The dim light of the torches filled the corner of the cave with dark shadows. And in the midst of that darkness, no one noticed what was happening to Raven. His body began to absorb the faint energy of black death Qi seeping from the corpses around him. The flow was almost invisible, thin as the night mist, creeping silently into Raven's body.
"Just as I expected... this condition can help me," thought Raven, his gaze briefly sweeping over the scattered corpses of his classmates.
He knew that his internal energy foundation was still far from perfect. After absorbing Death Qi in the previous battle, Raven had not been able to build a stable dantian. The energy only flowed temporarily in his body, strengthening his muscles, sharpening his instincts, and speeding up his reflexes. However, he was not yet able to hold it back or store the remaining energy in his body for long.
Therefore, his every movement had to be efficient. He had to dodge more than he had to block. Every slash, every step, had to be carefully calculated so that his Qi would not be quickly depleted.
But this time was different. His body had begun to get used to the black flow. Thanks to memories from his previous life, Raven is able to control it more subtly, more deeply. From every corpse around him, Death Qi is slowly and invisibly sucked out, but it can be felt. The dark energy moves towards his body, swirling inside, forming thin paths resembling meridians, slowly accumulating, pushing the limits of his unprepared body.
The bandits were unaware that the air in the cave was getting colder. Their breath was visible, blowing white in the torchlight, as if they were in the bone-chilling cold of winter.
While Raven remained standing in place, his sword slightly lowered, his axe dripping blood slowly. Behind that calmness, he was accumulating deadly power that was slowly gathering within him.
"Phantom Step..." Raven murmured softly, almost inaudibly, but the air around him seemed to tremble.
"Hey, did you hear that—" one of the bandits' voices was suddenly cut off.
In the blink of an eye, Raven disappeared. Only a black shadow flashed by, followed by a sharp whistling sound. When he reappeared, his body was already behind the bandit, one arm holding Hana to protect her from the blow, while the bandit's hands fell to the ground.
"W-what...?" The bandit didn't have time to react before the axe in Raven's right hand struck his head.
There was a loud "CRACK!" sound, and his body immediately collapsed lifelessly.
Seeing Raven suddenly appear behind their companion, the bandit next to him screamed in panic.
"Hiyaaaakhhh!!" He thrust his spear straight at Raven with full force.
Raven quickly pushed Hana aside, his body moving diagonally to avoid the attack. The tip of the spear only pierced the empty air.
In his next move, Raven spun around, the sword in his left hand sweeping from the bandit's left waist to pierce his right shoulder.
"CRASSHH!" The bandit's body was split in two, blood spurting profusely and splattering Raven's cheek.
Hana, who had fallen to the side, could only stare with a trembling body. Her eyes widened as she watched Raven, with an expressionless face, take a human life as if it were nothing.
What happened to you, Raven...? her heart trembled.
After two gruesome deaths, the atmosphere in the cave instantly became chaotic. The other bandits panicked.
"He moves too fast!!" shouted a bandit who was still clutching Lisa, his voice trembling with panic and fear.
But before he could retreat—
WHUUSHH!!
The axe in Raven's hand flew through the air, spinning fast like a deadly shadow.
"BRAAAKK!!"
The iron blade pierced the bandit's head. His body staggered back a few steps, then collapsed onto his back, his eyes staring blankly. Blood flowed from the crack in his skull, pooling on the ground beneath his head.
Lisa broke free from his grip, falling to the ground as she held her breath, her eyes wide with shock.
Three people fell in a matter of seconds.
Seven bandits remained.
"WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?! SECURE THE HOSTAGE!!"
one of them shouted, his voice hoarse with fear, but he still forced himself forward, jumping towards Lisa.
However, Raven's movements were faster.
In the blink of an eye, he appeared between the two bandits reaching for Lisa.
"SWIING!!"
His sword slashed sharply across.
"GRRAAAKK!!"
Blood spurted out simultaneously, the bodies of the two bandits split instantly and fell onto the cold ground.
