Ambush!

Two weeks went by in a flash and I was like a kid waiting for Christmas. My new spells were bought and paid for but they were sold in the Province of Dorkchestire, and even with a swift horse, it can take upwards of three days or more depending on traffic and travel conditions to reach our estate in Berken. It's been four days since we got word they were on their way and I am starting to get worried. My father simply tells me to be patient, but I have spent my whole life being patient. I want my damn Fireball! So I did what any rational 14-year-old would do in this instance and packed up, mounted my horse, and took off looking for the rider.

I didn't tell anyone I was leaving, but I shouldn't be too awful long so hopefully they don't worry too much. About three hours into my trip I noticed that my faithful horse Dantalion was getting a bit tired running at this speed so we stopped for a break. After I watered and fed Dantalion I of course serviced my weapon. 

The only problem is that even though I have used it excessively these last few days not a single speck of dust has settled on it. It's like a weapon designed to be clean at all times. Which I don't really like, but I take it apart anyway just to see how she looks on the inside again. I don't really understand it to be honest with you. It has all of the inner workings of a standard M16 and the magazine even has space for 30 rounds of ammunition, but even though it is empty it still fires like normal. I can only hypothesize that the rounds are created as soon as I pull the trigger, but it's weird to me that a gas powered rifle like this one is even cocking itself without the explosive gases to propel it. 

It kind of takes the joy out of it just a little. Maybe I know too much about how rifles work and since it doesn't fit the norm for me I'm just being a baby, but damnit I need to understand how it works. Further tests are to be required. For now I think Dantalion is ready to go.

Dantalion looks at me and whinnies as though impatient.

"I know I know buddy I don't get you out enough," I say gently as I stroke his mane.

"I promise I will take you on all of my adventures when I am traveling around defeating dungeons single handedly!" Dantalion just purrs in my arms as I mount him. Are horses supposed to purr? I don't know. I don't know anything about horses. 

We ride for about six hours before I notice something is amiss about the road. For one thing, I haven't seen anybody in a long time. Not since I passed the last town. It's eerie to me that I should have encountered quite a few people on this road, and my long-honed instincts are screaming at me. I decide to hitch Dantalion to a nearby tree and check up ahead on foot. It doesn't take long for me to notice what the problem is. 

There is a tree blocking the road, and with thick vegetation on both sides there is no room for a cart to pass by, but there is no one lined up behind it, and no one working to clear it from the road. I look at the trunk and notice it hasn't blown over. No it was cut down.

"Aha! It's a trap!" I yell excitedly as I shoulder my weapon and leap off the road toward cover. 

As soon as I make my declaration people start appearing in droves from the northern side of the road and arrows start falling where I was standing just a moment ago. I'm super excited! This is the first bit of action I've gotten in this life and I intend to deal with them as a Duke's son should. With extreme prejudice. 

I just start firing as I dance between the trees. With extreme precision four bandits fall almost instantly as I run around like a Comanche killing from tree to tree. They instantly became wary of me and began hiding and employing tactics of their own. It's too bad really. They actually had some skill. I think as I ambush three more and put them down with a few quick shots. Now they are getting scared, but then I hear it.

<Level UP>

With the pause in my shooting, the bandits take that as a clear sign to run.

"Retreat!" One of them yells as they begin to scatter like frightened mice. 

I take down six more in the shuffle as they begin to run, and only stop when I hear it again.

<Level UP>

The system in its infinite wisdom decided to stop me short of my massacre by distracting me just long enough for the remaining bandits to escape. 

"System in the future please only notify me of level-ups after I have finished combat please," I said with mild aggravation. I had intended to leave a few alive anyway so they could lead me to their base of operations, but I wanted to thin them out just a bit more before doing so.

<Understood Host> 

<All future notifications will display after Host has finished combat.>

Thank you system. I appreciate that. 

I decide to start tracking the bandits like only an experienced scout can, but it isn't hard. In their mad dash to escape me they left a trail even a child could decipher leading towards the eastern section of the forest. Dantalion is safely hitched just a few minutes up the road and my pack is slung over my shoulder. I'm running a bit low on Mana but if push comes to shove I've got this. I think to myself as I run my fingers across the knife in my belt. I've done worse with less I suppose. 

As I trudge up the beaten path leading towards their hideout I peruse my status to see what changes have been made. 

"System. Status please."

<Darien Lewis>

<The Adventuring System>

Level 3(47/300)

HP- 20

MP- 30/40

Strength- 4(2)

Willpower- 7(2)

Agility- 4(2)

Stamina- 4(2)

Intelligence-5(2)

Luck- 5

Unused Stat Points

4

<Active Skills>

Magic Gun {Level 1}(94.52%)

<Passive Skills>

Limitless Growth {Level MAX}

I had made tremendous progress on my leveling! And I feel so much stronger, more agile, more intelligent?? Naa not more intelligent but maybe I can see through things a little bit better. It also seems as though each kill was worth varying levels of stat points though since I could not make heads or tails of the math on the level, but it only went up by 100 points per level which did not seem right to me. I had heard it doubles each time, but this must be the result of my skill Limitless Growth.

There is no other explanation. The next level should have been 400 points away, but it seems that is not going to be the case for me! I'm so close to leveling up my Magic Gun skill as well. It makes sense I've been firing like crazy the last few days. I'm so excited to see what happens at level two! I should be able to get my last few shots in during this raid so I suppose we will see, won't we? 

While I've been perusing my status I've gotten very close to the bandit camp, and I can hear them rushing around trying to prepare for my arrival. I hear the rattle of chains even from this distance and I can only imagine what those are for. I come upon a hill and take a look down and see them in all their bedraggled glory. 

A few scattered tents, cages full of people, and a long chain gang of people who were being filed out of the forest. 

"Slavers..." I muttered to myself. They seemed less worried about the goods and more worried about procuring people. Slavery is illegal in almost all civilized countries on Cambria, but that doesn't mean that there aren't unsavory people who still utilize the practice. 

I couldn't be happier to have killed those seedy bastards now that I think about it. What you thought I was having second thoughts. That I was struggling with my moral compass. Naa I don't really work like that. I knew for sure they would have killed me if given the chance so I took their lives. No now what I am feeling is a feeling of giddyness you only get when you kill scumbags who really deserve it. 

Now I just need to think of a plan of action to ensure the greatest loss of life for the enemy and the greatest saving of life for the innocent. This is going to be a blast!