I hid inside one of the nearby huts and looked at the raging Kobolds outside. Watching them run around with ferocious looks on their faces threw me into a daze. Involuntarily I started scratching the scar on my left hand and for the first time since coming to this new world I thought seriously about my life on Earth. Then, about how I arrived here... or more specifically the method through which I was sent here by that girl.
It felt odd all of a sudden and all my previous conjectures felt off as well, almost like pieces were missing from a puzzle you are trying your damn hardest to put together. But they are missing after all and you can't finish the whole thing...
What was I missing? What didn't I pay attention to? My head started hurting and this strange feeling like I was breathing in stale air hit me like a hammer in the chest. I leaned on the wall of the hut and tried to calm down my now erratic breathing and sort out my thoughts.
I woke up from my daydreaming (well I guess is technically night right now) and focused on the two groups of Kobolds searching around. In front of me, the four elites and everywhere else, the soldiers which were trampling the ground in their wake like a rampaging mini-horde. It felt a bit surreal how calm I was right at this moment, since the situation is not exactly that great. However... I know something changed compared to who I was before and I can't put my finger on it exactly. But I know what it had to do with.
If indeed I was killed and it happened exactly as I remember it, my 'self' died that night, snuffed out by those beautiful blue eyes and was reconstructed into this new version. In that case, am I still me? I have all my memories and unlike that night, I can actually feel and care when something happens...but is not the same, like something is missing still. And this feeling I carry with me at all times...
"Clara, I know you're around here somewhere. Don't interfere unless I seem to die! I want to confirm something."
Choices... I had so many since coming here, but if one thing is for sure is that I consciously avoided thinking about what happened to me that night. I ignored it, locked it into a deep part of my mind and pretended not to remember it, hoping that it won't affect who I am right now... But it did and now everything is different. Not only this new world, but me as well with it.
Therefore I should stop trying to run and figure this whole damn thing out...
"And that applies to these mutts as well."
I placed both daggers back in their sheaths and took out throwing knives. As I kept creeping towards the incoming soldier Kobolds, I threw two of them at the ones lagging behind the rest and then took out my daggers again.
Critical damage inflicted! -328HP!
Stunned status inflicted! Target is unable to move for 3 seconds!
Critical damage inflicted! -379HP!
Stunned status inflicted! Target is unable to move for 4 seconds!
Since I was still in the middle of the village, I ran back towards the sixth layer and hid behind one of the huts again. Taking advantage of my newly acquired skill Shadow Walk, I calmed my breath and looked at my status window. With my current HP being 531/831, I breathed out in relief knowing that it was properly auto-regenerating.
"If it could heal up the current headache it would be great. But that's good enough since I'll need my full HP later on. Also there's no increase in exp or a message alert... Meaning that I didn't kill those two. This will be way harder than I originally thought."
I glanced slightly in a direction and saw the four elite (literally) barking orders to the soldiers, which then ran even wilder in search of me, while they returned inside of the 'ger', remaining by the Kobold Boss's side.
I decided to take care of the trash mobs first, then run inside and pick off the elites as well, before finishing off the boss. But finishing them off, now that they are split into groups will be difficult even with my stealth...
However, if I can maintain my calm while fighting them, they shouldn't pose a treat.
"..."
There it goes again...that faint sound similar to static and this feeling trying to claw its way out through the massive migraine I'm having. I need to focus even harder on it. It feels as if it tells me that something's wrong and it forces me to find the answer.
"If that's the case, since there's no other way out, I'll gladly take the hand given to me belonging to a saving angel, or the claws and hoofs of a demon of doom."
With the daggers in my hand I once again looked around and saw that the groups have split into four smaller ones of five soldiers and each is heading towards a different place.
It seems that they don't know my position, meaning that my skill is working properly. Since I also have Night prowl, I am surprised that the two Kobolds didn't die back then, but their HP should be abysmally low. Also, the four groups that have split...
"One to each cardinal point... I will have to run quite a bit around the encampment to hunt them down... 'To hunt is to live' right? 'Stalker' or not, assassination techniques will work perfectly with my hit and run strategy. Plus that in case something goes wrong, I could probably overpower them in a fight of two vs one. Probably..."
I breathe in and let the air fill my lungs as I close my eyes. I clear my mind of all extra thoughts and while I exhale, I leave behind only what I need right now: focus.
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Under the cover of darkness, I silently follow the first group of five soldiers that went west, towards the tunnel and the rock labyrinth. They look on high alert, therefore I want to have a bit more distance between the others and them before striking.
We're almost at the second layer and they keep checking the huts on the way. They seem to grip their swords harder after finding all of them empty and at the same time, they look distracted.
