The ruins were outside the city, past the Outer Wilds, a dangerous territory filled with rogue Ascenders, wild beasts, andwless zones where Tower rules didn''t apply.


    Milim cracked her knuckles. "This is gonna be fun!"


    Leon smirked. "Let''s see what the Fifth Floor has in store for us."


    With that, the group left the safety of Velka''s walls, heading toward their first real challenge on this floor—the Crimson Fang Bandits.


    As Leon and his group moved toward the Eastern Ruins, the atmosphere gradually shifted. The bustling, structured energy of Velka faded behind them, reced by an eerie silence. The Outer Wilds stretched before them—vast rocky terrain with crumbling stone pirs, ancient broken roads, and asional remnants of what seemed to be an old civilization.


    "Feels like something straight out of a war zone," Roman muttered, scanning the surroundings.


    Liliana nodded. "And a perfect ce for bandits to set up camp."


    As they advanced, Milim suddenly stopped, her sharp senses detecting something ahead.


    "Something''s watching us," she said, her voice low but excited.


    Leon activated Aether Sight, his eyes glowing faintly as he looked into the distance. Several red markers appeared on his vision, hiding behind the remains of crumbled walls.


    "Ambush," Leon stated. "Five of them, lightly armed but fast. They''re scouts, probably from the Crimson Fang."


    Roselia ced her hand on her sword. "Do we engage?"


    Leon smirked. "No need. Let theme to us."


    As if on cue, the bandit scouts lunged from their hiding spots, charging forward with dual daggers and short swords. Their movements were quick, enhanced by mana, but to Leon and his group, they were nothing but easy prey.


    Bandit 1 dashed at Leon, aiming to stab his side—only for Leon to sidestep and counter with Samsara Strike, his sword cutting through the bandit''s mana shield like paper.


    Milim jumped into the air, spinning mid-air before delivering a devastating Fist of the Tyrant, sending one bandit crashing through a boulder.


    Roselia moved with lethal precision, her Wind Cutter sh decapitating a bandit before he could even react.


    Roman let out augh, dodging attacks with ease before using Infernal Chain Bind, locking two bandits in ce before snapping their necks with a single strike. Explore more stories at My Virtual Library Empire


    In less than thirty seconds, all five scouts were either dead or unconscious.


    Leon wiped the blood off his de and smirked. "If this is all the Crimson Fang has, I''m almost disappointed."


    Liliana knelt beside one of the unconscious bandits. "Should we interrogate him?"


    Leon thought for a moment, then nodded. "Yeah. Let''s see what kind of trouble we''re dealing with before we charge in."


    "Next time, we''re taking care of the small fries," Naval said, dissatisfied that she didn''t get a chance to fight any bandits, while Liliana calmly followed the group.


    Roselia crouched beside the unconscious Crimson Fang scout, gripping his wrist tightly as her magic pulsed through her fingers. The energy from her Binding Hex seeped into his body, preventing him from moving even if he woke up.


    "Wake up," she said coldly, pping him lightly across the face.


    The scout groaned, his eyes fluttering open. As soon as he realized where he was, panic shed across his face. He struggled against the invisible restraints, but Roselia''s magic held firm.


    Leon crouched in front of him, his golden eyes glowing faintly with Aether Sight. "You work for the Crimson Fang, right?"


    The scout clenched his teeth but remained silent.


    Roman sighed, cracking his knuckles. "Look, we can do this the easy way, or I can break a few fingers until you feel like talking."


    The bandit spat on the ground, ring at them defiantly. "You think I''d betray my crew? You''re all dead once our boss finds out—"


    Before he could finish, Liliana stepped forward, her crimson mana swirling ominously. She ced a single finger against his forehead, and his eyes immediately went wide as his body began trembling.


    Leon raised an eyebrow. "What did you do?"


    "Nothing serious," Liliana said with a smirk. "Just letting him feel the effects of Blood Terror—his worst fears amplified inside his mind."


    The bandit''s breathing grew rapid, sweat pouring down his forehead. Within seconds, his resolve shattered.


    "O-Okay! I''ll talk! Just stop whatever the hell that was!" he gasped.


    Leon smirked. "Smart choice. Now, tell us—where''s your camp? And how many men do you have?"


    The scout gulped. "Our main base is deeper inside the ruins, just past the Obsidian Archway. We have around fifty men stationed there right now, but the boss… he''s a monster."


    "Monster how?" Milim asked, tilting her head.


