《Ascent of the Archwizard》
The World Called Atelia
Sluggishly pulling up his body from the bedding underneath him, it only took a moment for him to realize something was wrong.
He just felt... Different, and a single glance at his body confirmed his thoughts. Small, thin, and pale.
Lucid Dream? He pinched himself, but only a sharp pain followed¡ªnot the expected awakening.
And it wasn¡¯t just his body, the room he was in was completely unfamiliar. There was no wallpaper, no concrete, and no paint. Only roughly hewn wooden logs lined the walls and ceiling, giving it an old feel.
The quilt on him was thick and coarse, and underneath him was some form of animal hide. Whatever it was, it wasn¡¯t comfortable. He threw it aside and stood up, his mouth agape.
What was going on? A bird¡¯s chirp pierced the stillness, moving his gaze to the square hole in the wall, was this a window? It was merely an opening with no glass.
Leaning through it, he saw dark green pine trees littering the orange hue of a sunrise, while a crude wooden fence surrounded the building he was in. It was only then that he realized how fresh the air felt to breathe, was this the legendary air quality from an AQI of under 10?
Suddenly he heard the creaking of wooden planks from beyond the door, causing his mind to race.
Should he jump out the window? Could he jump out the window?
That moment of hesitation allowed the visitor to reveal themself.
¡°Lin, my god! You should have told me you woke up!¡±, a young woman cried out, rushing towards him. After just a few movements she had already enveloped him in a tight hug. But rather than relief, he was anxious.
Waking up in an unfamiliar room? And a stranger started hugging him out of nowhere? And...
Lin? Who was Lin?
As if waiting for that thought, memories flooded in like a tidal wave. He had been to an old library, where, out of curiosity, he had opened an ancient book. The next thing he knew, he¡¯d lost consciousness and now found himself here.
Was that it? What was that book?
¡°Lin!¡±, the woman¡¯s voice brought him back to reality. She gently pulled him back down to the bed, unwrapping a bandage from his head. He hadn¡¯t even realized it was there.
¡°Ah! Y... Your wound is completely healed! There¡¯s not even a scar! It¡¯s a miracle!¡± She leaned forward and embraced him tightly while sniffling.
¡°Mother... really thought you weren¡¯t going to make it, I... I don¡¯t know what I would have done if you left us¡±
Hearing that, the situation finally clicked. He had possessed a boy named Lin, and this woman was giving a heartfelt hug to an imposter. A pang of guilt flickered through him¡ªbut he couldn¡¯t respond¡ªher son was gone.
The boy who now took the name Lin quickly analyzed the situation and came to a conclusion: This boy had been severely injured, and most likely perished. However, he used the ancient book and took over his body at the last moment. It¡¯s even possible that his old body was now occupied by the previous Lin, but that was mere speculation.
The unfortunate part was that he had no memories of this body¡¯s original owner. Thankfully, the language seemed to be the same, at least the phonetics.
Watching his unfamiliar new mother crying on his shoulder while hugging him, Lin didn¡¯t know what to feel. His fist silently clenched, he didn¡¯t really know what was happening, but it was only a matter of time before he¡¯d figure it out.
That was the first day Lin had arrived in the magical world of Atelia.
¡°Brother!¡± A high-pitched, lively voice rang out from behind him.
Lin turned, his gaze falling on his little sister, Lei, skipping toward him with a mischievous grin. ¡°Lei, don¡¯t mess around in my room while I¡¯m gone, alright?¡± he called, though his tone lacked real sharpness.
She giggled, clearly planning something mischievous, but Lin didn¡¯t press it further. His words were more of a gentle deterrent than a true scolding. He¡¯d said them a thousand times before.
Exiting the cabin, he walked to an old shed and took a bow, arrows, and some pouches from the wall.
A deep voice rumbled from the doorway, and Lin didn¡¯t need to look to know it was his father, a broad-shouldered and bearded figure, entering the shed.
¡°Hunting again? Don¡¯t go too far, and stay clear of the Vibrant Grove. A new King Moose has claimed it as its territory.¡± His father paused, his expression serious, the weight of his words hanging in the air. ¡°And make sure you prepare¡ª¡±
¡°I know, I know,¡± Lin interrupted, a little impatient. He threw a quick glance toward the gate and headed out, stopping his father from going on a 5-minute long rant. The man was somehow even more overprotective than his mother, believe it or not.
¡°See you, Mom!¡± he shouted towards the woman hanging laundry on the clothesline next to the well.
¡°Stay safe! Oh, and don¡¯t be too late, we¡¯re having something special for dinner tonight!¡±
He clasped the fence¡¯s gate shut and swiftly made his way through the forest. Looking at the various shades of green surrounding the cobblestone path brought him back to the first time he had left the cabin. It had been 7 years since then, but the scenery hadn¡¯t changed one bit.
Lin learned a lot over that time, including the system that only he could see.
