World of Rules

... 

D stood outside the mission hall, observing the trainees coming and going. The city was bustling with life, but beneath its surface, it was nothing more than a hidden battlefield where everyone competed for power.

After a brief moment of observation, he decided to enter.

As he stepped through the gates, a vast hall stretched before him, its polished floor reflecting the glowing auras of the trainees. In the center stood a massive statue of an unknown warrior, radiating an aura of authority, as if silently watching over all who entered.

The walls were lined with enormous glowing panels displaying mission details. Next to each one were difficulty ratings and rewards. Some missions were simple, like gathering certain resources, while others were deadly, requiring the elimination of dangerous creatures or even assassinating specific individuals.

D approached one of the panels, scanning the available missions. It didn’t take long for him to find something suitable.

[Mission: Eliminate the bandits in the Black Forest]

Difficulty: Low to Medium

Reward: 80 Primal Stones (divided among the team)

Warning: Reports indicate the presence of a powerful leader among the bandits

Mission Type: Team of four required

D studied the details with indifference. He wasn’t used to working with others, but this could be an opportunity to observe how other trainees fought.

“You chose this mission too?”

D turned to see a tall young man with silver hair and cold eyes looking at him impassively. Behind him stood a short-haired girl with her arms crossed in silence, and another young man, slightly shorter, carrying a spear on his back.

“Looks like we’re the assigned team,” the silver-haired young man continued, his gaze assessing D.

D said nothing, simply took the mission card and walked out. The others followed silently, but the tension in the air was palpable.

The Black Forest was an hour’s journey from the city. During the trip, no one spoke much. Only when they neared the forest’s borders did the spear-wielding youth speak up.

“I’m Ling. This is Rui.” He gestured to the silver-haired young man, then to the girl. “And this is Mi. You?”

“…D.”

He added nothing more, but the others didn’t seem to expect anything else.

All three were at the late stage of the first ranked tier.

“A simple plan,” Rui said as he looked into the forest. “We locate the bandits, sneak in, and take them out quickly before they can organize a defense.”

“We don’t know their exact numbers,” Mi said, her hand resting on her sword hilt. “If their leader is as strong as they say, things might get complicated.”

“If that’s the case, we improvise,” Ling said with a confident smile.

D remained silent, staring into the depths of the forest, ignoring their words.

Without another word, they all vanished into the thick shadows of the Black Forest…

---

The team moved through the Black Forest slowly, using the faint moonlight filtering through the massive trees. The atmosphere was eerily quiet, as if nature itself was holding its breath in anticipation.

“Aren’t we stopping?” Ling muttered, glancing at Rui, who led the group.

“We need to reach them as soon as possible,” Rui responded without looking back, his steps steady on the damp soil. “Bandits don’t stay in one place for long. If we delay, they might relocate.”

“But if we attack after traveling for a whole day, we’ll be exhausted,” Mi said, adjusting her grip on her sword.

Ling chuckled softly. “Doesn’t that make it more exciting?”

D, as always, remained silent. Fatigue wasn’t a factor for him, and he didn’t care whether he rested or not. No one knew what he was thinking.

After a full day of travel, the atmosphere began to shift. A foul scent of burning smoke filled the air, mixed with the smell of roasted meat. The trees were less dense here, and the ground was littered with traces—heavy footprints, wagon wheel marks, and scattered bone remains.

That’s when Rui halted, signaling the others to hide behind a large rock.

“There.” He pointed forward in a hushed tone.

Beyond the trees, the bandit camp came into view. It was a cluster of filthy tents spread around a massive bonfire, where muscular men sat drinking and laughing loudly. Some were cleaning their weapons, while others argued over their latest spoils.

But what caught D’s attention wasn’t the number of enemies—it was their leader.

A towering man, larger than anyone else in the camp, sat atop a raised rock, silently observing his men. His body was covered in scars, and his eyes gleamed with a deadly sharpness. Resting against the ground beside him was a massive sword—more like a butcher’s cleaver than a normal blade.

“That’s the leader, without a doubt,” Ling muttered.

“There are about fifteen of them,” Mi observed. “If we strike fast, we can eliminate a few before they react, but don’t forget—two of them are in the late stage of the first ranked tier besides the leader.”

“We don’t have time for drawn-out tactics,” Rui said firmly. “We attack now.”

Ling grinned. Mi frowned. D remained unreadable.

Without another word, they rushed toward their targets…

---

The team moved like shadows through the trees, their bodies blending into the darkness. There was no time for hesitation—only a decisive strike.

The first blow would dictate the battle’s course.

Rui took the lead. In an instant, he appeared behind a bandit standing at the camp’s edge. With a single swift motion, he plunged a dagger into the man’s throat before he could even utter a sound. The body collapsed silently, blood dripping onto the dark soil.

The next moment, Ling dashed forward like an arrow. He was fast—razor-sharp in his movements. Cutting through the nearby guards, he reached the first one, his thin sword gleaming in the firelight. One clean slash severed the man’s throat, sending his head snapping back as his body crumpled.

But this time, the attack didn’t go unnoticed.

“Enemies!!” One of the bandits shouted before Mi’s arrow pierced his skull—but the alarm had already been raised.

Instantly, chaos erupted. The bandits scrambled to their feet, some still drunk, but others reached for their weapons immediately, ready to fight.

And so, the battle began.

D charged into the fray without hesitation, his body weaving through enemies as if violence was second nature to him. The first bandit he faced tried to raise his axe, but before he could complete the motion, D had already slipped to his side—his fist slamming directly into the man’s chest.

Boom!

It wasn’t an ordinary strike. The bandit felt like a mountain had crashed into him. His chest caved in, and he was hurled backward, smashing into a wooden barricade before slumping motionless.

There was no time to stop.

Three bandits attacked him at once. One wielded a spear, another a massive sword, and the third was unarmed but radiated a dangerous aura.

D didn’t retreat—he surged forward.

A shift in momentum—

The spearman struck first, thrusting his weapon with deadly precision. But D suddenly twisted, his body bending in an almost unnatural way, and the spear barely missed his head. In that instant, he grabbed the wooden shaft.

Crack!

With one hand, D snapped the spear in two before driving his palm into the spearman’s chest.

Boom!

The man was launched into the air before crashing down, writhing in pain.

But there was no time to pause—

The massive sword descended, gleaming with lethal force.

D raised his bare hand—meeting the blade head-on.

Clang!

Silence.

Everyone froze.

D’s hand wasn’t cut. He wasn’t even injured—he had stopped the massive sword with just his fingers.

“What—?” The bandit stammered before he felt pain.

Crash!

D’s grip crushed the metal sword like brittle wood before he drove another blow into the man’s skull.

No scream. Only the sound of bones shattering.

The third bandit, the most dangerous one, instinctively stepped back. His eyes locked onto D, filled with shock… and fear.

But D didn’t give him time to react.

With a single step, he vanished—

…And reappeared right in front of him.

The next strike was not just fast—it carried a force that nearly crushed the air itself.

Boom!

The man was sent flying, his body slamming into a massive tree. The trunk snapped from the impact, and he collapsed motionless.

The battle wasn’t over yet.

At the heart of the camp, the massive leader stood, his butcher-like sword gleaming under the fire’s glow. His piercing gaze locked onto D.

This wasn’t an ordinary opponent.

D smirked coldly as he took a step back.

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