Chapter 33: Night Raid

After a bland meal that gradually annoyed him, Adam washed up in the river, appreciating the refreshing cold water before the first stars appeared above his head.

Anticipation bubbling in his heart and a broad grin stretching his lips, he fastened his robes, attached his short sword, and took determined steps to the territory's ethereal walls.

There, he saw his subjects' tall frames cast long shadows under the bright moon. Their equipment and eyes raring to go sparkled a vivid demonic green in the darkness.

They bowed their heads at him as he passed them by and stood at the forefront.

"Today's approach will differ slightly. Kill the sentinels from afar. Impale them with wooden spears or demonic energy. Only the result matters! If we succeed, we'll infiltrate the camp, slaughter the sleeping bandits and gang up on the leader."

He raised his fist as his voice echoed his epic feelings.

"No wounded and no death in this expedition. Play it safe and protect each other!"

"Yes!"

The proud subjects thundered behind him as he led them through the woods.

They brought everyone for this mission, including the tomte, Sam, and the demoness good with her hands. He asked them oversee the imps during their fight to make everyone reach the second tier simultaneously.

The noise of their steps shattered the forest's silence as their eyes glowed in the darkness, their presence akin to a pack of demonic wolves. Searᴄh the nôvelFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

Amidst soft twigs breaking and the leaves rustling, they emerged an hour later in a spacious clearing.

Smooth wooden planks arranged like scaffolding veiled the camp's interior from their eyes. A few burning torches provided light at equal distances as men wearing beast furs and holding bows surveyed the surroundings lazily.

"Surround the camp. We'll strike the sentinels simultaneously. Don't give them a chance to sound the alarm and regroup here once done."

His whisper entered his subjects' ears as they all nodded. Shadows dancing on their solemn faces, they separated into three groups covering the south, east, and west. Once in position, they fished stones from their pockets and waited in anticipation.

Shihan's shadow tugged at every group to signal them the time to strike had come a moment later.

Animated by the same desire, stones and daggers flashed and whistled under the night sky as they zoomed at the unaware humans.

"Argh!"

He glanced at Shihan, who stabbed two sentinels with her shadows before he hurled four stones at the other guards a few meters away. Meanwhile, Bart's and Garduck's groups did the same, shattering the men's skulls as agonising grunts echoed before silence engulfed the camp again.

[You and your subjects have defeated 12 Lvl10 bandits. You have gained 1200 experience points.]

In the blink of an eye, twelve muffled thuds echoed as twelve notifications rang in his ears.

'We did it! The wall is clear!'

He leapt out of the bush he had been hiding in, fists trembling in joy at their success.

'Why do we look more like bandits than them, though?'

He rolled his eyes at the insidious, yet effective tactic.

As the night's chilly wind carried the smell of blood to him, the others regrouped, as eager as him to continue the mission.

Together, they climbed the wall, unwilling to create noise by opening the doors and peered down.

Small tents littered the ground, and occasional snores reached his ears.

He noticed a luxurious one still alight, facing a short wall of natural rocks at the back.

Through the fabric, he saw alluring silhouettes dancing on soft carpets and a bigger one seated and indulging in the spectacle.

"Disperse in groups of two. Move along the shadows and avoid approaching the leader's tent before we clean everyone."

His icy whisper echoed as his eyes brightened at a trope common to every game.

"Check the surroundings first and kill anyone who went to relieve himself before he comes back."

He nodded at his conscious approach before leaping down.

Without looking back, he went west and toured the place with Shihan.

After finding no one, he gripped his short sword and tiptoed into the first tent.

Snoring like pigs, three bandits' chests rose and fell as the horrible stench of alcohol and sweat mixed in the air.

He pinched his scrounging nose in disgust with his left hand as he approached the first enemy and crouched above his head.

Without hesitation and even excited by the operation's success so far, his blade glinted as he decapitated the sleeping man with a swift strike.

The sensation of ripping the man's throat didn't faze him, nor did the scent of blood.

Instead, he moved to the other two and continued.

Just like that, each group began its own massacre, entering tents before leaving stiff bodies behind in a disturbing silence.

'Should I name my territory the assassin's town and adopt a creed?'

An inner chuckle enlivened his mind as he observed the notifications before his face collapsed.

[You and your subjects have defeated 266 Lvl10 bandits. You have gained 28,800 experience points.]

[Congratulations on levelling up.] x3

'Shit.'

He cursed under the moonlight as his subjects gathered, grinning despite the hot blood dripping from their fists and nails.

Unlike them, he wasn't in the mood to grin.

'I can't level up before breaking through the next tier. I just lost twenty-seven stat points!'

His heart sank as the world lost its vibrance in his dimming eyes.

What a mistake for a gamer to fail to min-maxing his attributes!

"Are you ok, my lord?"

Garduck's hand inched to his shoulder before he noticed the demon hesitatingly take it back.

'Things are getting serious in their heads, too. Is he afraid I'd get mad?'

Somehow, the gesture amused and distracted him from his blunder.

"Don't worry. Open the gates to let Luna in."

They didn't need caution now that everyone died, and he'd need Luna's help if the leader's strength overwhelmed them.

'I doubt it will, though.'

His lips curled into a sneer as he could already see the riches and resources they'd get from the place. The wood and tent's fabric alone made him drool already, not to mention the potential blueprints and equipment.

As his thoughts wandered, the wooden gate scraped against the ground, cracking and shattering the night's silence.

"Who's the bastard dog who opened the gate in the middle of the night?"

An enraged roar echoed through the camp as the silhouette seated in the grand tent leapt to its feet and rushed out in a frenzy.

As the fabric moved to let the man pass, he scrutinised his two-meter-tall frame and savage attire composed of bears' and wolves' fur. Then, his twitching naked arm muscles and the menacing broad ax he carried. Finally, he gazed at his bald head reflecting the moon's glow, the long scar running down his forehead to below his left eye and unkempt beard.

The bandit leader noticed them, too, narrowing his hazel eyes in wariness before an icy shudder ran down his spine, and his legs trembled at the intense scent of blood.

"A group of demons?! Is it Hestia's punishment?"

"Just mine. I don't like your proximity to my territory."

A sinister smile stretched his lips as his tail whipped against the ground menacingly.

Contrary to his expectations, the leader recovered and laughed as if he hadn't understood his guttural sounds.

"Hahaha. They're all lesser demons."

Before his eyes, the man turned and yelled at people hiding in his tent, uncaring about his men's deaths.

"Start warming the bed. I'll return in five minutes."

The leader stretched his neck and shoulders before the wind roared as he swiped his battle ax before him.

"Rats trying to bite more than what they can chew. Witness the difference between tiers!"

With that roar, he lunged at Bart with terrifying speed, intent on beheading the more menacing demon first to assert mental dominance over the others.