Softly chanting the word ¡¯Status¡¯ in his mind, elegantly written black text appeared in his vision like ink splashing onto an empty canvas:
©§ (Status) Name: Lin Dawnbloom Age: 15, Longevity: 100
©§ (Physique) None ¡ª 8
©§ (Mana) None ¡ª 0
©§ (Spirit) None ¡ª 0
©§ (Talents) None
©§ (Affinities) None
©§ (Arcana) None
©§ (Aptitudes) None
©§ (Traits) None
It was... Lackluster. Other than his name, age, and what he assumed meant a potential lifespan of 100 years, it was as if he had nothing.
Had he not known about this system, he wouldn¡¯t have realized this was a magic world at all, there were absolutely no indications of any magic except strange beasts and plants while living here.
Seven years! He trained his body every other day, ate meat caught from hunting, and regularly practiced archery, but physique showed no change. As for mana and spirit? No matter how much meditation or spiritual thinking he did gave even the slightest of enlightenment, it was simply hopeless.
He worked tirelessly, but it was like trying to catch the wind¡ªwas this the fate of those without talent?
What was even stranger than his lack of magical prowess, however, was his surname. It must be said that Lin was a commoner in this world, a peasant of the Edelweiss Kingdom. A surname? Only the aristocracy had such luxuries.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
So why did it say Dawnbloom?
He had mentioned the name a few times with his family, but none of them ever had any reactions, so he was simply at a loss as to why the system deemed it so. The only connection he could make to it were the deep purple eyes he and his sister shared, which was an oddity in itself because neither of his parents had colored eyes.
He had never truly been to a market or town in this world specifically because his parents didn¡¯t want him to reveal his eyes to others, apparently colors like purple were strictly noble.
A rustling from the bushes snapped him out of his thoughts and his hands instinctively reached for his bow. But he didn¡¯t pull back the string just yet; there was no point in wasting energy. Patience was key.
The seconds ticked by. He waited, but nothing appeared. ¡°They never come to your doorstep,¡± Lin muttered, shaking his head. ¡°I should keep on moving.¡±
An hour later, Lin arrived at one of the traps he had set the day before. ¡°Nothing,¡± he continued forward to the next trap.
He checked each one methodically, but his pouch was still empty. It wasn¡¯t unusual to come back with nothing; hunting could be fickle.
Still, the emptiness gnawed at him. The last hunt had been like this too, he wanted to at least bring back something today.
Finally, after three hours of checking traps, he approached the last one. Climbing over a falling log, he jumped down and brushed some low branches from in front of his face and looked at the final trap he had set.
His breath caught in his throat.
A behemoth moose was devouring whatever had been caught in the trap, staining the grass in a deep crimson. Normal moose were herbivores and wouldn¡¯t touch meat¡ªbut not this one. Its antlers were golden and circular in shape, almost resembling a large crown around its head.
King Moose!
He had thought it was in the Vibrant Grove, and that was far away from here! King Moose were a higher-level creature and were supposed to be fairly intelligent for a beast, so why would it leave its territory?
The beast did not give him time to think and slowly picked up its head from the corpse of a small animal, its golden beady eyes staring straight into his own.
A chill ran straight down his spine, freezing his body still. His legs wouldn¡¯t move. He wanted to run, but his feet felt nailed to the earth. Lin had hunted hundreds of animals, but at this moment it was as if he had never hunted anything in his life.
The beast¡¯s hooves dug into the ground as it charged toward him.
Move, damn it! Move!
But instead of his legs, his hands acted first, the calluses on his palms proved just how much he had practiced to be able to instinctively shoot.
A crude arrow flew through the air, but the King Moose didn¡¯t flinch. Its massive antlers deflected the shot effortlessly. It was then that Lin snapped back to reality.
Run!
He spun on his heel, sprinting back toward the path, but immediately regretted turning straight back when he realized that his route was cut off by the log he had climbed over to get here.
Shit!
Throwing his body to the side at the last second, he heard wood cracking as the moose rammed right into the log, creating a large divot in it. But Lin didn¡¯t look back. He didn¡¯t have time, he directly stepped on a half-broken branch coming out of the log and climbed on top, his heart pounding.
Then, just as he was about to keep running, his father¡¯s old words came to mind. ¡°If a beast is coming at you, fight. Turning your back is the same as asking to die. If you run, it will catch you. You must kill it before it kills you!¡±
Clenching his teeth, Lin crouched low on the log, nocking another arrow, this time aiming for the body, not the head. He couldn¡¯t afford another missed shot.
His hands were steady. But the log shook beneath him, branches snapping as the moose collided with it again. This was completely different than firing on steady ground, and his aim wavered as he struggled to maintain balance. An arrow flew through the air and he didn¡¯t even bother to check if it hit its target before grabbing another.
Bang! Another impact and the log gave way. Lin immediately tumbled to the ground. By the time he pulled himself up, the moose was already rushing at him.
