As soon as Kristofer felt the chill down his spine, he heard the sound of rapid footsteps behind him. His instincts screamed at him to move, and so Kristofer jumped to the side just as he heard the sound of something cutting through the air in a deadly hiss.

When Kristofer looked to the side, where he had just been standing, he now saw the servant he had been chasing. He could barely comprehend why the servant, whom he had deemed so insignificant, was giving him such a sense of danger.

But soon Kristofer discovered why. The servant didn't stop after the failed surprise attack because as soon as he missed his strike, he lunged again at Kristofer with a dagger in hand, the same weapon that must have made the hissing sound as it cut through the air.

Despite being surprised, Kristofer didn't panic. After all, despite being young, he had been trained in a special regiment of the duke's army since he was fifteen years old, which was why he had reached the stage of metamorphosis at such a young age.

Kristofer, with his muscles tense and ready for action, assumed a defensive stance. He could feel the adrenaline coursing through his veins as he prepared for the imminent attack. The servant, with a dagger in hand, advanced toward him. The strike was quick and precise, aiming directly at Kristofer's neck. But Kristofer, with his sharp reflexes, made a subtle body movement, narrowly avoiding the blade of the dagger.

Next, Kristofer retaliated. With a quick and powerful movement, he punched the servant in the face. The impact was strong, and the servant fell to the ground, looking disoriented. Kristofer could hear the sound of cracks as his fist hit the servant's face. He believed the sound to be the servant's jaw breaking. After all, he had used the energy of the path in his punch, a force that few could withstand without suffering serious damage.

Seeing the servant lying on the ground, Kristofer relaxed his posture. He thought the fight was over. However, to his surprise, the servant got up as if the punch had no effect at all. Without wasting time, the servant launched a quick upward attack, making a large cut on Kristofer's chest. If Kristofer hadn't stepped back at the last second, that blow could have killed him.

The sharp pain in his chest made Kristofer recoil. He could feel the warm blood flowing from his chest, staining his clothes. Frightened, he took a few steps back, trying to put some distance between himself and the servant. He thought to himself that he could have died there, in some alley, at the hands of an unnamed servant.

Kristofer, with his heart still pounding in his chest, looked at the servant who was kneeling on the ground. The servant's face was covered in blood, and he was spitting out some teeth, a clear sign of the impact of the punch Kristofer had delivered. In the servant's hand, a blood-stained dagger gleamed in the dim light of the alley. It was the same dagger that had nearly taken Kristofer's life.

As Kristofer calmed down from the initial shock of the dagger blow, his astonishment turned into anger. He studied the servant who had almost killed him, trying to understand how he had underestimated his opponent so much. The anger he felt fueled his murderous intent, but he knew he needed to keep calm. He had been well trained and knew he couldn't blindly rush against an armed opponent.

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The servant, in turn, also got up and began to analyze Kristofer. However, unlike Kristofer, who maintained a fierce expression, the servant seemed clearly frightened. His wide eyes eagerly scanned the surroundings, searching for an escape route.

Kristofer noticed the signs of fear in the servant, which only fueled his anger even more. However, he knew he needed to suppress his anger as much as possible while waiting for an opportunity to attack. He didn't have to wait long. The servant, who seemed increasingly desperate, assumed a position that gave the impression he was about to advance and attack. However, suddenly, he made an abrupt turn with his body and began to run.

Kristofer, who was already prepared for this, manipulated his energy of the path through his body to his legs. In an explosion of energy, he ran after the servant at an impressive speed. In a matter of seconds, he closed the distance between him and the servant. With a quick movement, he threw himself onto the servant, grabbing him firmly to prevent his escape.

With a quick and desperate movement, Kristofer and the servant fell to the ground, grappling in a fierce fight. Kristofer, with his heavy breathing and his heart pounding, cursed something about the servant's mother under his breath. He was furious, but also focused. The servant, on the other hand, was clearly in a panic. He tried to wriggle free from Kristofer, but without success. Kristofer had a more muscular physique and was using the energy of the path stored in his heart without any restraint.

In an act of desperation, the servant tried to use the dagger to stab Kristofer, who was on top of him. However, Kristofer, who was in an advantageous position, grabbed the arm with the dagger and twisted it forcefully. The sound that followed was terrible, a loud snap that echoed through the alley. It was soon followed by the servant's desperate scream, who began to cry out for help.

However, his screams were quickly drowned out by Kristofer's punches. Each blow was like a hammer, repeatedly striking the servant's face. When Kristofer finally stopped hearing the servant's screams, he stopped punching. He stood up, panting, and looked at the result of his fury. The servant was dead, his face unrecognizable.

It was at that moment that Kristofer began to hear some voices in the distance. He frowned, trying to identify where they were coming from. He thought they might be guards, probably attracted by the servant's cries in his final moments. He knew he needed to get out of there quickly, before he was discovered.

With not much time to calmly think about the situation, Kristofer remembered the order Jakob had given him. He was supposed to follow the servant and discover his destination. Now, with the servant dead, that would be impossible. In a burst of inspiration, he began to search the dead servant's body for any information that could mitigate the failure he had committed.

He searched the servant's body, his hands trembling as he looked for something, anything, that could be useful. And, to his surprise, he found some things. The first thing that caught his attention was a small leather pouch. It looked ordinary, but when Kristofer opened the pouch, he was left speechless. Inside the pouch were not copper or silver coins, but gold coins. He had never seen so much wealth in his life. The coins shimmered in the dim light of the alley, almost seeming magical.

Taken aback from his awe by the voices that were getting closer, he continued searching the body quickly. He knew he didn't have much time. And then, he found something else noteworthy. It was a letter, sealed with wax with a noble crest. Kristofer recognized the crest immediately. It belonged to one of the most powerful men in the kingdom, the Duke of the South. He felt a shiver down his spine at the sight of the crest.

Realizing that these items could be the key to sparing him from punishment, Kristofer stood up. He carefully stowed the pouch of coins and the letter in his pocket and began to run. He needed to get out of there before the guards arrived. He ran, his footsteps echoing through the dark alleys until he disappeared completely into the darkness.