The unmarked iron longsword descended toward Solomon’s arms.
A silver blade suddenly erupted directly through the center of the attacker’s chest. The brutal strike lifted the man entirely off his feet, hoisting his body high into the cavern.
He dangled helplessly from the end of the foreign weapon like a morbid puppet.
The remaining four thugs spun around in absolute shock. The violent interruption happened in a literal split second. One mont, their companion was preparing to sever Solomon’s grip, and the next, he was impaled.
Three cloaked figures stood quietly near the portal entrance. Unlike the masked thieves, these newcors left their faces entirely visible.
Panic overtook the four surviving thugs. They instantly drew their weapons and lunged at the intruders.
The second cloaked figure stepped forward to intercept them. He moved with blinding speed, reaching out and grabbing the two leading n directly by their faces.
Brilliant crimson fire instantly erupted from his palms. The intense blaze incinerated the two thugs on contact, reducing their entire bodies to piles of gray ash that scattered across the rocks.
The final two stream snipers froze in terror. Their minds reeled as they processed the terrifying display of magic. Anyone capable of burning two A-rank adventurers like fragile paper was stronger... no, infinitely stronger than them.
The apparent leader of the snipers imdiately dropped his weapon and threw both hands into the air to surrender.
"Who are you people?!" the sniper yelled, stepping backward frantically. "Why are you attacking us? We have done absolutely nothing to you!"
The swordsman remained in his exact pose, easily supporting the weight of the impaled thug suspended on his blade. He shifted his gaze toward the sleeping boy on the rocks, his eyes lingering on the pristine steel of Eden’s Penance.
The stream sniper leader noticed the stare and imdiately ford a conclusion. He raised his hands higher to show his complete surrender and forced a chummy, friendly smile onto his masked face.
"Listen, if you people are also here for the sword, you can absolutely have it," the leader offered smoothly, taking a cautious step forward. "We truly do not care about the loot anymore. We have absolutely nothing personal against you, so we will just take our leave right now."
He aggressively gestured for his final surviving subordinate to follow him. The two thugs stepped forward and walked directly past the three cloaked figures, heading straight for the glowing transit gate to make their escape.
The mont they passed the swordsman, invisible slashes tore through them. The lethal cuts occurred in a fraction of a second, completely bypassing their armor.
Their physical forms actually took two full seconds to register the fatal damage before both n collapsed into dozens of chopped, bloody pieces across the cavern floor.
The swordsman let the originally impaled corpse slide off his blade to join the ss. He let out a profound sigh of disappointnt and slid his weapon smoothly back into its scabbard.
The second figure crossed his arms and let out a dark chuckle. "They were willing to execute a defenseless, sleeping adventurer," he mocked, glancing down at the chopped remains. "And yet, they were afraid to actually fight fully awakened ones."
The third cloaked figure said absolutely nothing. It had not moved or cast a single spell during the entire encounter. It simply stood near the cavern entrance and watched the massacre with an expression of complete boredom.
The swordsman shifted his gaze back to the sleeping Solomon. He looked down at the unconscious boy, then at the pristine steel of Eden’s Penance resting on the rocky floor.
His facial expression quickly twisted into visible disgust and utter disappointnt.
anwhile, the second cloaked figure leaned casually against the cavern wall. "What exactly is going on in your head?" the mage asked, gesturing to the chopped remains of the stream snipers. "Fortunately, we arrived at the perfect ti to intercept those scavengers."
The swordsman refused to say a single word.
Suddenly, the mage noticed the owl hovering quietly above the boy. "Wait a minute," the mage exclaid, pointing a gloved finger directly at the cara lens. "This guy is enrolled in that Live Streaming Academy! I honestly cannot believe soone who broadcasts everything ca down here completely alone. Now he is just sleeping on the rocks like a total idiot."
The mage crossed his arms and looked back at the swordsman. "Why did you insist on clearing the entire dungeon and coming here through the tenth-floor gate anyway? We possess the proper rank and clearance to teleport directly to the Kingdom Grounds."
The swordsman ignored the question entirely.
The mage threw his hands up in frustration and turned to the third cloaked figure standing near the entrance. "What is wrong with him today?"
The third figure simply shrugged their shoulders in response and remained entirely mute.
The mage let out a dramatic sigh and dragged a hand down his face. "Why am I perpetually stuck on assignnts with people who refuse to speak?" he lanted, throwing his head back against the stone wall. "I always have to carry the entire conversation for this team."
Several hours later, Solomon finally opened his eyes. His vision quickly cleared, revealing a horrifying scene of chopped flesh, pooled blood, and twisted organs scattered across the rocky floor directly around him.
He sat up and rubbed his eyes. He wiped a trail of drool from his chin and stared blankly at the grueso ss.
Then, he glanced down at Eden’s Penance resting cleanly by his side, completely devoid of any bloodstains. He scratched his head in genuine confusion.
"Did I activate so kind of secret sleep-fighting ability?" Solomon muttered to himself, furrowing his brow. "Maybe the sword killed them automatically to protect its master. Or perhaps my physical training programd my muscles to violently defend while I am completely unconscious. Maybe I am actually possessed."
"You should check your surroundings carefully before speaking," a voice suddenly echoed across the cave. "Otherwise, you just make yourself look like a complete idiot."
Solomon turned around and spotted three cloaked figures sitting casually around a crackling campfire near the cavern entrance.
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