Sniffing the air in search of the st man's st, Died a familiar odour. He ched his jaw while iing the men close to him. What he discovered firmed his suspi and twisted his stoma revulsion.

  Insipid addicts. They have all the tell-tale signs. Scaly fingernails. White pock-marked skin. Too white eyes. With the amount I smell, it must be the cargo the mert was hauling. For fuck sake, addicts are always a pain in the ass to deal with. They feel no pain or fear and match the physical capabilities of a journeyman Attuned for a limited amount of time.

  Insipid is a kind of spore from the expanding woods that arena managers would oftely feed to their batants. It would give them an unfair advantage in battle and was too valuable to waste on Goblins.

  If a batant used it too often, the fungus would spread through their veins, resulting in their blood being an iridest colour. The blood of sin batants would then be processed into low quality Insipid to be peddled to Nyre's most impoverished citizens. Dink realised he hadn't been paying attention to what the bandits had been discussing.

  "It could be weeks for a search party to be sent out. This musipid will certainly piss off a lot of people. It's an absolute gold mine. Who would care about two women going missing in parison?" The sentry was saying.

  "Williard's right, Rex. That cart does look pretty rundown. We could have a lot of fun with those girls. You have the first pick, it'll help you get over Jodi. I know how cut up you were about lopping off her pinky as punishment. What do you say, take your mind off it?" ce added.

  "I don't know. They look like prime spes. Something just doesn't feel right. Look at the horses, they're spooked," Rex replied, suspiciously looking around.

  Behind them, Dink caught a glimpse of Riva pulling something from her coat. Tingles ran down the back of Dink's neck as she raised the mysterious object at an uarget in the dire of the woods. At the edge of Dink's superior hearing, he could hear the whirring of a meism being activated. The objefurled right before his eyes.

  A mana crossbow! I haven't seen one of those iuries. Has the teology advahis mu that time? I never even realised Riva had it cealed on her. Judging by the symbols along the sides, it's an Attuned's focus that doubles as firing mana bolts. Unbelievable. She really is full of surprises. I 't sit around waiting any longer, I trust that she deal with the st bandit on her own.

  "Enough of this…" Dink stood from the grass and began to speak.

  He was immediately interrupted by an ear-shattering lion's roar. He watched agape as Axio from the grass clutg the enormous battleaxe in both hands. Before anyone could react, he had already bisected Williard at the waist in a shower of rancid white blood. It spttered equally among the stunned onlookers.

  Diively reached up to touch his face, looking down at his fio iigate. Williard's upper body attempted to cw himself away across the ground while his severed legs vulsed behind him.

  "Really, Axion? Couldn't you have at least waited for me to finish my sentence?" Dink asked.

  "What? You were taking so bloody long that we'd be here all fug day," Axion impatiently retorted.

  "Just to let you know, they're Insipid addicts. So well done, mate. Murkuk, deal with it, please," Dink tersely said, tug his bastard sword under one arm to sarcastically cp.

  "Now you tell me. It's going to take me hours to properly my axe after this," Axion pined.

  "A pair of fug Goblins and a beastman. Where are we, the bsted expanding woods?" Rex excimed, leaping back while drawing the sword at his waist. ce mirrored his as a moment ter.

  Murkuk murderously chuckled while raising his bang stick. The gravelly sound of his ughter grated against the bandit's ears, causing them to flinch. Dihe familiar itch of a spell being cast. Fmes rushed to form at the tip of the staff aimed at Williard, gathering i and iy until he unleashed it in a torrent of fire.

  Williard tio crawl while the smell of roasting ma pervaded the air, his expression remaining indifferent to pain. Dink watched the grotesque dispy with revulsion until Williard finally succumbed to the onsught. His flesh charred from his bones, leaving behind the horrific se of his burning skull.

  "Looks like meat's ba the menu, boys," Dink morbidly joked, turning away in disgust.

  Immediately after, he raised his sword to deflect a sneak attack from ce. The man's expression ged to surprise, his mind couldn't prehend the gap in their skill level that allowed Dink to parry him. Rex simultaneously charged at Axion.

  "Fuck, It's high-grade Insipid! Watch out, Axion. They're on par with yht now. Equivalent to a Attuned. Murkuk stay out of the way and try not to get killed!" Dink shouted in warning.

  My only saving grace is they're amateur swordsmen and not real Attuned. Without trol of my mana, there's not a shit show in hell for me to kill someo the adept level in a fair fight. Luckily, I don't have to. All I o do is stay alive long enough for the Insipid to wear off. Easy.

  Wait, what about Riva? A mana bolt doesn't have the strength to pierce armour. It's likely someone high on Insipid could take a number of shots before dying.

  "Murkuk, go help Riva!" Dink anded.

  "Aye, Chief," Murkuk obediently replied before running into the woods after Riva.

  "The Lads in Chiset won't believe me about this, Goblins that speak. I might have to take you back alive to show them," ce excimed iement, aiming a vicious swing at Dink's neck.

  "Don't yourself with me. You'll be the one dyioday," Died, expertly dug uhe bde while maintaining perfect bance.

  "ce, what's taking you so long to kill a fug Goblin? I need your help with this big bastard," Rex called out in agitation.

  The shout caused ce to turn to the side. Dink used the distra to thrust at his heart. ce stumbled away in shock at the speed and accuracy of the strike. Dink unleashed a flurry of blows, keeping his oppo off bance. ce valiantly fended off the attacks until his foot caught against a fallen log. He tripped over backwards, allowing Dink to sever the fingers off the hand he had outstretched to maintain his bance.

  He wordlessly stared at the bleeding stumps at the end of his hand in horror. Dink wrinkled his nose in disgust at the foul odour beied from the white blood seeping from the wound.

  "Haha, do you see this, Rex? I 't feel any pain," ce shouted.

  "Shut the fuck up a over here now, you fug moron!" Rex replied in exasperation.

  Dink gnced over to see him desperately dodge the butt of Axion's great axe swinging toward his head. He ughed before shifting his attention back to the man sprawled on the ground in front of him, savagely swinging the sword down at his neck.

  ce rolled to the side to dodge, quickly regaining his feet. Dink narrowly missed him with his bde, sinking it deep into the log and crumbling it into rotting pieces.

  Damn it, I overextended. What am I, some novi the training yard? Making mistakes like this.

  ce didn't immediately attack, instead he cupped his damaged hand beside his fad intricately whistled. The fp of wings behind him diverted his attention, causing Dink to turn. A hunting hawk swooped past his head to circle through the trees. ce abruptly lunged forward with extreme speed. Dink lost his posure after being uled by the bird's ued distra. He struggled t his bde up in time to defend his chest while adjusting his stao absorb the impact.

  There was a sound of a huge impaetal oal as Dink was catapulted away. He flew into the back of Rex, knog him off bance while nding on his feet behind him. Axion took advao bury his great axe down on Rex's head, cleaving down the middle.

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