Day 3 - Evening.

The Rift to the new Biome opened not far from the city. From there, the returning adventurers would need to pass through the more unsavory part of the city. Not outright slums but certainly had a horrendous public order and inadequate living standards.

On a road with many pedestrians, a group of four adventurers was walking with light steps. Smiles were on their faces. They look tired and a bit ragged but clearly had a good day.

The party was three males and one female. A standard composition. A sword-wielding damage dealer with an average build, a tank with a robust physique, and a skinny scout. The female carried a staff and clearly a spellcasting type.

“How about a drink to celebrate?” The sword guy said.

“Good idea. I’m dying for a beer,” the big guy licked his lips.

“The usual place? By the way, do you think the tavern girl from yesterday has the hots for me?” the skinny guy daydreamed.

“Sigh… Just do it in moderation please,” the woman voiced reason, holding her own smile back.

Suddenly, there was a figure that fell from the rooftop. No, not fell but dived from the heights and landed right in the middle of them.

“Watch out!” The scout warned but it was too late.

When the figure landed, there was a strong splash of water as if a boulder with a thousand kilos of weight dropped into a lake. The wave of water knocked back the party of four to the walls and floor.

Arte - Raging River Steps.

An evolution of Rapid Water Steps that Viers created. Other than the higher overall speed, the Arte could generate a knockback effect. Perfect for swiftly getting close to an enemy and breaking their posture or stance, leaving them open for a deadly strike from the user.

“Guys! Are you okay?” The damage dealer asked.

“Sandra is down! She’s- Incoming!” The scout didn't have the luxury of time before the enemy re-engaged.

The damage dealer and the scout got off lightly from Viers’s initial strike, thanks to their speed. The woman mage’s head hit a wall and seemingly lost consciousness, an unexpected but welcome development. The tank got hit with the full knockback effect of the water wave. He was still struggling to get on his feet when Viers dealt a follow-up offensive.

The other pedestrians screamed and ran to avoid being swallowed in the fight. There was chaos in the street.

Arte - Water Chains of Silence.

The tank and scout were entangled by the chains of water that suddenly appeared all around them. The scout tried to escape but the chain was faster than him. The tank got covered by many chains that made him look like a caterpillar. The two found out that they couldn't open their mouths.

The unconscious woman got bound too, Viers was thorough. As for the damage dealer, he put up a fight.

“Wind of Rebuke!”

The damage dealer created a blast of wind to repel the chains around him. He was the strongest, used a sword, and his role as a damage dealer in the group, Viers dubbed him the leader from then on.

“Who are you and why are you attacking us?” He said angrily.

Viers didn't speak. He dashed towards the leader to end the fight as soon as possible. He couldn't linger because the risk of failure rose for every passing second.

Seeing the enemy dashing towards him made the leader’s temper reach its peak.

“Do you have no shame in attacking people weaker than you!” The leader shouted while locking swords with Viers.

Viers parried the leader’s sword, leaving him wide open. To Viers, it was easy to kill him but he didn't. Like a snake, Viers’ left hand grabbed and latched onto the leader’s face.

“Paina!” Viers communicate telepathically.

“Yes!”

Combination Arte - Black Out Down!

Goooonggg—

The leader heard the sound of a gong that washed over his mind and felt all the liquid in his body shaking. He lost any sort of cognitive ability as his mind’s connection to the body was obliterated.

The leader slumped to the ground, alive but he didn't look like one.

Black Out Down, an Arte that can only be used by working together with Paina since it was a mix of sound, water, and soul paths to achieve a non-lethal victory. This guy would be out for an hour, even if you burn his limbs he would not awaken.

Mostly made and constructed by Paina to avoid bloodshed but the name was Viers'. Inspired by a war film that he liked.

Viers used three seconds to examine the four, making an extra check they had been subdued. They might be Level 1s, not a match for a Level 2 like him but Viers didn't take any chances. Letting his guard down because they were weaker was a big red flag for a villain. After being satisfied with what he saw, Viers rummaged through their belongings.

The scout and the tank were the only ones conscious. They tried to break free but the Arte of a Level 2 was too strong for mediocre Level 1 Pathseekers like them. A weighty sense of defeat and despair descended upon them. They could do nothing as the unknown assailant took the rucksack that contained the day’s labor. Their mouths were bound, even harsh words to the enemy were beyond them.

The man with the blue mask ran away as swiftly as a thief, his Arte dissolved sometime after. For ten minutes they were like caterpillars on the streets. Normal people were too scared to help them, fearing they would be implicated. During their time immobile, they heard a few explosions not too far from their position. Perhaps the unknown bandit had attacked different prey.

