After descending the mountain, we finally arrived at a fork in the road just as the sun reached its peak. Without wasting time, we continued our journey. However, after walking only about five hundred meters, we were suddenly surrounded by a group of armed men from both the front and rear. Their appearances were ragged and unruly, but when I used my detection skill, I realized there were even more hiding in the woods nearby—perhaps twice our number.
"Leave all your valuables... and the woman, if you want to live," said one of the bandits, who appeared to be the leader.
Hearing that, the IBS members immediately sprang into action. They drew their weapons with swift, practiced motions.
"Is that some kind of mandatory line for every robbery?" Tarma mocked in a calm tone.
"I won't repeat myself. Leave... or die," the leader snapped.
"Miss Luna, could you give us support magic? It seems a fight is inevitable," Tarma whispered to me.
"Of course."
"Thank you. Wait for my signal and stay behind with Ekin," he added quickly.
"Miss Luna, stay close to me," said Ekin, standing alert by my side.
When I used analysis, I saw that most of the bandits had relatively low levels—between 30 and 50. Only the leader was at level 86. In contrast, the IBS members were far stronger; Tarma himself was level 98. Still, I cast support magic on them—better to be safe, as I wasn't sure how level differences played out in a real battle.
Tension thickened the air. Everyone stood in silence, gripping their weapons. The bandit leader's harsh voice broke the standstill.
"Kill them all! Leave the women! With looks like that, they'll fetch a high price," he barked, staring at me with a gaze that made my skin crawl.
I didn't know why, but his stare made my blood boil.
"Now!" shouted Tarma.
At his cue, I immediately activated protective magic over everyone. The battle erupted. Clashing steel and the roar of combat filled the air.
One IBS member fought off two bandits at once, skillfully holding his ground. As he blocked an incoming attack, a third bandit suddenly emerged from the bushes and slashed at his back.
Everyone gasped in horror, expecting blood to spill.
But nothing happened. No blood. The blade had left no wound—just torn armor and cloth. His body was completely unharmed.
Even the bandits were stunned.
The IBS members seized the moment. They counterattacked with full force, cutting down bandits left and right.
The remaining bandits began to lose morale. Fear overtook their courage. They hesitated.
"Tch. Useless trash..." the bandit leader growled.
"Hey! How long are you going just to watch?! Do something!" he shouted toward the woods.
From behind the trees, a figure emerged. He wore a black cloak bearing the symbol of a silver crescent moon. His face was hidden under the hood, but I could see it.
That symbol...
"I thought you could handle it yourself. Seems you still need my help," said the cloaked man with a sneer.
"Cut the nonsense! Hurry up and kill them!" barked the bandit leader.
"Yeah, yeah. You're so noisy," replied the cloaked man lazily.
Casually, he raised his hand, holding a strange branch. But this was no ordinary branch—its aura was dark and evil.
No doubt... it was the Death Branch.
"Behold! A gift bestowed upon me—capable of summoning a powerful monster! Thank you for your noble sacrifice for world peace! Now, you shall become food for my summoned beast! Bwahahaha!"
"What did you just say?!" the bandit leader looked shocked.
"Haha... looks like your friend betrayed you," Tarma taunted.
A blinding light radiated from the branch. When it faded, a giant brown bird stood before us—a Roc, a level 150 monster, towering five meters tall.
Kwaaaak!
"Bwahahaha! Prepare to be eaten by my summoned beast!" the cloaked man howled.
Everyone went pale. Panic and dread filled their eyes.
"Bird! Kill them now!" he commanded.
But the Roc didn't move. It only stared blankly, not attacking.
"Hey! You stupid bird! I said attack them!!"
"What a shame. You've been deceived," I said calmly.
"What do you mean?!"
"The branch does summon a monster. But not a tame one. What you summoned is a wild beast—completely uncontrollable."
"T-That can't be true! You're lying!"
"Then let me show you how to summon a creature properly."
I raised my staff and began chanting.
"O, being from beyond this world, heed my command. Annihilate all who oppose me. With this, I summon you!"
A large white magic circle appeared above me, spinning and glowing. Moments later—
SWOOSH!
Something shot out of the circle, soaring into the sky before landing with a powerful gust of wind and dust. As the dust cleared, a majestic creature stood before me—a Griffin, two and a half meters tall, with the head of an eagle and the body of a lion.
