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Azumi point of view

"Well, take care" [Azumi]

"Thank you so much Mister for saving us" [Dog tribe girl]

"Who knew what will happen to us if you haven't help us back then" [Lady A]

"Don't worry, I have someone important in my life and I can't help but to think how she would react knowing I would just abandoned you" [Azumi]

"She's so lucky!" [Lady B]

"Still, are you sure you want to go and investigate that area Mister?" [Dog tribe girl]

"Well, let just said I am one curious Mercenary" [Azumi]

"Well, be careful out there, lich is a strong undead, it's ok if you ran away when seeing one" [Lady A]

"I agree" [Lady B]

"Thanks for the thought, oh do remember to tell what I have tell you to said at the guard post ahead" [Azumi]

"Sure!" [Dog tribe girl]

"We'll see you later" [Lady A]

"Bye!' [Lady B]

They approach the guard at the castle wall. I have told them that to tell the guard regarding the carriage incident just now and how the mysterious helper just disappeared to the forest looking for the lich that make the citizen of that town worry about their safety.

How I managed to know that? Let just said they tell me to be careful when traveling at high speed as they said they hear a rumour regarding a lich that seem unaffected by day light.

Eventhough I told them that I will go there and investigate, in truth I will only spend some time in the forest to hide and wait for night to come to cross the city wall

(Now then, where should I take a nap?) [Azumi]

I have been running non stop, so a quick power nap would be really appreciated

(Here look fine) [Azumi]

An open field, with one big rock in the centre

With the fatigue got the better out of me, I just lean towards the rock and let nature set it course, with a small lightning bolt magic functioning as an alarm to wake me up

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

(2 hour of sleep will do...) [Azumi]

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(!) [Azumi]

Azumi woke up, sensing something off in his environment, he quickly see his small lightning bolt alarm and find that another 30 minutes of time remain before it slightly send a wave of shock to his finger. He dispel the magic alarm

(Is that the lich they mentioned?) [Azumi]

He activate a stealth mode magic and go closer to the lich but to his suprise, he can't sense any malice from the undead lich

(Now that's peculiar) [Azumi]

Since Lich is an undead and said to be born out of revenge or evil spirits, finding one with a malicious intent is nothing but a norm, however he found a rather peculiar lich

(Interesting... There should be some time before the guard in the city finally lower their guard, so I should investigate this matter first) [Azumi]

He continued to tail the lich.

(Just what is this lich thinking?) [Azumi]

He can't help but to think something amiss, the lich have been gathering material here and there, even killing a rabbit along the way and skin it for the meat. A peculiar action

(Contract lich? No, I can't sense any magic of such coming from the lich) [Azumi]

The mystery deepen as Azumi take a mental note of the thing that the lich have been gathering. It carries a number of herb and wild vegetables, also taking some salt from the rock salt before putting everything in the basket before finally getting some pure water from water tree nearby

(Cooking? A soup? For whom?) [Azumi]

Azumi make those conclusion based on the material gather. Those are all for food, nothing suggestive of any weird black magic ritual

After some more tailing, the lich goes back to his nest as it doesn't collect any more material. He keep on tailing the lich until he see a wooden shack, an old abandoned one for that. Not only that, he see three more lich entering the shack and inside of it he can sense...

(This is bad!) [Azumi]

He can sense a human child inside of the shack, in panicked he rushed toward the old abandoned wooden shack and quickly slam the door to open it up forcefully only to find a little girl around the age of 10 thanking the four lich for bringing her cooking material.

They all stood there, staring at each other in shock, Azumi because of what he had just seen and the 5 of them for seeing someone intruding the shack

"Ehh?" [Azumi]

"Wh.. Who are you!" [?]