"Huft..."
Raven took a slow breath, then bent down to pull his axe out of the body of the person he had previously incapacitated. Blood dripped heavily from the blade, staining the stone floor.
A faint smile appeared on his face, but it was more like a cold smirk that seemed to enjoy the fight. This made the air in the cave even more tense.
"Alright... five more to go."
His gaze sharpened, piercing straight through the remaining bandits. His eyes were so cold, and behind them lay a pleasure that made anyone shiver, like a knife stabbing straight into the soul.
Lisa, who saw the raven's expression up close, could only feel fear and goosebumps.
"What is this raven?"
The bandits stared at him with pale faces. Their legs trembled violently, finding it hard to believe what they had just witnessed. In an instant, half of their comrades had been slaughtered by the boy who was supposed to be their prey.
Meanwhile, at the back of the cave, Theo was still standing stiffly. His breathing was labored, his body covered in wounds, but his eyes darted towards Karin and the remaining students. With the last of his strength, he whispered, his voice low but firm.
"This... is our chance. Grab a rock or anything behind you. Use it to fight back."
"Eh? You're crazy, Theo!" whispered one of the students, his face full of fear.
"Shut up," Karin suddenly interrupted, her voice hoarse but full of courage. She roughly wiped her tears, then grabbed a fist-sized rock from the cave floor.
"If we don't move, we'll die here."
Theo stared at her, his lips trembling, but he couldn't argue. Karin stood up, leading with courage born of desperation. Seeing this, several other students followed suit. One by one, they grabbed rocks, broken sticks, or anything else that could be used as makeshift weapons.
While the bandits were still frozen in fear of Raven's aura, a sudden scream broke out from behind.
"AAAKHH!!"
A bandit in front of Theo groaned loudly, blood dripping from his temple after a rock hit his head. The throw hit its target, thrown by Karin's trembling but courageous hand.
The bandits were shocked, turning around with wide eyes. They saw the students who had been trembling in fear, now starting to fight back in their own way.
"How dare you!" shouted one of the bandits, angry and panicked.
The bandit who had previously pinned Kyle down was also hit in the shoulder, causing him to stagger slightly. Kyle coughed loudly, trying to catch his breath even though his body was still weak.
Seeing the chaos, Raven immediately moved.
With steady steps, he ran forward, his two weapons glistening in the torchlight. The aura of death that clung to his body grew thicker, pressing down on the chests of anyone who saw him.
"Damn it! What's going on?!" the bandit who was pinning Kyle down roared, panicking at the sight of Raven charging forward. He screamed hysterically,
"HE'S COMING!! KILL HIM!!!"
Three bandits immediately charged at once, their weapons flashing sharply.
Three blades struck from different directions, but Raven moved into the center of the attack. His body moved so fast it was almost impossible to follow with the eye.
"CLANG!!"
"CLANGG!!"
The sword in his left hand blocked two slashes at once, while the axe in his right hand spun quickly, deflecting the third sword. The bandit whose weapon was deflected lost his balance, his body staggering to the side.
In one smooth motion, Raven lowered his left sword, creating an opening. Instantly, his axe swung from the side with full force, amplified by the Death Qi energy that ran along the blade.
"SHRAAKKK!!!"
The necks of the two bandits were slashed simultaneously, blood spurting wildly, splattering Raven's face.
Before their bodies could fall, Raven had already spun around, ducked low, and slashed the third bandit who had lost his balance. The sword blade struck right in the stomach, splitting his body open and causing blood to spurt heavily onto the cave floor.
In just a few seconds, three lives were lost.
A moment of silence enveloped the area. The pungent smell of blood grew thicker.
Now there were two bandits left. One who had been shaken by Karin's rock throw, and another large bandit who had previously pinned Kyle down.
Both stood with their bodies shaking violently. Their eyes widened, their faces pale. The swords in their hands trembled, almost slipping from their grasp. Raven's aura was so oppressive, it was as if the entire room belonged to him alone.