“...How’s Bruce,” the tank asked.

“Alive, fortunately,” the scout said while checking their leader’s condition.

“...We aren't dead or fatally injured. Could be worse,” the tank spoke with a heavy tone, carrying the unconscious woman mage in a princess carry.

“Yes, Norman. It could be a whole lot worse. I suppose we should praise that guy for not robbing our lives too. No, that’s not enough. We have to bring gifts and buy him a drink too. We’ll toast his boundless compassion and tell the bards of his gallantry,” every word was spoken with bitterness. “FUUUUUCK!!” The skinny scout screamed to the sky with indignation.

The giant tank closed his eyes and dipped his head downward. Disappointment clung heavily to his heart.

***

BOOOM!

There was an explosion in the middle of the street, an Arte from a Level 2 Pathseeker. From that cloud of dust, a figure dashed out. The guy was unhurt.

“Who is this guy?” Someone spat in disbelief. “How is he so strong?!”

“Shut your trap. He’s coming here! Water Javelins!”

“Earth Wave!”

“Dire Firebolt!”

Under the rain of Arte, Viers went forward beautifully like a dribbling Maradona in the field. His speed beggared belief. In no time at all, he got close to his target. An adventurer with braided hair tried to defend but the assailant gave him an uppercut with his left hand while his right nabbed a pouch on his belt.

The braided hair adventurer was down for the count and his teammate tried to cover him. “Fucking thief!”

Viers kicked the charging guy on the chest and used that momentum to flip backward, landing his two feet on the face of an adventurer that tried to attack from the back. The sudden weight of a man on his face made his head rapidly fall down to the cobblestone street. Viers jumped away to avoid encirclement.

“He went over there. Cut him off!”

“What the fuck are you bastards doing? Five Level 2s can’t hold him?”

Viers had stolen loot from more than fifteen people. His first target was a group of four, all Level 1. Seeing they didn't pose any threat, Viers gradually targeted stronger and stronger groups. Even without using his trump cards, his Horizon already gave him all the edge he needed.

Arte - Raging River Steps.

Viers ran like a cheetah and gave a Level 2 adventurer a knee to the face, knocking him out instantly. Viers took off his belt before leaping off again.

By now, his modus operandi was taking anything that caught his eye. Euryale Sight ensured he always took something of value. Unlike the first group, he no longer bothered putting all his enemies to sleep so he was being swarmed by people he slighted. Almost two dozen people were chasing him by now.

Broken bones, twisted muscles, missing teeth, wounded pride, but not one of them lost their life. Viers made sure of that.

Thanks to his heightened physical ability, leaping ten meters in a single jump was no big deal. Viers jumped from rooftop to rooftop while a bunch of people were hot on his heels. If the place was coming crashing down then it would be just like a scene from video games.

I think that’s enough for today. Time to retreat. Hm?

Not far from him, he saw something oddly similar happening. There was a guy carrying a big sack being chased by other adventurers. Viers saw him and he also noticed Viers.

Viers grinned under his mask. Whaddya know, I’m not the only one who thinks of banditry.

“Hey chum. Good night, right?” The thief said politely. He and Viers were running in a similar direction.

If he saw the expression on Viers’ face, he wouldn't be.

Arte - Water Moon Fang.

“The fu-”

Viers suddenly attacked the other thief using a crescent-shaped blade of water. The thief looked shocked, despite his polite surface he was actually very on guard but Viers’ Arte was far faster and more powerful than he expected. He managed to defend but he lost speed.

Viers attacked again, a kick was coming to his face.

“Wai-”

The thief used his left hand to block.

“I-”

Arte - Water Chains of Silence.

After momentarily slowing down the thief, the Arte hit him completely. The thief’s pupils constricted like a pair of needles in surprise. All efforts to breaking free of the bindings were unsuccessful, signs of the one casting the Arte was much stronger. Without words or nonsense, Viers grabbed the sack that the thief was carrying, adding it to his loot.

The chasing adventurers that had become one big group saw what happened. They had a hard time believing what they were seeing.

From the rooftop, Vier jumped down to a shadow cast by a house. Night had fallen so Viers looked like he was sinking into darkness in front of their eyes.

Arte - Fade in Shadow.

The group of robbed adventurers lost sight of Viers, another dose of surprise on top of another. Some invoked their investigative Artes but the result was nothing. Leaving a bound caterpillar in the midst of a bunch of angry mobs. They looked like wolves eyeing a newborn trembling fawn.

“Mmmm! MMM! MmMm MMMM!!!”

There was no honor among thieves today.