Chapter 4: Ambush

Magnus watched the trio as they started to pack up the campsite and contemplated whether or not he should offer a helping hand. In the end, though, he decided not to, feeling as if anything he did would probably just mess up their workflow.

So, instead, he decided to wait in the cart and dedicate the next fifteen minutes or so to thinking a bit more about the Command Console. Although his brief experiments the previous night had allowed him to figure out the method to controlling it, he still couldn't figure out how it actually worked.

The real issue is that I have no idea what language it uses. If it uses languages similar to the ones on Earth, then I at least have a chance of figuring it out, but if it's anything else, then I'm pretty much screwed.

All sorts of languages existed when it came to both programming and scripting, some of the most notable being ones like Java, C++, Python, etc. Their complexity may vary, but one could learn them all as long as they put in the time and effort. However, that was only if there was some kind of guide. Trying to figure out any of these languages without that kind of thing was akin to trying to decipher an unknown language without any previous exposure to it.

It was a near-impossible task for anyone to pull off.

Well, for now, that'll have to wait.

After having Mia sneak up on him last night, he realized just how easy it was to get too engrossed in the Command Console even with people around. Its screen was opaque after all, and even during his experiments, he couldn't figure out a way to move it outside of his line of sight.

That meant when it was open, it rendered him pretty much oblivious to his surroundings, as if a wall had been put in front of his face. It was dangerous considering he knew monsters existed, and it definitely wasn't the best look if he was trying to avoid seeming suspicious.

"Alright, that should be everything; let's hit the road," Mia said, tossing the bag she had in her hand onto the cart. She and Gerald joined Magnus in the back, while Marcos took the driver's seat. Just like that, their journey continued, and for the most part, everyone was quiet, leaving Magnus alone with his thoughts as he shifted his body uncomfortably.

I don't think I'll ever get used to riding in a cart, or at least one without suspension; my ass feels like it's about to fall off or something. Not to mention that these clothes are really starting to get uncomfortable. I guess that's just one of the major things the modern world has over this one, even if this one has magic.

Or at least I think it has magic; I mean, that's the only thing that could really explain that move Mia pulled off with her bow.

Thinking back to that, Magnus couldn't help but feel reminded of how different this world was from his own. Even if they did make it to Arlcliff City and he had a chance to visit a library or something, learning everything he needed to know would take a while.

I guess I should at least count myself lucky that I didn't have to learn a whole new language.

It wasn't something he noticed right away when he arrived, but whether it be Mia, Gerald, or Marcos, all three of them were speaking another language, and one Magnus was fairly confident wasn't' from Earth. Yet despite that, he could understand them, as if the meaning of every word they spoke was being matched up in his mind.

It was so seemless; he didn't even find it odd until he started really listening to the others speak.

I wonder if the Command Console has some kind of translation feature or something? I mean, it would be convenient if it did, but also pretty damn odd. Then again, everything about this is odd, isn't it?

As he continued to think to himself, his gaze drifted to the passing forest. They had already been riding for about an hour; Mia was occupied with her bow, testing and tweaking its draw weight, while Gerald had at some point dozed off to take a nap. At the same time, Marcos remained focused on the road, guiding the horses as they sped down the dirt path.

At some point, Magnus also started to drift off, the mix of repetitious scenery and his own thoughts landing him somewhere between being awake and entering dreamland. Still, he couldn't exactly fall asleep due to the cart jolting him up every once in a while.

But it was in that state of drowsiness that he suddenly saw something—a glint of light in the forest.

It vanished within the same second it had appeared, but he was positive he had seen something, and it caused him to snap himself awake. As he began to look around for it, his eyes just so happened to spot a shadow on the ground trailing behind the cart. Looking up in the air, he saw that a bird was the one casting the shadow, which had a similar build to that of a hawk.

The bird kept a constant distance in the air behind their cart. It wasn't flying past them or heading in some other direction. It was following them. Seeing that, Magnus couldn't explain why, but his mind immediately told him that something was wrong.

"Hey Mia, is it normal for birds to follow people like that?" He turned to Mia, who looked up to where he was pointing, noticing the bird and its strange behavior. Marcos, who had been minding his business, looked up as well, and his eyes widened as he yelled out.

"Gerald, wake up! We got an arkell tailing us!" Wrapping the horses' reins around one of his hands, Marcos glanced back at the bird in the air and reached into his cloak. The entire process was too fast for Magnus to keep track of, but he saw Marcos suddenly throw something.

It flew through the air and hit its target dead-on. There was a small cry from the bird as it plummeted out of the sky and hit the ground. But Mia seemed to have realized they had reacted too slowly.

"Incoming!" Mia's warning was followed by a massive swarm of arrows flying out from the bushes and shrubbery on both sides of the cart. Most of them struck the cart's side and got embedded in the wood, but some of them ended up hitting the horses.

