Mightiest Melee Magician

Having passed through the southern gateway of Ardell, it had been three days of moving west without rest.

Every day, we were greeted with the same scenery.

“Hmm, I feel like we passed this point yesterday…”

“No, we’re going the right way.”

“I guess so. The minimap doesn’t lie. But look at that.”

“…”

“I think I’m gonna go insane. How do humans live in a place like this?”

I agreed with Straang.

The sand dunes all looked the same, confusing us to our location.

Sand storms appeared once a while and swept up any landmarks that could act as guiding lights for travelers.

The heat emanating from the sand was so draining that I couldn’t even think of doing the daily quest.

Of course, I could endure it somehow.

The path could be found using the minimap, and I could just get used to the heat and bear through it.

However, there was one big problem we were facing right now.

“…We’re running out of water.”

I was trying to save it as much as possible, but it was starting to run out.

Wetting my lips with the remaining water in the water bottle, I opened the minimap.

“I think we’ll need to go to a town for a bit.”

Even in this great desert, there was still a road that people took.

It was called Oasis Road.

The problem was, since all paths were connected through Oasis Road, it was a very inefficient route.

If we headed in a straight line from the southern gateway to Esperanaza, it would only take five days, but if we took the Oasis Road, it would take double that, ten days.

That was why we opted to use the minimap and move straight across the desert instead of taking the established route.

But it really might be impossible to not visit a single oasis when crossing through the desert.

“There is an oasis coming up just north of here. Let’s rest there for today.”

“A town? Alright!”

Straang and I changed our route and moved north.

The closest oasis to us here was named Asilo.

In the ancient language, it meant “fugitive’s refuge”.

It was a small town of only seven buildings that surrounded a small puddle that was embarrassing to even call an oasis.

The town atmosphere was as dreary as its name.

“Anyone here?”

“Are there even people living here?’

“…”

It was empty.

Not even a shadow of a person could be seen on the streets.

But it wasn’t totally deserted.

How did I know?

“…Looks like they’re all gathered over there.”

The minimap showed a lot of entities concentrated inside a single building.

[Desert Saloon]

They were in a bar with a name as bland as the streets were empty.

“Let’s go.”

Straang and I approached the bar.

Then…

Boof!

“Kugh!”

The door to the bar flung open as a woman wearing a shemagh and a man tumbled out.

Their faces were full of bruises, seemingly having been beaten up.

They then got on their knees and started to plead.

“P-please spare us! We’ll definitely pay the tax this month…”

“Shut up!”

Smack!

A kick hit the pleading man straight across his head.

Soon after, six burly guys ran out and started to beat up the man.

…What in the world was going on?

“T-traveler!”

Without having a moment to process the situation, the woman wearing the shemagh noticed me and ran up to me while crying.

“T-traveler! P-please help us!”

“Eh?”

“Please save my husband! He’ll die if you don’t!”

“Wait. Please calm down first…”

“We run a store in Asilo, but we couldn’t pay their unreasonable taxes so they’re… Please save us!”

“…”

…Asking me to save them out of nowhere.

We just came here to look for water and a place to sleep.

Then…

“Hm? Who are those kids?”

The man who looked to be their leader looked at me and the woman.

Then, he spoke to me in a forceful tone.

“Hey, Mr. Traveler. Looking at your clothes, you don’t seem to be from Oyota. Don’t interfere in other people’s business and go on your way.”

“…”

As Straang and I didn’t give an answer, the man stomped toward us with a frown.

“And give me that bitch.”

“K-kiyaaa!”

“…”

The woman wearing the shemagh hid behind me with a frightened expression.

But let’s see…

Wasn’t something off?

“Give her to me!”

“P-please save me!”

“…”

This frightening situation where if I didn’t hand over this woman, it could be a fight to the death…

…felt really awkward.

Unlike those 3rd-rank martial artists that were beating up the husband…

This woman who was clinging to my back…

NadiaNuru

6th-rank Assassin

Max-Level Martial Arts, Assassination Techniques, Throwing Techniques.

…6th-rank?

Why was she so strong?

Yeah.

This was an act put on as soon as a foreigner had appeared.

I spoke to the frightened woman hiding behind me.

“So, the thing is…”

“…Yes?”

“Why are you hiding a dagger in your sleeve?”

“…!”

The woman, who was deep in her act of being scared, tried to stab me with her dagger as soon as I finished talking.

