The plunderers couldn’t help but stare in shock.
One punch.
That was all it had taken.
The unfortunate plunderer hadn’t even been able to react before his face caved in under Kael’s fist. His body had been sent flying backward like a ragdoll before crashing lifelessly into the sand.
The sheer brutality of it left the remaining plunderers frozen.
Their eyes widened as they looked at Kael.
Just who was this monster?
Only now did they begin connecting the dots.
Earlier, while fleeing from the giant sand worm, they hadn’t paid much attention to Adam and Zoey’s companion. Their entire focus had been on escaping with their lives. The only thing they remembered was that a young man had stayed behind to buy them time.
At the time, none of them had believed he would survive.
How could he?
The sand worm had been a terrifying creature. Even experienced hunters would think twice before fighting something like that head-on.
Yet now, seeing the strength Kael displayed, they realized just how wrong they had been.
This young man hadn’t stayed behind out of courage or desperation.
He had stayed behind because he actually possessed the strength to do so.
The realization made their faces turn pale.
Fear crept into their hearts.
Then anger followed closely behind.
People who spent their lives hurting others were often the ones most afraid when death finally came for them. They understood pain better than anyone because they had inflicted so much of it themselves.
These plunderers had murdered countless Awakeners.
Some had been lured into their groups before being betrayed.
Others had simply been unlucky enough to cross paths with them inside rifts.
There had been men they robbed.
Women they violated.
Families they ruined.
Through it all, they had never once felt remorse.
Yet now that death stood before them, they suddenly felt wronged.
Why them?
Why did they have to be the unlucky ones?
The irony would have been amusing if it wasn’t so pathetic.
Kael paid no attention to whatever thoughts were running through their heads.
Instead, his gaze shifted toward Adam, Zoey, and the armored man.
The three looked rough.
Adam was covered in blood from multiple wounds. The armored man wasn’t much better. His armor was dented and stained red in several places.
Zoey had also suffered injuries, though hers were noticeably lighter.
It wasn’t difficult to understand why.
The plunderers had intended to use her later. Naturally, they hadn’t attacked her with the same viciousness they had shown the others.
A few healing potions would probably be enough for her.
Adam and the armored man were a different story.
Kael looked back toward the trembling plunderers.
"Is there a healer among you?"
His voice wasn’t loud yet every single person heard it clearly.
The plunderers exchanged nervous looks.
For a moment nobody spoke.
Then one man slowly stepped forward.
"I... I am."
His voice trembled.
Kael studied him briefly.
"Can you heal them?"
The healer followed Kael’s gaze toward Adam and the others.
"I can try..."
The words had barely left his mouth before he noticed Kael’s eyes narrowing slightly.
A chill immediately ran down his spine.
"Y-Yes! I can do it."
"That’s better."
Kael nodded before pointing toward Adam and the others.
"Go."
The healer didn’t dare waste a second.
Meanwhile, Kael turned toward the remaining plunderers.
"As for the rest of you..."
His voice remained calm.
"You can go ahead and die."
The plunderers felt their hearts sink.
Some glared at the healer with hatred.
Others clenched their weapons desperately.
The healer ignored them completely.
Loyalty?
Did such a thing even exist between them?
They had spent years together committing all sorts of crimes. Murder, robbery, extortion, rape.
Because of that, they understood each other perfectly.
Every single one of them knew exactly what the others were capable of.
Trust had never existed between them.
If given the opportunity, any one of them would stab the others in the back without hesitation.
So why should he throw away his life for them?
At least Kael needed him alive.
If he healed Kael’s companions properly, perhaps he would be spared.
That alone was enough reason to cooperate.
While the healer hurried toward Adam and the others, Kael moved.
The remaining plunderers immediately raised their weapons.
Their hands trembled so badly they could barely hold them.
Fear had already destroyed any hope of victory.
Kael descended upon them like a storm.
The fight ended almost as soon as it began.
Every strike brought down another plunderer, their numbers shrinking with frightening speed. Against Kael’s overwhelming strength, they stood no chance.
Their final moments were filled with curses, threats, and plea for mercy, but Kael ignored them all.
If anything, their hatred only strengthened his conviction.
People like this were scum, and the world would be better off without them.
A world where Lyra and his mother could live safely was worth building.
And if removing people like these helped create that world, then he would do it without hesitation.
Soon, silence returned to the desert.
The only survivor left standing was the healer.
Kael looked toward him.
"Get to work."
The healer nearly jumped.
"If you do a good job," Kael continued, "I might spare your life."
The healer nodded repeatedly.
"Yes! Yes, of course!"
Green healing light soon began gathering around his hands as he rushed toward Adam and the armored man.
Time passed.
Ten minutes slipped by in the blink of an eye.
The healer worked continuously without stopping.
Whenever his mana ran low, he immediately drank mana recovery potion before continuing.
Gradually, the wounds on Adam’s body began closing.
The armored man’s injuries also started disappearing one after another.
Meanwhile, Zoey had already taken several healing potions and was recovering on her own.
The healer, however, looked increasingly miserable.
His face had become pale.
His breathing had turned ragged.
The constant mana expenditure was pushing him to his limits.
Still, he didn’t dare stop.
Not while Kael was watching.
More time passed and eventually, the final wound closed.
The healer collapsed onto the sand in exhaustion.
His entire body felt drained.
Kael barely spared him a glance.
Instead, he looked toward Adam.
"How are you feeling?"
Adam rolled his shoulders before clenching his fists.
"Never felt better."
He laughed before shaking his head.
"Honestly, I thought I was going to die back there."
His expression softened slightly.
"Thanks for coming to help."
"No problem."
Kael waved it off casually before shifting his gaze toward the armored man.