2.5k words.
Not proofread/edited. Nothing special about this one, just a casual.
More to come this weekend.
Enjoy.
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Ahhhh, peace and quite. We've been traveling the forest for about 4 hours now.
The first 200 km we covered in about 1 hour, i could've done it faster but i had to slow down so that Kata could follow my speed.
After the 200 km we were forced to go slowly, i gave Kata a ring that was able to hide her cultivation, i can hide mine through i certain technique.
The rest 3 hours we pretty much went in normal human speed. But tomorrow we will pick up our pace in the morning a bit.
Right now we stopped for some rest, Kata being released today is still quite tired, not only that but after not feeling any energy for 7 years she's become quite rusty..
After we found a good place to sleep i told Kata to go and get some rest, at first she refused saying she would stay watch and pretty much forced me to order her to get some rest.
Now she's asleep in sleeping bag that i brought with me, her sleeping face is pretty cute. Her blond long hair tied in ponytail, the ends of her hair cover her small neck.
The closer she gets to the Immortal stage the younger she becomes so her skin has been become smoother and smoother after the chains came of.
From the mature looking lady she's been slowly transforming into more of a cute girl... But the moment her eyes open that aura will come back.
She has those clear blue eyes that you can almost see yourself in. Geee, why can't she be this cute awake.
Anyway, I'm just chillin and leaning on a nearby tree, i can't skip one night without sleep. Even though i like sleep i'd rather have her get some rest.
The forest does have some pretty weak monsters, the strongest ones we've encountered were at the 9th rank.
I'm mostly watching out for sneaks, i can feel pretty much anything moving in the 500 meter radius.
If my understanding of darkness was a bit higher i'm pretty sure i would be able to sense anything in it or underneath it.
But i can't get any insight on it for ages now... And i'm pretty sure it has something to do with my dreamless state.
In it i can't move or do anything, all i can do i scan the darkness around me. That one of the reasons i sleep a lot, i try to see if something will ever happen.. I'd be fine with anything.
Tomorrow i just hope we don't get discovered when we enter the kingdom radius. I'm pretty sure that Kata won't be but i'm not so sure of myself.
Never tested this technique on immortals, golden immortals at that. But if they don't pay attention we should be able to slip by, i don't want to create a scene without setting up the Ice Bombs first.
Finding a good location for them will be a bit tough, if the city around the kingdom has a sewers system it will be a lot easier.
Sigh, what a calm night, too calm.
Nothing in the 400 meter radius either yet somehow i'm starting to get a bad feeling.
TING
I can feel it now, 6 people. The moment they entered the 200 meter radius i felt them.
Assassins? Who else would hide their presence like this, this is not likeus hiding only our energy but they are hiding their very own presence.
Not only that but there is no sound, they are making no sound at all and moving like they have no weight.
The only reason i felt them is because i'm concentrated and have a higher cultivation then them. They are well geared, means they are no low ranking assassins.
One Saint, 4 Kings and one Emperor. Yup... Not low ranking by any means... And they are coming this way.
They probably sensed our presence, but they should not be on high alert. This is what i get for not learning on how to hide mine... Gotta work on that later, imma mage after all, more or less.
We will still be suspicious... Kata gives of the cultivation of a 5 rank while i give of the cultivation of a 7.
They might ask themselves how we survived being almost in the middle of the forest being this low on power.
They are getting closer. I can feel the Saint one staring at me from above from the tree i'm leaning on.
2 more Kings join him on the opposite side of him, one stares at the sleeping Kata the other at me.
So far i've been shoving no reaction, might be a bad idea to go into a fight here.
3 people step out from the bushes and i jump up and start to act alerted.
-Mike: Who's there!-
People who cultivate can see better in the night, but they can't see trough the darkness or shadows that one can cast.
Also, i have to say this. These people don't look like assassins at all, they're dressed completely normal.
No dark hoods or an entire set of black cloths, nothing of that... They look like completely normal people that you would meet at one of the markets or living in the normal houses.
In the center of the 3 people, the Emperor is a male with black hair like myself only much shorter, he has two bags under his eyes clearly from the lack of sleep. He probably doesn't sleep at all... The point is he looks normal.
He's dressed in grey pants, white shirt and a brown jacket. On his sides there are 2 women both dressed the same, twins from the looks of it. Basic leather armor on then, the same as me and Kata are wearing currently.
Their looks are below Katas, they also seem to have a lack of sleep.
I cannot tell what the three above are wearing but i can sense them like they are standing right besides me, in this range it's not hard.
Strange, i can also sense a curse on them, a powerful one. One made of darkness, one that i do not know yet.
Maybe that's the reason behind the lack of sleep that they're showing.
-Emperor assassin: Fellow adventurer we're not here to fight, we've been lost in this forest for 6 months already, we come from the far north of the Demon continent and can't find out way out of this forest. Could you please help us?-
He sounds genuine, looks too. But he's a assassin so that's probably nothing for him.
But 6 months stuck in here? A curse that keeps them in the forest and can't let them sleep?
-Mike: Please don't move any closer to my companion and me, and can't you just go straight until you arrive to the exit?-
He sighs while casting his sight to the ground.
-Emperor assassin: For starters my names Jake, these two besides me are on the bodyguard job of guarding me, Suli and Ann. 6 months ago when entering the forest we were cursed by Curse of the Lost and Curse of the Restless by a powerful mage. We've already tried everything, running for God knows how long in a single direction and nothing, we've been everywhere yet we never find anything. You and the miss that's sleeping are the only people we've encountered in these past 6 months.-
This guy... Lying trough his teeth.. Both of those curses are novice curses. Work only below 9th stage but i guess he has to say something to go with the story.
And the three people above us are still there.
Kata is still sleeping and that's good.
