In the end, I reached the next village at the end of the day, and I didn't find a map being sold at the trader. Still, I found some paper and pen, so I decided draw my own map. That was kind of fun and made me feel like I should work hard to expand it. Perhaps I could sell it in the future…
"Our woodsman is injured after being attacked by wolves, I heard that he is looking for a helper."
The innkeeper of the village told me that kind of information, so I thanked him and left. Chopping woods at night probably wasn't a good idea, but I needed to make some quick buck… that was my plan anyway, but soon I noticed a weird atmosphere in the village. Something was off, and I couldn't tell what it was.
People were moving like usual, getting ready for the night, so it wasn't like they were hiding from me… soon, I realized that they were all too silent. It wasn't like people would happily chat when their society was about to undergo some changes. Still, even so… it was just too quiet.
'I guess I should leave and camp somewhere… I don't like this.'
I tried to act like nothing was wrong and moved to the other side of the village, but soon I heard the sound of metal clicking ahead, but I couldn't see anyone there. Someone armored was hiding, and I could only think of a single group of people wearing armor who would want to try to hide at such a place… the type that would be looking for me.
At that point in time, I decided to pretend that I was lost and looked around the village. I looked for good places to hide, but people were moving to their houses and locking their doors as if they knew that something was about to happen. My face was still covered, so some guards noticed me at some point without me seeing them and then set up an ambush.
I could tell that the guards were positioning themselves in the most apparent exits of the village; even if I tried to use a random escape route, they would find me since there weren't many trees in the area to hide me. Still, fortunately, there was no patrolling guard, so I could conceal… the smell of my clothes probably would reveal my position, though.
In the end, I made my choice… after turning at a random street, I suddenly increased my strength and then began climbing one of the house's pillars. My grip strength allowed me to climb it, even though I never tried something like that before. Before long, I was crawling on the roof of a random house and trying to remain hidden while looking around the area…
My position was good. The light of the torches didn't reach my position, and the guards didn't see me climbing either. It didn't take long for me to see the guards moving… it seemed that they didn't like the fact that I stopped moving… their numbers were quite troublesome… twenty. Why would they need that much agaisnt a single person?
'No time to chicken out… they want my head, and I can't give it to them on a silver platter. If they want blood, they will have blood… but not mine.'
To be completely honest, I didn't want to do that, but I had to. I was far away from home, and crazy people wanted me dead for crimes I didn't commit… what choice did I have in that situation aside from killing them first?
In the past, the reach of authorities was limited due to geographical constraints and the spread of populations over vast areas. Travel was slow and difficult, preventing some authorities from maintaining a presence in all regions. Communities were often isolated, making it hard for any centralized force to provide consistent protection and enforcement of laws. Besides, right now, current authorities wanted my head…
Early societies primarily relied on customs and traditions rather than formalized legal codes, leading to a decentralized approach to justice. In feudal systems, lords and vassals were responsible for protecting their own lands and people. At the same time, tribal or clan-based societies handled disputes internally.
Practical necessities also drove people to defend their lands and families themselves. Immediate threats like raids or attacks required quick action, and local inhabitants had better knowledge of their surroundings and their specific dangers. As societies became more complex and centralized, formal legal and policing systems gradually developed. However, the reliance on self-defense and local justice persisted until these systems could provide more consistent and widespread protection.
"Where is he? If he is the one, we can't let him escape."
"I don't know, he vanished out of thin air…"
As expected, they didn't know who I was… that was helpful. Still, they wouldn't give up until they confirmed if I was their target. At the same time, things will get a dangerous turn when I start attacking them. I will also become infamous and will have to change my appearance… I had an idea of what I should do about that, though.
The guards began to move around the area in smaller groups and searched for me behind all the buildings. They kicked some doors and checked some buildings as well. While they were doing that, I took a deep breath and then nocked an arrow.
(The Veiled Presence Skill Tree leveled up. You received 20 Experience points.)
I almost had a heart attack when I saw that notification… it was good to know that I could gain experience like that, but I wanted to focus right now. Still, that made me realize that I needed to increase my chances of success… the enemies were armored, so ordinary arrows wouldn't pierce their armor. I didn't have arrows for everyone.
It was risky, but in the end, I used all my free points for strength and dexterity. At the same time, I increased the rank of Sharp Draw by five times… I didn't want to invest so much in a fighting style that was limited by the number of arrows with me, but I had no choice.
Archery: Improves your skill in using bows and arrows.
Sharp Draw (Rank 5)
Bows do fifty points more damage. (Requires Archery skill tree at Level 01)
'Here goes, nothing…'
I put two arrows within my fingers and then nocked another before aiming at a group of three guards… I could feel my aim a lot more steadily than before, so the effects of the points were working. Aiming at their heads was the most obvious choice, but the hitting area was small. They also had some helmets that protected most of their faces, too, so it was an unnecessary risk.
In the end, I aimed at the chest of the first and then unleashed the arrow… the projectile flew while making a hissing sound. Even before it could hit the target, I was already knocking the next arrow. Much to my surprise, the arrow pierced the back of the target deeply and almost reached the other side. The target fell on his knees, confused, and when their allies turned around to see him, another one of them got hit in the chest.
The final target raised his sword and shield to make them hit each other, but I put an arrow on his chest before he could finish the attack. Still, the enemies fell to the ground, and the sound of the armor made some noise.
(The Archery Tree leveled up. You received 60 Experience points.)
(You have leveled up and received five Status Points and one Rank-up Skill Point.)