As the wave of sword light rapidly closed in, Alexander dove behind a tree to the side.

  The arc of white light continued to slice through the air, continuing in a straight line until it smashed into a tree. The light dissipated, but not before carving a deep pit in the tree’s trunk.

  Hiding behind his tree, Alex readied an arrow. But before he could act, he heard voices yell out.

  “There he is!”

  “Finally! Don’t let him get away!”

  “Frozen Spear!”

  It seemed three people had entered the fray. Alexander poked his head out to check out the situation.

  The scarred bandit laughed as he cut down an ice spike aimed at his heart, “Bounty hunters? What do you think you can do to me with just you three weaklings?”

  With a sneer, a man in scholarly robes said, “Three? No, I’m sorry Bruton, we’re not so foolish to go against you with just us three.”

  Alex silently climbed the tree and watched the scene from above. The party of three was made up of two women and the man in scholar robes. The woman in front wielded a sword and a shield and the other held a seemingly plain wooden staff. The scholar held a book with runes inscribed on its covers.

  Approaching from behind, a barbaric looking man brandished an enormous greatsword as he began to charge.

  The bandit turned to face the barbarian. Scoffing, he entered a battle stance.

  The woman with the shield rushed forward while the other two began casting from range.

  This gave Alex the opportunity to get a better understanding of the battle standards of this world. So he watched closely from his perch in the trees.

  The barbarian launched an onslaught of heavy slashes and the shield maiden stabbed at Bruton repeatedly while blocking his attacks with her large shield. The mage girl shot out ice shards incessantly like a machine gun. The scholar healed any damage the other three took.

  The bandit skillfully defended himself from the assault, somehow fighting 4 on 1 for a commendable amount of time. If it was just the mage and the shield maiden attacking him, Bruton would have no issues, even with the protection of the scholar. However, the barbarian was particularly skilled and powerful. Soon enough, the bandit's movements grew sluggish from fatigue. One missed block and he lost his sword arm. In the next instant, he lost his life.

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  Not wasting any time, the group of bounty hunters looted the bandit and cut off his head. They brought it with them as they left. They did not even spare a glance at the bandit's fallen henchmen as they hastily made their way back to claim their bounty.

  Alex waited a few minutes to see if the coast was clear. Dropping down from the tree, he approached the dead bodies of the other bandits and checked their pockets. Finding a few pieces of silver, he pocketed them, as well as the telescope-like Reader. Grabbing a rusty sword from one of the twins, he fastened it to his belt.

  He attempted to retrieve his arrows but the shafts snapped in two when he pulled on them. Alex could do nothing about it but sigh.

  Taking a few moments to catch his bearings, Alex once again made his way towards the village in the distance.

  When Alexander first appeared in the world of Sanctus, not one existence in the Heavenly Realm noticed his arrival. That is, except for one man.

  In a space that very much resembled an archery range nestled in the clouds, a handsome man stood holding a bow made of golden flames. Rings of fire hovered around him and his well-built chest was bare.. except for an extravagant golden necklace. His wavy golden hair came down to his shoulders.

  Breathing in, he began to focus. Without nocking an arrow, the man used his otherworldly strength to draw back the burning bowstring. As he took aim, a blazing white arrow took form in his hand. Releasing the arrow, an explosion, originating from the bow, thundered through the silent range. Almost instantly, another explosion rocked the domain as the arrow found its target. A shrill dragon cry pierced the air almost simultaneously.

  "Well shot! Your arrows fly true as always," a grey haired man stood off to the side and complimented.

  The man covered in sunflame smiled, "Thank you, Julon."

  He dropped his hands and the bow dissipated, "So why have you graced me with your presence this ti-"

  Before he could finish his question, the archer felt a pulsing from within himself. Placing a hand on his chest, his eyes grew wide.

  "This feeling," he said. He broke into a wide smile, "Oh.. well this is interesting. Very interesting. One moment, Julon."

  The man's piercing red eyes shined completely white and a third eye opened on his forehead. A moment later, his body shook and his third eye began to bleed. The man also began to cough up blood. However, seemingly ignorant of the pain, the archer began to laugh excitedly as his eyes returned to normal.

  "Haha! Yes!"

  The man called Julon looked puzzled, "What? What's going on? Why are you laughing?"

  The man's smile shined as bright as the sun as he said, "About your previous offer, I accept. An opportunity has arrived."