Chapter 36 — Smoke on the Horizon

Morning light filtered weakly through the reinforced glass of the Armado.

Ren woke first, as always. For a few seconds he remained still, listening to the quiet breathing inside the vehicle. Then he carefully opened the side door and stepped out into the cool morning air. The forest around their riverside camp was calm. Mist still clung to the lower ground near the water.

He moved a short distance away from the vehicle and began his daily exercise in silence — push-ups, squats, core work, and controlled stretches. Sweat soon covered his upper body as the sun continued to rise. Only after finishing did he wipe himself down and walk back toward the Armado.

When he opened the door again, a quiet smile touched his lips.

Lyra was asleep in the front passenger seat, her brown-dyed hair slightly messy, one ear twitching now and then. In the back seat, Silvia lay with her arms folded, silver-white hair spread across the cushion. Both of them had soft, peaceful expressions on their faces. The cool air from the vehicle’s air conditioning continued to circulate gently around them. It was clear they were having the deepest and most comfortable sleep of their lives — far better than any night spent on hard inn beds or cold forest ground.

Ren’s eyes lingered on the scene for a moment longer. Then he reached toward the steering area and pressed the horn.

A sharp, loud blare exploded through the quiet morning.

Both women jolted awake at once.

Lyra’s ears shot straight up as she nearly fell forward. Silvia’s hand flashed toward a dagger before her violet eyes fully focused. For a second both of them looked genuinely startled.

Ren leaned against the door frame and let out a low laugh at their reactions.

“Morning.”

Lyra glared at him with half-sleepy irritation while pressing a hand to her chest. Silvia exhaled slowly and released the hilt of her dagger, though a faint crease remained between her brows.

“Was that necessary?” Silvia asked coldly.

“Effective,” Ren replied. “Get ready. We move soon.”

They washed their faces at the river, packed the remaining camp items, and climbed back into the Armado. The engine came to life with its now-familiar growl. Cool air began circulating again as Ren guided the black vehicle back onto the path.

By noon they had left the dense forest behind.

The terrain opened into wide plains. With better visibility and flatter ground, Ren increased the speed to 100 km/h. The Armado cut across the open land with steady power, its heavy tires throwing up light dust behind them. Both Lyra and Silvia had grown somewhat used to the speed, yet they still occasionally glanced at the passing landscape with lingering disbelief.

Then Ren’s eyes narrowed.

Far ahead, at a very long distance, thin trails of dark smoke were rising into the sky.

He slowed the vehicle and eventually brought it to a complete stop.

“Something’s burning.”

They exited the Armado. Ren opened the system shop and purchased a pair of military binoculars for five gold coins. Raising them to his eyes, he adjusted the focus and looked toward the smoke.

The image sharpened.

A small settlement was engulfed in flames. Bodies lay scattered across the ground. Roughly fifty mounted riders were moving through the ruins, cutting down the last resistance and tying goods and captives onto their horses.

Ren’s expression hardened. He passed the binoculars to Lyra, then to Silvia.

Both women examined the distant scene in silence.

“Bandits,” Lyra said quietly, her voice cold.

Silvia lowered the binoculars, her violet eyes sharp. “A raid. They are finishing the slaughter and collecting everything of value.”

Even while speaking, both of them could not completely hide their amazement at the binoculars themselves. The ability to see so far with such clarity was another piece of unfamiliar technology that quietly unsettled their understanding of the world.

Ren made his decision without long hesitation.

“We kill them all.”

He opened the system once more.

First, he purchased a high-quality compound bow and approximately fifty arrows for ten gold coins, then handed them to Silvia. She tested the weight and draw with professional movements. Curious, she nocked one arrow, turned toward a distant tree, and released.

The arrow flew with almost no sound and struck the center of the trunk with sharp precision.

Silvia’s eyes widened slightly.

“This bow… and these arrows. They are extremely light, yet the power and accuracy are exceptional. What kind of materials are these?”

“It’s a compound bow,” Ren explained. “The arrows are made with carbon fiber shafts — lightweight but very strong — and the tips are titanium. That’s why they fly faster and hit harder than normal arrows while remaining light in the hand.”

Silvia did not fully understand the words “carbon fiber” or “titanium,” but she could feel the difference in the weapon. A quiet spark of interest appeared in her violet eyes as she carefully inspected the bow again.

Next, Ren took out his AK-47 and systematically loaded the remaining ammunition into magazines, preparing five full magazines for a total of one hundred fifty rounds. He handed Lyra her magic wand and the combat knife he had given her earlier, then purchased an additional walkie-talkie for himself.

Each of them attached an earpiece connected to their radios.

“Communication stays open,” Ren ordered. “We move carefully.”

They climbed back into the Armado. On Ren’s instruction, Silvia opened the upper turret hatch and took position with the binoculars, keeping constant watch on the distant bandit group. Through the earpieces, their voices remained clear even as the vehicle began following the raiders from a safe distance.

The hunt had begun.

====================================== Auther's note================================== =

Hello dear readers

This is my first Novel and you guys have already notice that there is some change in writing and I will try that it will remain minimum and also request you guys to highlight some point that I can improve and also suggest how it can be improved

Thanks a lot guys