The two raiders charged in from outside the cave, giving Veyra’s group no time to react.

Grognagba roared with laughter, launching a charge straight at Phyine, who was clad in full mage gear.

But Phyine froze, unable to understand why her detection spells hadn’t warned her of the ambush.

Veyra bellowed, drawing his scimitar. His feet slid across the ground like ice, intercepting the dwarf before he could reach her.

Steel clashed with a shower of sparks as axe met blade.

From the very first strike, Veyra was at a disadvantage—the axehead forced its way down until it nearly reached his collarbone.

Gripping his scimitar with both hands, he barely held the axe at bay.

“Nice weapon you’ve got there, kid. It’ll fetch a fine price.”

The dwarf’s foul, liquor-soaked breath wafted across his face.

“Phyine!”

At the sound of her name, Phyine snapped out of her panic and hastily layered buffs onto Veyra.

[Strength Enhancement]

[Agility Enhancement]

[Endurance Surge]

Empowered, Veyra twisted free with a flourish of his blade, forcing the dwarf to retreat a few steps.

Grognagba snarled, frustrated, and shouted at his partner, who was still loitering behind.

“Half-Ear, you bastard, stop watching the show! Take care of that brat with the staff!”

“What’s the rush? Takes time to load a crossbow, doesn’t it?”

Nassa strolled in, cradling his weapon, but instead of firing, he tossed a small pouch toward Phyine.

Veyra saw it coming, expecting Phylline’s arrows to intercept it.

“…Phylline?”

When none came, he had no choice but to slash it midair himself, releasing a cloud of pale-blue powder.

Covering his nose, he dragged Phyine back. But when he turned, Phylline was collapsed on the ground, unable to rise.

“Extract from a sixth-floor dryad. A drop’s enough to paralyze anyone. Nice effect, isn’t it?”

Nassa grinned, aiming his crossbow and pulling the trigger. He loved watching prey flail in fear.

Phyine attempted a shield, but her magic dissolved halfway through.

“Pathetic. Can’t even recognize anti-magic pollen.”

“Despicable!”

Veyra once again shielded her, scimitar intercepting the bolt—but the impact numbed his arms.

That was the opening Grognagba was waiting for.

Muscles bulged, steam flaring from his nose. With both hands he swung his axe in a wide arc—

[Heavy Cleave LV6]

It smashed into Veyra’s side, hurling him from the cave like a ragdoll.

He wasn’t dead, but barely clinging to life.

With him down, Phyine—an unarmed mage unable to cast—was quickly knocked out as well.

The entire fight had been under the raiders’ control.

But it wasn’t the youngsters’ fault. Their experience and gear were for fighting monsters, not people.

Raiders, however, trained in ambushing adventurers. Their tactics, tools, and skills were designed for killing humans.

With higher levels, surprise, and carefully chosen targets, they rarely failed.

Grognagba hefted his axe to finish them off, but Nassa stopped him.

“What, you wanna play with them just ‘cause they’re twins?”

Nassa’s face twisted in disgust. “Don’t be stupid. Since when have I ever touched a mutt without elven blood?”

Grognagba snorted inwardly at the hypocrisy—the half-elf was a mixed-blood himself. Still, he kept silent. Nassa’s tricks were useful.

“Then what do you want?”

“Bind them. When they wake, we’ll play my game—‘Choose who dies, choose who lives.’”

It was one of Nassa’s sick pastimes: forcing captives to betray each other for survival, though he always killed them all in the end.

Grognagba rolled his eyes. Compared to his own vices—drink, gambling, bloodshed—his partner was a true monster.

But he didn’t care. Nassa could indulge. He was more interested in the giant Puji in the cave.

He’d seen it cough up a shield earlier. Who knew what treasures it had inside?

———

Pain.

Excruciating pain.

A broken rib pierced muscle, his left arm bone jutting through skin, blood bubbling from his mouth mixed with organ fragments.

Veyra awoke to agony.

He tried to move, but ropes bound him to a tree. Across from him, Phylline and Phyine hung unconscious against two others.

“Phylline… Phyine…”

His weak calls finally roused them.

The twins awoke to see him dying.

“Veyra, your wounds—damn it, these ropes…”

Phylline struggled, but the bonds held tight.

She turned desperately to her sister.

“Phyine, use magic!”

“I… I can’t… I can’t cast anything…!”

Seeing Veyra’s mangled state broke her composure, and she wept.

“Want to leave? I can let you go~”

The voice came from the shadows. Nassa strolled into view, idly flipping a knife.

“What do you want?”

“What do I want?” He pressed the blade to Phylline’s cheek, nicking her skin. “It’s simple. You’ve got a sister and a little lover. Choose.”

“…Choose what?”

“Choose who dies.”

His grin stretched unnaturally wide, tongue running over his teeth.

“Pick one to die, and I’ll release you and the other.”

Phylline lunged, trying to bite him, but he dodged.

“Choose your mother to die, you filthy dog! Bastard! May wild hounds rip you apart!”

Smack!

His slap cracked a tooth, knocking her out cold.

Phyine sobbed harder at the sight.

“Boring brat.”

Turning away, he leaned toward Veyra, whose faint voice rasped out.

“…Kill…”

Nassa’s eyes lit up. He crouched eagerly.

“Yes, yes, who do you want dead? Don’t worry—I’ll heal you right after.”

To prove it, he even produced a vial of healing potion.

“…Kill… me… let… them go…”

“You… what—?”

Nassa stood, sneering. “How dull. Like sacrificing yourself, huh? Then you can watch them die first.”

———

Meanwhile, inside the cave.

Grognagba had tugged, pried, and yanked at the fat Puji’s storage sac, but the flexible mycelium resisted everything.

Losing patience, he raised his axe high.

[Heavy Cleave LV6]

The cave thundered with impact.

And in the next instant, Grognagba exploded into a rain of gore—splattering the bewildered Nassa outside.

Nassa: “???”

Lin Jun: “???”