    "He''s not just some thug—he''s an Ascender, a Tier 2 warrior who can use Bloodline Arts. They call him Drevan the Crimson Butcher. No one who fights him walks away alive!"


    Bloodline Arts are nothing but Bloodline Legacies, passed through one''s bloodline. If someone reaches Tier 10 and above, their entire body undergoes an alteration, and they begin to pass down the spells and powers they had in life to their descendants, creating a sort of family legacy.


    "But how is he a bandit if he belongs to a legacy family?" Leon asked.


    The bandit stuttered before answering, "H-He was disowned… because he raped many women. The family head threw him out due to his behavior and dered him unworthy of the family."


    Leon nodded. "Well, that exins it."


    The bandit looked at them anxiously, wondering if they nned to let him live.


    Leon exchanged nces with his team. A Tier 2 warrior wasn''t an opponent they could take lightly, but it wasn''t anything they hadn''t faced before.


    "Sounds like a challenge," Roselia said, her eyes gleaming with excitement.


    Leon stood up, stretching his arms. "Alright, we have what we need. Let''s move before they realize their scouts are missing."


    Roman grinned. "And what about him?" He gestured toward the captive.


    Leon gave the scout a sharp look. "He''s seen our strength. He won''t be stupid enough to stick around."


    The bandit nodded furiously. "Y-Yeah! I''ll leave! Never saw you, never heard of you!"


    Roselia released her binding spell, and the scout scrambled to his feet before running as fast as his legs could carry him.


    Milim chuckled. "That was fun. So, straight to the Obsidian Archway?"


    Leon''s eyes gleamed as he turned toward the ruins. "Yeah. Time to pay Drevan the Crimson Butcher a visit."


    The team moved swiftly through the ruined outskirts of the Obsidian Archway, their steps silent against the cracked stone. The deeper they ventured, the more the air grew thick with the scent of blood and steel, remnants of countless battles fought in this ce.


    Leon held up a hand, signaling the group to stop. Using Aether Sight, he scanned ahead, his vision piercing through the shadows. He could see the Crimson Fang''s base—a fortified camp nestled within the remains of a once-great temple. Several Ascenders patrolled the area, their red-cloaked armor marking them as Drevan''s elite.


    Roselia leaned closer. "How many?"


    Leon narrowed his eyes. "Fifty in total, but they''re spread out. The real threat is Drevan."@@novelbin@@


    Roman smirked, rolling his shoulders. "Then let''s make some noise."


    Liliana shook her head. "No, a frontal assault is reckless. We take out their scouts first—eliminate their ability to call for reinforcements."


    Leon nodded. "Agreed. Milim, you and Naval handle the left nk. Roselia, Roman, take the right. Liliana and I will clear the central tower."


    Without hesitation, they split into their respective teams.


    The team moved swiftly through the ruined outskirts of the Obsidian Archway, their steps silent against the cracked stone. The deeper they ventured, the more the air grew thick with the scent of blood and steel, remnants of countless battles fought in this ce.


    Leon held up a hand, signaling the group to stop. Using Aether Sight, he scanned ahead, his vision piercing through the shadows. He could see the Crimson Fang''s base—a fortified camp nestled within the remains of a once-great temple. Several Ascenders patrolled the area, their red-cloaked armor marking them as Drevan''s elite.


    Roselia leaned closer. "How many?"


    Leon narrowed his eyes. "Fifty in total, but they''re spread out. The real threat is Drevan."


    Roman smirked, rolling his shoulders. "Then let''s make some noise."


    Liliana shook her head. "No, a frontal assault is reckless. We take out their scouts first—eliminate their ability to call for reinforcements."


    Leon nodded. "Agreed. Milim, you and Naval handle the left nk. Roselia, Roman, take the right. Liliana and I will clear the central tower."


    Without hesitation, they split into their respective teams.


    **


    Milim crouched behind a broken pir, watching as three bandits yed dice near a stack of stolen goods. She turned to Naval, whispering, "Wanna handle this the fun way?"


    Naval grinned. "I was hoping you''d say that."


    With a flick of his wrist, his Shadow Chains shot out, wrapping around one of the guards and yanking him into the darkness. Before the others could react, Milim vanished in a sh of pink light, reappearing behind them.


    BOOM!


    A shockwave exploded from her fist, sending the remaining two crashing into the stone walls.


    "Too easy," she grinned, dusting off her hands.