I casted a curse of sleep on her just to be sure.
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I don't like the way this is going. So far he's been lying to me and i'm afraid that if i refuse he will show his real colors. And if i help them it will take to long.
Sigh... Time to get serious.
-Mike: Follow me, all of you.That means you three above as well.-
After i say that the three people in front of me take a more serious expression. I can now feel the heartbeat of the three above me as well.
They start to release their aura and look me in the eyes.
-Mike: Haaa.. Don't make things complicated please, just follow me. You guys can't do much to me and my companion over there.-
I start walking and they follow but still not dropping they auras. The three from above have jumped down with their team now and i can see them.
Now they look like real assassins, blacks maska and black hooded cloths. Can't even see their eyes, nothing.
After casting a barrier around Kata we walk for about 100 meters before stopping, i turn around and start speaking.
-Mike: Ok, cut the crap and start speaking. Where do you come from? Depending on your answer i might help you, so speak truthfully.-
One of the girls by his side shows a ugly expression and is about to speak before the one who introduced himself as Jake hold his hand in front of her gesturing her to stay quiet.
-Jake: Well, honestly i'm to shocked that this is happening at the moment... We can't even sense your cultivation. What i said before is the truth we are from far up north of the demon continent. We come from the Red Blood Empire, my real name is Gregor Truffin and i'm the guild leader of a rank 3 assassination guild called " Blue Bloods ".-
Empire.. They're come from an Empire.
And it's good to know that a rank 3 guild has a emperor as the leader...
Does that mean that rank 1 might contain Gods? * Shivers *
A assassin God chasing after you.. Now that's some scary shit... Even more scary if he was a rabbit with a horn on his forehead..
Back to the fun stuff.
I release som of killing intent and i can see the 5 behind him start shivering, Gregor himself starts to look uncomfortable.
-Mike: Annnnd your target is?-
They tense up at my words.
-Gregor: In one of the human empires we are to kill a noble! No one of the demonkin!-
Good news. I drop my pressure on them and they start to relax a bit.
-Mike: The curse, speak.-
-Gregor: The curse of darkness... That's what the mage said when he casted it and what we heard. When it's day it's dark and when it's night it's dark, we're forced to use mana into our eyes the entire time in order to see. A powerful curse, the mage said we will never find our way out of this forest. We can't even sleep.-
There are many curses called the Curse of the Darkness.... Lower and higher tiers.
-Mike: And who was this mage?-
This time one of the girls speak.
-Ann: Unknown, when we encountered him he was friendly and didn't seem harmful. He told us that he was a protector of the forest and he would allow no harm to it. He never told us his name but he was no demon nor human. He didn't have long ears so he wasn't an elf either. Later when we woke up we were cursed and he told us that we will never escape the forest, that we will die in here.-
T-t-t-these people are amateur! They went to sleep as assassins when a complete stranger was nearby!
* Facepalms *
Should i even help idiots like these...
And more the mage... He might be a monster who got to the God stage.... And cursed for fun..
No idea about that for now.
-Mike: I can help you what do i get in return?-
Gregor seems to be thinking after i said that.
After a while he speaks up.
-Gregor: How about this, if you remove the curse and we complete our mission you may give us a mission for free, no charge whatsoever. But we have a rule, no one of the demonkin. We do no hunt our own.-
Wow.. Good guys assassins, killing everyone but not their own... Almost brings tears to my eyes.. As if... If you're going to be a assassin the at least do it properly. Amateurs...
But this is a good deal i guess, i can send them to our lovely neighbors.
-Mike: Deal! Now about the curse, i cannot completely remove it but i can lower it down counter it with other. I can cast a curse of light upon you which should hold back the darkness until you get it completely removed. I'll also set my curse on 30 days so after 30 days it will completely go away. You will feel the 2 curses on you but they should not hinder you, what do you say?-
This time he looks at his group and speaks with them privately.
-Gregor: Since you can't completely remove it we want to change the conditions a bit. We know that we're in a hole here with no rope other then you but please listen. If we do this we will only go to a rank 4 kingdom, no more. The cost to remove this curse from 6 people will be great, and making a free assassination is already to much.. So please.-
That's perfect for me. Let's see if i can make this even better.
-Mike: I have an even greater idea, Gruthen Kingdom. Are you going to be passing by there?-
He looks somewhat surprised.
-Gregor: Yes, why?-
-Mike: I can extend my curse up to 60 days and i want one of the princes from the Gruthen Kingdom dead, how does that sound? We can be done with this here and now.-
He looks somewhat pleased.
-Gregor: DEAL! But please put the curse on 20 days, that should be enough, we should be able to find a portal on our way back to get to our kingdom faster.-
Ohhh... Tesha will be overjoyed when she hears this...
I walk over towards Gregor and extend my hand.
-Mike: Touch it. One after another.-
I slowly cast my curse upon them and their expressions brighten.
-Black clad assassin: Finally! I can see perfectly! Thank you lord mage!-
Gee, what a happy bunch they've become..
-Gregor: Our deal stands like we said, we will do our job within 10 days! We already have people waiting for us there and we're late so we will have to go immediately! Thank you farewell!-
What a strange bunch.... They just agreed to take out a prince with no problems...
But they did say that they have people over there so they should probably have someone stronger maybe...
But i hope they will be able to get out with just that, the reason they can't get out doesn't seem to be the curse but something else entirely.
Meh whatever it may be i have nothing to do with it, i did my part.
Now then back to my watch, we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow~
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Leave your thoughts about the chapter and what you think the future will hold, idk.
Anyway, if someone has free time and maybeeee want to edit these chapters themselves they can PM me and i will gladly send them the chapter before posting so that they can do their stuff. Since i'm to lazy to do it myself and to shameless not to ask.
See you on the weekend~