The air inside the wayside shrine plummeted to freezing the instant Finn Adler uttered that single word—"Robbery."It wasn't the ordinary kind of cold. It was a chill steeped in blood, one that could freeze the breath in your lungs. Even the sparks drifting through the air seemed to slow, suspended in that suffocating stillness.The crackle of burning wood echoed unnaturally loud, each snap of the firewood like a hammer striking against everyone's chest, making their fingertips tremble.The stench of blood mixed with the acrid smoke, clogging the nose with a sticky, metallic heaviness that pressed down on the chest until it felt impossible to breathe.
From the silence, a figure swayed forward.It was the Alluring Ghost, one of the Five Ghosts of the Savage Reach. Her movements were languid and sinuous, her body so supple it seemed boneless. The leather armor traced her curves, emphasizing her ample chest with deliberate provocation. Even her walk exuded an intoxicating rhythm.She stopped before Finn, hips swaying, eyes glimmering with seductive promise as her honeyed voice purred, "My lord… must you really take things this far?"
She extended a heavy pouch toward him, a few gold coins glinting from its open mouth. Her fingers brushed against the back of his hand—light, deliberate, suggestive."This is a small token of our goodwill, my lord," she murmured, voice dripping with charm. "If you would but spare us this once, I—and my brothers—will serve at your command thereafter. Through fire or flood, without hesitation…"
Her voice fell lower and lower until the last few words were whispered against his ear. Her body leaned in so close that her hair brushed against his arm, her breath warm enough to stir the fine hairs on his skin.
But Finn's gaze didn't linger on her painted face for even a heartbeat.He looked at her as one might look at a pebble by the roadside—irrelevant, unworthy of attention.
His reply came in the form of a sharp, merciless backhand.
Crack!
The slap was crisp, echoing through the shrine like a thunderclap. He didn't hold back in the slightest—there was no trace of pity for beauty.
The Alluring Ghost was flung off her feet, her body twisting through the air like a broken doll before crashing into the stone wall several meters away. She hit the ground hard, half her face swelling in real time, purple-red and grotesque. Blood dribbled from the corner of her lips, staining her collar.Gone was the allure in her eyes; only pain and terror remained.
Finn shook his hand as though flicking away filth. His eyes grew even colder."I'll say this once more," he said flatly, voice like iron. "Everything of value—coins, jewels, maps—hand them over. I don't negotiate. And I don't wait."
The words struck like ice water poured over the crowd, shattering the last traces of hope.This man would not be swayed by beauty. He wouldn't be swayed by anyone.
"Kill him!"
The shout broke the silence. Two Ironclad Caravan Guards—their patience finally spent—charged forward, blades raised high. Their fury was palpable; this man had humiliated them beyond endurance.They came at him from both sides, twin bulls driven mad, their heavy blades cleaving through the air with the force to split stone.
Finn didn't retreat.He moved.
A blur, swift as a phantom.In the firelight, his body left only an afterimage as he slipped into the attack rather than away from it.At the instant the left blade neared his chest, he twisted aside with inhuman precision. The weapon grazed his tunic, its wind tugging his clothes so sharply they snapped like banners.
In that same heartbeat, his left hand shot out—five fingers rigid as iron—and clamped down on the swordsman's wrist.
Crack!
The sound of breaking bone rang through the shrine. The man's wrist twisted grotesquely, his scream warping into an animal's howl as his sword clattered to the ground.
Finn didn't pause.He seized the fallen weapon, turned, and struck in one seamless motion.The second guard's eyes widened, his own strike barely half-finished before a flash of steel filled his vision.
Shhk!
A head flew free, spinning through the firelight. Blood geysered upward like a crimson lotus before the severed head hit the floor with a dull thud.
In a single breath—one dead, one crippled.
The shrine fell into a horrified hush. Even breathing felt loud.
Finn pressed down on a broken sword with his boot and channeled his strength.
Bang!
The blade shattered into a storm of jagged shards, glinting wickedly in the firelight. With a flick of his wrist, he sent them whirling outward.
The fragments flew like meteors, a deadly flurry cutting through the air with shrill whines—
Thk! Thk! Thk!
One after another, the shards found flesh. Screams erupted as members of the Direwolf Clan fell where they stood—throats slit, eyes pierced, hearts impaled.Within seconds, the center of the shrine was littered with corpses.
"You bastard!"
Yoric "The Dire" bellowed, eyes bloodshot with rage. His elite warriors had been slaughtered in mere seconds.The Mortal Rank 8 warrior's fury boiled over as he roared and charged, his massive wolf-headed blade howling through the air. The very ground trembled beneath each step.
Even before the weapon struck, the air itself shuddered beneath his aura, pressing the flames low.
Then—out of the corner—another shadow moved.Heixin Gui, the Black Heart Ghost, had been watching and waiting. Now, realizing single combat meant certain death, he lunged from behind, striking in tandem with his sworn enemy.
His poisoned dagger gleamed a sickly blue-black, like the tongue of a serpent, aimed straight at Finn's spine.
Front and back—one wolf, one snake.An inescapable kill.
But Finn didn't flinch.A savage gleam flashed in his eyes. His lips curved, almost into a smile.
He surged forward—straight toward Yoric's blade.
CLANG!
The clash of steel echoed like thunder. Sparks exploded between them as Yoric's arms went numb.The force that traveled through his weapon was monstrous, unstoppable—like striking a mountain.His palms split open, blood running down his arms as his wolf-blade tore free and embedded itself in the wall with a resonant thrum.
At the same time, Heixin Gui's dagger found its mark—Finn's neck.
But instead of sinking into flesh, the blade screeched across his skin, throwing sparks like metal scraping stone.
The poisoner froze, eyes wide in disbelief.
"You tried to stab me?"
Finn's voice was ice.
Rage flashed in his eyes.He turned, fingers forming a rigid spear. A faint, jade-like glow shimmered at his fingertips—smooth, elegant, and deadly.
The Stone-Shatter Finger.
He struck.
Crack!
The dagger shattered like glass, and his finger continued unimpeded, piercing straight through Heixin Gui's chest and out his back.
The man stared down at the hole in his chest, eyes filling with terror. Blood bubbled from his lips as he choked out, "Im… impossible…"
He fell.
Yoric staggered backward, his face ashen. He had seen enough—one blow to overpower him, one finger to kill a fellow Mortal Rank 7.This wasn't a man. It was a monster.
"Mercy… mercy, my lord!" Yoric dropped to one knee, trembling. "The Direwolf Clan will serve you! We'll follow your command—east or west, whatever you wish! Just spare my life!"
Finn slowly withdrew his hand, letting Heixin Gui's body collapse with a dull thud. Blood dripped from his fingers.
"I told you," he said, voice flat, "threats… must be eliminated."
Yoric's eyes went wild with despair.With a final, mad roar, he channeled all his remaining strength into one desperate charge—choosing to die fighting.
His claws slashed for Finn's head, the wind of his strike sharp enough to draw blood.
Finn didn't move.Not until the very last instant.
Then his palm came down.
BOOM!
Yoric's head exploded like an overripe melon. Blood and brain spattered the stone walls and fire, hissing as it burned. His body staggered a few more steps before collapsing.
Silence fell again.Only the crackle of fire remained.
Finn wiped the blood from his cheek, feeling the sting where Yoric's claws had grazed him.His cold gaze swept across the shrine—finally settling on the few trembling survivors huddled in the corner: the Alluring Ghost and two terrified remnants of the Direwolf Clan.
This slaughter was not yet over.