A few days prior...
The majority of the cloaked men were gasping for breath, their faces etched with exhaustion and signs of fatigue.
The leader of the group inquired, "Are you sure he's not using a mount?"
The man holding the hound glanced back at him. "No, these are their footprints. They were sprinting."
"How on earth could he run without stopping? Even for us Awakened, we need breaks to restore our energy."
One of the cloaked individuals, wielding a large axe, exclaimed with frustration, "We've had to use some of our energy reserves just to keep pace with his relentless pace. We deserve compensation for this!"
"You don't need to worry about that. Madam Jezebel will make sure to compensate you double for the energy you've expended."
Another member of the group raised a question, "Is it even worth it for the Umbras to be pursuing this job? He's just one man with an exceptional running ability. Why not simply ambush him when he gets closer to a city?"
Angrily, another person interjected, "Are you daring to question Madam Jezebel's decision?"
The axe-wielding individual raised his weapon in defiance. "Yes, I am. What can you do about it?"
The other man unsheathed his sword, ready for a confrontation, but the leader of the group diffused the situation, raising his aura and speaking calmly.
"Let's calm down. He might be using some tools to maintain his speed, but he'll run out of tricks eventually. Once that happens, we'll be able to catch up to him. We can seize whatever valuables he carries," the man with hound pointed out to the group.
The others nodded in agreement upon hearing this. Suddenly, the leader vanished and reappeared in front of the man with the axe. He seized the man by the neck, lifting him off the ground and strangling him. The struggling man fought back, but he found himself paralyzed, unable to move a muscle.
The leader addressed him with a stern tone, "Tensions are high because we're tired. However, if you defy Madam Jezebel's orders again, I will end you myself. Do you understand?"
With sheer terror in his eyes, the man with the axe dropped his weapon and managed a shaky nod. He soon collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath.
The leader's voice thundered, "LET'S MOVE OUT!"
---
As they followed Zane, they easily traced his path by following the trail of beast carcasses. It didn't take long for them to reach the foot of the mountain where Zane had killed hundreds of Vicious Snakes.
The man with the hound inquired, "Why do you think he's killing these beasts? Could he be aware that we're following him?"
Even the leader was puzzled by Zane's actions. After days of sprinting and avoiding battles without rest, Zane suddenly began slaughtering beasts indiscriminately. The leader, like the rest of the group, had no clear understanding of his motives.
"There's little purpose in killing these snakes. I can only assume he's grown weary of constant running and needs to vent his frustration. These snakes were simply unfortunate victims of his impulse."
The man with the hound nodded, "They're very close ahead. With our speed, it shouldn't take more than a couple of hours to catch up to him."
Upon hearing this, the group felt a surge of excitement. They were eager to complete the task and return to the city for some well-deserved rest. Yet, they remained unaware that they had entered a forest ruled by a King beast.
...
After their brief rest, Cecilia turned to Zane, her eyes filled with concern. "Zane, if you truly believe that someone is following us, they must be getting close."
Zane agreed with a nod. "Let's head towards the inner core."
He handed Cecilia several items. The first was a Snake leather set that included the armor, pants, and shoes. He had discovered that his skill in Hand Crafts was useful for creating basic items. Although lacking any intricate design, the set provided some stat benefits.
Snake Armor: Awakened (Poor)
Defense: 32
Passive Effects: Having been soaked and dried with raw snake blood, it mimics the Vicious Snake's thermoregulation and offers a lesser Nature Camouflage. However, it does not provide the full effects due to poor craftsmanship.
The second item was a purple vial containing snake blood mixed with herbs, providing heat resistance.
Zane issued a command, saying, "Use the liquid if you encounter the Ascendant Snake. It will help lower your body temperature, and slightly mimicking the snake's temperature. However, avoid killing anything, as their blood scent will stick to you."
...
Both moved toward the core of the forest. Previously, he had only hunted high-level ones, as low-level ones would yield him little experience. But this time, he began a wanton slaughtering any snakes he come across with.
Furthermore, Zane had activated his berserk skill just to double his killing speed, destroying some of the eggs along the way. After killing a large number of vicious snakes, he felt the movements from the forrest. Based on these movements, he estimated there were four or five of high level Awakened beasts.
Meanwhile, another trouble comes in, Cecilia yelled, "Zane, they are very close."
"Hide atop the tree," Zane responded and quickly checked his level, he smiled ear to ear when he saw that his level had gone from level 11 to level 14 from the past days of hunting.
Soon, Zane stripped everything he had and dropped it on the ground, including his undergarments. He went to the other side, completely naked, and took large buckets of treated water to wash himself thoroughly.
Swiftly, he put on his Snake Armor set and drank a vial of snake blood. He sprinted towards a small mountain and blended in with the grass.
Soon, the vicious roars became audible. Meanwhile, Cecilia and Zane finally spotted the people who were chasing them.
Zane identified them one by one.
Five were at Level 11, four at Level 13, three at Level 15, two at Level 17, and one at Level 19.
Upon seeing the group, Zane couldn't help but feel fear; his eyes were wide open and he swallowed his saliva.
'What the heck!'
Even Cecilia, who was hiding among the trees, could feel the intensity of the auras these people possessed. Although she couldn't see their levels, she noticed Zane's wide-open eyes and gaping mouth.