The forest had become a realm of bright lights, the sun's light and Mana's orbs made it so no obvious place to hide was left and to make it even more difficult, the students stayed in the brightest spots and the formation also increased the space.
I had to knock out twelve highly-trained targets, take tags hidden inside their bodies, and leave without a trace.
"Like the old days, let's see if Jack Jones still has it!"
I went from tree to tree and blended with my surroundings seamlessly using the [Gray Shadow Art] to hide all traces of my existence and [Gray Assassin's Footwork] to move like the wind.
The first target, Ian, stood by a stream, his reflection rippling in the water. His guard was down, perfect for me. I slid up behind him and delivered a swift blow to his neck. His body went limp, and I dragged him behind a tree. I found the tag embedded just beneath his collarbone. One down. Ian was surely the easiest target but I still enjoyed the slight challenge.
The second was Marcus. He kept his head on a swivel, his eyes darting around the forest like he knew where I would come from. But he didn't see me. I stalked him for a few minutes, waiting for the right moment. When he bent down to adjust his boot, I struck. A quick knee to his temple knocked him out cold. The tag was under his ribcage. Two down.
Number three was Liam, one of the [Divine Bloodline] and a top talent of the Gray family. I perched on a low branch, scanning the area from above. I had to climb a nearby tree to reach him, careful not to disturb the glowing leaves. I swung over silently, landing behind him. I took out my pistol and filled it with Mana.
In general, Mana formed a traceless bullet, while Aura was loud and powerful. He looked back just as I was about to shoot and I barely made it away. I landed on a higher branch shot two Mana bullets in random directions and waited.
*Thud!*
The moment they landed, he was distracted and looked away. I came up behind him and struck him. His struggles faded fast, and I found the tag just beneath his nape. Three down.
'Stealth is hard to counter but I expected more from a top talent. The opening was so obvious too.'
The fourth and fifth targets were together, Stelle, and Sean, and talking softly. Two would be harder, but I'd handled worse. I threw a rock into the brush behind them, and when they turned to investigate, I moved in. A hard elbow to the back of Sean's head knocked him out and a bullet to Stelle's head sent her down. I checked their bodies—the tags were hanging from their wrists.
'Five down.'
Target six was a guard on a ridge, overseeing the area like a hawk. I couldn't sneak up easily, so I used his position against him. I circled the ridge, coming up behind him. He almost saw me just as I reached the top, but it was too late. I slid past him and struck him in the jaw. His tag was hidden in his thigh. Six down.
The seventh guard was pacing in a small clearing. He didn't have the calm of the others, but nervous people reacted faster and more erratically. I needed to be precise. I crept around him, staying low, and when he turned his back, I shot forward. A direct Mana bullet to the back of his head, and he was down. His tag was in his shoulder pad.
Number eight had backup—two guards standing nearby. It would be tricky. I leaped in from the tallest tree around. I shot two bullets at the guards and threw my dull dagger at the back of his head. I found the tag in my main target's hip. Eight down.
The ninth and tenth targets were talking by a large boulder. They didn't hear me approach. I moved in. A bullet for each one's head and I retrieved the tags from their arms. Ten down.
Target eleven was trickier. He was sitting on a fallen log, sharpening a knife, his eyes darting around. I needed a distraction. I threw a stick into the bushes, and when he looked away, I darted in. His reflexes were quick, but not quick enough. I grabbed his wrist, twisted it, and slammed him into the dirt. The knife clattered away, and his head hit the ground hard enough to knock him out. His tag was buried near his spine. Eleven down.
Finally, the twelfth target. His size didn't worry me; it was his experience as an old guard. He'd expect a straight approach, so I went low, staying out of his line of sight. When I was close enough, I sprang up, aiming for the side of his head with my elbow. He went down swiftly and I took the tag.
'If I was intent on killing, it would only take one bullet for each person.'
I leaped into the trees to find the last 3 targets, a large amount of concentrated Mana attracted me. I knew who it belonged to.
'Astel, why is he here?'
There were two guards on opposite sides and in between them Astel was standing with his eyes closed and his sword perched on his shoulder.
'This'll be interesting. Like that time in Rio, Wagner would enjoy this!'
I leaped in from the sky, a bullet for the guard on the right. I landed silently and struck out towards the back of Astle's neck with my dagger as I shot at the other guard's head.
The guard went down and Astle's sword stopped just before my neck.
"You're a monster, Son of Algharmain. It's my loss."
"No, you saw me and knew the direction I was coming from, it's my loss." I conceded.
"I just made a lucky guess, I had no idea if you were actually in the area, besides, I was never meant to be here." He tossed me a tag and walked away.
A third guard was knocked out on the ground near him.
"I wonder what that guy's thinking."
I gathered all the tags and headed back to the instructor.