That idea seemed insane, but I could understand the reasoning behind it. Few people would look for me there, and few would head there after the prisoners were freed. It was a ballsy move, to say the least…
"How many enemies are we expecting there?"
"It is a medium-sized town, so there are one hundred guards at worst. Some of them will be beastkin, but most of them will be humans. You will have to be careful with your smell, but aside from getting hurt and bleeding, you can leave the rest to us."
The more I fought, the stronger and faster I became, so while it was a bit dangerous, I had to use those controlled situations to obtain the power to protect myself.
"Well, it isn't much, but it is time to teach you a few tricks that will help you survive tomorrow."
Lockpicking: Improves your skill in unlocking doors and containers.
Lockpicking Novice
Learn the basics of lockpicking, allowing you to pick simple locks without making much noise. (Requires Lockpicking skill tree at Level 01)
Pickpocket: Improves your skill in stealing items from others without being detected.
Pickpocket Novice
Learn the basics of pickpocketing, allowing you to steal items and coins without being noticed. (Pickpocket skill tree at Level 01)
Acrobatics: Improves your skill in performing advanced maneuvers like flips, jumps, climbing, and wall running.
Acrobatics Novice
Learn basic acrobatic maneuvers, allowing you to perform simple jumps and rolls. (Requires Acrobatics skill tree at Level 01)
Diran had planned to spend the rest of the time teaching that, but I learned it that morning, so I had a lot of time before the real deal. Acrobatics seemed like the best option for me to improve, so I decided to improve that skill tree as much as possible.
It was kind of exciting and amazing, but I could take two steps while running on a wall… when the skill tree leveled up, it increased by one step. Climbing got a bit easier, too. There weren't many things that I could use there to climb, though. Still, rolling on the ground also worked. As long as I finished the move by standing up.
'As expected, the situation is forcing me to learn more assassin-like skills. This usually would make me feel a bit bad, but since a lot of people want me dead, then I don't feel that bad.'
I also used the spells I learned, but the Healing Skill Tree only got experience when I got hurt… so I had the brilliant idea of exploding the fireball in my hand. A single cast made half of my HP vanish, and the skin of my hand burned like it was boiling oil. Healing magic helped a bit, and the skin was restored, but it kept stinging for a few minutes.
'Well, I can still use this, so it is fine.'
When I hurt myself again, Elemental magic leveled up, and so did Healing. Grinding by myself like that wasn't so bad, but the dark elves around me looked at me as if I had lost my mind. It seemed that such a method to get stronger didn't work for them…
In any case, I use that time as much as possible since I was supposed to leave in the morning the next day to check the town and get used to the territory. I would have to go alone since Diran and the others would stand out, even if they used hoods or cloaks.
"As long as you keep your head raised, the guards won't take notice of you if you use a hood. They will keep looking only for people with complexions like us since they know that we are around the area."
"Let's hope that you are right. Where are they going to execute your friends?"
"They will try in the middle of the town; a firing platform big enough for twenty people will be hard to miss."
"People sure like to see others burn here, huh? Shall I make the platform burn in order to signalize when you should start the operation?"
"We will be counting on that, and we will dispose of the guards' bodies in the dungeon as well, so you won't have to worry about anyone returning there. The dungeon is located at the back of the guard's headquarters. It is impossible to miss…"
I had many questions about the idea of hiding in such a place. I might end up changing my mind when I arrive there… I might have a better chance of fighting dozens of guards instead of staying there.
Before long, I left the hideout and headed to the path that followed the stone bridge. It was midday, but no one was passing around the area, so no one saw me. This was probably because people usually move around early in the morning.
The path ahead was a bit rough and filled with hills, so it took around three hours to finally see the town where the dark elves were supposed to be. As I approached, I could notice my heartbeat increasing. I wasn't tired of moving around despite the rough terrain, so I calmed down after taking a few deep breaths.
One hour later, I arrived in the town. The place was walled, and a bridge was also at the entrance. I couldn't help but gulp when I saw the guards looking at me… I arrived at a difficult time since it was lunchtime, and people didn't come to the place at this time.
At first, the guards glared at me, and I saw their beast-like features. One of them looked like a god, and another like a fox; they glared at me, trying to check me, but soon and then grunted in annoyance as they smelled me… they even spit on the ground.
My plan of remaining smelly to get in the way of their tracking skills worked once again, and I got in the town, but I still felt a bit troubled. That kind of scornful look and disgust causes some damage to my spirit, after all.
The sky was a bit cloudy, so perhaps it was because of that the area felt a bit gloomy… or perhaps it was because of the execution of the captured dark elves. I knew what morbid curiosity was, but I still found it unsettling that it was a thing there.
Morbid curiosity is a psychological phenomenon where people are fascinated by death, violence, and other disturbing subjects. This curiosity often drives individuals to seek out information or experiences related to these dark topics, even if they find them unsettling or disturbing.
In medieval times, morbid curiosity was quite prevalent, partly due to the public nature of executions and punishments. Executions were often carried out in public squares or other central locations. These events were not only meant to serve justice but also acted as a form of public spectacle. Crowds would gather to witness the punishment of criminals, which catered to the public's curiosity about violence and death.
Executions and other forms of corporal punishment were often seen as forms of entertainment. This was a period when public execution could draw large crowds, much like modern spectators might attend a sports event or concert. The brutality of the events was a significant draw for many people.
As someone who almost had been on the receiving end of one of those things, I couldn't help but feel disgusted by that; call me biased; I don't care. Almost dying and turning into charcoal isn't a pleasant experience. Even more so when I saw another platform like mine that was insanely large and ready to be used on the dark elves… it was still early in the afternoon. Still, in a few hours, if we fail… a lot of people would agonize in there.