Let’s say, for one reason or another, the bandits suddenly decide to flee. Perhaps a massive beast has emerged from the shadows of the forest, or maybe a rival gang of criminals has appeared, seeking to seize their hard-earned plunder. Whatever the cause, danger is imminent. The bandits sense it immediately and prepare to escape, but they think that abandoning their carriage isn’t an option. It is their most prized possession, carrying not only stolen riches but also valuable hostages whose worth could fund their operations for months.

  However, with their weapons mysteriously vanished, they quickly conclude that they are in no position to stand their ground and confront the threat. The horses remain hitched and ready, so the bandits scramble onto the carriage, spurring the beasts forward in a desperate bid to escape.

  Except, the carriage doesn’t budge.

  Despite the horses’ raw strength, the vehicle remains firmly in place. Confused and alarmed, the bandits jump down to investigate, only to recoil in horror. Beneath the carriage, deep holes have been carved into the earth—strategically placed so that each wheel has sunk into them. The axles strain and creak under the uneven pressure, but the carriage is hopelessly stuck. Even the horses, straining with all their might, cannot move it an inch.

  Panic sets in. The bandits exchange anxious glances, thoughts racing. Should they risk everything to save their captives and escape on foot? Is there even time to drag the hostages out before the threat descends? As they weigh their options, a grim realization dawns.

  It’s not worth it.

  They can always capture more nobles later. Right now, survival takes precedence. The threat draws closer with every heartbeat, so they make their choice: abandon the carriage. Abandon the riches. Abandon the nobles.

  What a waste, they think bitterly. If only the carriage hadn’t been immobilized. If only their weapons hadn’t disappeared. And then one final question lingers in their minds as they vanish into the wilderness:

  What could have possibly caused those holes?

  “These worms taste great!” Melvin mumbled while chowing down on a few straggling earthworms. He was deep into a hole, excavating enough space for the back leg of the carriage.

  “Don’t get distracted.” Drill rebuked while digging out another hole. His voice also sounded garbled due to eating the same worms.

  “But you’re also eat-”

  “FOCUS ON DIGGING!” Drill yelled, as the particles of a mostly eaten worm flew out in the form of slime.

  Ew.

  My summons are unique. Despite lacking true physical forms, they can still interact with the tangible world. They can eat, touch, and manipulate physical objects as if they were solid themselves. Although they have no need for sustenance, they can still taste food and derive pleasure from the act of eating, savoring flavors like any living creature would.

  “I’mreadyI’mreadyI’mready-” Nibbles ran in a circle on the branch of a tree near the horses of the chariot.

  I had Nibbles remain on standby for the time being. She had already gnawed through most of the horses’ harnesses, her sharp little teeth making quick work of the leather straps. Just in case the holes weren’t enough, I would have the horses freed as a last resort. But, I wasn’t ready to release them just yet. If I could time it right, the rush of panicking horses could help with this plan. As for the bandits’ weapons, she was nearly finished stealing them. Only a few daggers and bows remained.

  Where are they?

  “They should be starting by-”

  “Hoho, do y’all see that right there?” A bald bandit called out to his companions.

  “Well I’ll be damned.” A bandit with a short ponytail murmured in shock.

  They started chattering loudly and crowded around a small clearing near the trees.

  Is that-

  “Let’s hope so.” I moved in just a bit, making sure I could get clear vision.

  The bandits cheered and laughed when the small figures of Tank and Geek fought.

  “Prepare yourself!” Geek declared while moving in………very slowly. Geek made a pitiful attempt at lunging, and Tank easily dodged it when he suddenly turned to eat a nearby leaf.

  After his face smashed into the ground, Geek got himself back up and started circling Tank. When Tank spotted a nearby butterfly, Geek quickly charged at him.

  Except, Tank just now remembered that they were supposedly fighting, but he forgot what for. So, while Geek charged at him, Tank turned to ask him the purpose………..20 seconds ago where Geek was at before. This allowed him to barely avoid the quick rush of Geek.

  “I’ll put 50 on that turtle!” One bandit roared.

  “75 on that lizard!” Another exclaimed.

  “100 on the lizard dying to itself!” One said while laughing.

  This was good. They were getting into it.

  I knew they would take the bait. Everyone’s drawn to the spectacle of wild animals clashing. It’s primal, irresistible. There’s something captivating about watching untamed creatures battle for reasons unknown, relying solely on instinct and whatever natural tools they possess. Claws, teeth, brute force, it’s all raw, unfiltered, and brutal. This kind of savage, unrefined combat is mesmerizing. And for bandits? I knew they wouldn’t be able to look away. Not one of them could resist the chaos of it.