Or maybe they are scared, knowing that someone hunted them like this.
"Since Clara already wiped them out once, I wonder if they maintain their previous memories when respawning..."
We reached the first outer layer and I decided to strike. I am directly behind them at a distance of about five meters and take out a throwing knife. I aim towards his neck and focus.
The knife silently travels and cuts through the darkness and the warm, while accurately piercing the neck of the Kobold.
Fatal damage inflicted! -429HP!
Stunned status inflicted! Target is unable to move for 4 seconds!
Your target died!
The other four immediately turn to him, however he falls to the ground and disappears in a cloud of white particles. I was expecting to see exactly how they would react when their friend turns into hide and copper coins, but I guess the drops will show only when all five are dealt with.
"They don't seem to know my position... I should keep dwindling their numbers with throwing knifes and kill them from a safe distance."
Like planned I kept throwing knives as soon as they stood in place for longer than three seconds, in order to aim properly at a fatal spot. The aim assistance was well received and the remaining ones soon vanished as well, in their place two silver coins and five hides laying on the ground.
After picking them up, I looked towards the place where my throwing knives were.
[Two are broken. Is not good to overuse and not maintain them properly you know...](Clara)
"Is not like I know how weapon maintenance works... Have you seen the entire thing?"
[Yes. Those four, have you seen their status windows?](Clara)
"Yeah. They are really strong... I am not really confident in fighting all four at once."
[Liar. Something changed from before. You leveled up again didn't you?](Clara)
"I'll explain later in detail. How can you tell?"
[If you are further than three meters away from me I can no longer follow you with my eyes, unless I use the mana perception skill. Is quite annoying.](Clara)
"That's the whole purpose of it... Anyway, I'll go clean up the rest of the soldiers and fight the elites. I need to gouge their strength for our own soldiers."
[Have fun!](Clara)
This OP dark-elf...she actually thinks hunting and slaughtering this monsters is fun. I can't blame her after they killed humans outside, but she's enjoying this a bit too much.
"She gives off a really weird vibe. It kind of messes up my focus..."
I rotated north, alternating through the second and third layer and found the group. Thus, I used the same tactic and three other knives broke. After picking up the money, the same two silver coins and put the hide in the bag, I realized now why the weapon clerk called them 'expendables'.
After cutting straight through the middle of the village again, in order to check the situation, I ended up reaching the south group and eliminated them also. Fortunately, my daggers were just as good at one-shooting the Kobolds from a more intimate distance, so no throwing knives were ruined this time.
Deciding that I will need the remaining three knives for the fight with the boss since I can't kill him from up close, I walked towards the east group planing to use only my daggers.
Only a couple of steps away from them, I closed my eyes, breathed in so that I can calm down again and sprinted in their direction.
With the right hand, I stab the first Kobold in the back and he falls to the ground.
Fatal damage inflicted! -549HP!
Bleeding status inflicted! -98HP/sec for 8 seconds!
Your target died!
The closest soldier sees me and lounges with his sword towards me. Using my left dagger slightly lowered, I parry and let his sword slide to the the ground next to my leg, making him lose his balance. Without missing the opportunity, I stab him with the right dagger in the neck and take a step back.
Fatal damage inflicted! -621HP!
Bleeding status inflicted! -123HP/sec for 12 seconds!
Your target died!
In just about 10 seconds, the first two Kobolds were silenced successfully and since I backed off more than three meters away from them now, the remaining three lost sight of me again.
I circle around them, while they brandish their swords towards the place I was previously at. Since they are close together, I stab the first two in the back, probably hitting the lungs from the blood coughing sounds as they fall on the ground.
Fatal damage inflicted! -628HP!
Stunned status inflicted! Target is unable to move for 3 seconds!
Your target died!
Critical damage inflicted! -679HP!
Stunned status inflicted! Target is unable to move for 4 seconds!
Your target died!
The remaining Kobold is shaking slightly, making this rather difficult and awkward. But only for a second as he starts running in a crazed way in my direction. I parry the first strike, then the second and use force of the third to guide it towards the ground again with both daggers, while using my right shoulder to ram into him.
We both fall and since my daggers have a better reach, I stab him first.
Fatal damage inflicted! -702HP!
Stunned status inflicted! Target is unable to move for 3 seconds!
Fatal damage inflicted! -649HP!
Bleeding status inflicted! -98HP/sec for 8 seconds!
Your target died!
[And that's all the small ones. Now you go for the remaining five?](Clara)
"...yes."
It was a good gain of experience, as well as money. Each kill was worth quite the lump of exp before the multipliers by the Job and the blessings.