The road had fallen suddenly gone quiet except for the horses' frightened snorts and the groan of the carriage wheels. Seth's pulse however, became louder than both sounds.
Six of them...
No, seven bandits blocked the path, their weapons flashing dully under the fractured light of the sky. Ragged clothes, scarred faces, eyes too hungry to be mistaken for anything but wolves in human skin.
One of them—a brute with a twisted grin—tapped his rusted blade against the wood of the carriage. "Hand it all over. The gold, the goods, the pretty boy you've got hiding there." His eyes flicked toward Seth. "He'll fetch a good price."
Seth froze. His mouth went dry. 'They're pointing at me. Me.'
Eldran sat upright, reins firm in his calloused hands. He wasn't trembling. He wasn't sweating. He looked at them the way one looked at a passing storm cloud—dangerous, yes, but hardly unexpected. "The horses are tired," Eldran said evenly. "Let us pass and you'll get no trouble."
The bandits laughed.
"Old fool."
"Kill him and take the boy!"
The circle tightened.
Seth's palms went slick. His mind raced in frantic circles. What the hell am I supposed to do? I've never fought in my life! I'm not a swordsman, I'm not a fighter—I'm just… me!
That was when the air shimmered.
DING!
[Combat Tutorial Initiated.]
[Option One: Spend Stat Points. Allocate into Strength, Agility, or Endurance.]
[Option Two: Use System Points to purchase temporary weapons.]
[Option Three: Do nothing. (Warning: High probability of death.)]
Seth's breath caught in his throat. The blue interface filled his vision, crisp letters floating like scripture. He swallowed hard, looking between the advancing bandits and the pulsing System screen.
Stat points? I've got ten. That's it.
His fingers twitched, like he could press the glowing words. Do I dump them all into strength? Agility? Or do I buy something? What do I even buy?
The bandits closed in. One of them, a burly man with arms like tree trunks, sneered and leapt forward.
"Come here, boy!"
Rough hands grabbed at Seth's arm, yanking him off balance. His body jolted with panic.
"Shitshitshit—!" He flailed, his eyes locking on the System.
Strength. Five. Agility. Five.
The moment he made the choice, it felt like lightning moved through his body. His limbs buzzed, his muscles tensed like coiled steel, his senses sharpened in a rush that left him gasping.
The bandit's hand closed on his sleeve but then, Seth moved.
His body reacted faster than his mind could catch up. He ducked under the grab with startling speed, stumbling awkwardly but clear of the man's grip. His fist lashed out on instinct.
CRACK!
The punch connected squarely with the bandit's jaw. It wasn't pretty. It wasn't trained. But it was raw, unfiltered strength. The man's head snapped sideways, spittle flying, and he staggered back two full steps, dazed.
Seth froze, staring at his fist in disbelief. His knuckles throbbed, his arm tingled slightly but the bandit was the one reeling, not him.
"…Holy shit," he whispered.
For one second—just one—he felt powerful.
Then the others roared, outrage flashing in their eyes.
"Bastard!"
"Get him!"
The circle collapsed inward, steel glinting as they surged toward the carriage.
Eldran clicked his tongue, finally moving, his hand slipping toward something beneath his seat. His voice was calm, but edged with warning. "Brace yourself, lad. This is only the beginning."
Seth's heart slammed against his ribs. His punch had worked—but now there were six more of them, and they weren't about to take him lightly.
The rush of his stat boost still pulsed in his veins, but so did the icy terror of knowing he'd just painted a target on his back.
The air cracked with curses and steel.
Two bandits lunged at once—one with a chipped sword, the other with a jagged spear. Seth's gut told him to duck, but his body moved before his mind agreed. His legs blurred, faster than they had any right to be, and he tumbled sideways out of the carriage seat.
The sword cut air where his neck had been.
Seth hit the ground hard, rolling across the dirt, coughing as dust filled his lungs. He came up to his knees, heart pounding, watching the spearhead plunge into the wooden side of the cart with a dull thunk.
Agility. This is agility. Holy hell.
Another shadow loomed. A bandit raised his club high, sneering. Seth scrambled to his feet, lifting his fists on pure instinct.
"Too slow!" the man barked, swinging down and Seth darted forward, slamming his forehead into the bandit's nose.
Crack!
The man screamed, stumbling back with blood trickled down his face. Seth hissed through his teeth, clutching his own skull. "Ow, ow, ow! Bad idea, terrible idea!"
But it had worked. The man was down, writhing, nose shattered.
The system pulsed again.
[Combat Efficiency Detected: +25 EXP]
Seth blinked at the notification, sweat stinging his eyes. I… I just got experience for that?
No time to celebrate. The remaining bandits were howling now, rage in their eyes. Two more advanced while the leader—the scar-faced brute—watched, lips curling into an ugly grin.