"No... this can't be... he's a martial arts expert..." one of the bandits muttered softly, his voice breaking.
Raven raised his two weapons, blood still dripping from the tips of the blades. His gaze pierced straight through them, cold, emotionless, as if he was just waiting for his next victim.
The last two bandits had almost no strength left. Their knees trembled, then almost simultaneously, they dropped their weapons onto the cold cave floor.
Clang!
The sound of metal echoed, breaking the silence.
"P-please... have mercy on us..." one of them knelt, his hands pressed against the ground. His face was pale, his eyes teary, his lips trembling violently.
"Don't kill me... I don't want to die!"
The other bandit was bigger, the veins in his neck bulging as he swallowed hard. Even though his body was shaking, he still tried to stand up straight, even though
The other bandit was larger, with veins bulging in his neck as he swallowed hard. Although his body was shaking, he still tried to stand upright, but eventually his knees buckled and he fell, following his friend.
"We surrender... please... don't kill us..."
Raven stood in front of them, his body straight, his sword and axe still dripping with fresh blood. His gaze was cold, crushing their souls. It was as if every breath he took was a threat of death.
Silence.
Then, slowly, Raven exhaled. He lowered his weapons slightly, but the look in his eyes did not soften at all. It was then that he sensed something. There was a faint pulse from one of the larger bandits. A deep, rough but real pulse of energy vibrated through his body.
Instantly, his gaze locked onto the man. And without opening his mouth, Raven channeled a thin stream of energy into his mind.
A cold voice echoed in the bandit's ears.
"Listen to me."
The bandit's eyes widened in shock. He looked left and right, as if someone was whispering right in his ear, even though no one was speaking.
"Don't even think about lying. I can hear your heartbeat, I can feel your fear. If you want to live, you will do whatever I command."
The bandit was startled, cold sweat dripping from his temples. He tried to speak, but his lips only trembled without sound.
Raven leaned forward slightly, as if staring straight into him.
"Stand up. You will come with me. I want to know... who you really are. The answer will determine whether you live or die."
The bandit trembled, but his head nodded quickly, almost like a chicken forced to obey.
The other bandit, who had no energy, could only bow his head, not understanding what was happening. He thought Raven was just staring, when in fact it was a conversation that no one could hear.
Before walking away, Raven approached Theo. He paused for a moment, bent down slightly, then whispered almost inaudibly,
"Hey, Theo... take the others out of here first. I'll take care of the rest."
His voice was flat, without a hint of doubt.
Theo, leaning weakly against the wall, his head wrapped in makeshift bandages, could only stare at Raven's face for a moment. His breathing was heavy, but he nodded slowly.
"Be careful..." he whispered hoarsely, even though he knew the words meant little to the figure in front of him.
Raven turned around. His gaze pierced toward the cave entrance. "You two... come with me." His tone was cold, firm, leaving no room for argument.
The two bandits bowed their heads deeply, their bodies shaking violently. It was as if an invisible rope was pulling their feet to follow, even though their hearts were screaming to run away.
Inside the cave, the atmosphere was instantly silent. Theo, who was still leaning weakly against the wall with a makeshift bandage on his head, just stared without being able to say anything. Karin, who had not let go of the rock in her hand, swallowed hard, her fingers pale and trembling.
Kyle, whose body was covered in bruises, could only gasp for breath, his face pale. He wanted to say something, but the words wouldn't come out of his throat.
Hana, who was covering Lisa with her worn cardigan, slowly looked up. Her gaze fell on Raven's back as he walked away. Suddenly, her chest felt tight, as if an invisible weight was pressing down on her. Something was different, something that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end.
Her lips trembled, "Raven..." her voice caught, drowning in silence.
Everyone knew that the one walking out might still be Raven, but the aura, the gaze, and the way she spoke… were not the Raven they knew.
With steady steps, she left the cave with the two bandits.
And once her figure had completely vanished from sight, the silence that remained felt more terrifying than the sound of screams or the clanging of weapons.