I twisted around in my cot. I had been in that jungle for so long it felt weird to actually sleep in a normal environment. I sighed in the darkness. At least they were treating me better now. After being greeted by Lula I was rushed to the infirmary where to Lula’s surprise aside from some bruises I was completely fine. My day hadn’t been very eventful after that point. It wasn’t like the deeds that I had done had disappeared and the people would like me anymore. Not that I could blame them. I relaxed my clenched fist and sighed again. Getting heated about it wouldn’t change anything, it’s just a waste of energy. I sensed the mana of the camp. Several hundred figures are shown faintly in my mind. Compared to the jungle they were minuscule in brightness. Most of the figures lay still but several auras were moving through the camp. I turned my focus back to my body. I rolled onto my side trying to get into a more comfortable position. It wasn’t long before I drifted off to sleep.

Piercing screams penetrated through the air. I opened my eyes groggily. More cries rang out. I heard a commotion outside of the tent. I stepped over crates of various foods and barrels of various beveragesand exited the tent. People were walking around frantically. Soldiers barged past me. I spotted Lula by a tent comforting a woman.

 

“What happened?” I asked approaching her.

 

“There was a kidnapping, several children were kidnapped,” she said in tears. “I knew all of them, we think it was bandits looking for a ransom but we don’t know,”

 

That made sense. There weren’t a lot of children in the camp, meaning they were extra precious to them.

 

“Everything will be ok,” I said putting a hand on her shoulder.

 

“I’ll fix this,” I said reassuring her. I walked away from her.

“Where are you going?” she asked her voice still trembling.

 

“To get them back,” I said over my shoulder. I had two reasons to get them back now. I couldn’t just let them get away with this first of all. I felt a pang of guilt in my chest. Secondly, during the night, I sensed unusual mana signals from the camp that was probably the kidnappers. I could have stopped them. Wasn’t this the whole purpose of my strength? If anything happened to them I could never forgive myself.

 

I walked out of the camp. I need a lead to know where they went. It would take to long for me to comb through the surrounding area for them. I had a skill that could help. It was an application of mana sense called mana detection. It allowed for long range mana sensing, its wide range did have some drawbacks though, it wasn’t very detailed since the amount of information would by unbearable for any normal sorceror to take in. I radiated mana out from my body. I stretched it in all directions. It stretched past the camp to woodlands and various landscapes. I couldn’y pick up any signals even though according to my estimates my senses stretched in approximately a 5 km diameter. Maybe I could alter the skill. I withdrew my mana back into myself. Perhaps combining a more spread out mana layout combined with a thinner beam would allow better results. I shot out my conciousness in front of me in a narrow beam. I checked how far it reached. 20 km. That was much better. I turned slowly in a circle scanning for bandits in all directions. Several dots lighted up in my mind to the east from here. I found them! I built up to a light jog in that direction. I stopped after a while. I couldn’t just jog everywhere. It wasn’t a bad method of transport but I could do better. I snapped my fingers. I know! I snapped my fingers again. This time stones from within the ground rose from inside the ground and a small tree uprooted itself from the ground. I snappe my fingers again. The tree split into boards and tubes while the rock broke open revealing metal. The metal ore was suppsequently melted and molded into screws and bolts. The boards and tubes were assembled into a frame. The solution to my problem was simple. It required less energy than running yet it enabled humans to travel faster than by running. The various parts assembled themselves and my creation rested down on the floor. The invention was none other than the modern bike. I got onto it and tried pedalling. The gears grinded against itself but using some magic to cushion any unstable parts the ride became smooth. I biked over roots and past trees and large rocks. The wind rushed past my ears as I pedaled. When I was a km away from the bandits I got of the bike mid-pedal and swung it onto my back. I raised the bike above my head. Tree branches carried it into the heavy foliage of the leaves above completely concealing it.

 

I looked up at the setting sun. It would be nightfall before long, I would wait until then hidden in the same tree.

 

I jumped soundlessly out of the tree in the dark. I crept towards the base. There were several figures were huddled around in a circle. I presume around a campfire. Several more smaller figures were clumped together slightly further away. Those must be the kidnapped children. A figure from the campfire moved away into the forest towards me.

 

Did they already know that I was here! I hopped into a tree and waited, not letting a single shred of mana escape from my body. A cloaked figure came through rustling bushes, they hummed some foreign tune. They stopped under my tree. They began unbuckling their pants. I descended behind them and delivered a swift hit against the nape of their neck. Their body collapsed crumbling to the ground. I took of the persons cloak. The man had an old grizzled face with scars on his cheek. I wrapped the cloak around me and walked back.

