I tried to dispose of the most troublesome guys, and I almost pulled it off. But my failure made the guy more cautious. He just focused on tracking me and telling the other guards where I was going. At the same time, he stayed behind some guards to avoid being sniped.
I thought that I would have a hard time thanks to that, but that couldn't be further from the truth… by putting my things in my backpack, I was able to run without feeling any weight while the pursuers had to move around with their heavy armor.
Some of them were a bit stronger than me and used less energy to run. Still, I had potions and used them to recover my stamina whenever possible. At the same time, my plan was finally working… the smoke was spreading around the town, and the enemy was unable to follow me by my smell. They couldn't find me with their eyes that easily either.
'Their numbers aren't that high… it must be because Diran and the others are causing some trouble to the guards as well. It is time to check the gate and see if they are finally done.'
Half an hour had passed since I started the ruckus, so the others should have had plenty of time to leave. The southern gate was sealed tight with some guards in it and ready for battle, so I headed in the opposite direction…
Soon, I found the northern gate with many more guards, but the gate was half destroyed as if countless fireballs had burned it down. They had escaped, so it was time to hide. When I headed to their headquarters, I found a trail of half-burnt bodies. It looked like Diran and the others had a lot of magic power, considering that they were supposed to be from the thieves' guild.
Anyway, I soon found the entrance to the dungeon completely abandoned. At least the entrance was fine. They realized that it would be hard not to search for me there with the door destroyed.
After I checked the surroundings a bit, I opened the entrance of the dungeon, and soon, a very gruesome smell came out from it; it made my eyes spin… the scent of blood, shit, and something else made that dark place even more ominous looking. Still, I forced myself to enter without hesitation.
The interior was dark, but I could see things inside pretty well. Thanks to that, I didn't trip and fall as I went down the stairs. It was a bit long, but it was narrow enough for only two people to enter at the same time. If something happens, I will be able to fight the enemies off for a while.
'How am I going to spend the night in this shit hole?'
The air was thick with the acrid odor of dried blood, piss, and shit that coated the cracked stone floor. The dim light from a torch flickered across the walls, revealing the remnants of several destroyed cages. Broken bars jutted out at odd angles, twisted and warped from their previous use.
The ground was a grotesque, grimy mess, a grim sign of the suffering that had taken place here. Pools of congealed blood and dried stains were scattered around, mingling with the filth that had accumulated over time. The walls bore the marks of desperate clawing and the occasional blood smear as if the prisoners had tried to claw their way to freedom or perhaps simply mark their passage.
The cages themselves were in shambles. Some were completely demolished, and their remains were tangled wreckage of metal and wood. Others were barely recognizable, their once-prisoner inhabitants having left their marks in a final act of defiance or despair. The air was thick with the heaviness of unfulfilled cries and the echoes of suffering.
It was clear that the guards had shown no mercy. The conditions had been deliberately harsh, intended to break both spirit and body. As I surveyed the scene, it was evident that the survivors—if there were any—would come back with a thirst for revenge. They'd remember this place, the brutality of their treatment, and the guards who had inflicted it.
'I suppose the human guards did this… they have to follow the orders of their new leaders without questioning. Well, that is not my problem, but avoiding such problems with authorities will only make them more enemies in the long run.'
I regretted taking a deep breath to relax since the smell there was the worst. In the end, I grabbed my bow and arrows and sat in front of the stone staircase to fight if enemies came from there. Things were pretty quiet outside, but the guards were noisy, if anything.
Relaxing there was virtually impossible, so I wondered if I could do some training without focusing too much and making much noise. Still, it seemed that just staying still was good enough…
(The Veiled Presence Skill Tree leveled up. You received 30 Experience points.)
Since I was being looked for, I was gaining experience in that skill tree. I wondered why I didn't get experience before… maybe it was because the enemies had some idea of where I was at that point in time, unlike now.
'Leon Maxwell probably would have been a real menace if he had trained his skills with a system like this.'
He was a normal guy, so he lived his life normally as well. Thus, perhaps he had around five years to use his powers. Even if that power was split among his family, that still would have made him a real danger to many people.
While I was thinking about that, several hours passed, and I began to relax a bit. It seemed that the guards would turn the town upside down to find me, even though they didn't see my face, or maybe they were following Diran and the others.
The idea that he was going to send someone to help me someone more and more slim as time passed. Still, at least something was there, helping me keep my head somewhere else.
(The Veiled Presence Skill Tree leveled up. You received 40 Experience points.)
(You have upgraded the Veiled Presence skill tree.)
Veiled Presence: Improves your skill in moving unseen and unheard.
Sneaking Novice: Learn the basics of sneaking, reducing detection radius by 10%. (Requires Veiled Presence skill tree at Level 01)
Stealth Movement
Move silently, reducing noise generated by 20%. (Requires Veiled Presence skill tree at Level 05)
I acquired a new skill, and it seemed that fate wanted to make me an assassin. As if my reputation wasn't bad enough, some unknown forces wanted to make me a backstabbing guy. Still, perhaps that wasn't the worst of the ideas. People wanted to hunt me in droves, so I might as well become a bit cowardly in order to increase my chances of survival.
While I was thinking about that, I suddenly heard the sound of something being knocked on…