"Shit!" Marcos cursed as the horses collapsed mid-gallop, their weight throwing the cart off balance before its wheels became entangled with their bodies. In an instant, all four of them were sent hurtling into the air.

Mia reacted the quickest, leaping off the cart before it could throw her off balance, landing on her feet, and drawing her bow. Marcos, positioned at the front of the cart, had the least time to prepare and hit the ground first, rolling instinctively to escape with just a few bruises.

Magnus and Gerald were thrown a bit further, but with a lighter impact.

Dammit, they got the horses.

Mia glanced at the horses bleeding out on the ground before looking around to check on everyone else.

"Ow... Well, that's one way to wake up from a nap," Gerald commented, rubbing his head as he got up and surveyed their surroundings. Besides the crash, the forest appeared tranquil. Marcos, standing up with a grimace, saw no movement around them.

"How did they hit us while we were moving?" Magnus wondered aloud while rubbing his arm, which he had ended up landing on. The canopy of the trees blocked most of the sunlight from filtering into the forest, meaning it was a challenge to see. And the dense foliage meant that aiming at something moving as fast as they were would be difficult, to say the least.

"It was an Arkell, apparently," Gerald explained.

"Annoying little birds, but very smart. They can follow precise instructions if you train them at birth. I've never seen one in action until now, but when used properly, you can use them to target enemies you can't see."

"A perfect tool for ambushing unsuspecting travelers," Marcos added, scanning their surroundings for any signs of movement. As he did that, Gerald spotted a long bag tied up with rope lying on the ground that had clearly been thrown from their cart.

Walking towards it, he picked up the bag and untied it, causing it to fall, revealing an enormous greatsword hidden undeniably. The cross-guard alone was almost half as wide as his chest, and the thickest section of the double-edged blade was even bigger than that.

The sword, if it could even be called that, was nearly as tall as he was.

Holy... how the hell did he lift that thing with one hand?

The sword's hilt was definitely large for both of Gerald's hands, yet he still effortlessly wielded it with just one, without so much as breaking a sweat.

Just then, Mia stepped forward, her voice piercing the tense air as she addressed what seemed to be thin air: "Attacking soldiers of the kingdom is an offense. Surrender now, and you'll be granted a fair trial under the laws of the Batis Kingdom."

Her words, though directed at no one visible, seemed to have reached the ears of those who were in hiding.

After a few moments, the shadows seemed to settle, and one by one, figures began to emerge from the surrounding forest. Magnus watched, his heart beginning to pound, as around twenty figures revealed themselves. They had them completely encircled, outnumbered, and wielded an arsenal of weapons—from short swords and long spears to simple daggers.

They clearly weren't some kind of uniform group, but that only added more to Magnus's growing anxiety.

Shit, this is bad; these guys look like bandits. I don't know how to fight, meaning it's basically three against twenty as well.

Magnus's mind almost immediately started racing, trying to think about what to do. If he tried to stick close to Gerald, Marcos, or Mia, he might just end up becoming a liability. But if he stayed too far away, he would just become a target if a fight ended up breaking out.

My best option might just be to try and hide.

As his anxiety mounted, everyone's focus shifted as one individual stepped forward.

The man had one hand casually resting on the hilt of his sword on his right hip—a mirror to the sword on his left hip as well.

"I never thought we'd be stopping soldiers today. My apologies for the surprise. I'm Terik, the leader of this merry band you see before you." He spoke with a smile, and the hospitality in his voice seemed genuine, yet beneath it, Magnus felt something chilling.

Mia's gaze lingered on him, sizing him up, before responding decisively.

"I'd prefer to avoid a senseless battle, so I'll say it once more. Surrender." Her usual tone was replaced by one of authority, underlining her words with a clear warning.

Hearing her command, frustration burst from one of Terik's men.

"Why are we wasting our breath on them, Terik? They're just a bunch of lapdogs of the crown! Let's kill them and take what they've got; they're on their own out here!" His words ignited a wave of enthusiasm among their ranks; their thirst for bloodshed was palpable.

However, all of that stopped when Terik raised his hand, and an abrupt silence fell over the group of bandits. Despite how clearly disorganized they were, it was also clear they harbored a collective fear towards him. Once the chatter ceased, Terik turned his attention back to Mia.

"Apologies for the ruckus. They've been a bit unruly since travelers have been scarce. With the kryle growing restless, more people are heading to the capital. It makes the bandit life a tough gig," Terik explained with a smirk.

He continued, "Still, things must really be rough at the border for even a spirit naturalist to be running with their tails between their legs, eh?"

His words cast a sudden chill over his men; their eyes widened in shock as they gazed at Mia. While some were surprised, others displayed outright fear, inching away from her as if she were a live grenade.

Gerald and Marcos were, of course, unfazed by this revelation; they knew exactly what Mia was.

"A spirit naturalist! Her?"

"Shit, no wonder Terik waved us off," one of the men muttered under his breath, a mix of both awe and fear in his voice.

