Barry

After walking through the gate we noticed the young couple waiting on the other side. The man ran up to me and grabbed my hands.

"Thank you, sir, for your kindness," he said, as he vigorously shook my hands.

"If there is anything I can do to repay your kindness please let me know." Then he looked at my clothes and noticed how tattered they were, "Why don't you let me fashion some new clothes for you. On earth, I was a very talented tailor."

He immediately withdrew a measuring tape and began to take my measurements before I could even respond. I stood there and couldn't help but grin a little, this young man is so eager and has a good heart.

After he finished my measurements he said, "If you give me a few days to earn some money I will get the materials to make you a new outfit."

While we were talking the young man's wife was behind him staring in awe at Valerian. Valerian was just looking around observing the village. I had told him to just follow me and talk very little due to the opinion of the villagers towards natives.

I looked at the young man and after a moment of consideration said, "That is very generous of you, however, it was no big deal to help you out back there. I tell you what, I'm in need of new sheathes for my daggers and it's hard to find a good tailor around here. I'll give you 40 silver to help you get set up in the village if you can make the new clothes and sheathes in two days."

I pulled out the 40 silver coins and placed them in the tailor's hands. He looked down at the coins in his hands, stunned for a moment. He suddenly began to sob.

"Thank you so much..... we have had... such a hard time..... since we came here... I will not forget this kindness."

I was a little surprised, wasn't it just a few silver coins? Then I remembered how desperate I was when I first arrived in Agartha and thought I probably would have reacted the same way he did.

"No need for so much gratitude, I too will benefit from developing connections with a talented tailor such as yourself," I tried to ease the awkwardness. After all, we were still in the middle of the street. Some of the villagers began to look over and I didn't want to draw any more attention.

"I will be staying at the Black Claw Inn, it is getting late. You can ask for me there when the items are ready."

The man had calmed down by this point, "Yes sir, have no doubt they will be ready in two days."

After giving him the measurements for my daggers so he could make the sheathes Valerian and I began to walk towards the center of town. The sun had completely set at this point. A few fires were lit in braziers on the front of the buildings allowing you to see the streets in the village.

Valerian and I continued down the street towards the Black Claw Inn. It is located on the central street at almost the center of the village. The length from the north to the south gate is only about 2 kilometers and the central street ran directly from one gate to the other.

After walking about a half a kilometer I began to notice figures dashing in the shadows of the alleys to our left and right. Pretending not to notice I counted the shadows, 1...2...3...4. They are definitely underestimating us. If I had to guess they are probably level 1 maybe 2 at the most. However, considering a gate guard doesn't have that much authority they are probably all level 1.

I whispered to Valerian, "Four enemies in the alleys, Let's take care of them."

Then I said in a much louder voice, "Man I need to take a leak and I can't hold it till we get to the Inn."

Valerian laughed, "You humans and your weak filtration system"

I almost face-palmed, he is such a dork.

I headed into the alley to my left, I got far enough down the alley so I'd be just beyond the light coming from the braziers. I quickly opened my knapsack and secretly took out my Twisted Serpents and a bottle of water. I leaned against the wall with my left hand concealing the dagger in my palm and inside the cuff of my shirt. With my right hand I held the bottle and the other dagger. I let the water run out splashing onto the ground.

I extended my senses behind me. After the battles we fought over the last week my instincts from my past life began to come back to me. Even if these thieves were ten times better they still wouldn't be able to sneak up on me.

Even with the splashing of the water, I could still hear the light sound of someone approaching. Absolute amateurs, even without the sound of their footsteps they didn't even try to hide their killing intent.

Just as the sound of a dagger rushing through the air approached the back of my head I ducked down simultaneously letting go of the bottle and shifting the twisted serpent in my right hand to a reverse grip. I used my legs to torque my body to the side while sending my right arm in an arc burying the full length of my blade in the side of the thief's neck.

Essence gained +177

The momentum of my strike carried the man's body to the side where my outstretched leg allowed him to gently lay on the ground. Of course, he was dead before he got there.

Silence.

I felt a rush of adrenaline course through me. This is how a true expert kills someone. From the time he began his strike to the time he laid on the ground, not a sound was made. Quicksilver blade was truly astonishing, even after just studying the manual for a brief amount of time while I was fishing, I could already perform a devastating move. Of course, in front of a real expert, I would probably die if I tried performing that at my level, but this thief was an amateur and he died not knowing how it happened.

I headed towards the back of the alley where his companions were waiting for him. As I got there I heard a couple grunts and moans. Looking on the ground I saw 3 dark-clothed figures bound by vines. The vines even covered their mouths keeping them from shouting out. Valerian was leaning against the wall with a smirk on his face.

"What took you so long?"

"Ugh, don't be so smug. Nice job, though."

I looked down at the three thieves their eyes filled with fear.

"Unfortunately, we only need one of you to remain alive."

I quickly ran my daggers across two of the thieves necks.

Essence gained +112

Essence gained +129

The last thief began to squirm, his face paling and sweat pouring down. I walked over to him.

"Now, I'm gonna ask my friend to allow you to speak. If you scream you die."

After he nodded his head I gestured to Valerian. The vine covering the thief's mouth came off.

"I'm... I'm.... I'm.... sorry sir p-p-p-please spare me," the man stammered uncontrollably.

"Calm down I won't kill you. What's your name?"

"B-B-Barry," he said as his whole body shook.

"Ok Barry, I need you to do a few things for me. First, I need you to eat this."

I pulled out a dark purple fruit. I brought it in front of Barry, he clearly looked distraught and didn't want to eat it but after I spun my dagger a couple times he relented.

"Good, now that is the Death Hand Fruit. If after two weeks you don't get the antidote it will feel like death itself has grabbed your heart causing it to explode."

Of course, there was no such thing as a Death Hand Fruit. The fruit was just one I had bought from the G'eth Village Market. However, since most humans were new to Agartha they were susceptible to these kinds of tricks.

An intense look of fear overcame Barry's face, "Please, please sir give me the antidote."

"I can give you the antidote, however, I need you to do a few things for me, Barry."

"Yes, any...anything you want."

"Good."