Chapter 41 — Ash and Gold

The three of them closed in on the largest wooden structure in the basin.

Ren’s mind worked quickly as he moved. A direct confrontation with a Level 61 opponent carried too many unknowns. Without landing damage first, the fight could easily turn dangerous. He needed a way to seize the initiative before the target could fully react.

He spoke into the radio in a low, precise voice, giving only the necessary instructions.

“Lyra, Silvia. Adjust positions. Wait for my signal. When the target comes out, follow my lead exactly.”

Both women gave short confirmations and shifted without asking for details.

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Inside the main wooden house, the Level 61 bandit leader had been jerked awake by the earlier gunshot. He sat up on the edge of his bed, thick brows furrowed, listening.

“Thunder…?” he muttered to himself. “In this season?”

He waited, expecting more rumbles. None came. Unease prickled at the back of his neck. Slowly he stood, crossed the room, and began pulling on a set of heavy dark armor that hung on a wooden stand. The plates were thick and well-maintained. From a weapon rack he took a massive greatsword. The blade was broad and dark, forged by dwarven hands, with runes along the fuller that allowed it to channel mana for both offense and defense. He assumed any attacker bold enough to strike his camp would rely on magic, and the sword would serve as both weapon and shield.

“If some fool is testing us,” he growled under his breath, “I’ll cut them down.”

He pushed aside the heavy cloth door and stepped out into the pale morning light.

What he saw made him freeze for a moment.

The entire camp was unnaturally still. No voices. No movement from the tents or the smaller wooden houses. Only the horses continued to stamp and pull nervously at their ropes. For a brief second he thought his men were simply still sleeping off the heavy drinking from the night before.

Then he heard the residual crackle of lightning magic from the direction of one of the outer houses.

His expression hardened.

“Enemy attack.”

He began walking toward the source of the sound, greatsword resting on his shoulder, armor plates clinking softly with each heavy step. His eyes scanned the silent tents, still not fully grasping how quiet everything had become.

That was when the trap closed.

A thick bolt of concentrated lightning lanced across the open ground and slammed into his body. Blue-white energy crawled over his armor and locked his muscles in place. His eyes widened in shock. For ten full seconds he could not move, could not speak, could not even tighten his grip on the greatsword.

From behind him, the AK-47 roared on full automatic.

A stream of bullets hammered into his back and sides. Sparks flew where rounds struck armor, but several found gaps and weaker points, punching through and tearing into flesh. Blood sprayed across the dirt. The heavy body jerked under the impact, still locked in place by the lightning.

Before the stun could fade, a carbon-fiber arrow wrapped in writhing flames streaked through the air and struck the center of his back with perfect precision. The arrowhead pierced deep, punching through armor and into the heart. The fire enchantment detonated an instant later.

Flames erupted from within the man’s body.

In less than a single second the Level 61 bandit leader was consumed. Flesh, armor, and bone turned to ash that collapsed in on itself and scattered across the ground in a dark gray pile. Only the dwarven greatsword remained, clattering onto the dirt with a heavy metallic sound.

The entire sequence — from lightning strike to final ash — lasted less than four seconds.

Silence returned to the mountain basin, broken only by the continued nervous sounds of the horses and the soft whisper of the morning wind.

Ren lowered the AK-47 and stepped forward. He activated Appraisal on the pile of ash and the remaining sword.

**Target:** Ash remains of Bandit Leader

**True Identity:** Captain of Duke Hadrian Voss’s Private Army

Ren’s eyes narrowed.

“Captain of Duke Hadrian Voss’s private army…” he muttered.

Through the earpiece, Silvia’s voice came sharper than usual, carrying clear surprise.

“Duke Hadrian Voss? The queen’s brother? This bandit camp is linked to him?”

“It appears so,” Ren answered. “A captain from his private forces was leading this settlement. That is not a coincidence.”

He opened the system interface fully and reviewed the accumulated rewards from the entire raid.

**[Raid Settlement Complete]**

**Low-level Bandits Eliminated:** 110

Reward: 110 × 1,000 Gold Coins = **110,000 Gold Coins**

**Mid-tier Bandits Eliminated:** 5

Reward: 5 × 10,000 Gold Coins = **50,000 Gold Coins**

**Bandit Leader (Level 61) Eliminated:** 1

Reward: **50,000 Gold Coins**

**Total Gold Acquired:** 110,000 + 50,000 + 50,000 = **210,000 Gold Coins**

A second set of notifications followed.

**Level Up!**

Ren: Level 22 → Level 42

Lyra: Level 22 → Level 42

**Level Up!**

Silvia: Level 84 → Level 85

Ren exhaled slowly as the surge of power settled into his body. Twenty full levels in a single engagement. The same for Lyra. Silvia, already near the peak of her current threshold, had gained only one level from the remaining experience of the leader.

He looked toward both women.

“Status check.”

Lyra’s voice came through the radio, still carrying a trace of residual tension mixed with satisfaction.

“I’m fine. No injuries. Level increased… significantly.”

Silvia’s reply was quieter, more measured.

“Unharmed. One level gained. The coordination made the difference.”

Ren nodded to himself.

“We’re not finished. Clear the entire camp. Collect every high-quality weapon, every document, every coin pouch, and anything else of value. I’ll take the leader’s house myself. There may be more information linking this place back to the Duke.”

He started walking toward the large wooden structure that now stood empty, the dwarven greatsword still lying in the ash at his feet.

Behind him, Lyra and Silvia began moving methodically through the silent camp, the first true light of morning spreading across the mountains.

The raid was over.

The real rewards — gold, power, and the next thread in the web of conspiracy — were only beginning to reveal themselves.