However, I moved like lightning to strike the dagger behind me.

Clang!

Steel Destruction.

The blade of the dagger disappeared as if cut, and I grasped the woman by the scruff of her neck.

“Someone gave me a small bit of advice. Trust no one.”

“You… Who are you?”

I raised my hand toward the shaking woman.

“Looks like he was right.”

* * *

* * *

There were probably many different ways to do this.

Rather than this, they could’ve disguised themselves as a normal bar and put poison in the guests’ drinks…

Or they could kill the traveler while they slept.

There were many different easy and simple ways.

However, stories like this were already well known ‘ghost stories’ among the foreigners who traveled to Oyota.

Everyone would be cautious and make countermeasures beforehand against these obvious methods.

Because of this…

“I really nearly did get fooled. Her acting was quite good.”

They created a sense of danger by making you focus on the approaching man.

But in reality, the assassin disguised as a weak woman would stab you while crying fake tears.

However…

“How did you notice?”

“I have a distrusting personality.”

“…”

Their target was bad.

I punched the woman straight in her jaw.

However…

“…?”

As soon as my fist made contact, the thing that was destroyed wasn’t the assassin’s chin, but smoke.

Yeah.

As if she was an illusion to begin with, she disappeared from my hand in the blink of an eye.

Then, she appeared a safe distance away.

That wasn’t magic, nor was it the aura of knights.

But it wasn’t hard to guess what it was.

“Looks like you’ve trained your martial arts for a long time.”

“Is there anyone in Oyota who doesn’t know martial arts?”

“That’s not normal martial arts. Was it called ‘chakra’?”

“…”

Chakra.

It was a special energy that was utilized by people who had trained their bodies to the limit.

Although it was similar to the auras used by knights, unlike the pushing nature of aura, chakra had a pulling nature.

As such, it was used differently.

It was famous for being used by assassins. The elite forces of Oyota, ‘Shadows of the Desert’, were said to have at one point used chakra to establish their dominance across the continent.

Of course, this was also my first time seeing it.

As I correctly guessed her ability, the woman pulled out another small blade from her sleeve and frowned.

“You know a lot for a brat. You should have as much on you, right?”

“Damn, you guessed wrong. I’m not that rich.”

“Don’t worry. We’re not people who would go through people’s pockets for change…”

“Money isn’t your objective?”

“…although we do go through their bodies.”

“What, so it is money?”

“A young boy’s body sells for quite a lot.”

I imagined for a second what they would do to my corpse, but I didn’t have any intention of giving them a single cent.

Swoop—

With the shifting of her shadow, the woman disappeared from sight.

Simultaneously, the seven thugs, including the beat-up ‘husband’, charged in.

But they weren’t a threat to me.

Bang!

An earthquake formed.

Even with just this one strike at the ground, the rocks that flung up were enough to crack open skulls.

“D-dodged it!”

The men who were lucky to have dodged the rocks awaited even crueler fates.

After all, they would be hit by a fist more sturdy than the rocks.

I dashed into their formation without hesitation and threw out two punches

Crack!

One person’s rib disintegrated, and another’s skull shattered.

But the one I really needed to pay attention to weren’t these guys, but that woman.

“You… You’re pretty good for a kid.”

She was hiding inside the shadows. Her skills in finding openings were excellent.

It was enough that I wondered if all the wildmen of Oyota were as strong as her.

If this was the average skill of the wildmen, wouldn’t the civilized people live too tough of a life?

“You got time to relax?”

“…!”

Vwoong—!

I didn’t allow a single strike against me, but I was also too busy dodging to attack back, since if I tried to attack rashly, she would disappear again.

But strangely, I didn’t feel like I would lose.

‘Compared to those people…’

The warlocks of Galehill that oppressed me from beginning to end.

Their master who was bent on my destruction, Josh Galehill.

Fire King Teron, who could exude killing intent just through his eyes.

Compared to them…

She was just one slippery eel, sure.

But with my many real-world experiences, I had become much stronger without even realizing it.

Without becoming impatient, if I focused a bit and relaxed my view…

I could see it.

“…Got you.”

“…!!”

The wild beast that was aiming in the darkness for an opening against her prey ended up becoming trapped by that very same prey.

I lifted the assassin and slammed her to the ground.

“Can I relax now?”

“…”

The predator here isn't you, but me.

——