Yet, there was no bow in his hands. Did he drop it in the fall?
The air went still.
Is this how he¡¯d die? Him, a transmigrator, without ever achieving anything?
No!
With frantic desperation, Lin reached for the survival knife strapped to his side. He slashed upward, the blade sinking deep into the moose¡¯s neck as it closed the distance.
Hot and thick blood sprayed across his face, stinging his eyes.
The King Moose staggered back, roaring in pain, and Lin pressed forward. There was no hesitation, no fear¡ªonly the desperate need to survive. He lunged forward and stabbed through the opening between the moose¡¯s antlers. The creature let out a guttural roar and knocked him back before collapsing.
Pulling his sore body off the muddy ground, he wiped the blood from his eyes and stood up. His hands trembled and his chest heaved with exhaustion while the reality of what had just happened hit him like a wave.
He hadn¡¯t just survived; he¡¯d won.
He looked at the golden antlers of the dead King Moose, a strange sense of disbelief washing over him. It all happened so quick, he almost couldn¡¯t believe it.
It was only now that he remembered that King Mooses have soft skulls, they¡¯re designed to withstand extreme vibrations from ramming with their antlers, not stabbing. It was no wonder he could plunge the knife straight in to kill it instantly.
Lin immediately understood that this is what his father always meant when he said you could never prepare enough. He wasn¡¯t prepared for such a scenario and failed to make proper judgments. Had he swiftly reacted and created a strategy utilizing the King Moose¡¯s weakness, he wouldn¡¯t have been put in such a precarious situation.
No, he should have formulated the plan before he even ran into the moose. Although uncommon, it¡¯s not unheard of for territorial beasts to roam outside their territory.
Kneeling down, Lin carefully inspected the corpse of the King Moose. Its golden antlers gleamed in the fading light as he skillfully cut them free. The rest of the carcass was too heavy to take alone and would attract predators quickly, but the antlers¡ªthose were valuable.
Practically running back through the shortest route home, Lin couldn¡¯t help but laugh. He had faced death and came out victorious. What would his parent¡¯s expressions be when he brought home King Moose antlers? His face beamed with a smile just thinking about it.
After nearly an hour of trekking back home, the sky had shifted into twilight, displaying the long amount of time he had been hunting today.
He took a quick detour to wash off the blood in a nearby lake before continuing home. The memory of his mother nearly fainting the last time he returned, bloodied from a botched attempt at skinning a deer he couldn¡¯t carry, was still fresh in his mind.
Finally arriving at the sight of the crude wooden fence surrounding a log cabin and shed, Lin¡¯s eyebrows wrinkled. What happened to the front gate?
It was completely busted in, like somebody had kicked it down. Was his father remodeling? It didn¡¯t make sense¡ªhis father would never leave something half-done, let alone this mess.
Then the smell hit him. A sharp, metallic tang that made his stomach twist. How could Lin¡ªan experienced hunter¡ªnot know what this smell was?
Blood. And this wasn¡¯t the faint stench of the King Moose that was still lingering on him.
In an instant, he dashed to the front door which was smashed through before he even arrived.
The color drained from his face as the King Moose antlers dropped to the ground with a thud. The dead bodies of his parents sprawled across a pool of blood soaking the living room floor.
How long did he stand there, frozen in shock?
Their wounds were so grievous that it was hard to even look at them. It couldn¡¯t have been a beast, there were no bite or claw marks.
His mind spun, yet no thoughts appeared, the silence of the cabin was deafening.
It was only when he realized that he didn¡¯t see the body of his little sister that he woke up and began tearing through the cabin in search of her.
¡°Lei! Lei!¡±
He frantically checked the cellar, the shed, and even the hidden compartment under the shed floor, yet there were no signs of her anywhere.
She wasn¡¯t here. But she wasn¡¯t dead. There was no blood¡ªno sign of her body. Could she have run away? He looked back at his dead parents, both inside when the attack happened.
Unlikely, the back door had been closed while he was searching for her, if she had run out in a hurry she probably wouldn¡¯t have closed it behind her. And Even if she did manage to escape, how far could she run? Lin knew better, there was no way she could outrun an adult, especially one who could murder so fiercely.
So, he could only come to a single conclusion: She¡¯s been taken.
¡°Damn it!¡± Lin¡¯s voice cracked as he dropped to his knees, fists pounding the wooden floor. ¡°Damn it all!¡±
For several agonizing minutes, he stayed there, shoulders shaking as the pain devoured him. But when he finally lifted his head, his expression was different¡ªserious, a deep wrath that completely contrasted with his childlike face.
He slowly stood up, carefully inspecting the scene. The wounds were sharp and sliced, whoever did this must have been armed. Furthermore, upon closer inspection, his father had managed to grab the emergency axe they always left at the front door, but it was snapped in half.
His expression tightened, the attacker was strong. It should be known that his father was not a weak and timid individual, to slay him so easily must mean they knew at least basic martial arts.
