I was thinking about the best way to level up even after I lay on a thick mat — in my new tent, courtesy of Jertann.
The return had been smooth, and I was tempted to lie down and enjoy a long nap — while spending Health kept my body in optimal condition, not sleeping for three days was already taking its mental toll.
Especially considering none of those days could be called ordinary by any stretch of the word.
Yet, I didn't want to risk delaying the opportunity to level up for another day, for one reason only.
Trying to level up in the camp was simply too risky. I didn't know how vigilant the soldiers were, how much stock they put into leveling, and just how fast they could run. They could run the full length of the camp in seconds if any of them had Speed unlocked.
No, I needed to get out of the camp, and considering the risks implied in the process, I needed to leave the camp without arousing any suspicion.
I stayed in the tent for two hours, resting as I watched midnight come and go, waiting for the camp to lose its vigilance before I left my tent. I hadn't brought along my new weapon.
The halberd was beautiful, but far too attention-grabbing, which was the most dangerous thing I could do for an undercover operation.
Instead, I carried a small bundle with me. Two daggers, some spare clothing, and most importantly, a flashy hat and cloak I had purchased from the inner camp. It sounded counter-intuitive for an undercover task, but sometimes, it paid off to have props to have people focus on — especially if props worked to hide noticeable features like my gray hair.
When I left my tent, the Red section was mostly silent. I took a note of Zolast, who was sleeping in his cart, right next to his equipment, no doubt ready to react in case someone tried to take his weapons.
The group had chosen to set the camp next to Zolast's cart, which I welcomed, not just because I preferred to stay close to my cook, but because of the location.
Zolast camped at the edge of the section, and it made my task of getting away much easier.
I watched the Red groups patrol. They were careful, but their attention was turned outward, allowing me to pick an opportune time to slip out of the camp.
I didn't have the luxury of a complete disguise, but that was not what I wanted in the first place. I just needed to keep people from following me closely, until I could slip out of the camp. Luckily, it was much easier to sneak out than to sneak in. For once, with constant patrols, a lot of people moved away.
Once I was close to the outer side of the camp, I found a concealed spot to change into my flashier clothing, the hat, and the cloak. On the other hand, I tied a black band around my arm — which I put on when I had a chance to observe the patrols.
Knowing about the workings of the camp allowed me to act much laxer, though, that didn't mean it was a completely unskilled affair.
For a start, I decided to step out of the shadow of a cart only when the patrols on my path were fitting for my benefit. Not only there was a gap between them, but also the closest two groups were the Reds and Greens, which made it unlikely for them to prompt a lone patrol member of the opposing group when he was just walking away.
Getting away was simple, and I moved farther and farther away from the camp, ready to dash back the moment I came across a large beast. I was particularly tense because I was walking on our route rather than in reverse, meaning the path hadn't been patrolled yet.
I was betting that the huge bonfire made a bigger target.
A dangerous bet, but luckily it paid off, and I managed to get away without any issues.
After gaining some distance, I turned to my right and started walking towards the river, this time almost crawling, hoping that no one bothered to look that carefully, which was made more difficult by the occasional attacks of the monsters, getting more frequent the farther I got from the camp.
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{+12 Experience]
…
[+35 Experience]
Soon, however, I was able to face another, an even more dangerous source of danger. The river… When the distance between me and the river was reduced to less than a hundred yards, I slowed down. I didn't want to get too close to the river, acutely aware of the dangers in its depths.
Unfortunately, for the next part of my plan, I needed to stay close to the muddy riverbank.
I had picked my destination carefully. There was a nice hill near the river, which I could hide behind as I changed. I found a nice hiding spot to hide my stuff. Then, I undressed, leaving everything I had but my good dagger in that concealed spot.
Getting them muddy or wet was not something I could afford, not unless I wanted to shout suspiciously as I returned.
Then, I walked even closer to the riverbank and covered myself with a thick layer of mud, which, when combined with the darkness, would do wonders to hide me away from potential aerial observers. Being caked in mud was not a fun feeling, especially while wearing just a loincloth, but it was much better than the alternative of getting caught.
