With the evening approaching, Rim, Zeldre, and Kurt set off for the woods. They quickly set up a small hut, using the skills they had gained during their time at Java Port. As they settled in for the night, they talked about their plans and what they hoped to do with their newfound coins, excited about the possibilities that lay ahead.
Rim’s eyes flutter open at the sound of rustling nearby. Glancing over at Zeldre and Kurt, who are both still out cold, he groans quietly and gets up to check it out.

“Just a stupid animal, probably,” he mumbles, rubbing his face.

As he steps a bit farther from the hut, he’s about to head back when a group of bandits steps out from the trees, grinning, their shiny knives catching the moonlight. Their gear looks clean and sharp—too professional for regular thugs.

One of the bandits steps forward, his voice low. “Give us everything you got. Don’t make this harder than it needs to be.”

Rim blinks at them, still half-asleep, and lets out a sigh. “You’ve gotta be kidding me.”

Another bandit twirls his knife confidently. “Not joking, buddy. Hand over the money, or things get ugly.”

Rim stretches, yawning as if they weren’t even there. “Man, I was just getting comfy…”

“You deaf? We’re not asking again!” one of them growls, stepping closer, the blade of his knife gleaming in front of Rim.

Rim rubs his neck, clearly unimpressed. “I’m not deaf, just tired.” He glances at their weapons and adds, “And trust me, you don’t want to do this.”

The leader of the group sneers. “We’ll see about that.”

Rim shrugs, finally waking up. “Alright, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

One of the bandits rushed forward, swinging his knife at Rim. Rim, barely even trying, grabbed the guy’s wrist and twisted it. The knife hit the ground with a clatter.

“Really?” Rim sighed, tossing the bandit aside like he was nothing.

The guy hit the dirt hard, groaning in pain.

Rim glanced at the rest of them. “Who’s next?”

Two more rushed at him without thinking. Rim just ducked, swept their legs, and sent them crashing face-first into the ground. The rest of the group froze, looking around like they were rethinking their life choices.

“Seriously, y’all still wanna keep this up?” Rim asked, cracking his knuckles.

The leader, now looking more than a little scared, held up his hands and backed away. “W-We’re from the Gray Reaper Guild! You really don’t wanna mess with us!”

Rim raised an eyebrow. “Gray Reaper? Never heard of you.”

The leader glared, still trying to act tough. “You will! The rest of the guild will come after you, and you’ll regret this!”

Rim shrugged, completely unfazed. “Doubt it. Send whoever you want, I’ll beat ’em up just like I did you.”

The bandits hesitated for a moment, then scrambled to their feet and bolted, leaving their weapons behind.

Rim watches the bandits stumble away, shaking his head. As they disappear into the darkness, he looks down at the knives and gear they left behind. He picks one up, turning it over in his hands.

“Huh… these look kinda pricey,” he mutters to himself, realizing they could probably make a good chunk of money selling the stuff.

He heads back to the hut, tossing the knives into the corner. The noise wakes Zeldre up first, who sits up and rubs his eyes.

“What… what happened?” Zeldre asks groggily, noticing the pile of weapons. “Wait, where’d you get those?”

Kurt wakes up next, blinking in confusion. “Rim, what’d you do?”

Rim shrugs, leaning against the wall. “Some bandits tried to jump me. Took care of ‘em. They left these behind.”

Zeldre’s eyes widen, and he grabs one of the knives, inspecting it closely. “This… this is worth some serious money!”

Kurt nods, a grin spreading across his face. “Rim, you just scored big! We could sell these and actually afford some good stuff!”

Rim smirks, leaning back. “Yeah, even I knew they looked expensive.”

Zeldre gives him a playful shove. “Look at you, finally using your brain for something useful.”

Kurt laughs, shaking his head. “We might not be rich yet, but we’re definitely not poor anymore.”