  Nibbles was nearing completion and only a handful of weapons were still laid on the ground.

  Unfortunately, I hadn’t accounted for the curse that comes with fight entertainment. If the clash isn’t thrilling, if it drags on or lacks spectacle, it quickly loses its grip. The audience grows restless. Their attention drifts. What once held them captive becomes background noise, and they start looking elsewhere for excitement.

  f it and switch to other things.

  As Geek kept on attacking, everybody noticed that he was becoming slower at an alarming rate.

  “I’ll…..ge……u.” He exhaled out while slowly trotting up.

  “Wwhhaatt wwaass tthhaatt?” Tank asked.

  Yet again, his slow turning allowed him to dodge.

  And this time, the audience didn’t like it.

  “Hit him already!”

  “Stop avoiding him!”

  “Where’s the blood!”

  The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  The crowd’s cheers turned into jeers, and I knew it was only a matter of time until they’d lose interest fully.

  Kick him in the nuts!

  “That won’t be possible for them to do.”

  The holes still needed more time, and Nibbles only had a few more weapons left. We needed just a bit more time.

  I need them to fight for real.

  “Jittear.”

  “Yo?” Jittear sprang into action.

  “Can you make Tank and Geek fight for real?”

  Jittear grinned at that……..at least, I think that’s what he did. “You got it, Doc.”

  The master of instigating. How’s he going to pull this one off?

  “Let’s see.”

  Jittear darted to a nearby bush, carefully surveying the scene before making a move.

  After another slow dash, Geek fell to the ground, face kissing the ground. “That’s….that’s got to……be enough.” Geek declared, exasperated.

  “Hhuuhh?” Tank was clueless as ever, still eyeing fallen leaves.

  “Perfect.” I heard Jittear mumble.

  Appearing like a ninja, Jittear bolted into the scene.

  “What the-” One bandit murmured in surprise.

  As fast as a ninja, Jittear bit into the tail of Geek and tore it fully off.

  Before Geek could even respond in a cry of pain, Jittear disappeared into the bushes, but not before sneakily placing the tail right beside Tank. Just like a ninja.

  Geek turned on his back to find his missing tail. I felt that his cry of pain was more so from the missing tail itself, rather than the pain of it being chewed off.

  “MY TAIL! MY BEAUTIFUL TAIL!” Geek bawled, cradling the invisible tail. “Who would do such a monstrosity?”

  His eyes then fell on Tank, who just now fully turned around to see what the commotion was.

  “Aarree yyoouu aallrriigghhtt?” Tank slowly asked.

  Geek glared at Tank, tears falling down his eyes……or were they fake? Crocodile tears?

  He’s a gecko.

  “And they’re both reptiles.”

  “Do you know how long it took to beautify that tail? To groom it to perfection, to have every single scale shining like a diamond?”

  Uh, he knows he can just regrow it right?

  “Hhuuhh?” Tank was severely confused, and so confused to the point that he absentmindedly stepped on the tail near his feet.

  The sight caused Geek to snap.

  With a sudden flicker of motion, Geek sprang forward, claws scraping against the earth as he lunged toward Tank. His mouth opened wide, ready to snap at Tank’s exposed limbs.

  “Ii’mm ssleeppyy.” Tank pulled his head and legs tightly into his shell, sealing himself inside with an unintentionally smart move. Geek’s jaws clamped down on empty air, frustration flashing across his face.

  The bandits regained some of their enthusiasm, and their boredom was replaced by newfound excitement.

  “There you go!”

  “That’s how it’s done!”

  “Poke into its holes!”

  The bandits looked at the one that had said that.

  “Its holes? What are you talking about?”

  “I always knew there was something off about you.”

  “What no, I was talking about-”

  “No wonder you’re still single.”

  “Disgusting freak.”

  Geek circled as his tongue flickered in annoyance, trying to figure out where to strike next. He paced around Tank, looking for a weak spot—any opening to exploit. But Tank remained still, completely shielded by its thick, defensive shell.

  Geek’s patience waned. With a sudden burst of speed, he climbed onto Tank’s back, claws digging into the hard surface of the shell. He scrabbled, trying to get a better grip, his jaws snapping at Tank’s hind legs, but the shell was too smooth and too tough.

