After months of fighting and trials to test my strength, I am free from the forest.

Not only that, but I also got some answers, but at the same time, these answers created quite a lot of new questions.

But there is only one I must focus on right now.

"Find the human town." Thankfully, with this quest, I now know there is a human settlement nearby.

"Now thinking, there is no indicator showing me where I must go."

I heard a wolf howling from a close distance.

"I better prepare myself."

The equipment of the knight I defeated also got transported with me. It will be a waste if I don't use all these shiny armor pieces.

"Gloves and cloak can stay, I have better than what he has, and helmet turned into scrap after my blows. I will leave that here as well."

I began grabbing the armor pieces from the ground and started trying to wear them.

I first wore the chainmail armor inside. It wasn't much different from wearing everyday clothing, now coming into the main pieces.

Boots and leg pieces were simple to wear, like wearing a boat, but chest plate, how did the knights manage to wear them back in the days.

I began examining the chest plate to find a way of wearing it, and after little turning and twisting, I found the way to wear it.

"Hidden leather strips to adjust the open space between the back and front plates, smart."

Thanks to my finding that, I managed to wear the chest plate.

To test its flexibility, I turned around and moved my upper body a bit.

"It is flexible. I can move much as I can without no limitations, as I expected after seeing that knight around super fast wearing this."

I finished wearing the armor by placing the shoulder pads on to their place.

"Now everything is ready." I raised the claymore to the air and swung it around.

Voice talked. "Weapon ability: Crimson Sword. Increases user's speed and offers and projectile attack. User can activate this ability simply by calling its name."

Similar to magic, and explains the many things knight did in the fight. I hope one day I can use both my magic and this weapon's ability effectively, as in the battle that took yesterday.

"Now, if everything is okay, let's check that wolf."

I began walking towards where the howl came, and after passing some trees and bushes, I found who was behind the sound.

The wolf I tamed back from the castle, how the hell he managed to come here, well one more question into my box of weird things, but I am happy to see him.

I moved towards the wolf and patted his head. He was also happy to see me.

But the thing I am happy about is not that I found the wolf, but where I found him.

A pathway, most likely left from humans and carriages used by humans.

"Come on, let's move. We have a settlement to find."

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The path we are currently following. It is too quiet and peaceful. That is never a sign of good news. Danger never alerts you before it comes.

"Right, boy," I said the last words towards the wolf.

Wolf looked at me for a second.

"Don't mind me. I am just losing some screws."

I am walking for at least half an hour (I think. it could be more, it could be less, I don't have a watch.) Nothing happened.

I stopped my movement because of a scream. Scream of a woman, not from far.

"But it never means anything will ever happen. Come on. We are checking what is happening."

We hastily reached the location where the scream came.

A carriage, a rather luxurious-looking, one was circled by what appears to be a group of bandits, and there were a couple of corpses lying on the ground.

"Bandits killed both the horses and the guardsmen protecting the carriage, and the actual part starts."

I moved closer to the carriage and saw a woman and a little girl hiding behind a boy, directing a sword towards the group of bandits coming towards him.

His hands were shaking, and I don't think he is a real threat towards the bandits, and it seems like they know that as well.

"We will only take everything you have for passing price, but who knows, we can even spare your life if you drop your weapon and let us play with these two ladies for a while."

Bandits laughed as a skinny bandit tried to negotiate with the boy holding the sword with a sarcastic tone.

There is a total of twelve bandits circling the carriage. If I intervene, I will risk my life, but I already risked my life countless times for worthless people in the past.

It won't hurt to do one more time for a civilian.

I began slowly approaching the bandits.

I whistled. "You, the skinny one. I am lost, and I am also not from around here. Where is the closest town? Can you tell me?"

My whistle and words took the interest of the bandits.

"Trying to play the hero, don't you?"

"We got ourselves a brave one, don't we?"

"I don't know about you guys, but I am keeping the cloak for myself."

Bandits turned towards me. They already killed a couple of guardsmen. I suppose they are ready to kill one more man today.

The first bandit to try me was a short bandit running towards me with a short sword.

"First to kill keeps all the loot!"

As he got close to me, a short bandit dashed forward and thrust his sword towards me.

"Your movements are quite slow and predictable." I took one step to the left and grabbed him from the head with my right hand.

"Neither you are strong."

I lifted the man to the air with one and smashed him to the ground, then finished him by stomping his head.

Other bandits stopped their movement for a second.

"I thought you guys were going to kill me. Did I expect too much from you guys? Why are you not moving? Did this brave and stupid wannabe hero scare you!"

I tried to lure the bandits towards myself, but it didn't work. They weren't stupid enough to charge me after seeing what happened to their friend.

One of the bandits shouted. "It is eleven to one. We will kill you eventually! Escape while you can."

"Yes, you might kill me after losing half a dozen men, but who will be first to die for that?"

None of the bandits answered. None of them wants to charge forward and take the risk of dying.

"Then everything is clear. I will be the attacking one. Crimson Sword, show me what you can do."

The claymore began glowing red, and the colors around me began fading away. Everything was slowing down except me.

"So, that's how it works, heh."

I charged towards the bandits and thrust the claymore towards the one I reached first.

Sword pierced through the man's chest and cut his hearth.

No way he could survive that, but as the claymore's tip got out from the other side of the man's body, time began flowing normally.

"When did he!"

"Charge!"

Bandits finally began attacking.

"Crimson Sword."

Time slowed once again.

A bandit was just behind me. His mouth was completely open because of the battle cry he was screaming.

I slashed the claymore, horizontally, towards the man's head. The sharp edge of the sword passed through his flesh and bones like butter, and I cut the man's head into two.

Time began flowing normally once again.

Another bandit swung his weapon towards me, but I dodged the first attack.

"Don't escape from me, you little bitch!" He swung his weapon once again.

I blocked his second attack with my sword and pushed him back, then leaped forward and landed a powerful hit to his shoulder.

Bandit was heavily damaged, but before he even managed to scream because of the pain, I slashed my claymore and cut his head off his shoulders.

"Nine more left." I looked at the bandits. "Please, don't be shy and come more than one at a time, and make everything faster."

Three bandits at the same time attacked me. I managed to evade the incoming attacks.

But they weren't giving me a chance to strike them back.

As I evade one of the attacks, other attacks, and it goes on.

"I have given you too much chance, Crimson Sword."

Time slowed once again.

I slashed my claymore towards the closest bandit and separated his head from his body.

The other two bandits attacked me at the moment the flow of time turned normal.

I blocked the incoming attacks and pushed the bandits back, and used the opportunity to make a counterattack.

I dashed forwards and slashed my sword towards the closest bandit.

Bandit tried to block the incoming attack with his one-handed ax, but I broke his defense like it was nothing and cut his chest.

I turned towards the other bandit, but he was already running away, like his other comrades.

"I only managed to kill five of them, what a shame."

Soon as I finished my words, arrows penetrating the air with whistles hit and pinned the dead bodies of bandits to the ground one by one.

A cheerful voice then called me.

"I don't know who you are, but thank you, friend. Now, drop your weapon, and we can talk."

I turned towards where the sound came.

A group of people with green-colored cloaks was looking towards me.

They had weapons in much better conditions than bandits, and the people bandits just tried to rob seemed happy to see them.

I smiled. "I am always open to a friendly talk, and maybe you guys can show me the way to the closest town."