The Canopy Ambush
The Rub tribe members were a mix of men and women, their weapons somewhat crude but their physiques large and well-trained. Tattoos covered their bodies in abundance.
“There’s a lot of them. Didn’t they say the Stun Bandits number around thirty?”
“I heard if there are more, it could be up to fifty.”
“That side looks like nearly a hundred. Won’t they fail?”
“Have faith. If it doesn’t work, we can just turn back.”
Isaac chuckled at that.
Everyone was like that. Obben and Isaac might grumble, but they never truly scolded Muslan. They were prepared to overlook even greater mistakes from him.
After watching the Rub tribe descend toward Kurib Village, the group scouted the surrounding area further.
“If we follow that path upward, we’ll reach the Stun Bandits’ base. So if they come down, they’ll pass through this forest.”
“That’s right.”
“Then this is the perfect spot for a fight. This tree.”
Thump!
Muslan tapped a towering tree as he spoke.
“Wiris will climb this tree and—”
“Wait!”
Obben called out, his gaze fixed on the branches above. A snake camouflaged against the bark was poised to strike at Muslan.
“It’s a Latoon serpent. One bite and you’re dead. Stay still, and I’ll—”
Before Obben could finish, the snake’s head lashed forward.
Whoosh!
It aimed straight for Muslan’s face. Most would have panicked, but Muslan’s reaction was calm.
Smack!
He snatched the serpent’s head mid-strike as casually as catching a thrown ball, then continued speaking.
“Wiris will climb this tree and shoot arrows. We’ll lure them this way. Obben, can you and Chira build a defensive barrier up there?”
His nonchalant demeanor left everyone blinking. It had been a genuinely dangerous moment, and the snake Muslan held was still thrashing violently.
“Uh… are you all right?”
“What? The snake? Is this really venomous? I’ve never seen one this big.”
Muslan yanked hard, and the massive serpent crashed to the ground with a heavy thud. It stretched well over eight meters—practically a monster. Most large snakes lacked venom, yet this one supposedly possessed enough to fell a monster instantly.
“It does. The venom can drop a monster in seconds.”
“Still, it’s big. We could make plenty of jerky from this.”
“Good grief… Even veteran hunters avoid Latoon serpents.”
Obben shook his head in disbelief.
“Enough. Wiris, this is your spot. When the Stun Bandits arrive, we’ll meet them here. Understood?”
The giant snake still dangled from his hand. It struggled, but Muslan simply snapped its neck without using any weapon. The sight left the group’s jaws hanging open once more.
“If the captain had been born in the Empire, he’d have become a Flame Knight.”
“Not quite. Being a Flame Knight takes more than strength.”
“We can discuss that later. We’ll wage a defensive battle here. We hold this tree. Everyone knows how skilled Wiris is with a bow, right?”
“That’s the plan?”
“Yes. Let’s call it Operation Wiris in the Tree.”
“Captain, what if they have archers too? A few shots and they’ll spot her position right away.”
“Do you really think any proper archers would be wasting their time as bandits out here in the borderlands?”
“Hmm. Fair point.”
A bow was a higher-grade weapon than ordinary cold steel, and it demanded far more training. Reaching combat proficiency took years at minimum. Even with talent, it still required dedicated practice to become a functional archer. True marksmen were treated with respect and had no shortage of offers, so they wouldn’t be reduced to banditry in a remote area. Muslan figured the Stun Bandits might have one or two at most.
If that were the case, the only way they could threaten Wiris high in the tree was by first eliminating the defenders below—or by using thrown weapons. But at ten meters up, no thrown weapon could reach her.
Muslan added one final remark.
“Even if they have a couple of archers, I can handle them. That much I can manage.”
By the time they returned from the forest, the sun was setting. Fires were already lit at some spots near the entrance to Kurib Village.
As they neared the village, they saw Rub tribesmen with war paint on their faces filing out. The village chief stood among the onlookers.
“With numbers like that, we should feel secure, don’t you think?”
The chief looked triumphant. Muslan’s expression remained indifferent.
“The numbers seem about right.”
“More than the Stun Bandits. This is the end for them. Where have you been?”
“Just a walk.”
“What kind of walk… Wait, what is that?”
The chief’s eyes widened at the sight of the serpent.
“We caught it. There was a snake in the forest.”
“You caught that in the forest over there? How?”
“Our captain snatched it bare-handed.”
Isaac jumped in.
“Nonsense…”
The chief and several villagers approached in shock. It was undeniably enormous—the head alone was twice the size of a normal viper’s.
