As I walked to join my small group, I observed the changes that happened in my short absence. Some things, like their position, were the same. They were still at the border between the Blacks and the Reds, killing the small horde of critters that attacked them, a rare few, usually, the smallest, ignoring them to move forward recklessly.

I dealt with them as I moved.

[+9 Experience]

My actions were less about the concern for others and more about increasing my experience gain, which was also the reason I had 'offered' my assistance to Gert. Killing small monsters might be a chore for them due to their decreased experience gain, but I wasn't plagued by the same problem, making it a worthy benefit.

And since my — admittedly, somewhat hasty — actions revealed that I was not just another farmer to the wider population, I had no problem taking a more aggressive role. Combined with the increased intensity of monster attacks, I expected even more experience gain.

[Level: 10

Experience (0/43,500)

Experience: 156.214]

I already had enough to level up at least once, but I didn't want to do that before I gathered enough to make me confident about the potential to level up at least twice. Triple the experience required to level up should be enough.

I wanted to have the option to level up twice, in case something went wrong, and I needed the extra edge. Not to say a part of me wasn't tempted to store even more, but I ignored that part. Trying to play it too safe, especially in such circumstances, was ultimately a terrible move.

Karak was the first to notice my approach, but Terma was the one that reacted visibly. "Euon is here," he gasped as he dashed toward me. I looked at him, more puzzled than alarmed, as he abandoned formation and dashed back.

"Damn it, brother, how many times I have to tell you, don't abandon the formation," Jertann shouted without even looking, continuing their fight.

"Yeah, yeah," he said, his enhanced speed dragging him in front of me. I caught his expression, filled with a star-struck expression. "Everyone tells you that you're a warrior. Tell me, is that true?"

I chuckled at his enthusiasm. "Maybe," I said as I walked forward, and he followed me enthusiastically. "Didn't your brother explain?"

"He didn't," Terma said with a frown. "He said that you are a farmer, but everyone else is saying different. I can't believe I missed that! Did you take three people down with one move like everyone is saying?"

I chuckled as I listened to his rapid statements. "One question at a time, young man," I said.

"Sorry," he muttered, ducking his head. I chuckled as I considered his words. Still, I made a note not to reveal any real secret to Jertann. Not because I was afraid of his lack of loyalty — especially for a man that I knew only for a day — but his clear lack of flexibility in the face of new information.

Not a great problem.

"Now, that's true, I'm not a farmer but a fighting class," I admitted, right as I arrived to join the rest of the group, but since I didn't want to get more questions about my class, I deflected. "So, you returned to the line," I asked.

"Yes, we did. Sorry about that," Jertann said. "But we don't have the numbers to hold our part of the line in the first place, and I can't punish the rest due to a few assholes. You're not angry, right?"

His attempt to ask my approval showed that it was not only his brother who was feeling a touch of hero-worship, but at least managed to keep it under control. "No worries, I understand the desire to help," I said. I could have explained to him, long and detailed, about how not making people properly pay for their smaller discretions would result in bigger problems down the line, but I refrained.

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I didn't like lecturing people who wouldn't listen. Jertann looked like a man who would only learn from experience.

Whether he would survive was his fate.

"Perfect! Do you want to take the rear again?" he asked.

"Not necessary," I answered. I looked at Silas, who was showing signs of exhaustion, and Karak was even worse. "Why don't I take the point and let you guys catch your breath a bit?"

"If you prefer," Jertann said and gestured for Karak to move to support me.

"No need, stay with them," I said to him.

Karak just nodded, silent and accepting as usual, but Silas argued. "Are you sure you can handle it, old man?"

"Yeah," I said.

"Still, is that necessary?" Jertann said. "Even if nothing goes wrong, they say we still have a week until we can reach the port. Exhausting ourselves is not necessary," he argued, ignoring a very pointed cough from Silas, who probably delivered the exact same speech about holding the line with only four people.

I took note of his mention of our destination — a port that was a week away with the speed of the caravan, meaning it was probably two days for me on foot, and barely half a day more if I dared to use river highway — as well as the way he reported it, implying his knowledge about the destination was second-hand.

Then, I pointed toward the Black group that was closest to us, which was in the process of being reinforced as I joined again. "I know it's not the best, but with everyone watching, it's for the best to put on a show, in case they start to get ideas." Then I pointed my finger at Terma. "I'm sure your brother would appreciate the show."

"Yes," Terma shouted.

Jertann grumbled as he looked at his brother, but then he nodded, and I walked forward. With my position changed, I was killing a radically increased number of beasts, and unlike everyone else, I was doing it alone.

[+26 Experience]

[+9 Experience]

…

[+41 Experience]

Blacks weren't the only ones that were talking among themselves as they pointed at me. They were too far away to hear, but their body language was clear. They were unhappy that their rivals had gained a dangerous weapon, one that could fight against both monsters and people with high efficiency.

Amusingly, most of the Reds didn't look very happy about it either, which was inevitable. It was the reason I wanted to stay under the radar before my little mistake ruined that part. Even among friends — which Reds were decidedly not — showing off too much was a dangerous thing.

It was why I made sure to act too slow when one of the faster beasts attacked me, leaving a bad scratch along the length of my side — however I doubted anyone noticed that I let that bleed for a while before allowing it to recover.

[-1 Health]

With my shirt bloodied, it looked like a bad wound.

They moved forward, quick to help, but I gestured for them to stop. "The monsters are getting more crowded," Terma protested.

"Come on, young man, I thought you wanted to watch me fight," I said even as I took another beast down. However, I could notice the reaction of the more distant observers from the corner of my eyes.

They were not relaxed, at least not completely, but after the wound, their gazes toward me lost their urgency. After all, my wound revealed to them that I was anxious to prove myself, but didn't know my limits.

A good way to reduce the urgency.

I stayed in the front for more, letting things develop slowly yet steadily while receiving a few wounds in the process as well, each let to bleed more than necessary. Once I fell back behind Jertann and the others, I was stumbling in — fake — exhaustion.

"Finally done," Jertann said, his tone worried yet impressed, which showed he failed to notice the performative nature of my little show. He needed to learn how to truly observe.

"That was …. awesome," Terma said, clearly more interested in the flashier aspects of my show, enough to ignore the implications of the wounds, which was even worse than his brother's case, but as a teenager, it was to be expected.

Silas just grumbled, however her eyes were similar to Jertann's.

Karak, on the other hand, watched me carefully, his Perception and attention, combined with the advantage of the distance, allowed him to understand the trick I had pulled. I just nodded at him, which was enough to keep him silent.

He certainly had all the qualities, I thought as I took a rear position once more, to continue to look exhausted. Silent, observant, loyal — as far as I could ascertain — and decisive.

Jertann was a different issue. He was loud, capable, and personable. Some of the gangs loved to recruit people like him, but only as a blunt weapon, somewhere between a walking marketing billboard and a lightning rod; selling a more positive image of the gang, yet dying first when a disaster struck.

And then, most gangs would just turn to Terma, overselling his brother's fate, filling his mind with the stories of revenge, and letting him loose as a wild weapon of destruction.

Not exactly my preferred way of operating. Even as an enforcer, I would have preferred Silas over Jertann. She had an edge that Jertann lacked, making her harder to manipulate with a few words.

However, as I killed another beast, I let myself focus on the present. I was just traveling with the group for a week before we could arrive at the port. Once we arrived, I could disappear and slowly explore the new world I found myself in.

I focused on harvesting experience. I wasn't naive enough to believe that just because I wanted to disappear and retire did mean that it would be possible.