The axe head didn¡¯t even have a blood stain on it, his father either didn¡¯t have time to pull off a proper swing, or it wasn¡¯t even enough to counter the enemy.
Perhaps it was even more than one assailant.
Kneeling down and touching the blood, it was cold but hadn¡¯t fully hardened yet, which was surprising, because blood dries fairly quickly when exposed to the air, the event probably had happened less than an hour ago.
He moved outside the cabin and began carefully inspecting the paths through the mountain. Within just a mere 5 minutes, he discovered multiple sets of unfamiliar footprints and broken twigs¡ªcareless movements, as if they didn¡¯t expect anyone to follow.
¡°Arrogant bastards¡±
A fiery look appeared in Lin¡¯s eyes as he gazed at the path the killers had taken. They¡¯d regret ever being so careless, he¡¯d make sure of it.
The Mission
Meticulously scouring the forest¡¯s edge, Lin finally resigned himself to the high likelihood that Lei hadn¡¯t managed to escape into the forest. She was small and light, but frantic movement left traces. His years as a hunter told him as much.
Could he be wrong? Possibly. But the odds were slim.
What he did find, however, were more tracks of the apparent attackers from the opposite direction they had left from. Comparing this set of tracks with the first ones he found also allowed him to confirm with a fair amount of confidence that there were three individuals.
Was it a planned operation? Likely not, their actions had been far too messy, and they hadn¡¯t waited for him to come home and tie up all potential loose ends.
Every fiber of his being wanted to chase them down immediately before the trail grew cold, but Lin knew his own limits, he wasn¡¯t an idiot.
He had just spent the entire day hunting, including killing a King Moose that nearly left him dead in the middle of the forest. Although he didn¡¯t feel tired now due to the adrenaline, it was only a matter of time before the exhaustion caught up with him.
Hunting was a delicate process, one which he didn¡¯t dare to risk while fatigued, especially when the prey were armed humans. Fortunately, it was late, and chances were the invaders had a camp somewhere nearby.
The forest at night was no friend to the weary. Nightlash Wolves were a common beast in this region, and although weak during the day, their strength multiplied under the moonlight. Even if they had lanterns¡ªwhich weren¡¯t exactly cheap¡ªLin knew just how blind one could be under the dense canopy of the forest.
Unless they were veteran hunters, they wouldn¡¯t dare to travel through the forest at night like this without a camp close by, and if they really were veterans, they would have likely pillaged the hunting resources in the shed.
Due to this knowledge, he was fairly certain he would be able to keep on their trail even if they got ahead of him, as they probably wouldn¡¯t travel too far during the night. He directly went to each of the trails and marked their locations and the general direction they moved in.
Grabbing a rusty iron shovel from the shed, he walked over to a large oak tree in the yard and stabbed it down into the ground. Before long, his shovel hit something hard, and he began clearing out the dirt covering it.
Moving to the side by a few feet, he continued and kept on shoveling. After over an hour of sweat, his arms burned with fatigue, but he wasn¡¯t finished yet. He stood overtop of 2 wooden crates hidden a foot under the ground and stared at them with a melancholic gaze. He really didn¡¯t think he¡¯d ever need to use these things his dad buried here, but now was the time.
So, what were in the boxes? Weapons? Poisons?
Carefully lifting the lid to one of the rectangle crates, the inside was revealed: Nothing.
It wasn¡¯t that they had been stolen from, but rather...
They were coffins. Not for others, but for themselves.
At the time, he couldn¡¯t help but laugh at the man silly, like he was an absolute fool. But now...
Lin could only admit his father was a genius. Who could have predicted these things would come in clutch at this moment?
His father could.
The man was always stern about proper preparation, but it was only now that Lin realized how important it was. Lin was truly on a time limit right now, if these hadn¡¯t been prepared here beforehand, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to give his parents a proper burial.
Under his breath, he muttered, ¡°Thanks, Dad,¡± before heading to the cabin to clean up and seal the bodies.
Wiping the blood from their faces and changing their clothes, his hands trembled as he arranged them in their coffins, ensuring they looked peaceful. The two King Moose antlers he¡¯d claimed yesterday were placed beside each of them, it was the only way he could honor them on such short notice.
He only hoped he wouldn¡¯t have to bury his little sister like this as well.
By the time he was done covering up their graves, he was utterly exhausted. They had no headstones, but that was fine, not only were they expensive, but they made great targets for grave robbers, so most commoners didn¡¯t use them.
Drearily heading back to the cabin, and without needing to open the now broken-into front door, he waltzed in and gazed at the now-cold meal that had been prepared for his return. It was a meat pie filled with various homegrown vegetables and Cabeste meat, an animal that looked like a duck with large bat wings.
It was his favorite.
He grabbed a plate full and wooden eating utensils and then sat down at the now-empty table. But rather than eating, he only sat there in silence, looking at the empty seats around him.