  Tank, sensing the disturbance and thinking Geek was just trying to wake him up, slowly began to rock back and forth, trying to dislodge the persistent lizard. He shifted slightly, his legs pushing against the ground for leverage. Geek held on, determined not to give up his perch, but his claws slipped off the slick surface.

  With one final heave, Tank rocked harder, and Geek was thrown off, landing on his face once again.

  The bandits cheered in approval.

  “I’malldoneboss.” Nibbles reported.

  “Thank you. Go wait by the horses again.”

  “We-We’re done as-as well Master.” Melvin sheepishly reported.

  “We would’ve been done quicker if you didn’t stop every thirty seconds to eat a stinking worm.” Drill grumbled.

  “Bu-...But you ate more than-”

  “THAT’S NOT THE POINT!”

  With a deep sigh, I recalled them both.

  What’s next?

  The setup was unfolding smoothly. The distractions were in place, the weapons disabled, and the carriage immobilized exactly as planned. The only real obstacle left was the looming danger. How could I compel the bandits to abandon their prize willingly?

  How could a mere seven-year-old instill fear in a hardened group of criminals?

  I thought about what I had: the countless animal carcasses amassed in my inventory, my summoned creatures lurking nearby, and the knowledge I already had combined with Sys.

  “Hey Sys, are there spirits that inhabit forests like these? Evil spirits even?”

  Duh. Zarvendia’s teeming with spirits. There’s countless accounts of restless entities driven by burning desires for vengeance or burdened by lives left unfinished. Most malevolent beings haunt the wild parts of the world, such as broken ruins, forests, caves, and rivers. Though kind spirits do exist, offering guidance or protection, they’re rare compared to their more menacing cousins.

  “What do they usually look like?”

  Uhh, bloody humans? Sometimes they drift through the air, other times they shuffle along the ground. Some spirits have missing limbs, while others scarcely resemble humans at all. They’re more like grotesque, distorted imitations struggling to mimic human shape. One common trait they almost always share is the presence of blood streaked across their bodies.

  “I see.”

  What if that danger was a spirit? An angry one at that?

  I dropped down and picked up a small dagger nearby. Nibbles had hidden them near my hiding spot, and I needed one of their weapons.

  “Yeah?” Rogue appeared once more.

  “Can you mess up my clothes real quick?”

  What?

  “What? You sure Boss?”

  “Quickly.”

  Rogue made an attempt at shrugging before proceeding to claw up my clothing. He was careful to not harm me accidentally.

  I then transported some of the carcasses out into the open. I began smearing their blood and scent onto me.

  Hah. So that’s your plan?

  Rogue peeked out from many of the holes he had punctured. “Did you go crazy or something?”

  “Not yet.” I answered before summoning Nightclaw.

  “What’s the issue?” Nightclaw ruffled his wings.

  “Grab some of these carcasses and wait on a nearby tree. On my word, fly around and drop them near these bandits.”

  “Roger that.” Nightclaw did as I ordered.

  I smeared more blood onto my face and hair, while also messing with my hair.

  You’re gonna need one big bath after this.

  I summoned another wolf. After Bandita, I noticed something intriguing. Even if I summoned multiple rats and absorbed enough rat souls, though they shared identical physical stats and motor skills, they lacked individuality. They didn’t possess the unique traits that defined their essence—the qualities that made each one truly “them.” Only the very first of each specific creature, like Rogue and Nightclaw, carried this distinct nature. It was for this reason that I chose to name only the original summons.

  “I need you to howl as creepily as you can.”

  The wolf nodded and proceeded to let out a shrill howl. The noise echoed through the forest, aided by the wind as it entered the ears of the bandits. They all stopped watching Tank and Geek and began murmuring amongst themselves.

  While they looked around, I quickly recalled the two. I’d have to apologize to Geek later.

  After Rogue finished messing up my clothes, and I decided I was bloody enough, I added one final look. I flipped my eyelids inside out, revealing the inner flesh of my eyelids.

  Ew, what the hell is wrong with you?

  “Do I look scary?”

  Scary my ass, you just look like a mini zombie from Craftmine.

  “Go, Nightclaw. And make sure to screech as well.”

  With a loud screech, the dark wings of Nightclaw flew over the heads of the bandits. The bandits jumped out of their seated positions when numerous carcasses fell on top of them.

  I recalled the wolf, and I took a deep breath. I had to be fully calm while doing this.

  I walked out into the clearing.