Mercenaries, often seen as simple brutes or even street thugs, frequent taverns, markets, and inns, ready to take on any job for the right price.
In his former life, Gwinnis lacked experience in physical combat or killing, but his original self was seasoned in these arts. His time as a mercenary might not have made him rich, but it honed his fighting skills considerably.
Outnumbered three to one, Gwinnis showed no fear. He watched as the youngest attacker, armed with a wooden stick, led the charge.
Gwinnis effortlessly dodged the clumsy swing, simultaneously stabbing the youth in the side with his dagger, targeting a vulnerable spot between the ribs and hip. The blade sank in deep.
The youth, adrenalized and unfeeling of the wound, staggered as he tried a second attack, which Gwinnis easily evaded.
In a swift motion, Gwinnis's sword struck the youth's throat, lifting and then dropping him lifelessly.
The stick fell, and the youth's face, marked with disbelief and regret, collapsed onto the ground, twitching helplessly before
becoming still.
"I'll kill you, you monster!" bellowed the next assailant, a burly, bearded man, enraged at witnessing his nephew's death.
Gwinnis casually dodged the man's thrown torch and closed in. The burly man lunged, dagger raised, but Gwinnis, with precise timing, thrust his sword forward, penetrating the man's chest before he could strike.
Gwinnis's quick reflexes allowed him to dodge any desperate counterattack. The man, fatally wounded, collapsed as Gwinnis pulled back his sword.
The last man, in his forties, hesitated upon seeing his comrades fall without leaving a single scratch on Gwinnis. He understood he faced a formidable foe.
Instead of rushing in, he stood guard in the yard, glaring at the man who had slaughtered his family.
Gwinnis cleaned his sword with a flick, facing the man with an air of ease.
The man's eyes blazed with fury, yet his body remained still, a picture of restraint.
Lightning split the sky, followed by a thunderous roar as the heavens unleashed a torrential downpour, the scent of rain-soaked earth filling the air.
The man's torch flickered out, leaving only the dim light from the cabin and a small lantern under the eaves.
At the courtyard entrance, two women wept while the youth, initially overwhelmed by terror, seemed to regain some strength.
"Let's leave! He's a demon, and demons can't be killed!" the youth exclaimed, staring at Gwinnis as he calmly stepped out of the cabin, still haunted by fear.
Despite the two women's disbelief and refusal to leave, causing the young man near tears, Gwinnis glanced at the few people at the courtyard entrance without much concern. His main adversary was the man standing in the yard.
The man, in his early forties and at the prime of his strength, radiated calm and restraint. It was clear he had ample combat experience.
The two men approached each other slowly, stopping when they were about two meters apart. Gwinnis watched him intently, alert to every move.
As the torrential rain poured down, the large raindrops caused a slight sting on their heads. The man looked up, opening his mouth as if to speak, but Gwinnis was briefly distracted. In that instant, the man lunged forward with a swift step, his iron sword swinging rapidly towards Gwinnis.
Gwinnis retreated quickly, narrowly avoiding the blade. However, before he could counterattack, the man's sword came at him again. The man moved steadily, mixing feints with powerful blows, quickly recovering from each attack, leaving Gwinnis with no opportunity to strike back and forcing him to keep retreating.
Finding no openings, Gwinnis braced himself for a direct confrontation. As the next sword strike came, he didn't dodge but blocked it with his own sword, feeling the force transmitted through his hand. Realizing the man wasn't as strong as he had anticipated, Gwinnis used his sword to block the next attack one-handedly while simultaneously drawing the dagger from his waist.
The moment of victory was apparent. Gwinnis plunged the dagger into the man's abdomen, pulling it to cause more damage. The man, in pain, attempted to change his attack but missed, allowing Gwinnis to dodge nimbly.
Gwinnis then released the dagger, lowered his stance, and with an upward swing of his sword, severed the man's left leg from the knee, causing him to lose balance and fall into the muddy ground. Gwinnis quickly moved behind him and thrust his sword down cleanly through the man's left chest.
With the fight over, Gwinnis exhaled deeply.
"Three kills in combat, 1500 personal points awarded," the system notified. Gwinnis looked towards the courtyard entrance, only to see the three figures running away. He opened his interface to find the progress bar three-quarters full - 1500/2000.
Everything was as expected. About to close the panel, Gwinnis noticed an arrow symbol in the corner of the panel. Curious, he clicked it, and the panel flipped like a book page to a greyed-out section, unreadable and seemingly locked. Puzzled but not dwelling on it, Gwinnis closed the panel for now.
Re-entering the inn, he could now search freely for his belongings. After rummaging, he found some valuable items, but nothing he was specifically looking for on the ground floor. He then turned his attention upstairs.
The upstairs seemed to be bedrooms. Despite not seeing anyone, Gwinnis felt as if he was being watched. His gaze settled on a large cabinet. Opening it, he found a boy about seven or eight years old, who had cleverly hidden himself there.
The boy didn't cry or make a fuss and was unarmed. Finding him no threat, Gwinnis quickly lost interest and resumed his search, soon finding his belongings - a pouch with miscellaneous items, a silver coin, several copper coins, an opened letter sealed with the Wintaling family crest, an iron sword and sheath, and a well-maintained leather chest armor.
All dressed up and ready to leave, Gwinnis returned to the cabinet, pondering why the inn would drug and kill its guests. Was it just for money, or was there someone behind it? Before leaving, he faced the boy, "You're taller than a wagon wheel, right?" The boy didn't respond, just stared. "No worries, you can go to hell first. I'll probably end up there too. Remember to be born into a good family next time," Gwinnis said emotionlessly, and with a swift motion, he ended the boy's life.