They weren¡¯t his original parents. He wasn¡¯t the original Lin. But over the past 7 years, he had truly treated them as his family.
He laughed with them. Cried with them. Shared with them.
And although he had never told them the secret of his identity, he kept them close like loved ones.
¡°Why¡±You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
¡°Why! Damn it!¡±
His fist pounded the table and his voice creaked as the view in his eyes blurred. On earth, he had lost his parents at a young age, and as an only sibling, he practically had no family that he was close to.
But here was different, he truly got to experience what it felt like to have a family. And now it was gone. Taken away from him by those... those... those bastards.
The sound of his wooden fork stabbing into the pie broke the eerie silence as candlelight lit up the indescribably cold expression covering his face.
Pulling a few layers of heavy quilts from his bed, Lin gripped the knife he had gone to sleep with and stepped out into the brisk autumn air. Thin frost blanketed the ground, a harbinger of winter¡¯s early arrival.
The well water bit his skin as he splashed it over his face, causing him to shiver, but he forced himself to focus. Today, there was no room for error.
This was a matter of life and death.
After drying off, he returned to the kitchen and gnawed on a loaf of dense black bread as he headed toward his next destination. It was as unappetizing as ever, but he¡¯d long grown used to it.
Entering the shed, a familiar scent of aged wood filled his nose as he knelt down and lifted up a floorboard revealing the hidden compartment. This was not a time to be picky or to save on materials, Lin directly plundered everything he could, taking only the best to carry with him.
He wore a cloak that was lightly covered in grass, reminiscent of a ghillie suit, one which his father had personally crafted for him as a birthday gift, and put on winter hunting gloves designed with exposed thumbs and index fingers which were ideal for using a bow.
Strapped to his pants were two knives, and over his shoulder he threw his hunting bow, its quiver hanging securely.
He packed a variety of concoctions, uncertain of what he might need¡ªBaiting Powder, Herbal Scent, Sleep Poison, and Butick Frog Saliva. Normally, he would never take along all these items as they were worth too much to lose, but that didn¡¯t matter anymore.
Although the others were rather self-explanatory, the Frog Saliva was rather interesting, Butick Frogs were a certain species whose saliva had the specific property of quickly dissolving blood. It was said that they primarily preyed on Blood Spiders, which led them to evolve in such a way.
For food, jerky, bread, and water were all stuffed into his backpack, separated from the vialed chemicals by spare clothing.
Each item was chosen with a deliberate purpose. Expecting second chances for a mission like this was foolish.
As Lin walked towards the mark he had left yesterday identifying their route, he silently recalculated the plan in his mind¡ªthere was no room for errors.
He dripped some herbal scent onto his suit, masking his presence with the earthy aroma of foliage. Beasts and humans alike would smell the forest and nothing more.
He was going to scout out the enemy camp and see what exactly he was dealing with.
His gear softly clinked with each step into the forest, and he grimaced. A quieter load would¡¯ve been ideal, but survival came first. Without the bow, he couldn¡¯t guarantee a successful ambush. Without supplies, his options would be greatly limited.
But as the tracks they left the night before became less and less clear with no camp in sight, he began to feel worried.
Had he made the wrong judgment? Did they really dare to travel through the night?
It was just then that he crested a hill and froze.
Below, nestled in a lush valley, was a sprawling encampment. Dozens of tents surrounded an emerald lake, there were no less than 50 men, all with swords on their waste.
Lin¡¯s expression tightened, bandits?
It seems that this wasn¡¯t going to be easy.
Dropping to the ground, he scanned the camp, searching for any sign of his sister. His gaze darted from tent to tent, but no obvious slave quarters were visible. Lin frowned, if she wasn¡¯t here, then this could already be considered to be a half-failure. After all, rescuing Lei was his top priority.
It was also now that he understood why the King Moose had left its territory, because this was the Vibrant Grove! He had his suspicions as he was traveling towards it, but now it all made sense. It seemed some bandit gang had settled down here.
Suddenly, the snap of a twig behind him caused him to flinch.
¡°Hey, wanna play cards after shift?¡±
¡°Cards this cards that, all the fuck you do is gamble¡±
¡°Come on man, gambling is the greatest joy of life! Even women cant compare¡ª¡±
He lay there frozen until the sound of chatter slowly walked by, seemingly oblivious to his presence.
His camouflage had done its job, but he had been careless. He was too eager to scout the camp. That could¡¯ve been the end. He couldn¡¯t help but shiver at the thought of alerting them, then them making a ruckus causing the entire gang to swarm him.
Even though he was freezing, he felt a drip of sweat run down his neck, he nearly died just now.
Lin adjusted his position, retreating deeper into the forest. Hours slipped by as he observed the bandit¡¯s routines. Scouts patrolled with irregularity, making it difficult to understand their routine.
Was it laziness or genius?
He guessed it was laziness, seeing as they were bandits. However, in the randomness laid a pattern: they switched shifts every hour, precisely on time. Was it because the bandits really didn¡¯t like working that they ended their shifts with pinpoint accuracy?
