Chapter 634: Bandit Ambush II
CH634 Bandit Ambush II
***
Mogal fixed his gaze on the enemy force ahead.
"Forward is the only option," he said. "But it doesn’t look like they’ll let us pass without a fight."
Behind them, the beasts within the region remained in a frenzied state.
Although Kavakan and Mogal had managed to keep them at bay for the moment, retreating that way would almost certainly provoke the beasts into forming a relentless tide to hunt them down.
Their only viable escape lay ahead—
—but that path was firmly blocked by the bandits.
"Captain, most of them are slaves forced into combat," Hargul said quickly. "If we take out the stronger ones, the rest should break and scatter. That will give us an opening to escape."
"Good," Kavakan nodded, approving of the clear-headed suggestion.
He was pleased to see that the brothers had not lingered on guilt, but had instead focused on a practical solution.
Turning his attention forward once more, he noticed the bandits beginning to stir restlessly.
"Perfect timing," Kavakan muttered, a grin forming. "I didn’t get to enjoy a proper fight earlier. Let’s hope they can put up some resistance before my babies cut them down."
On the opposing side, the bandits were growing increasingly agitated.
The hesitation of the enslaved fighters—triggered by the overwhelming presence of Kavakan and Mogal—had caused a prime opportunity to slip through their fingers.
Enraged, the bandit leader, along with several others, drew out whips and lashed at the faltering slaves.
Cracks rang through the air as the whips struck flesh.
Some of the slaves, paralysed by fear, were beaten mercilessly—
A few were even killed on the spot.
For the bandit leader, however, it was not merely about the lost opportunity.
It was something more than that.
The slaves feared Kavakan and Mogal more than they feared him.
That fact gnawed at his pride.
Had their fear of him been greater, they would have pressed forward regardless of the pressure emanating from the two warriors.
To him, this was a stain on his authority—one that could not be ignored.
And the realisation only fuelled his fury further.
His whip cracked again and again, striking with brutal force as he vented his anger upon the slaves he commanded.
Such was the life of a slave in the Wildlands— Their lives were worth little more than the dust beneath their feet.
The surrounding slaves trembled as one of their own was beaten to death with a whip.
"Anyone who hesitates again will meet the same fate," the bandit leader warned coldly.
"I am not asking for much. Rush them. Kill them. That is all. Yes, they ’might’ kill you...
"But if you freeze in fear like that again, I WILL kill you."
He let his gaze sweep across them.
"I’ll leave it to you to decide— A possible death... or a certain one."
The slaves shuddered.
"Good." The bandit leader nodded in satisfaction. "Now that we understand each other... Attack!"
Without hesitation, the enslaved fighters dashed forward, rushing towards the smaller Fortuna raiding party.
At the same time, the bandit leader gave a subtle signal.
The Gold Rank fighters slipped into the advancing mass, weaving themselves between the slaves.
Most of the slaves were no higher than Bronze Rank—
—but within such a dense swarm, the golden aura of the stronger fighters became far less noticeable.
It was a tactic their unit had employed with great success.
With their elites concealed in this manner, opponents and targets found it far more difficult to identify and prioritise them—allowing the hidden Gold Ranks to inflict devastating damage before the enemy could react.
As the bandits charged forward, the Fortuna raiding party charged as well to meet them head-on, with Kavakan and Mogal leading the charge.
Killing Intent!
Just moments before the two forces collided, Kavakan unleashed his overwhelming killing aura.
The effect was immediate.
The enslaved fighters faltered—if only for a split second—but it was enough.
In that brief pause, several of the concealed Gold Rank fighters were exposed.
The raiding party counted more than a dozen of them in that instant.
Though the sight raised questions—how had a mere bandit group amassed such an elite force? —their leaders did not dwell on it.
Call of the Wild – Lycanthropic Transformation!
Beast Totem – Dune Croc’s Scales (Defence)!
Kavakan and Mogal transformed simultaneously.
They dashed forward like unleashed beasts, tearing through the ranks of enslaved bandits as they locked onto their true targets: the hidden Gold Rank fighters.
Kavakan’s twin axes became extensions of a predator’s claws, carving through anyone in his path—slave or elite alike—with ruthless efficiency.
Mogal was no less terrifying.
His body hardened and scaled, his movements gaining a primal weight as he charged through the enemy ranks without resistance.
Each punch and kick left devastation in its wake. And within moments, two more Gold Rank fighters fell beneath his blows.
Behind them, the rest of the raiding party advanced.
With Kavakan’s killing intent disrupting the enemy’s morale and focus, their task became significantly easier despite being outnumbered.
They cut through the bandits with renewed momentum.
The bandit leader’s expression twisted with fury.
Without warning, he drew his blade and unleashed a sweeping strike—indifferent to the slaves caught in its path.
Several were cut down instantly as a translucent wave of blade energy shot towards Kavakan and Mogal.
Both men reacted without hesitation.
Axes met energy.
Fists struck force.
Boom!
Kavakan barely held his ground, his rune tattoo reinforcing his body just enough to withstand the attack.
Mogal, on the other hand, was blasted backwards—his suppressed state limiting his resilience—though he suffered only a minor injury.
’Veteran Rank... (Combat Master)!’
The realisation struck both of them at once.
A flicker of shock passed through their eyes.
They had not expected a mere bandit force to host a Combat Master in its ranks— let alone deploy such a figure against them.
The bandit leader, too, was taken aback.
Though the strike had not been delivered with his full strength, it was still far beyond what an ordinary Gold Rank opponent should be able to withstand without significant damage.
What surprised him most was Mogal.
Despite appearing weaker than Kavakan, he had endured the attack with little more than a shallow cut along his arm.
’No wonder they cut down my Gold Ranks so quickly...’
His gaze sharpened, turning deadly serious.
’No... I can’t allow them to move freely any longer.’
His grip tightened around his weapon.
’It seems I’ll have to deal with them myself.’
***