Point-of-View: Argent Stryker

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"I think it’s about time now, I should be good to make Platinum rank," I mused to myself, as I cupped my hands into a lake to gather some water, before bringing it up to my mouth and gulping it down.

It’s been a little under a year since that day, I’m not sure of the exact date, but it’s somewhere in the middle of September, the year 2011. After I finished my ranking exam with a starting rank of Gold, I stayed in that town for a couple of days and took on some quests.

I had planned on staying a bit longer, but I couldn’t tolerate all the pitiable and sympathetic looks and whispers I’d get from the townspeople. It was pretty unbearable, so I left earlier than I’d initially planned.

Since then, I’ve been traveling all around the the nation, visiting several towns and villages along the way. I’ve been taking quests to earn money, and I haven’t stayed in one place for more than three or four days at the most.

I’ve encountered various Monsters fairly often, killing most of them without a problem. I haven’t encountered anything more dangerous than an Intermediate Grade Monster, so it hasn’t been too challenging.

Of course, that’s not to say I haven’t struggled against any of the Monsters I’ve encountered...sometimes I’ll come across a large pack of them, I’ve had a couple of close calls during such instances.

Then there are Monsters with tricky abilities that make it difficult to kill them, encountering ones with those types of powers is quite a pain. However, it’s not just Monsters that I’ve had to fight off.

While not as frequent as Monsters, I’ve had a fair number of run-ins with bandits. Most of them aren’t particularly tough, but there are a few who have been quite challenging.

Oh, and speaking of bandits...I’ve been sensing a number of people following me for the last few minutes, eight of them in total. They’re all approaching from different directions, but based on their movements, they’re clearly synchronized and moving as a group.

I’ll let them get a bit closer...I reached down into the lake I’d come across and splashed some water onto my face, buying some time and waiting for them to get closer, until they’re within my range...

"Now, then, let’s trim those numbers down a bit, shall we?" I muttered to myself quietly, before swiftly pointing my hands behind me, my palms facing the directions where two of my stalkers were closing in from, just behind some bushes, "Elemental Flame: Double Mega Fire Blast!"

As I chanted and the Magic Circles formed ahead of my palms, intense, powerful blasts of flame burst out from each hand, rapidly shooting towards the two I’d targeted, the flames roaring towards them before alarmed cries rang out from both directions, quickly morphing to screams of agony.

I then stood up and turned around, as the two I’d hit with my Spell disappeared from my Radar. Looks like that was good enough to kill them both, good...my Magic has improved quite a bit, with Elemental Plasma and Elemental Flame being my most proficient in terms of Spellcasting.

I’ve improved my proficiency with Elemental Earth a bit too, which I wasn’t very good at at all before, and I’ve started to figure out how to cast Elemental Lightning Spells as well.

Hm, maybe I should’ve used Plasma instead of Flame...the forest is on fire, and it’s starting to spread. Maybe I can put it out by dumping Elemental Earth Spells onto the flames...in which case, I’ll have to wrap up fighting these bandits quickly, before the fire spreads too far to stop.

The remaining six had paused for a bit when I killed those two, but they’re on the move again, faster than before. Suddenly, a loud bang echoed out, the sound of gunfire...I swiftly chanted to activated Intangibility, just in time as the bullet phased through my chest.

Whew, that was close. I then activated Limit Breaker, manifested my Soul Weapon and shot towards the nearest bandit, zipping through the shrubbery at top speed.

He sprang onto his feet and began to chant to bring out his Soul Weapon as he saw me coming, but before he could finish, I closed in on him and drove one of my blades through his throat, pulling it back out with a violent twist.

I then spun around as I sensed three of the remaining bandits heading this way, one of them moving especially fast...that one must have some sort of speed boosting Skill, he’s almost here...

"Take this, you bastard!" He snapped, as he sprang up in front of me with a sword raised high, before swinging it straight down at my head.

I swiftly swung my left blade up and across while raising my right blade defensively, and as my left blade closed in on his blade, I turned it intangible, his blade passing right through mine before I blocked it with my right blade, as my left blade sliced through the air and slashed off the top of his head before he could react.

I then shot forward as I sensed the other two bandits getting within just a few meters of this spot, their eyes widening in alarm as I suddenly appeared right before then, zipping in between them as I slashed both their throats with either blade as I shot past them.

Alright, six down, two more to go. And, what do you know, they’re walking right out into the open, instead of trying to sneak up on me like the others did.

"It’s about time you showed yourselves...and it only took killing six of you," I remarked dryly, as I pointed my right blade at them.

"We only came out because it was obvious that you have some sort of sensory Skill. Our plan was to kill and rob you, but I think the better option will be to capture and sell you...you’re not half bad for someone who’s still quite young, I’m sure there are some Nobles who would be willing to pay a hefty sum for you," Smirked one of them sadistically.

He must be the leader, I sensed one of the bandits hanging a bit further back, I’m guessing that was this guy.

"Working with Nobles by selling out Commoners, talk about vile and repulsive. You’re just begging me to kill you, huh?" I responded, as I cracked my neck and began to step forward.

"Go on, capture him...try not to inflict too much irreparable damage," The leader commanded the other remaining bandit, who nodded and stepped forward.

His Soul Weapon was a staff with a sickle-like blade at both ends of it, shouldn’t be too much trouble to deal with. He then shot towards me, spinning his weapon in my direction as he closed in on me. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

I swiftly leapt forward while turning myself intangible, phasing through the bandit before slashing backwards at him as I went past him. But he blocked my slash with the handle of his Soul Weapon, before springing away as I began to turn my blade intangible.

Suddenly, the bandit leader shot towards me with his Soul Weapon, a jagged spear, pointed straight at me. He drove it towards me with a spinning thrust, which I turned intangible to avoid, as the other bandit raced towards me from behind.

Decent coordination, but I’ve still got plenty of time with my Intangibility. But they are fairly skilled, no doubt about that...I might’ve been in trouble if I hadn’t killed the other six earlier.

As the other bandit began to close in on me, while the leader was slashing at me relentlessly, forcing me to stay intangible, I waited for the one behind me to get closer, and right as he began to swing his weapon down at my feet...

"Elemental Earth: Ball Buster!" I exclaimed, a small pillar of earth rapidly jutting out from the ground and slamming onto his crotch, eliciting a sharp wheeze of agony as he stumbled back, dropping his weapon before collapsing onto his knees, as I raised my hand towards the leader, "Elemental Flame: Fire Blast!"

He leapt away to evade my Spell, his left shoulder getting singed as he let out a stifled hiss of pain, before I shot towards the other bandit as he began to try and get back on his feet.

His eyes widened in alarm as he saw me coming, before I closed in on him and split the top of his head open with a downward slash of my blade.

"And that just leaves one more...," I remarked icily, as I glanced back at the bandit’s leader.

He flinched as I met his gaze, before scrambling onto his feet and starting to run away...is he seriously showing his back to me? I swiftly chased after him, closing in on him rapidly as he desperately made a break for it.

"D-damn it, get away from me, you little shit!" He exclaimed in terror, wildly swinging his spear at me as I closed in further.

I turned intangible to evade it, before leaping towards him as he stumbled over a partially exposed tree root, swinging my right blade at the back of his neck and decapitating him. His head hit the ground with a thud, before his body collapsed forward and skidded a bit.

Well, that takes care of that. Nice and easy. Alright, I should now continue my way towards Blont Town, the closest settlement to this area. But first...I need to find a hiding place where I’ll be safe while I suffer through the backlash of using Limit Breaker...

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