After waking up on Saturday morning and finishing my usual routine, I headed to Margaret's office. She would personally assign my Rank Advancement Mission.
As I walked, I thought about what awaited me.
The mission would likely be around the same level as Kaldric. Although he had been a cultist, his combat skills were not particularly impressive, and once he entered his berserk state, he was arguably weaker than an average beast of the same rank. His raw power had been respectable for Rank 2, but that was all.
With Blessing of Sylph, I wasn't worried.
The real question was whether I would have enough time to cast it.
Three seconds was not a short time in combat. Most enemies would never allow such preparation. Without the spell, the mission could become troublesome. And if I performed poorly, I might fail the evaluation despite completing the objective.
That would be a serious loss.
Eventually, I reached Margaret's office. After waiting for the appointed time, I entered.
"Good morning, Professor."
"Good morning, Viren."
After exchanging greetings, I got straight to the point.
"So, Professor Margaret, what exactly is my mission?"
"A bandit stronghold."
Her answer was brief.
"You don't need to search for it. Its location has already been confirmed. Simply eliminate the group."
She handed me the report.
"Twenty members in total."
"Two Rank 2 Aura users."
"A spearman and a heavily armored warrior."
"The remaining eighteen are Rank 1 Aura users."
"No mages."
"I understand."
My response was equally short.
Still, something caught my attention.
The information was incredibly precise.
Every mission I had completed so far had come with remarkably accurate intelligence. Kaldric was the only exception, but that was understandable. Nobody could know about a divine blessing until its user revealed it.
Just how extensive was the Empire's intelligence network?
As for why the government had not eliminated the bandits themselves, the answer was obvious.
As long as they stayed within certain limits, they were useful.
Training targets.
Living practice dummies for academy students.
The thought was somewhat cold, but it was true.
A few hours later, I arrived at the city closest to the stronghold.
From there, I continued on foot.
While traveling, I finalized my plan.
If possible, I would activate Blessing of Sylph before engaging.
If that proved impossible, I would retreat, create distance, and cast it safely.
My speed already surpassed that of a heavily armored warrior.
Once the blessing was active, neither the armored leader nor the spearman would be able to catch me.
Eventually, the stronghold came into view.
To my surprise, it looked less like a fortress and more like a small village.
There were no watchtowers.
No defensive walls.
No patrols.
Just a collection of buildings spread across a mountain summit.
Even from a distance, two structures stood out from the rest.
The residence of the leader.
And the residence of his second-in-command.
According to the report, the leader used Earth and Fire.
The spearman used Water.
Judging by the state of the settlement, they did not take everything from travelers. They demanded payment for passage but rarely killed people without reason.
As a result, their wealth was modest.
I doubted I would gain much from this mission.
Not that it mattered.
My goal was promotion.
Nothing else.
I waited until nightfall.
A full moon illuminated the mountain.
Perfect.
Tonight, I would test the true power of my new spell.
After reviewing my plan one final time, I activated it.
Blessing of Sylph.
Wind gathered around my body.
The spell completed.
Immediately, I rushed toward the center of the camp.
My speed exploded.
Not only because of Blessing of Sylph.
The improvements to my mana cultivation technique amplified the effect even further.
The Rank 1 bandits barely had time to react.
To them, I was nothing more than a blur.
But they were not my target.
I was on a timer.
Ten seconds later, I reached the center of the stronghold.
Without hesitation, I chose the building on the left.
Two seconds later, I landed inside its courtyard.
The area was surprisingly elegant.
Trees lined the paths.
Decorative stone statues stood around the courtyard.
Several depicted a man wearing heavy armor.
I laughed.
The owner's ego was certainly impressive.
At the same time, I understood.
This was the leader's residence.
Retreating now would only waste precious time.
So I moved forward.
To my surprise, the leader noticed me the moment I entered.
My thoughts lasted only an instant.
A large man emerged from the residence.
Heavy plate armor covered his entire body.
In his hands rested a massive two-handed warhammer.
His presence was imposing.
For an ordinary Rank 2 cultivator, he would have been a difficult opponent.
The man looked at me and laughed.
"I thought some dangerous expert had come."
His eyes swept over me.
"But it's just a brat."
His words did not bother me.
If anything, I hoped he truly underestimated me.
That would make things easier.
I moved first.
Twelve Steps of the Storm.
Storm Stride.
I accelerated forward.
The leader did not even bother defending himself.
My sword struck his armor.
A direct hit.
No damage.
I wasn't surprised.
The attack had only been a test.
Still, the result was clear.
His armor was durable.
Very durable.
I would need at least the fifth step.
Unfortunately, my opponent had no intention of allowing that.
The warhammer swung toward me.
To my surprise, it was fast.
Very fast for such a heavy weapon.
I dodged easily.
The hammer passed by.
Then it struck the ground.
The entire courtyard shook.
A nearby statue exploded into fragments.
Stone debris scattered in every direction.
My eyes narrowed.
If that attack lands directly, I'm dead.
Another swing followed immediately.
I moved aside once more.
The head of the hammer passed less than a meter from me.
Even the pressure of the air was unpleasant.
The man's speed was lower than mine.
His strength, however, was monstrous.
I needed more information.
For the next ten seconds, I attacked from every possible angle.
The leader responded with his full strength.
No hesitation.
No restraint.
He was serious.
Good.
That meant he wouldn't become any faster.
I had already seen his limits.
I jumped backward.
"What? Running already, brat?"
The man grinned.
But beneath the smile, I could see anger.
And caution.
I ignored him.
Then I began building momentum.
One step.
Two steps.
Three.
Four.
The leader's expression changed immediately.
He understood.
Without hesitation, he swung his hammer straight ahead, attempting to intercept me.
Too late.
He knew what I was doing.
But he did not know how fast I truly was.
I slipped past the hammer.
The fifth step landed.
A loud crack echoed through the courtyard.
The armor fractured.
The leader staggered.
The sixth strike followed immediately.
The damaged section collapsed completely.
Blood appeared.
Finally.
Now the battle was over.
The leader fought fiercely.
His strength was impressive.
Even wounded, he continued swinging his hammer with terrifying force.
But the result had already been decided.
Again and again, I struck the same wound.
Each hit deepened it.
Each hit weakened him further.
Eventually, the warhammer slipped from his hands.
His knees hit the ground.
Blood flowed from the shattered armor.
The man stared at me in disbelief.
"Impossible..."
I said nothing.
One final strike.
His head separated from his body.
Silence returned to the courtyard.
I exhaled slowly.
Without Blessing of Sylph, defeating this man would have been difficult.
He was stronger than Kaldric.
Not by a huge margin.
But enough to matter.
I looked toward the rest of the stronghold.
The strongest enemy was dead.
Now only the cleanup remained.