The faint voice returned again.
"Help… please… someone…"
Arriel stopped mid-step. "There it is again."
Kell turned his head. "Still faint… but it's clearer this time."
Lira closed her eyes, concentrating. "It's magical. A Silent Voice Throw spell. A low-tier communication enchantment—it only works over a short distance."
"You think they're close?" Arriel asked, checking his surroundings.
"Very close," Lira said, her voice tense. "It's guiding us."
The trio moved swiftly through the wooded trail, weaving between gnarled trees and moss-covered stones. The sky was overcast, making the forest dim even in the late afternoon. After half an hour, they stumbled upon a secluded cave, nearly hidden behind dense vines.
"Looks like we found the source," Kell whispered.
Several rough-looking men sat lazily around the cave entrance. All were armed. One drank from a flask, while another sharpened a knife. None seemed alert.
"Bandits," Arriel muttered.
Lira narrowed her eyes and took a step forward, clutching her staff. "Stay back."
Arriel and Kell obeyed as Lira began chanting in a low tone. Her staff pulsed faintly. She wasn't going to waste mana with flashy spells—this had to be precise.
A thin, glimmering mist flowed from her staff's crystal and snaked its way through the air like a serpent, entering the cave silently. A few seconds passed.
The bandits at the entrance slumped over without a sound, dropping their weapons and snoring gently.
"Sleep spell?" Kell asked in a hushed voice.
Lira nodded. "Tier 2. The enchantment spread into the cave. They're all asleep."
Or so she thought.
A sudden growl echoed from within.
Someone emerged—tall, broad-shouldered, with shaggy dark hair and a cruel smirk. His eyes were wide and wild, and his status bracelet was glowing bright.
"Level 26"
"Did you think a cheap spell like that would work on me?" he barked, drawing a jagged dagger glowing with purple light.
"Reguldi…" Arriel whispered.
Kell dashed into the cave. "I'll find whoever sent the message!"
"Go!" Lira shouted. "We'll handle him!"
Reguldi lunged forward, his speed impressive for his size. Arriel barely dodged a swipe of the dagger as Lira shot a Stun spell at his legs. He faltered, giving Arriel an opening to bind his limbs with glowing mana chains.
He struggled, roaring, "You'll regret this!"
Lira stepped forward and cast Mana Drain, golden streams of energy siphoning from Reguldi's body. His bracelet dimmed slightly.
"I'm leaving just enough," she said firmly. "We're not murderers."
The man collapsed, still breathing, but paralyzed and unable to move.
Meanwhile, inside the cave, Kell found her—the voice's source.
An elf girl, bound in chains, her robes torn and dirty, silver-blonde hair cascading over her shoulders. Her breathing was steady—Lira's sleep spell had affected her as well.
Kell smashed the shackles with his spear's handle and carried her out gently.
The three regrouped just outside the forest's edge. Lira checked the girl's condition and confirmed she was unharmed, just deeply asleep.
"She'll wake up soon. Let's get her somewhere safe," Lira said, brushing dust from the girl's hair.
Arriel nodded. "We were lucky. No one else woke up."
Kell looked back toward the cave. "Should we go back and report about Reguldi?"
"We'll alert the guild," Arriel said. "They'll handle the arrest—he's not going anywhere."
But fate had other plans.
---
Somewhere near the cave, hidden in the trees, a cloaked figure had been watching. A young man in his twenties, short black hair under a hood, a curious glint in his eyes.
He approached the paralyzed Reguldi slowly. His status bracelet glowed faintly: Level 10.
"Well done, strangers," he said softly. "You did all the hard work for me."
With swift, practiced motion, he plunged a dagger into Reguldi's chest.
The rogue hero gasped, then choked. His eyes widened. Then dimmed.
Golden light erupted from the body—life energy.
The man took a deep breath, arms wide. The golden aura was sucked into him like a vortex.
His body convulsed violently. His bracelet flickered. Numbers surged wildly.
10… 16… 21… 28… 34… 36.
He exhaled. His eyes sparkled.
"I've waited so long for this."
He knelt, wrapped Reguldi's corpse in a thick cloth, and stuffed it into a large sack.
Whistling softly, he vanished into the trees, the corpse dragging behind him.