Chapter 154: The Vagabond

"Die!"

Merlin's hand suddenly held a large sword, which he threw with all his might. Although he had no magic power left, his physical strength was close to that of a level-three peak Elemental Swordsman, nearly reaching the level of a level-four.

With such powerful physical prowess, the sword hurled forward at blinding speed, slicing through the air like a flash of white light, emitting a sharp "whoosh."

The hooded man shared Merlin's intent. He spun around, revealing a compact black crossbow, from which he fired a small, black bolt straight at Merlin. As a wandering mage, the man had developed various survival skills and carried a crossbow as a last resort. Unlike the well-equipped mages within guilds, wanderers relied on simple weapons for defense.

Both the crossbow bolt and Merlin's thrown sword flew at incredible speeds. With no magic left, neither could defend against the other's attack.

"Thud!"

Merlin's sword struck the hooded man's abdomen, sending him staggering backward until he collapsed to the ground, his face twisted in agony, his gaze filled with unwillingness. After a brief struggle, he lay still, life fading from his body.

However, the black bolt found its mark, piercing Merlin's leg. A sharp, searing pain shot through him, quickly replaced by numbness.

"Poison!"

Merlin's heart sank as he realized the bolt was coated in a deadly toxin. Judging by its rapid effects, the hooded man must have concocted a corrosive poison to apply to his weapon. Even a strong Elemental Swordsman could perish from such venom.

Merlin immediately sat down, tearing away the fabric around the wound. The flesh around the bolt was decaying rapidly, revealing white bone beneath.

"A corrosive potion!"

Merlin instantly recognized the toxin. It swiftly infiltrated the bloodstream, eating away at flesh and muscle at an alarming rate. Without hesitation, he retrieved a sharp knife from his ring and sliced away the infected flesh.

"Slash."

With a quick cut, he removed a chunk of flesh. The pain would have been unbearable for most, but Merlin's strong mental willpower allowed him to minimize his perception of pain, allowing him to endure.

Working quickly and precisely, he removed nearly half the flesh from his thigh, eliminating most of the poison. However, some traces had already spread deeper into his body.

Merlin pulled out a coagulant to stem the bleeding, along with a simple herbal antidote. While it wouldn't fully neutralize the poison, it would slow its effects until he could mix a stronger antidote.

As Merlin applied the medicines, he glanced over at Vixer's corpse, shaking his head with a grim smile.

"That was close… The gap between zero-level and level-one spells is apparent, especially when my **Dark Mist** fails…"

Leaning back against a tree, Merlin reviewed the recent battle in his mind. It had been dangerously close; a single slip could have cost him his life.

After resting briefly to regain his strength, Merlin crawled toward Vixer's body, removing the rings from Vixer and Neil's hands. Checking their contents, he discovered various potions, elemental crystals, and even a few level-one spells in Neil's ring—likely his stockpile.

Vixer's ring held even more treasures. As a powerful rogue mage, Vixer had likely killed many mages to acquire rare and unique items.

"A mental enhancement potion formula?"

Merlin's face lit up with surprise. He found a rare mental enhancement formula in Vixer's ring, explaining Vixer's nearly level-three mental strength, which had nullified **Dark Mist**.

The formula was for a **Blueberry Elixir**, with blueberries as the primary ingredient. Though rare, these blueberries were available in the tower; Merlin could source more once he returned. Compared to the elusive Phantom Potion, the ingredients for Blueberry Elixir were far more accessible. Vixer even had a small supply of blueberries, enough to craft several doses.

After collecting everything, Merlin used the last of his magical energy to summon two fireballs, incinerating the corpses. He then slumped against the tree, resigned to resting in the forest until his wound healed enough to allow him to walk.

He began to restore his mana with an elemental crystal, focusing on gradually replenishing the energy in his depleted spell models.

※※※

Further along the main road, a caravan of ten wagons appeared, escorted by knights in armor who scanned their surroundings vigilantly.

"Look, those maple trees are beautiful!"

A fifteen-year-old girl peeked out from one of the wagons, her face lighting up at the sight of the red maple forest.

Tall and graceful, with two braids and knee-high boots that highlighted her long legs, the girl's excitement was evident.

"Yes, we've been on the road for months now. The maple trees have all turned red!" said a middle-aged man sitting beside her in the wagon, admiring the scenery. "We'll reach Ditas soon; we'll rest there tonight and continue to Sanlan City tomorrow."

"Father, can we go look at the maples?" the girl pleaded, unable to contain her enthusiasm.

Before the man could answer, a well-dressed woman in the wagon rebuked, "No, Emma. It's too dangerous out there. We've encountered so many bandits on this trip already. Let's get to Sanlan City quickly."

"Mother, we're so close to Ditas. There can't be any danger here," Emma insisted.

The middle-aged man hesitated, then relented with a nod. "All right, Emma. We'll take a short break. With our guards and the town nearby, we should be safe."

With her father's permission, Emma leaped from the wagon excitedly. The middle-aged man followed, gesturing for his wife to join them in the maple forest. The guards also relaxed, grateful for a moment to rest.

As the caravan paused, one of the guards approached the middle-aged man, whispering, "Mr. Shebley, we've spotted a vagabond in the forest."

"A vagabond?"

The man followed the guard's gaze to a figure slumped against a tree, unkempt and dirty, barely distinguishable amidst the red leaves.

"With Ditas just ahead, what would a vagabond be doing here?" Shebley's merchant instincts made him wary. "All right, Emma, we've seen the trees. Let's keep moving."

He cast another glance at the vagabond before calling Emma back to the wagons.

But before they could leave, a horde of fierce-looking riders emerged from the depths of the maple forest. The riders whooped and shouted as they surrounded the caravan.

"Bandits!"

The guards braced for battle, but the sheer number of bandits—three or four hundred—quickly overwhelmed them. In minutes, the guards lay dead, leaving the merchants defenseless.

Three of the bandits' leaders dismounted near Shebley, grinning darkly. "It took days to find such easy prey. Kill the men, capture the women, and take everything back."

At their leader's command, the bandits eagerly began the massacre, brutally attacking the unarmed merchants. Emma and her mother huddled behind Shebley, trembling with fear as despair clouded his face.

One bandit pointed toward the trees. "Chief, there's a vagabond in the forest."

"A vagabond?" The leader's face twisted with disdain. "Kill him! Just send a few men; don't bother me with trivialities."

Following his order, a group of bandits broke away from the main attack and charged toward the lone figure under the trees.