Qruuark!
Roc and Griffin locked eyes. The pressure between them was immense, forcing everyone else to stand back. The wind stirred with their magical auras, lifting leaves and dust into swirling patterns.
The cloaked man stepped back, his confidence beginning to waver.
"D-Do you think that little beast can defeat my Roc?" he tried to scoff, masking his fear.
I offered a faint smile. "It's not about size. It's about control."
Griffin raised its head and let out a piercing screech that echoed through the entire forest.
QRUUAAAARRK!!
The Roc, once unmoved, suddenly grew tense. It spread its wings slowly, reacting to Griffin's presence as if facing a genuine threat. Their magical auras clashed violently, shaking the ground beneath us.
"W-What is going on...?" muttered one of the bandits in fear.
"The Roc... it feels threatened," Ekin murmured, his gaze sharp.
Without warning, the Roc let out a deafening roar and spread its wings wide. The air exploded as it activated its skill—Bird's Howl, a stunning shockwave.
The powerful wave knocked many to the ground. Even the IBS members were thrown off balance.
But it did not affect me—or on Griffin.
Seeing its move had failed, the Roc launched into the sky, attempting to flee.
"Don't let it escape!" I shouted.
Griffin immediately soared after it, wings slicing the air. The battle moved into the sky.
Clashes erupted above. Shockwaves rippled downward. Branches snapped, and the earth trembled.
Meanwhile, I lifted the stun effect from the IBS members and Ekin.
"Ugh... my head was spinning just now," Tarma groaned.
"That's Roc's ability. It's howl causes a stunning effect," I explained.
"Thank you for the healing, Miss Luna," said Ekin.
"Let's tie up the remaining bandits before they come to," Tarma ordered.
Above us, the aerial duel raged. Roc slashed and dove, but Griffin outmaneuvered it with swift precision, retaliating with claws and beak.
Then Roc tried to escape again.
But Griffin wouldn't let it.
Its wings began to glow green. With several powerful flaps, it summoned a massive tornado of emerald wind.
The storm was devastating. Trees were uprooted, flung skyward, and thrown in all directions.
Quickly, I cast a wide protective barrier over everyone—including the subdued bandits. Flying debris slammed against the shield, but it held.
Even with the barrier, the pressure from the storm was intense. After what felt like an eternity, the whirlwind slowly faded.
Silence fell.
Then—a shadow fell from the sky. Roc was plummeting, bloodied and broken.
BOOM!
The crash shook the forest.
Moments later, Griffin descended, carrying Roc's lifeless body.
Griffin landed gently, looked at me with intelligent eyes, and gave a small nod—as if to say, "It's done."
But the devastation behind it... It was like a natural disaster.
That... was just level five magic from a level 300 beast.
What would happen if something stronger than that unleashed its full power?
The world might not survive.
I scolded Griffin a little for going overboard. Its ears drooped as it lowered its head sadly, like a child being reprimanded.
"Um, Miss Luna, it's okay. No need to scold it too much," Ekin said. "It did its best."
He sighed. "Looks like we'll have a lot of explaining to do."
The silence shifted into quiet relief.
"We're... alive," murmured one of the IBS members.
"I can't believe we made it," another said, collapsing to the ground.
Tarma walked up to me, his face serious but respectful.
"Thank you, Miss Luna. Without you... We might not have survived."
I gave him a faint smile. "We just need to protect each other."
Ekin also nodded. "You were incredible."
Afterward, the IBS members began gathering and binding the remaining bandits. I healed the injured ones, including the cloaked man, though reluctantly. Ekin and the others collected the fallen bodies and prepared them for cremation—we couldn't risk any of them turning into undead.
Following a brief discussion, we returned to the main road checkpoint. There, we found six charred corpses—likely the border guards. We searched the area for any of their belongings.
Nearby, we discovered a ruined wooden cabin. Signs of battle were everywhere. As the sky turned orange with sunset, we decided to rest there for the night.
Still, my heart wasn't at ease.
The Death Branch... it shouldn't have been easy to obtain.
How did that man get his hands on it?
That question haunted me, even as we gathered around the campfire, trying to settle down and bring the long, harrowing day to a close.