I spotted the surveillance by accident, which was explained by my poor Perception – I simply hadn't had time to level it. If it weren't for my Stealth, they would never have lost sight of me and wouldn't have popped out from behind the bushes. Of course, there was a chance they were just some perverts, but I wasn't counting on that. The worst part was that I recognized the trio following me – I'd seen them in the shower that morning, so I remembered them well, even though I hadn't tried to stare. I understood, of course, that the guild wasn't some mythical brotherhood where everyone had each other's backs, but I hadn't expected such an open setup from that side either.
You got sloppy, Nika – thought the new world meant new people. Yeah, keep dreaming – good heart and three legs. Nope, it's still Homo sapiens: sneaky, greedy, and corrupt. Don't get me wrong – I haven't lost faith in people or hate them. It's just that I've seen too many scumbags with no moral principles, though I did meet a few decent ones in my past life.
Heading deeper into the forest, I decided to follow these guys. I didn't hope to capture and interrogate them – not at all. I couldn't even see their names or levels, which meant they were at least 10 levels higher than me. I just wanted to overhear what they were saying. First, I used the anti-tracking skill – in case they had an artifact or ability – then started circling them in stealth mode. The guys were already searching for me openly, and after about ten minutes, they decided to head back to the village. The cheerful trio walked slowly, so I crept to within 10 meters, constantly reapplying the anti-tracking skill. The skill cost 10 mana per use – 30 per hour, given it lasted 20 minutes. Since my mana regenerated passively at about 20-25 per hour, I could keep it up for several hours.
Meanwhile, the would-be trackers were discussing me, and by straining my hearing a little, I could make out their words.
"Ber, I'm telling you, that slut is dead. Only in that case – or if she's moved more than 20 kilometers away – the skill doesn't show the person. Dead, and that's it," the brunette insisted impulsively, pushing the version that worked in my favor.
"And I'm saying we need to comb the forest. She may have been low-level, but there's nothing here above level 12 either. I suggest we split up and search the nearest few kilometers."
"Why waste time trampling the forest? You know perfectly well my skill doesn't fail – we've tracked plenty of slippery prey together. Have you ever seen me miss?"
"I don't doubt your skill, but understand – we can't complete the contract without at least presenting proof of death. And if they take our word for it, do you realize what will happen to us if that bitch shows up in public? Do you know who's behind our clients? We do this simple job and we're set for life."
"Fine, whatever you say. So we split up and search for our lost little lamb?"
"Exactly. Either a corpse, or her on a leash – alive pays double. You, Mida, head along the river at a brisk pace. Ask your favorite guardsman if she came back that way, then return the same route. Me and Dugi will go into the forest and look for tracks where we lost her, from different directions. Meet up in three hours on the bank where that bitch was looking for something in the water."
First, the brunette split off from the trio. Then, when the remaining two reached the spot where I'd been stalking the rat, they split up. The one called Dugi – a big guy about 1.85 meters tall, with a mustache like Stalin's, wearing leather armor with iron plates and carrying an axe – headed into the forest toward the village. The leader also went into the woods, but away from the village.
I definitely couldn't knock these bruisers out. Killing them – maybe. Did I need that? Why leave enemies at your back? Let everyone who takes a contract have second thoughts. And I hold grudges. I went after the leader, since he seemed the most dangerous. Tall, but wiry rather than bulky, with stubble, long hair slicked back, carrying a spear. His movements marked him as a hunter – silent and fast in the woods. Though the brunette had left, I kept the anti-tracking skill active, just in case they'd anticipated me following and fed me disinformation.
My Endurance had dropped to 40, and I had 12 mana left. I was about to turn and run when my pursuer decided to take a break. He was probably tired too – he'd already clashed with wolves twice during his walk. Ahead was a fallen tree. This part of the forest was very dense and quite dark, so my night buff was active, boosting my Stealth.
Sitting on the fallen tree, Ber pulled out a flask and took small sips. I was five meters away, slightly to his left and behind him. I moved each step with extreme caution – he wasn't winded, but he was breathing heavily, while I tried not to breathe at all. He swiveled his head, searching for something, but he couldn't spot me. I didn't even look at him directly, keeping him in my peripheral vision, since I knew that even without any system, some people could feel a directed gaze. When I got within half a meter, I already knew where to strike. Since with my damage multiplier I couldn't one-shot his health bar, I needed a debilitating hit. I knew such a spot – the neck artery. If severed, the victim would bleed out in seven seconds. I gripped the dagger in a straight hold and struck directly into his neck, where the artery should be. The dagger sank to the hilt, slicing through his throat and coming out the other side. I immediately jumped back, releasing the weapon. He spun around, swinging his spear like a club, but there was no one there. With a stunned look aimed straight at me, he collapsed dead.
