NOVPUB
Chapter 53: Beyrin Carriage (II)
Zayn’s sharp eyes caught the movement first.
At first, it was just the subtle flicker of shadows weaving through the trees.
But then — a glint of steel, the faint bobbing of lanterns swaying with movement.
Horses.
His muscles tensed as the realization hit.
Not one. Not two. A full damn squad.
They came riding in — a band of masked riders, some carrying blades, others brandishing crossbows.
Their lanterns cut through the darkness, casting eerie, dancing lights across the dirt path.
Looked like a scene straight out of an action anime honestly.
The sight of them should have been intimidating, but Zayn’s instincts kicked in almost immediately.
Their Soul Energy?
Weak.
At best, they were small-timers, thugs who had probably jumped at the opportunity to hit an unguarded trade route.
Zayn might’ve been worried if he were still a greenhorn adventurer, but now?
This was just warm-up.
But then his gaze shifted beyond the bandits.
Behind them, riding slightly further back, were two figures cloaked in robes.
Mages.
They weren’t attacking yet, but that meant they were waiting.
Likely biding their time for a spell powerful enough to wipe the carriage off the road or waiting for the Armed men to attack.
Zayn exhaled slowly.
"Now’d be about the time to engage," the driver muttered under his breath.
Zayn didn’t need to be told twice.
His body coiled, and in a single explosive motion —
He launched off the roof of the carriage.
The wind rushed past his face as he descended upon the bandits like a goddamn storm.
...
Zayn landed directly on the back of the nearest bandit’s horse, the impact jolting the rider forward.
Before the man could react, Zayn’s dagger flashed in the moonlight.
A clean slice.
The bandit’s belt snapped, and his entire scabbard and weapon fell to the ground.
The man barely had time to gasp before Zayn delivered a brutal kick to the side, sending him crashing off his horse.
Zayn seized the reins, yanking hard, turning the stolen horse in one swift motion — just in time to see three more riders closing in.
"Tch."
Did they really think he’d go down in a simple cavalry charge?
His lips curled into a grin.
The first rider swung wildly, aiming to cleave Zayn from the saddle.
But his movements were sloppy.
Zayn ducked, letting the sword swipe harmlessly over his head.
His own dagger shot up, cutting through the man’s forearm armor with ease.
A pained yell escaped the bandit’s lips, and before he could retaliate, Zayn grabbed him by the collar and threw him off the horse.
One down.
The second rider was smarter.
Instead of charging straight in, he pulled his crossbow free, aiming directly at Zayn’s chest.
Zayn’s reflexes kicked in.
The second the bandit’s finger tightened on the trigger, Zayn yanked the reins, forcing his horse into a sharp side-step.
TWANG!
The crossbow bolt zipped past him, missing by mere inches.
Zayn didn’t waste the opening.
In one fluid motion, he threw his dagger — spinning end over end through the air.
THUNK.
The crossbowman barely had time to blink before the blade lodged itself into his shoulder.
He tumbled off his saddle with a strangled cry.
Two down.
The third rider closed in fast, but Zayn was ready.
He snatched up the fallen crossbow from the second bandit, flipping it in his hands.
Click. Load. Aim.
TWANG!
A second later, the final rider’s body went rigid, a bolt buried in his thigh.
The sudden pain made him yank his horse’s reins too hard — sending both him and the animal into an uncontrolled tumble.
Three down.
The dust settled for half a second before Zayn exhaled, rolling his shoulders.
That was the easy part.
His eyes flickered to the mages, who had stayed back this entire time.
They had seen him tear through their men like paper and were smart enough to know fighting him up close would be a losing battle.
Which meant —
They were finally preparing their spells.
Zayn felt it before he even saw it.
The air crackled with energy.
A wave of heat surged outward as the first mage raised his staff.
Fire.
Zayn’s heartbeat quickened as a blazing mass of flame coalesced at the mage’s fingertips.
But instead of waiting to see how big the fireball would get —
He moved.
With a sharp kick, he sent his horse bolting straight toward the caster.
The mage barely had time to react before Zayn was upon him.
At the last second, Zayn leapt off the horse, twisting mid-air.
His boots slammed into the mage’s chest.
The impact sent both of them crashing to the ground.
The fireball, now uncontrolled, blasted off into the treeline, igniting a cluster of bushes instead of the carriage.
Zayn didn’t give the mage a chance to recover.
He pinned him down, pressing a dagger to his throat.
"Really?" Zayn panted, eyebrow raised. "Fireballs? You guys need new material."
The second mage panicked.
With his partner down, he tried to retreat.
Bad move.
A sharp whistle cut through the air —
THUNK.
An arrow buried itself into the mage’s back, sending him toppling off his horse.
Zayn turned his head slightly.
The carriage driver was still seated, crossbow in hand.
"Figured you’d need some help," the old man said, blowing on the smoking tip of his bolt.
’At least he isn’t defenseless,’ Zayn thought with a sigh.
Zayn let out a breathless chuckle. "Not bad, old man."
The driver shrugged. "I have a lifetime of escort missions under my belt, son. Don’t get cocky."
Zayn chuckled, standing up.
His muscles ached, but nothing was broken.
He cast one last glance at the fallen enemies.
Some groaning. Some unconscious. One very dead.
He turned back toward the driver.
The driver sighed.
"You’re smarter than you look, kid."
Zayn dusted himself off, cracking his neck.
"Well, I did just wipe the floor with an entire squad of idiots," he mused, stepping over one of the bandits.
They both went back to the carriage, Beyrin was still far from here.
