Blazing Deception
Feng Ye moved swiftly through the forest, adjusting his stolen bandit cloak as he neared the battlefield. He kept his hood low and gripped the bandit's dagger, making sure his disguise was seamless.
His goal?
To spread chaos.
"With chaos, we can fish in troubled waters."
He deliberately took a longer detour, ensuring that the unknown squatter he had previously spotted wouldn't notice his movements. As he approached the battlegrounds, he started to sprint and deliberately exaggerated his distress.
He ran towards the nearest group of bandits, his breathing ragged and his steps frantic. A desperate man, seeking safety among his own.
Several bandits turned to glance at him but quickly lost interest. No one cared for a fellow bandit. Most were focused on the battle before them as they gripped their daggers and prepared to break the adventurers' defenses.
Just as he hoped, the nearby bandits barely spared him a glance. In an environment where survival was selfish, camaraderie among bandits was minimal at best. Few cared to question another's origins especially when everyone was fighting for their gain. Only a fool would run towards them in this manner, they have already concluded that Feng Ye was one. Most don't want to be a bandit but their situations might have forced them to do so. Others need a backer or want a shortcut.
Feng Ye pushed his way toward the center, toward the bandit leader. The bandit leader was a tall man with broad shoulders. Most noticeably, he had a sword that shimmered with different colors. His stance was measured, and his movements were precise with no wasted movements. At a glance, Feng Ye could tell that he was an experienced fighter.
Feng Ye approached cautiously, stopping just short of the two lieutenants flanking the leader. One was tall and lean, the other stockier, built like a wall.
"What is it?" the taller one demanded.
Feng Ye forced urgency into his voice. "Boss! There's a mage hiding in the ferns over there watching us!" He jerked his head subtly toward the area where he had seen the squatting figure.
The tall lieutenant hesitated, glancing toward the leader before muttering, "Never seen you before."
"I joined recently," Feng Ye replied, keeping his tone even but impatient.
The bandit hesitated for only a second before turning toward the leader and running ahead to report.
"Boss! We got news from the newbie that we have a mousie hidden in the ferns there. Looks like they might be a mage class!"
The leader, still watching the battle, finally spoke. "A lone mage, hiding?" His voice carried an edge of amusement. "Desperate for an opportunity."
"A rat sniffing for scraps," the shorter lieutenant sneered.
The bandit leader sneered. "We've made enough noise to attract plenty of vultures. Could be worth checking out. Take a squad and flush them out. If they're alone, they won't last long."
The taller bandit saluted. "Yes, boss." He turned to Feng Ye. "You, come with us. If you're lying, you'll wish you were dead."
Feng Ye kept his expression neutral as the taller bandit turned back toward him. The plan was working. The bandits would be distracted hunting down the unknown mage, leaving the adventurers an opening.
As Feng Ye and a small squad of five bandits formed to investigate, the adventurers noticed the shift in enemy movement.
One of the tank-class fighters glanced toward the party's mage, a woman named Anne.
"Hey, Anne! The bandits are up to something. Any chance you can blow them to hell?"
Anne wiped the sweat from her forehead, standing shakily from where she had been recovering mana beside the elven cleric. "I've recovered some, but a large spell would drain me completely. The leader's still at the back, though, so I can't get him from here."
Anne exhaled, gripping her staff. "Hold formation. I'll use smaller spells to hold the line and buff everyone for now."
"Okay!" The rest of the adventures nod. They knew this fight wasn't in their favor. But survival meant pushing through anyway.
Meanwhile, the squad of five bandits that had recently formed started to move.
"Follow me! We have a mousie who has not kept their eyes open." The taller bandit sneers as he takes the lead and directs the squad toward the hiding location of the unknown squatter nearby.
Feng Ye and the rest of the squad followed quickly. They moved in a staggered formation having learned the hard way not to clump together after the adventurer mage's earlier spell had sent their comrades flying.
Success! His stratagem was to split the bandit's forces and use the bandits to both force the squatting stranger to expose themselves and reduce the pressure the adventures had. In the best-case scenario, everything becomes chaotic, and the chance to loot increases. The second best option is to thin out the forces of the bandits while wearing out the adventurers. He could help either camp depending on which had the best return on investment.
Feng Ye and the bandit squad dashed in the direction where a patch of ferns had grown.
--
Meanwhile, crouched within the ferns, Lucas Morvant, the hidden mage, gritted his teeth. His expression twisted in frustration.
"Tch. What the hell? How'd they find me?!" he muttered. He had been careful and his hiding spot was layered with anti-detection spells, yet one of the bandits had called him out. His grip tightened around his inscribed staff, the red rune at its tip pulsing with stored magical energy.
"Was it bad luck or did someone tip them off?"