What followed was a laborious trek of two hours, with me walking close to the river as fast as I could manage without leaving too many signs of my movement — the raging river was useful in erasing any footstep, and I kicked the beasts I killed into the river, which hopefully helped them keep the fish downstream.
I was moving in the opposite direction of the river flow, ready to trigger my accident and jump in at the first sign of movement, but two hours passed without any dangerous event, giving me hope that, maybe my plan would go smoothly.
It was a slow trek, especially considering just how fast I could have moved with the abilities I had in place. Still, I moved forward. Maybe I could get away enough that I could avoid the attention of the camp.
Not to mention, the experience was also welcome. I was killing considerably more beasts than I had been doing while I was a part of the patrol, giving me the hope that maybe I could level up three times.
A good plan. Pity it was interrupted by an exquisite roar from the distance. A tiger, I noticed, at the other side of the river, the biggest beast I had ever seen. The river was thick enough that such a thing should have been impossible, but I doubted it would keep away a supernatural tiger that overshadowed an elephant.
Its enthusiasm as it tensed suggested so.
"All Abroad the water train," I muttered as I reached the system. It was the time to take the risk. Hopefully, the tiger wouldn't swim.
[-43,500 Experience]
[Level up!]
[Stat Points +10]
[-53,900 Experience]
[Level up!]
[Stat Points +10]
[-66,000 Experience]
[Level up!]
[Stat Points +10]
An explosive glow surrounded me, and despite the great danger I was in, a smile found itself on my face. I was hoping that I had managed to gather enough experience to allow me to level up three times — but success was certainly welcome.
It was a close call.
I leveled up, but not for free. I noticed four signs of movement at the same time. A flying vehicle, appeared from the clouds, luckily, far away and not directly on top of me; the tiger jumped, strongly enough to look like it was flying; a movement in the camp, in the form of a silver figure yet moving fast enough to rival a sports car…
And a stirring in the depths of the river, one that came with the mental call, one that was distinctly familiar… I wondered if it was the same monster that I had dealt with before, or just similar.
Then, it burst into the surface of the river, high enough that I noticed a sword buried in its head, confirming my suspicion.
"No time like the present," I muttered as I threw myself into the river. It put me directly against one of the threats, which was far from ideal considering it clearly recognized me and had a grudge, but considering it allowed me to avoid three of those threats, I found that acceptable.
I assigned half of my stat points desperately even as I jumped into the river, leaving the rest for emergencies.
[+5 Strength]
[+5 Agility]
[+5 Perception]
[-15 Stat Points]
I needed Strength to move as well as I could manage underwater, while Agility and Perception were there to make sure I could react. Was I confident about lasting against a tentacle beast, no…
Did I have any other choice, also no? I needed the water to conceal me properly before the soldiers could get a proper glimpse of me. And, if I was lucky, they would just conclude the tiger had eaten me successfully.
I expected them to ignore the river. Actually, the whole plan depended on that. With their Skill-dependent style of fighting, no one could fight against the fish even if they had the requisite Stats.
There might be underwater fighting, of course, but considering their careful avoidance of the water, I was willing to bet against that.
I let the water take me before I pulled myself deeper I used my pull to dodge the first tentacle that attacked me, the beast clearly unprepared for my increased speed. I nearly doubled my Strength since our encounter, and it clearly showed.
The raging waters of the river weren't enough to conceal the raging roar of the tiger as it lost its prey, but that was all I was able to pay attention to before I let my blade dance, killing the fish that gathered around, hungry for prey.
The tentacle monster wasn't the only threat, only the biggest.
[+46 Experience]
…
[+33 Experience]
I kept my eyes open, trying to see through the turbulence at the bottom, waiting for the inevitable tentacle, even as I started counting mentally to make sure I didn't get out earlier than I needed.
The beasts were dangerous, but I still preferred to deal with them rather than the soldiers…