Magus, seeing the group of bandits' reactions, could piece together the context in his mind.

So that ability she used to handle those kryle and that weird way she reacted to the arrows before we could even see them—it's because she's a spirit naturalist? What does that even mean?

Mia seemed unfazed by the surrounding murmurs and instead issued another warning, her voice growing even colder and slicing through the tension.

"This is your last warning." Terik, in response, let out a weary sigh, his fingers brushing through his black hair.

"So stern, it makes me remember why I ditched the military life. But if you're so fond of ultimatums, here's one for you," Terik continued in a way that almost sounded like he was challenging Mia.

"Drop your weapons, and we'll take everything you have but leave you with your lives. Then you can go piss off into the woods for all I ca-" But before he could finish, Mia bolted towards him at a speed that was clearly unnatural.

Magnus didn't even catch a glimpse of Mia making a move before she had already gotten close to Terik. The only hint of her movement was the fleeting green light tracing where her feet had briefly touched the ground. Clutching her recurve bow, which didn't hold any arrows, it was clear she wasn't planning to attack from a distance.

In one fluid motion, she wielded the bow by one limb, closing the distance to strike at Terik's right ankle. Terik, caught off guard, hastily retreated a step, simultaneously unsheathing his twin swords.

The air split with a sharp whistle as Mia's bow sliced through it, culminating in a crack like a whip shattering the sound barrier. The sound echoed, capturing everyone's attention. Terik couldn't suppress a wicked smirk, his gaze fixed on Mia.

"So, negotiations are dead on arrival? Fine by me! We'll just go about this the usual way, boys! Leave the spirit naturalist to me. As for the rest, kill them!" With their leader's words ringing in their ears, the bandits didn't hesitate. Like a storm, they surged forward, targeting Gerald and Marcos while ignoring Mia.

At the same time, seeing it was going to devolve into a fight, Magnus quickly went to hide while everyone was distracted.

"This should be fun," Gerald chuckled under his breath as Marcos slid back his cloak to reveal two belts crammed with throwing knives by his waist.

In the midst of this, Marcos shot Gerald a cautious look and said, "Try not to make too much of a mess, Gerald. You know how you get when we fight crowds."

"Heh, no promises!" Gerald's reply was brisk, filled with clear hints of excitement. Charging in head first, he instantly drew the attention of three bandits at the front of their group, swords at the ready. They attacked from all sides, aiming to encircle him, their swords ready to pierce through flesh.

But Gerald, despite his large frame, had a level of speed that didn't match up at all. With a single pivot, his greatsword swung in a wide arc in front of him.

One bandit managed to duck just in time, but the other two weren't as quick. Gerald's sword cut through them mercilessly, cleaving bone and flesh as if it weren't even there. Before they could even understand what happened to them, they were severed in two, their upper bodies sent flying, as blood and entrails marked the air and ground alike.

"Wha- Dammit, focus your attention on the big guy! He's dangerous!" The one bandit who had dodged in time immediately called for help. They had thought Gerald would be the easiest to take down since he was lugging around such a large sword, and that mistake had already cost them two men.

So as a group split off to handle Gerald, the remainder went after Marcos. Seeing them all, Marcos's eyes narrowed. He quickly sidestepped one of the bandits, who thrust at him using their spear while simultaneously striking another in the chin.

"Die!" Rushing past the bandit who had gotten hit, another yelled as he aimed to lob off Marcos's head, who was off balance. Yet, even in such a position, Marcos could react, swiftly pulling out two throwing knives. He threw one of the knives directly at the charging bandit, hitting them in the leg.

The wound immediately caused them to buckle under their own weight due to the sudden shock and pain. And then, the moment they exposed the back of their neck he took the opening, moving close and driving the second throwing knife directly into their throat.

Not losing his pace, he quickly turned his attention back to the bandit he had initially sidestepped. They had already righted themselves and charged at him again with their spear. But they had massively miscalculated the distance between them.

Without taking a step, Marcos tossed yet another throwing knife, hitting the charging bandit squarely in the eye and penetrating his brain. It was an instant kill as he collapsed onto the ground along with his spear.

Meanwhile, Magnus, who had done his best to remove himself from the battle by hiding nearby, was surprised. He knew Mia had magic or something akin to it, so he wouldn't have been surprised if she was strong. However, he had clearly underestimated the others.

Seeing Gerald in action, Magnus wasn't too shocked; the man's strength was clear from the fact he could lift that giant sword. However, the gory scene did cause his stomach to shift a bit. Still, he definitely hadn't expected Marcos, who had been so quiet and reserved up to this point, to be so deadly.

I guess if they really were in a village that got attacked by all those kryle, they'd have to be pretty strong to be the only ones who survived. In that case, they might really be able to handle all these bandits on their own, even if they're outnumbered. But what about Mia?

That guy she's fighting knows about her abilities, and he still chose to fight her alone. That's either a death flag for him or one for her.