 

I pushed past bushes towards the other figures. They were huddled around a bright campfire

I sat down next to them.

 

“You’re back fast Baron,” said one of the men there.

 

I gave a gruff sound in return. If I spoke, it would be a dead giveaway that I wasn’t this Baron.

 

“Where’s foxie?” said one of them.

 

“He’s out on patrol, he won’t even rest for a second. People like him are talented but they’re too uptight.”

 

One shivered.

 

“Soon we’ll be able to go back out of this wretched dungeon, it was worth it to enter through the backdoor. With the ransom we get we should be able to live comfortably,”

 

“Hey Baron . . .” said one of them.

The men huddled around the fire then got up, soundlessly drawing blades from their coats.

 

I took a deep breath in and blew out the fire plunging them into darkness. I delivered a swift blow to each person. They may have been experienced bandits but without their eyes, they were reduced to amateurs.

 

I walked towards a shack slightly far off. My fist tightened. The children must be in there. I opened the door slowly. Light bathed over me. A angry looking guy approached me.

 

“What did we say about coming in without using the code!” they shouted.

Their face turned to shock when they say the bodies of their partners in crime.

 

“What the hell happened?” they asked.

 

I walked past them to the children. Their arms and legs were bound tightly. There cries of fear were muffled by their gagged mouths. They were dirty and had slightly sunken eyes.

 

I pulled up my hood slightly. They stopped whimpering when they realised it was me. They may not have liked me but I had highly doubted they would refuse my help.

 

I unbound them. When I was on the last one I felt a hand on my shoulder.

 

“What the hell are you doing Foxie?” demanded the man. I heard the shrill sound of a blade being unsheathed. I felt him raise his arm to slash at me. I around in the last second and grabbed his blade.

 

“How dare you . . .” I said softly.

 

I rotated my wrist sharply snapping the blade in two.

 

“How dare you do this to them!” I shouted.

 

I kicked his legs out from under him, he fell to the ground.

 

He scurried back on his butt. I keeped pace before punching his head to the ground. I raised my fist to hit him again but the scared faces of the children made me stop mid-punch.

 

“Tsk,” I said withdrawing from him. “Lets go,” I said to the children. They followed me. I pushed back the door only to be met once more with another person. This person was different. Their piercing blue eyes from under their mask saw deep into me. I instinctively pushed with children behind me.

 

“Leave the children and I’ll consider sparing you,” said the person firmly while drawing their sword.

 

“Not a chance in hell,” I retorted. “Stay behind me,” I said turning my head to the children.

 

“This is your last chance to withdraw,” warned the person.

 

“Likewise,” I said raising my fists. He attacked first, the only noise that was heard was the whistling of his blade as it cut through the air.

I ducked avoiding the blade. He swung again this time repeatedly twirling his blade through the air. I easily avoided the blades.

 

“Nobody has ever dodged my attacks before,” said the person.

 

“Don’t think that that’s the extent of my abilities,” I warned. I’d still rather avoid fighting him. It’s not that didn’t think I could defeat him, quite the opposite actually. I was confident that I could defeat him without much effort. The issue is that at his skill level he might be able to hurt the children even if he couldn’t hurt me.

 

Frost misted up from the person's blade.

 

“I’m not fond of drawn-out battles, it goes against my nature. I’ll be ending this now,” said the person.

 

I channeled mana into my hands. Heat radiated out from them.

 

He disappeared for a second and reappeared in front of me.

 

“Die,” he said thrusting the sword into my face.

 

“If only,” I said. I grabbed the sword tip. It melted in my hands up to the hilt of his sword.

 

I grabbed his hand, the heat seared his flesh. He screamed at the pain.

 

“That’s impossible!” He exclaimed. “Not once in the royal magical academy have been beaten, Who are you!” he demanded. “We are similar in age, how can you be this much stronger than me!”

 

“It’s a shame,” I said. “ With skills like yours you could have done something good with your life, a knight or something,” He tried to move his hand back but I didn’t let go.

 

“Instead you decide to kidnap innocent children, you should be ashamed of yourself,” I shouted.

 

I smashed my elbow into his face. Blood spurted from his nose.

 

“You also kidnapped people I know for that reason you can’t expect me to show you mercy,”

 

His unconscious body fell to the ground.

 

“It’s safe now,” I said to the children. They hurried behind me.

 

I led them to where I had stored my makeshift bike. With some creativity, I was able to make a cart from the environmental resources. The sky began to brighten when the camp came into view. I had to travel slower to avoid jostling the cart too much on the way back. I disassembled the bike and moved the cart on foot to the camp. I placed it near the entrance of the camp before sneaking past the wooden fence that surrounded the perimeter of the camp.