Flicking his wrist and stretching his fingers to maintain blood flow in the frigid air, he finally determined it was time to begin. While learning of their movements, he had planned out his entire route.
Slipping to the eastern edge of the camp, he started spreading bait powder along the west side in a deliberate trail, starting light and growing heavier as he neared the camp. He didn¡¯t need much¡ªthe stuff was strong. Once satisfied, he circled towards the east, choosing a concealed vantage point.
The camp erupted in chaos half an hour later. Nightlash wolves, drawn by the bait, swarmed down the valley. Cowbells clanged, and shouts emerged as bandits scrambled to fight them off.
Why did he put the baiting powder on the west side only? It was because the food storage was in the east. Thankfully, the wind was also moving towards the west tonight.
Lin moved with precision, slipping into the camp¡¯s eastern side under the cover of the commotion. Near the food storage, two guards stood watch¡ªone leaning lazily against a crate, the other absentmindedly picking his nose.
He let out a mocking smile, even amidst the chaos, the bandits remained arrogant.
Quietly climbing a nearby tree, he nocked an arrow and drew the bowstring taut. He could feel his hands trembling¡ªnot from the cold, but from the weight of what he was about to do.
The memory of his parent¡¯s lifeless bodies flashed before his eyes, sharpening his resolve. With a soft hum, the arrow was released, piercing straight through the head of the awake bandit.
Blood sprayed as the body crumpled. Lin wasted no time, firing a second arrow before the other guard could wake up. Two bodies hit the ground in quick succession. He descended from the tree and sprinted towards the alcohol barrel, quickly lifting the top and pouring all the sleep poison he had strapped on his waste beforehand.
The poison¡¯s slow onset was perfect¡ªby the time they realized it, it would be too late.
Closing the barrel, he stabbed their bodies a few more times and dragged the two of them into the forest, purposefully leaving a messy trail of blood.
Looking back and forth and seeing that no one noticed, he went to the crate the asleep bandit rested on and wiped the bloodstains with the Frog Saliva. It worked better than he had expected, directly dissolving the blood and not harming the wooden boards at all.
He then unsheathed their swords and used his knife to tear apart some of their clothing, smearing everything with their blood and throwing them along the blood trail.
Lin didn¡¯t dare to spend too much time here, once he was satisfied with the scene he immediately dashed into the shrubbery and continued moving away the corpses.
Merciless Night
Wiping the blood from his longsword, a middle-aged man frowned, his face gleaming under the light of campfires. An oblique scar streaked down his face¡ªa hardened man who¡¯d served in the country¡¯s military once upon a time.
¡°Captain,¡± a voice cut through the silence. A lanky bandit with unkempt hair stepped forward.
¡°We¡¯ve killed the last of the Nightlash wolves. What¡¯re your orders?¡±
The captain¡¯s eyes didn¡¯t shift from the now clean blade in his hand. ¡°Check the perimeter.¡±
¡°But¡ We just lost 6 men, nobody¡¯s gonna want to¡ª¡±
The captain¡¯s sharp glare made his voice catch in his throat, there was no need for any extra words.
¡°Y-yes, Captain.¡± The bandit turned, barking orders at the others.
Grabbing a bottle of spare liquor, the captain finally sheathed his blade, his eyes narrowing as he looked into the dark forest.
Something wasn¡¯t right.
Nightlash wolves didn¡¯t attack without a leader. It didn¡¯t make sense... Unless they¡¯d been driven here that is. A predator strong enough to cause a whole stray pack of Nightlash wolves to migrate?
Could there be a demonic beast?
Many may not understand what it means to face such a monster, but he did. He closed his eyes tightly before letting out a sigh. Still, tonight was a victory, the Nightlash pelts would fetch a fair price on the market.
Fifteen minutes later, the bandits reported back. The entire perimeter had been scoured clean, and there were no signs of anything unusual.
Well, almost no signs.
¡°Captain, Miller and Jeris are missing,¡± one of the men said, his voice tinged with apprehension.
¡°Missing?¡±
¡°Yes, sir. They were stationed by the food. We found a trail of blood leading into the forest.¡±
He followed the man to the food storage, where a grim scene awaited: blood smeared across the grass with ripped clothing and abandoned swords. Inspecting the surroundings for a minute, he had a good idea of what happened, ¡°Stray Nightlashes must¡¯ve taken them,¡± he continued, ¡°They were probably bringing some back for their young¡±
Muttering under his breath, ¡°Damn bastards, dying to a mere wolf, I knew Jeris was a lazy ass, but I thought Miller was better than that¡±
One of the bandits chimed in, a friend of Miller, ¡°Should we search for the bodies?¡±
The captain scoffed, ¡°Forget it, we have their swords, besides, do you want to fight some Nightlash Wolves in the forest just to get back some half-eaten corpses?¡±
The man went silent, realizing he had asked a foolish question.
