Chapter 41 – Posturing

Gravis continued on his way to Body City. He didn't keep what happened in mind. Even though he had learned much and now knew more about Heaven, that didn't change a thing. He was still without luck, and he still had to create his own lucky chances. He could know as much as he wanted about Heaven, but he couldn't do anything without enough strength.

"Stop!" Another bandit jumped out from a nearby bush. Why were they always hiding in bushes?

This time, Gravis actually stopped. He was interested in how this whole thing worked. He looked at the bandit with a curious glint in his eyes.

"I have paved this road! I have planted these trees! I have watered this grass! I created everything here! Pay a toll to pass or receive judgment!" the bandit shouted loudly and imposingly to the heavens.

To be honest, Gravis was a little impressed by the sheer magnitude of the bandit's boasting. Many of the trees were at least a hundred years old, yet the bandit was only a young man. He wondered if anyone would actually believe that.

"How much is the toll?" Gravis asked. He wondered how expensive all those tolls actually were that the bandits always wanted.

"I see that you are a man that follows the law. I am also a man that follows the law. The toll is the same for everyone. The toll is 50 copper coins," the bandit narrated.

Gravis was really surprised. 50 copper coins? That was only half a silver coin. That was way less than he had thought. No wonder, the merchants were still walking the streets. Gravis thought more about it and realized that, due to all these bandits with tempered skin, the road was actually rather safe. What ferocious beast would dare to run around this road?

The more Gravis thought about it, the weirder it seemed. Bandits, which normally extorted poor helpless merchants, were keeping the main trading road clean with only a little money. No wonder, the guards didn't do anything about them. The bandits were a huge help for the merchants.

The bandit waited for Gravis to answer, but Gravis didn't react. Slowly, the bandit lost some of his drive. "Hey, is 50 copper too much for you? 40 would be alright, as well," he sounded more sympathetic now.

Gravis focused again and looked at the bandit with narrowed eyes. He wanted to see how that other thing would go, that the earlier bandit told him. "No, I will not pay," Gravis simply stated.

The bandit first furrowed his brows. "Oh," then he looked like he understood something. "Oh!" now he cleared his throat. "How dare you to disrespect my life's work! I have cared for the trees for many years. I have watered them every day with at least ten liters of water! How can you be so heartless?" the bandit was back in his heroic, overbearing self.

"I won't pay," Gravis said. He was not good at this whole posturing before a fight thing.

The bandit was waiting for Gravis to say more, but nothing more came. Suddenly, the bandit deflated. "Really? That's all you have? Way to kill the mood," he groaned and rolled his eyes.

Gravis felt a little embarrassed. "Sorry, it's my first time doing this," he explained.

The bandit groaned in helplessness and nonchalantly waved his hand. "Ugh, don't worry. It happens sometimes. It's normal. Do you still want to try?" he asked, concerned.

Gravis nodded sheepishly. "Sure, let's just fight!" he said.

The bandit quickly held up his hands. "Wow, wow, wow. Stop! We can't just go without some fore-play. How about this? You try to pass me, then I stop you and say another phrase, and you just say no. Then we fight. How does that sound?" the bandit asked.

Gravis nodded. He walked forward and tried to pass the bandit, who quickly jumped in front of him.

"Stop! You've violated the law! Pay a fine or serve your sentence!" the bandit shouted imposingly.

Gravis simply did as instructed. "No!" he shouted.

"Then pay with your blood!" the bandit shouted and drew his sword. With a heroic jump, which was full of openings, the bandit slashed at Gravis' shoulder. Gravis just stood there, and the bandit slowly grew panicked when he saw that Gravis was not moving. The bandit didn't want to cripple the poor guy.

CLANK!

The sword hit Gravis' shoulder and chipped. Gravis just stood there, not caring. On the other side, the bandit looked at his chipped sword in shock. He quickly jumped back, now, more panicked. "What are you?"

Gravis furrowed his brows. "What do you mean?" he asked.

The bandit pointed at Gravis with a shaking finger. "Even the strongest tempered skin would have, at least, been split. You don't even have a scratch on you! You're not a human!" then the bandit gasped loudly. "You must be some strange kind of demonic beast! No wonder you didn't know how to posture!" the bandit grew more afraid and started fleeing down the road.

Gravis honestly didn't know how he should feel right now. He had been mistaken for a demonic beast. Should he be angry? Should he be embarrassed? Should he feel proud? He wasn't sure. After a while, he just sighed. "I think I'm not cut out for this whole posturing thing," he concluded and continued down the road. "What's even the point of that?"

Gravis continued running leisurely, and soon, he started to catch up with the bandit, who was talking to another bandit by this point. They noticed him, and the earlier bandit blanched while the other one gripped his spear firmly. The bandit jumped at Gravis and used all his strength to stab the spear into Gravis' abdomen.

CRACK!

The spear couldn't withstand the force, and the shaft broke in the middle. Though, this time, Gravis' skin had a slight poke-mark. It didn't draw blood, but it was, at least, visible that something had hit him. Spears were harder to wield, but if they connected, they had an enormous destructive force.

The bandit looked in pure terror at his broken spear. Then he quickly turned around and continued running down the road, together with the other bandit. Now, Gravis felt a little amused, and for the first time in a long while, he felt a little mischievous. He continued down the road, making sure that the bandits were just a little faster than him.

He wondered how this would go.