You received 2000 EXP for killing human: Ber, Level 27
Stealth +4
Strength +1
Agility +3
And there it was – first blood in the new world. People react differently to their first kill, but for me it wasn't the first, or even the tenth. No moral anguish. I quickly searched him. His purse had only 8 silver. In his boot, I found an unremarkable knife – I left it. On his right hand was a ring – the system showed nothing even when I put it on, so I left that too. Selling such a recognizable item in the village was impossible without getting caught, and I had nowhere to hide it. The flask held some fruit juice; it was a standard metal flask resembling aluminum, so I left that as well. I decided to return to the trio's meeting spot.
When I reached the agreed-upon place by the river, Ber's subordinates were having a grand old time. Mida was on her knees in doggy style, while Dugi was hammering her in the ass from behind. The girl, without a shred of shame, was screaming loud enough for the whole area to hear. And they were doing it with their backs to the forest. I'd never believe such idiots existed in real life, so sensing a trap wasn't hard. I stopped at a distance of 30 meters and started watching them. I could only see the girl's face in profile, but it wasn't hard to notice that every 30-40 seconds, she'd stop screaming for a second and concentrate her expression. So she was banking on some skill. To risk or not – that was the question. I decided not to and waited.
Forty minutes later, they disengaged. Mida had a golf-hole sized gap where her asshole used to be, with cum dripping out. After carefully scanning the area, she went to the river to wash up, while Dugi started scouring the forest with an attentive gaze. For a moment, I thought I'd missed a chance to strike a conveniently exposed back, but I dismissed the thought. After Mida, Dugi quickly washed his gear, they dressed, and sat on rocks by the river. Their grim faces showed they were worried about their leader, but I was far away and they spoke quietly, so I heard nothing.
It was getting dark. The pair of bounty hunters were still sitting on the riverbank, waiting for their leader, unaware that he'd been rotting for hours. I'd bet they never even considered that I could have taken down that asshole. Dugi walked into the woods, gathered brushwood, and built a fire to roast some meat. I was pretty hungry myself, but I had no choice but to endure.
After eating, Dugi started hitting on Mida. She resisted at first, then relented, bent down to the big guy's crotch, freed his cock, and took it in her mouth. The brute closed his eyes and started enjoying life.
Meanwhile, I began slowly approaching them. I crept from behind Dugi. Though we were in fairly open space, I was crawling low from the river's side, confident that in the twilight these lovestruck fools wouldn't spot me. From my past life, I had good knife-throwing skills. In my new body, the skills had probably faded, but my eye was still there – tested on the rabbits I'd killed with rocks. I needed to hit Dugi in the neck and throw a knife at Mida. Ideally in the neck too, but wounding her leg so she couldn't pursue would also work. But luck was on my side – the strike went perfectly, same as last time, and Dugi started wheezing. That idiot didn't even stop sucking her friend's cock to check. Instead of throwing the knife, I leaned in slightly and drove it into the base of her neck, severing the spinal cord. Unlike her buddy, she didn't die instantly – she stared at me with wide eyes for several long seconds.
You received 3700 EXP
You reached Level 7
Free Attribute Points: 35
Stealth +8
Intelligence +2
Perception +1
Strength +1
Looting these bastards, I found another 7 silver coins and took another standard unremarkable knife from Mida. I dumped the bodies in the river – not just tossed them, but weighed them down with stones so they'd stay submerged for a good long while. But when the blue Dragon's Seaweed started reaching toward them, I was surprised. Maybe the seaweed also eats meat – that could be quite interesting. I'd have to ask Dex, but without giving myself away.
I trudged back to the village. By the time I arrived, it was already night. The village gates weren't closed, but two guards were on duty – my familiar young guy and some older man. They seemed serious about their job: no sleep in their eyes, both alert. They recognized me and let me through without questions.
At the guild, I walked in calmly, marveling at the local security's carelessness – anyone could just waltz in. But I hadn't even taken a full step inside when Miya appeared before me as if out of thin air.
"The Bull wants you urgently. Quick – he's furious."
I followed her at a fast pace, wondering why they were looking for me. Maybe there was a tracker on guild badges, and he already knew everything. Unlikely – otherwise those guys wouldn't have taken my contract. Though who the hell knows. Maybe they did find out – either way, I'd deny everything and see how it played out.