The captain¡¯s hand rested on his chin for a moment in thought, ¡°Post new guards, Jeremy and Sen are free, right? And burn the dead, we¡¯re eating well tonight.¡±
The bandits cheered, their morale rising at the prospect of fresh meat and full bellies, ¡°You¡¯re the best, Captain!¡±
Over an hour later, the camp was engulfed in silence while the strong scent of alcohol permeated the air. Among the sea of sleeping bandits, a lone figure moved under the dead of night, taking in the scene.
Honestly, he was shocked, he truly hadn¡¯t expected all of the bandits to drink so much alcohol, not only had they all drunk, but they had all drunk so much that they emptied their previous bottles and gotten new alcohol. For most of them, this was expected, but for every single one of them to do it? Bandits truly were different!
A soft smile appeared on his face, it could be said that the plan couldn¡¯t have gone more perfectly, but his heart was still beating rapidly.
Peering into tent after tent, he continued to find various plunder: piles of clothing, gambling tables, and even harshly bruised women who were bound by chains. He wanted to release them, but now was not the time, nothing could go wrong. However, as he continued to search and circled the whole valley, Lei was unfound.
His fist clenched till it turned white, was he here for nothing?
No. At the very least, he would get revenge for his parents.
By the time he returned to the camp¡¯s heart, the night had gotten even colder, casting a wind that left a chill against his skin. He glanced at the various bandits sleeping soundly. Normally, he would go for the captain first in case anything went wrong, but since he needed information about Lei, keeping the most informed person alive¡ªwhich was likely the captain¡ªwas paramount.
He hovered over a bandit who was alone and took out his knife, but frowned in the next moment. How can he kill them without having them wake up and make noise?
Lin was a hunter, not an assassin, he didn¡¯t know the correct spot to strike at.
Looking back at the tents, an idea popped into his mind, he dragged him into the most isolated tent he could find and then stuffed his mouth with a dirty rag. Taking a deep breath, His blade mercilessly struck into a soft zone of the man¡¯s neck, the place he assumed would lead to the quickest death.
The bandit immediately opened his eyes and coughed, blood seeping from the wound as he sluggishly flailed around. It seemed the poison was stronger than he had thought, as the guy could barely move around as he bled out.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
A deep unease welled within him while he watched this disgusting scene, but his resolve was stronger. Within 30 seconds, the muffled noise was gone, and he walked back to the campfires, grabbing another bandit.
With each kill, his movements grew more precise, his strikes faster. He stuffed their mouths, wrapped their heads in blankets, and figured out the most vulnerable spot on their necks. One by one, the bandits fell, their drunken and poisoned bodies unable to fight back.
Then, as he dispatched another man, a strange sensation unlike any he had felt before rippled through him while black ink scrawled across his vision, forming elegant text:
©§ You have received Low-Grade Spearmanship Talent
Lin froze, ¡°Low-Grade Spearmanship? But I¡¯m not even using a spear¡±, he immediately brought up his status.
©§ (Status) Name: Lin Dawnbloom Age: 15, Longevity: 100
©§ (Physique) None ¡ª 8
©§ (Mana) None ¡ª 0
©§ (Spirit) None ¡ª 0
©§ (Talents) Low-Grade Spearmanship
©§ (Affinities) None
©§ (Arcana) None
©§ (Aptitudes) None
©§ (Traits) None
Why?
Was it because he killed a certain amount of bandits? Or because he killed this specific bandit? But this guy clearly had a sword by his waist.
Although Lin was unable to grasp the reasoning behind gaining this talent, his eyes shone with excitement. He could gain talents! If killing these bandits granted talents, he could grow stronger. His grip on his knife tightened as he resumed his work, assassinating the remaining men with cold efficiency.
However, after spending an entire hour killing off nearly all the bandits, there were no new notifications. But he wasn¡¯t disappointed, even gaining one talent was a sign that he could change his fate in this world.
Knowing he needed to keep a few alive for questioning, he took some ropes from a tent he had seen previously and dragged them out into the forest before tying them to a few trees. Heading back to the camp, he couldn¡¯t help but think that he should have packed some ropes himself for such a situation, that had been an oversight.
Finally, he stood before the captain, a large burly man with a thick beard and a jagged scar across his face. However, now he was merely lying against a log, sleeping while clutching a jar of ale.
Lin walked around to his side and aimed his knife, then swiftly stabbed into the man¡¯s right thigh with all his strength. He didn¡¯t want to kill, only incapacitate.
The captain¡¯s eyes jolted open to the searing pain of a knife buried in his thigh. His roar echoed throughout the camp as he swung an arm, smashing the glass jar he¡¯d been holding against Lin¡¯s head.
Lin staggered, pain blinding him as shards dug into his skin. But the captain was already on his feet, blood running down his injured leg.
¡°Who the fuck are you?!¡± the man bellowed, lunging at him.