“It’s true… That’s the swamp monster.”
An elderly villager spoke up.
“The swamp monster?”
“You said you caught it in the forest?”
“We did. Is that a problem?”
“A problem? That thing comes down from the forest when it can’t find prey and devours villagers. It’s a monster.”
“So that’s what it was. No wonder it attacked first.”
“You really caught it with your bare hands?”
Muslan lifted the serpent’s head—still held by Obben and Isaac—for the chief to see.
“Do you see any wounds?”
“There are no wounds, that’s certain. But catching it bare-handed…”
Though startled by the creature’s size, the villagers refused to believe Muslan had seized it empty-handed. It was a monster worthy of the name—something even skilled hunters had failed to bring down.
“Sell it to me.”
“I can’t.”
“I’ll pay you well. Very well, in fact. That beast has devoured dozens from around here. It’s said that because of it, no other monsters even appear in the vicinity.”
“I was planning to make jerky…”
“J-jerky?”
“It’s large. I figured there’d be plenty of meat. The hide should fetch a good price too.”
“I’ll compensate you generously. Just sell it. Plenty of people hold grudges against that thing. It’s already dead anyway.”
“It wasn’t dead when we found it. We killed it.”
“Let’s say it was. Either way, we’ll buy it.”
“I’m serious.”
Muslan knew they didn’t believe him, but he didn’t care. Whether they believed or not was irrelevant. If he could sell it for a high price, even a failed commission wouldn’t matter.
The chief paid handsomely. Though not in coin, they received spices, clothing, shoes, and abundant food supplies—enough to last them for some time without worrying about provisions.
The Rub tribe returned after a full night had passed. Dawn was breaking when they reentered the village. Muslan, who slept lightly, sensed their presence first. One look outside told him they had been defeated.
Only about ten Rub tribesmen had made it back. Of those, barely three were unscathed; the rest were wounded. Two were so gravely injured that death seemed imminent.
The village erupted in chaos, the chief most of all.
“What about Stun? Is Stun dead? Tell me, Dargan.”
Dargan had led the Rub tribe’s vanguard. His breathing was labored; his ribs were clearly damaged.
“Chief… he lied.”
“Lied? What lie?”
“He never mentioned there was a monster.”
“We told you to be careful of Stun. He wields a mace with incredible strength.”
“It’s not just strength…”
Thud.
Dargan collapsed forward before finishing his sentence. A Rub woman beside him checked on him, then tried to lift him, but he was already gone.
“The bandits suffered almost no losses.”
“What do you mean…”
“Prepare to fight. They’ll be here soon.”
“What nonsense is this! What are we supposed to do?”
Muslan’s group watched the scene unfold. Obben spoke up.
“I thought the name sounded familiar. That must be the Stun fellow.”
“Yeah. A mace and superhuman strength fits.”
“You know him?”
Muslan asked.
“One of the few gladiator slaves who bought his freedom. Stun. I heard he left Airs, but I never expected him to become a bandit leader. I thought he’d become a mercenary…”
“Is that so?”
“Captain, let’s just head back. We didn’t lose anything by selling the Latoon serpent.”
“He’s that strong?”
“More than that, remember what you said earlier?”
“What?”
“The pay doesn’t match. Fighting Stun for that amount feels wrong.”
“Then we raise the price.”
“Now?”
“Now is exactly when we raise it. They have no other options.”
Muslan tied his hair back and stepped forward barefoot, unconcerned.
“Looks like our chance has come.”
“You… You can say that after seeing this?”
“Do you still trust in numbers?”
“……”
“Your name was Mayhem, wasn’t it?”
“It is.”
“Chief Mayhem, how many battles do you think a mercenary fights in a lifetime?”
“?”
“A hundred? Two hundred? Mercenaries travel often, so that might seem like a lot. If they survive long enough, maybe five hundred battles.”
“Why bring this up now?”
“Do you see the one-armed man back there?”
“I see him.”
“You remember he was once a gladiator slave? He fought over a thousand battles in the arena alone. The fight just now was the same. You liked that we outnumbered them two-to-one, yet we lost.”
“……”
“Numbers aren’t what matters, Mayhem.”
“So you’ll stop them for us?”
“If you can hire another mercenary band before the Stun Bandits reach the village, feel free.”
“I’ll hire you.”
“But not at the previous rate.”
“What?”
“Yesterday’s contract ended.”
“……”
“We’ll need a new one.”
“How much do you want? I’ll pay whatever I can. Just stop Stun.”
“Very well.”