-5 Basic Wand›, which appeared as an ordinary blank book and a small drumstick with a small colorless gemstone attached to the front.

Handing these items to Maya, he began explaining their usage. "This wand will help you channel and control the mana input for spells, preventing incidents like what happened with Telepathy,"

He explained, patting her head gently. "Injecting mana into this blank spellbook will grant you random skills according to your attributes."

Unbeknownst to Maya, Ewaan simultaneously consulted Great Sage about the usage of these items he took out from the inventory, relaying the information to her with adding some personal insights to better explain their functionality.

Confused and surprised, Maya asked, glancing at the items, "W—where did you get these items?"

Brushing off her question, he responded bluntly with a warm smile, "I have more where these came from, but that's not important right now, is it?"

He also took out two ‹Crystal Talismans› and three ‹Warp Talismans›, which looked like ordinary yellow and blue papers with runes engraved all over them.

He explained, "These blue ones are called Crystal Talismans. They basically have the same qualities as your pendant but are one-time use only. And these are Warp Talismans, simply put, for escape if necessary."

Handing the talismans to her, he instructed, "Inject your mana within them, and they'll activate their magic. Give one each to Ayami and Ayaka, and keep one Warp Talisman for yourself."

With his ever-present protective instinct, he concluded his explanation.

Despite his excitement to confront powerful monsters, he couldn't shake off his worries for Maya and his newfound friends.

°°°

Except for the Blank Spellbook, she stashed away all the items utilizing her skill, Subspace, which works exactly like Ewaan's Inventory, allowing items to appear and disappear in an instant.

Then, closing her eyes, she focused her concentration, pouring Mana inside the book.

Suddenly, a golden glow enveloped Maya, shocking Ayami and Ayaka from a distance.

Within the glow, the book evaporated into glowing particles, filling Maya's mind with knowledge of some Basic Water and Light attributed skills, leaving her shocked and amazed by the sudden influx of information.

As they approached Maya, they bombarded her with questions about the sudden glow.

Maya explained about the book Ewaan gave her and how she suddenly received Water magic from it.

Leaving them shocked and filled with questions about the book, Ayami couldn't help but ponder,

– Yet another mystery surrounding him, which he doesn't tell Maya either...

As there's important matters at hand, they didn't waste any more time and began their quest in search of those bandits.

Thankfully, Ayaka's magic skill, Long Sense, made it easy for them to locate the bandits.

°°°

Approaching cautiously, they observed the bandits' stronghold nestled within a cave near the mountains.

Taking cover behind trees, the girls strategizing their next move.

Around 10 to 15 men lounged outside, drinking and eating. Their raucous laughter mingling with the cries of the captured girls echoing from the cave.

Some of the men, in guise of standing guard, leered inside the cave with their faces twisted with lust.

One of the seated bandits leaned on his spear, grumbled, "It's been a whole day since we captured those girls from that town, but only the boss now enjoying herself. She's not letting us have any fun..."

His companion, an Anubis, taking a swig from his drink, replied, "Don't question the boss. She'll let us have our turn after she's done with them."

Ayami's anger was palpable as she exclaimed, "Those bastards! They're going to pay with their lives for what they've done!"

Ayaka, ever the voice of reason, urged caution, her tone laced with seriousness and scanning the area for potential openings. "We can't rush in without a plan, or we might end up victims like those poor girls."

Maya, holding her wand which she retrieved from her Subspace along with the Talismans which she passed to the girls.

Ayaka, visibly shocked, uttered, "Where did you get these expensive items?"

Maya closed her eyes, with holding the wand with both hands, she says, "I'll explain later. For now just keep in mind that the blue one can protect you, while the yellow one will teleport you to somewhere you think of while activating it!"

Suddenly, some bandits erupted into shouts of pain as the gemstone on Maya's wand glowed pinkish.

One of them yelled while clutching his head, "Ugh! What's happening!? I can't... Stand this pain!"

Another bandit struggled to maintain composure, shouted, "We're under attack!!"

Shocked, Ayaka turned to Maya, inquiring about what caused the bandits' sudden distress.

With a smile, Maya replied, still concentrating on the skill, "I'm using my Telepathic wavelength to cause severe pain in their brains." Turning her expression serious, she continued, "But I can't hold it much longer; I can feel it's draining my mana quickly!"

Ayami emerged from her hiding spot behind the tree, drawing her slender sword from her waist.

The blade, adorned with enigmatic dark patterns and ending in a sharp point. Its ornate hilt featured intricate dark metalwork and a radiant yellowish-red gemstone at its center, matching Ayami's Aura.

With a muttered incantation, "[Fire-Sword Infusion]" flames immediately enveloped the blade.

Ayami smiled confidently and exclaimed, "Then let's not waste any more time!" She swiftly dashed towards the bandits, adding, "Thanks for the talismans, Maya!"

••• ••• •••