Lin barely dodged, his mind racing. The poison¡ªwhy wasn¡¯t it working? The captain shouldn¡¯t be able to move, let alone attack.
He only just managed to raise his arms to block when another fist knocked him away and sent his body skidding along the mud.
What strength!
The captain bellowed, ¡°Who the fuck are you, brat!? Men! Get him!¡± But only silence followed his voice. When he darted his gaze across the empty camp, he seemed to have understood something and he grimaced. His face turned red as he dashed forward, ¡°Bastard!!¡±
Lin¡¯s mind raced, analyzing his opponent. The injury wasn¡¯t slowing him enough¡ªbut he could exploit it! He immediately zigzagged and veered off to the left, trying to circle around the captain¡¯s injured leg.
¡°You little fucker!¡±
It was working! Lin took his hunting bow from his shoulder and swiftly released an arrow. He wasn¡¯t nearly as accurate as if he was standing still, but he could still run and shoot.
The captain unsheathed his sword in an instant, deflecting the arrow with ease. Lin cursed under his breath, this wasn¡¯t going to plan, did the captain not drink the sleeping poison like he thought?
Sweat dripping, Lin knew he needed to gain distance, so he deliberately pulled out an empty vial from his backpack and threw it. The glass glinted in the firelight as it arced through the air.
The captain¡¯s eyes narrowed, sidestepping to evade. But before he could react, Lin let another arrow fly¡ªa snake-like shot that relied on the fact that he knew the captain would use his uninjured leg to dodge.
The arrowhead slammed into the captain¡¯s cheek with a sickening crack, flipping his head back.
Lin didn¡¯t hesitate. He poured out shots like rain, each arrow digging into its target. The bandit¡¯s large frame buckled, blood staining his clothes as he collapsed to the ground, his breathing ragged but his glare defiant.
Nocking another, Lin approached cautiously. Arrows jutted from the captain¡¯s body and his cheek was ripped apart revealing the bone, yet he still wasn¡¯t dead.
Lin spoke slowly, ¡°Female, Beautiful, purple eyes, 1.4 meters tall, skinny, and black hair¡±
The captain spit out blood, ¡°What the fuck are you talking about¡ªshit, how the hell did you poison me¡±
¡°Where¡¯s the 10-year-old girl you took¡±
The captain¡¯s eyes seemed to drown in fury as he glared at Lin from the ground, ¡°Fucking kill me¡±
Lin frowned, ¡°Tell me where she¡ª¡±
¡°I don¡¯t fucking know god damnit!¡± The man wheezed as blood left his body, ¡°If we had a noble girl like that, you think we would be camping out here?¡±
Lin remained silent.
He started to laugh, ¡°I thought it was weird some noble kid was ambushing our camp, so it¡¯s like that, I understand!¡±
¡°What do you mean¡±
The captain smiled.
Then, a dagger flashed in front of Lin¡¯s face, forcing his eyes to widen in shock. When? How?
It was only subconscious reflex and the slowness of the dagger that allowed him to barely twist his head away, but it still managed to slice through his cheek. Without hesitation, Lin released an arrow at the captain¡¯s head, splitting into his skull.
His right hand reached up to touch his now bloody cheek, ¡°Fuck, I should have been more careful¡ª¡±
©§ You have received Low-Grade Knight Aptitude
His hand suddenly paused as a coolness spread from within his body, similar to when he had received the spearmanship talent.
He pulled up his status without delay:
©§ (Status) Name: Lin Dawnbloom Age: 15, Longevity: 100
©§ (Physique) None ¡ª 8
©§ (Mana) None ¡ª 0
©§ (Spirit) None ¡ª 0
©§ (Talents) Low-Grade Spearmanship
©§ (Affinities) None
©§ (Arcana) None
©§ (Aptitudes) Low-Grade Knight
©§ (Traits) None
Knight aptitude!
The problem was, he didn¡¯t really know what having a knight aptitude meant. Weren¡¯t knights high-ranking soldiers who wore full plate, wielded swords, and rode horses? Was there really an aptitude for that?
No, using the knowledge of his old world¡¯s knights to understand this world¡¯s ones was a foolish endeavor. Maybe he was poisoned, but because he was a Knight with this knight aptitude he could resist the effects and give such a strong counter-attack.
Grabbing the bandit captain¡¯s fallen sword, Lin lifted it up and swung down, then left, right, and so forth. Yet nothing happened. He did not feel enlightened, nor adept at swinging it, truthfully the only reason he wasn¡¯t incredibly clumsy was due to his years of chopping firewood with an axe.
Perhaps this aptitude wasn¡¯t as good as he had thought, or maybe it was just what it said, an aptitude. But where could he learn Knight skills as a peasant?
Letting his thoughts wander, he eventually directed his attention to the various tents which cast shadows across the lake, a soft smile appeared on his face.
¡°Well, I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll figure it out somehow, but for now it¡¯s time to take my loot¡±