"Not bad for a pup. But pups still bleed."
The two rushed him. Seth's boosted reflexes screamed at him to move, but he knew fists alone wouldn't cut it forever. His eyes snapped to the shimmering System Store hovering faintly beside his vision.
Weapons, weapons—cheap, cheap, cheap!
There—
Rusty Iron Dagger. Cost: 2 System Points.
Seth slammed his thought into the choice. A flicker of blue light, and the dagger dropped into his hand. It was crude, short, the hilt wrapped in rotting leather. But in his grip, it felt like hope.
The first bandit swung a crude axe. Seth ducked, momentum carrying him low. The second thrust forward with a knife. Seth twisted, clumsy but fast, and the blade grazed his sleeve.
His own dagger lashed out wildly...
Shhk!
It bit into the knife-wielder's arm. Not deep, but enough.
"Ughh! You stupid little boy!"
The man shrieked, stumbling back, clutching his forearm.
The axe-bearer roared, raising his weapon again. Seth's instincts screamed, but before the strike could land...
Woooosh!
A streak of steel. Eldran.
The old man had drawn a short, curved blade from beneath the driver's seat. His movement wasn't frantic like Seth's but rather efficient and well controlled.
His slash caught the axe mid-swing, redirecting it harmlessly into the dirt. With a twist of his wrist, Eldran shoved the bandit back, eyes cool.
"You've bark but no bite," he said simply.
Seth gawked, breath ragged. The old man's… actually good.
But he couldn't afford to watch. Another bandit circled, knife gleaming, waiting for an opening. Seth forced himself upright, dagger trembling in his grip.
'I can't freeze. If I stop, I'm dead.'
The knife came for his ribs. Seth flinched sideways, faster than he meant to, and his clumsy counter-slash landed across the man's shoulder. Blood sprayed.
Seth's chest heaved, his mind spinning. 'I did that. I actually—'
"Behind you!" Eldran roared from his standing point.
Seth spun just in time to see the scar-faced leader charge. His sword whistled down, heavy and brutal. Seth raised his dagger but it was too small and too weak.
Clang!
The force rattled his bones. His legs nearly buckled.
The leader grinned, teeth yellow. "Nice toy. But it won't save you."
Seth gritted his teeth, sweat pouring down his face. The man was stronger, heavier, practiced. Seth's boosts gave him speed and strength, but his arms trembled under the weight of the clash.
'Think, Seth. Don't fight him head-on. Use what you've got.' With a desperate grunt, Seth shoved sideways, breaking the clash. He ducked low, legs pumping faster than he thought possible, and rammed his shoulder into the leader's gut.
The brute staggered back, snarling, sword swinging wide.
Seth's heart thundered. His hands shook. But his body… his body felt alive, buzzing with power he'd never known.
The Scar-faced leader straightened, rage blazing in his eyes. "You're dead, boy. DEAD!"
He raised his sword for another strike.
But a whistle split the air. Eldran had flicked his wrist, his curved blade catching the edge of the leader's weapon. The clash rang out like a bell.
"You bark too loudly," Eldran said calmly.
The scarred man's eyes widened. He twisted, snarling, but the calm in Eldran's gaze seemed to unnerve him.
"Boss!" one of the injured bandits shouted from the dirt, clutching his arm. "We—we can't keep this up! He's not normal!" His panicked eyes flicked toward Seth.
Scar spat, glaring at them both. "This isn't over."
He shoved back, disengaging with Eldran, then jerked his chin at the others. "Fall back!"
Reluctant, groaning, bleeding, the remaining bandits retreated into the shadows of the warped trees. Their curses echoed long after even their shapes had vanished.
Silence fell.
Seth collapsed onto the dirt, dagger clattering from his grip. His whole body trembled, adrenaline draining fast.
The system chimed again.
[Battle Complete.]
[EXP Gained: 250.]
[Bonus: +5 System Points.]
[Note: Combat efficiency messy. User survival… improbable without intervention.]
Seth groaned, slapping a hand over his face. "Messy? That's all you've got to say? I almost pissed myself back there!"
Eldran sheathed his blade, climbing down from the seat. His calm gray eyes lingered on Seth, unreadable.
"For a man who claims no skill," Eldran said, "you fought with more than luck. You've got spirit. But spirit without practice…" His gaze sharpened. "…is a short road to the grave."
Seth laughed weakly, lying flat on the dirt, chest heaving. "You're telling me what I can already see."
For the first time, though, beneath the fear and exhaustion, a spark glowed in Seth's chest. He'd fought. Clumsy, yes. Reckless, absolutely. But he'd fought—and won.
The Shattered Realms hadn't devoured him yet.
Not today.