The leader of the thirteen men was dumbfounded at how nonchalant Ren was being. This was then followed by rage. The leader pulled out a sword that was hidden at the back of his clothes. It was a pretty sturdy short sword, which he pointed at Ren. The others also took out their weapons and surrounded Ren.
Seeing that he was being surrounded Ren smiled his vicious smile and took a branch from a nearby tree. He then suppressed his mana to the utmost limit and only focused a bit of mana to the branch so it won't break. Once he was ready he took a stance. The thirteen men surrounding him felt like they were being smacked in their faces.
What was this? Was he making fun of them? He thinks that a tree branch is enough to fend them off. The thirteen men couldn't take it anymore and attacked Ren.
The first thing they did was throw some knives at him. Ren using the branch he was holding deflected all the incoming knives. Aside from using his mana to enhance the branch Ren didn't use it on anything else. So right now Ren was just using his actual physical strength to react and deflect the incoming knives.
Seeing Ren masterfully deflect the knives, the men weren't surprised since Alastair an advanced Rank swordsman was easily defeated by him. Ren's estimated strength was at Master rank nearing Saint rank. Those knives that they threw serve another purpose, there were some strings attached to them, so the men pulled on the strings and tried to bind Ren.
Of course, Ren already noticed the strings and when he saw the men pulled on them, he quickly slashed downwards cutting the strings apart. The men were shocked to see this, since those strings were made from the web of the sand spider an A rank monster. It is said that their webs were stronger than steel. Now they saw someone actually cut them using a tree branch that wasn't even sharp. This scene wasn't something their mind could comprehend.
Still, they already started the fight so they must end it. No matter how strong Ren was he was still only one person as long as they cooperate properly and attack him together then they would still be able to overwhelm him and win. Well, that's what they believe.
Ren heard something heading his way and using the tree branch he deflected it. The thing that came was an arrow covered with poison. It seems like the two hidden people couldn't wait anymore and started attacking him with arrows.
Ren who was able to deflect all the incomings attack without the use of mana felt bored. This wasn't even good as a warm-up, these people that came to take his life didn't even have one magician.
Whoever sent them to kill him had underestimated him too much. Ren then decided to close his eyes and simply feel the movements of his opponents. He sharpened his senses and continued to deflect all attacks while his eyes were closed.
...
After a few seconds of attacking Ren, the thirteen men finally noticed what was happening. Ren had closed his eyes and not only that he hasn't moved from the spot he was standing on since the beginning. He hasn't even attack them yet he only did it once and that was to cut the strings attached to the knives. Aside from that time all Ren has done was deflect their attacks.
It was at this moment, they knew what kind of monster they actually provoked. To him, they weren't even opponents to take seriously. So that's why he was so nonchalant about being targeted.
The thirteen men decided to flee while they have a chance. It doesn't matter if they won't be able to kill Ren now, as long as they have there lives they can try again, with a better plan.
"Huh? Where do you think you guys are going?" The moment they heard Ren said this, they felt a suffocating killing intent directed at them. It was at this moment they truly understood how much Ren was holding back against them.
This soul-shaking killing intent was enough to stop their movements. The thirteen were gritting their teeth as they tried to make their legs move. They then heard the agonizing scream of two of their companions.
They looked behind them and saw that the who hid themselves atop the trees were burnt into charcoal. Ren had used a [fireball] spell at the two.
Ren then sighed as he spoke to the remaining eleven. "I didn't want to use magic for this whole bout, but you guys were fleeing so I had no choice. So now I'm going to give you guys two choices. Choice number one you flee and I will kill you or you stay and fight me until the end. Decide now, how do you guys want to die? Shamefully or with honor."
Once Ren was done speaking, the eleven remaining men looked at each other, and as if they were talking telephonically, they all decided to run in different directions. Ren who saw the eleven men fleeing once again sighed.
"Shamefully it is." The moment they heard Ren say this, the felt a gust of wind pass them by. In the next second, they saw Ren was already right in front of them. Seeing this they were about to run in a different direction.
"You guys weren't even good enough to be my training dummies." These were the last words the men heard, as they lost consciousness.
...
Somehow the leader of the group was spared as he watched the heads of his companions fly off their heads. A rain of blood fell down from the sky as he saw the monster who did this slowly approach him with a smile on his face.
"So tell me, who is it that ordered you to kill me? I want to personally express my gratitude for sending me some training dummies, but I need to give a complaint as well since the training dummies weren't even good enough to give me a warm-up."