His eyes flickered toward the bandit who had run to report him. "The way that guy moved… that wasn't a grunt's reaction time."
"Seemed a bit off."
Lucas had arrived in this world six months ago, and unlike the countless other unfortunate otherworlders who had perished, he had carved out a place for himself. Alone.
Unlike the crude spellcasters of this world, he had something better. His magic wasn't tied to dusty tomes or spoken incantations. It was calculated. Programmed. Executed.
The System-Assisted Magic Framework.
It let him construct spells from logic, not raw intuition. A structured interface layered over the world's natural mana. The people of this world? They were still cavemen using sticks to make fire. He had something better.
But trust? That had nearly killed him once.
Early on, he had joined a small mercenary group, believing it was a necessity to survive. For a while, it worked until they realized his potential. Then they turned on him. Tried to offer him up to nobles as a rare mage class in exchange for wealth and fame. He barely escaped with his life. Now? He relied on no one. He is out only for himself!
The bandits were closing in. There's no time to think. Lucas took a slow, steady breath and lifted his staff.
The red rune at its tip pulsed violently. His fingers etched glowing symbols into the air, lines of light forming around him in a controlled sequence. A searing orb with a diameter of around a meter hurtled toward the advancing bandits.
Then another.
And another.
"Fireball!"
"Fireball!"
"Fireball!"
"Fireball!"
"Fireball!"
Flaming projectiles rained down towards the incoming bandits.
"SPREAD OUT!" The bandits instinctively scattered. The fireballs obliterated the spots it landed on.
Lucas had no intention of being caught. Pointing the staff at the approaching squad of bandits, the brown-haired mage cast his fireball spell repetitively. Fiery projectiles continue to be flared to life, exploding in rapid succession.
The bandits scattered everywhere and the scene became even more chaotic. One unlucky bandit failed to dodge in time. His screams were cut short as he was engulfed in the flames.
"Dodge and charge! Mages are weak at close combat!" The lieutenant bellowed as he brandished his dagger and avoided the fireballs as though it was a competitive dodgeball competition.
"Spread out and push forward!"
Instead of standing his ground, Lucas turned and sprinted toward the adventurers' encampment. He had no intention of being surrounded. He wasn't running away. He was breaking the encirclement.
Feng Ye took careful note of this. He's trying to break the encirclement from the weakest point. Smart.
--
The sudden rapid shift in battle did not go unnoticed. Anne's eyes widened at the squad breaking away from the main fight.
"Opportunity!" she called. "Cover me, we can break through!"
She spun her staff, the tip glowing with mana. A second later, she slammed it into the ground.
"Earthquake!" she casts. The ground rumbled violently, splitting open beneath the feet of the bandits closest to them. Cracks spread across the battlefield as several bandits lost their balance.
The bandit leader barked orders in response. "Damn it! We need to finish this now! CHARGE!" They had to go all in. This was the turning point of the battle. Whoever grasps the initiative can be victorious.
The battlefield erupted into full chaos.
Anne followed up immediately and pointed her staff at the eastern flank of the bandits. "Flame Wall!" A towering wall of fire erupted, which sealed off the battlefield on one side.
"This should hold them off for some time! Did you extract the monster core and important parts already yet?!" she asked the cleric.
The cleric, who stood beside her, nodded firmly. "The monster core is extracted! We're ready to move!"
Anne smiled grimly. "Then we go all in. We break through toward the weakest section."
"Great, let's break through in one go! We need to head towards where the unknown mage is approaching. Go!" The tank bellows.
The adventurers charged.
Feng Ye, moving between the scrambling bandits, knew this was his moment.
He veered toward the taller bandit, who was still recovering from dodging the fireballs. Without hesitation, Feng Ye drove his dagger straight into the man's back.
The taller bandit stiffened, eyes widening in disbelief. "You... you bastard..."
The battlefield was too chaotic. The others didn't notice. Feng Ye didn't hesitate. He kicked the dying man's body away and bolted toward the bandit leader.
His next goal? The bandit leader's sword. Amidst the chaos, no one could stop him now. It was hunting time.
The bandit leader stood firm amidst the chaos, his sword still glowing. His gaze was locked onto the unknown mage, who had almost reached the adventurers' side.
Feng Ye took the moment to strike.
The bandit leader sensed it.
His sword flashed upward, blocking Feng Ye's dagger at the last second. Sparks flew.
He's fast!
Their eyes met.
The bandit leader smirked. "Not bad, but you're five steps too slow."
He retaliated with a brutal counterattack.
Feng Ye barely dodged, the shimmering blade grazing his cloak. This wasn't just some thug. A surge of excitement flickered in Feng Ye's chest. A real challenge. He tightened his grip on his dagger, feet shifting into a combat stance.
This fight wasn't over. It had only just begun.