Firelight in the night

Frederick quickly realized the need for an escape strategy that wouldn't provoke the soldiers. Fortunately, there was a chance they were unaware that an authority orb would drop upon the death of its user, preventing them from recklessly attacking. In this harsh environment, even a minor injury could prove fatal without access to an authority capable of healing, making them hesitant to risk injury.

Frederick was betting on their lack of knowledge in this regard. Otherwise, he suspected that everything they offered might be a trap to obtain his authority. He even questioned whether they knew how to use an authority orb.

"So, what do you think? Is it fair, right?" asked Marcus with a calm tone, seeming certain that Frederick would accept his deal. However, Frederick slowly took a few steps back and replied, "I'm not interested, sorry. I'll rejoin my main group now. Goodbye."

With caution in each step, he gradually distanced himself from Marcus and Thomas. As Frederick disappeared from their view, Marcus' face was frowning but he quickly went back to his neutral face. He then returned to the group without uttering a word. Thomas remained perplexed but couldn't shake the feeling that they might have let a valuable opportunity slip through their fingers.

"Sir, should we attempt to persuade him to change his mind?" Thomas asked, unsure of their next move.

Marcus contemplated for a moment, his gaze fixed on the group's surroundings. He then replied, "There's no point in chasing after him. It's his loss anyway. Are you absolutely certain that all the information he provided was accurate?"

"Yes," Thomas confirmed with a nod, his eyes scanning the area as well. "Everything he said was true, including the existence of the flesh monster. We should consider ourselves fortunate to have encountered someone having such valuable information."

When Marcus rejoined his squad, he wasted no time in sharing all the information he had obtained. As he recounted the details, the expressions on everyone's faces darkened, especially when the topic of the "roaming monster" was mentioned.

After listening to everything Marcus had to say, one of his squad members suggested the idea of following Frederick and attempting to continue negotiations, emphasizing the preciousness of Frederick's authority. However, Marcus swiftly dismissed this notion, explaining that Frederick was part of another group. While he also wanted to try talking to Frederick's group to join forces, following Frederick might endanger them instead, as it can be seen as a provocation to his group. If we add the fact that monsters are roaming around, it would be a recipe for disaster.

After giving it some thought, Marcus made a decision. "Our first priority should be to head to the town," he declared. "Without resources, our chances of survival are slim. While we could try to locate those crates, it's too risky and might lead us to our death, either from monsters or dehydration."

Upon hearing this, all of the squad members responded with a solemn, "Sir, yes, sir!" They understood the gravity of their situation and were ready to follow their leader's orders.

On Frederick's side, even though he had taken several detours to ensure no one was following him, he continued to make rapid progress toward his "group." However, as he drew nearer, he slowed his pace and concealed himself in the vicinity instead of joining them.

Sensing that something was amiss, Hiro kept a watchful eye on Frederick's direction. Alexei noticed Hiro's vigilance and inquired, "What's wrong?" However, Hiro, initially thinking there was no immediate danger, started to say, "It's noth-" but then heard another noise from a different direction. Alexei, sensing something wasn't right, noticed the sound too, and his fist began to glow with a fiery light.

The world around them went quiet, and their unease grew. It felt like everything was holding its breath. With another rustle, a familiar old lady appeared. She seemed surprised to see someone there and sighed in relief with a very kind smile.

"Well, well, well, hello there. Whew, I'm relieved to finally find someone around again."

From a distance, Frederick carefully observed the unfolding events. He couldn't be entirely sure if history would truly repeat itself, especially since he had already dealt with Amely and Ethan. Yet, just as he had anticipated...

The fiery blaze that had enveloped Alexei's arms gradually subsided as he deactivated his authority. He gently massaged his head in response to a sudden headache. After a few moments, he approached the old lady with a warm smile, his gaze fixed on the ground. "I'm Alexei Stukov! Nice to meet you! Do you need our help? Also, what did you mean agai-"

Before he could finish his sentence, another voice abruptly interrupted, proclaiming, "Authority of Blood Dominion." A crimson needle swiftly pierced through Alexei's head. Frederick watched in somber silence as Alexei's lifeless body crumpled to the ground once more. Soon, another lifeless figure joined Alexei's fate. However, this time, something seemed different. There was no indication that the old lady had leveled up.

She then proceeded to drag the lifeless corpse away, her face twisted in pain and began feasting on the blood of her victim. It was now Frederick's turn. He little by little approached her and slowly reduced the distance and when he was right behind her … He violently thrust the rock on her head… Again and again. Frederick could've indeed used his newly acquired knife, but why would he use it when he had the perfect disposable weapon that he could get rid of?

When he saw that Blood Dominion appeared, he dropped the rock and quickly took back all authorities. Frederick then looked around and noticed that Hiro indeed finished the bag. It looked like a backpack but way more simpler as it was made of grass. With no expression, he went to retrieve the contents of the crate before stocking it with resources.

Frederick took out a bottle and carefully cleaned himself, being mindful of saving water. Although he briefly considered drinking the dirty water, he decided against it due to the fear of getting sick from an unknown disease. His decision to clean up wasn't about comfort but rather about staying safe.

Firstly, he was in a strange place with dangerous monsters, so he needed to make sure his smell didn't attract them. Additionally, he didn't want to meet other people while covered in blood because that would make them suspicious of him right away. So, he washed himself not to feel better but to stay hidden and avoid trouble in this risky world.

As Frederick was rubbing his body against dirt and grass to hide his smell, he opened his status. What he saw made his expression a bit grim.

—————————————

<Welcome back, candidate>

Name: Frederick Field

Race: Human

Age: 26 years old

Level: 1

<Authority >: Forgotten Times (Unique)

<Curse >: One Against the World (Unique)

-One Against the World (Unique):

Effect: The world will try to kill you by every means possible, and the experience points you earn will be divided by ten times.

Remark: How did you even survive until now?

<Statistics >

-Constitution: 10

-Mind: 10

-Perception: 10

-Dexterity: 10

Experience points: 427/1000

————————————

The exact same amount as last time. The same.

Frederick carefully considered the factors that determined the experience points earned from defeating other candidates. He concluded that these points depended on two primary factors.

Firstly, there was the concept of a candidate's "value." For instance, if the old lady had already defeated 20 people and accumulated 2000 experience points, it meant that if Frederick defeated 10 of those 20 people before her and then managed to defeat her, he would still earn the same 2000 experience points and gain a bit more from the old lady herself. Well, that is if we exclude the fact that Frederick's experience earned is divided by 10…

Secondly, a candidate's authority level played a significant role as it contributed to their "value." Eliminating someone with a higher-tier authority would result in more experience points being awarded.

In simpler terms, the experience gained wasn't solely based on the number of kills but also depended on the identity of the defeated candidates and their authority levels. You will get almost the same amount of experience if you eliminate someone with a 100-kill count or if you kill them all yourself. Frederick wasn't sure how it worked if he killed a non-candidate as he has yet to do it.

Putting those thoughts aside, Frederick started to head toward the town's direction. On his way, Frederick couldn't help but observe the vegetation around him. The trees in this place were incredibly tall, with trunks measuring at least 30 meters in diameter and soaring to dizzying heights. Even roots that sometimes grew out of the ground were a few meters high. The leaves were shaped like spades and, unlike the trees he was familiar with, they displayed a vibrant pure emerald green color with no imperfection at all.

If we add the grass, the forest was a truly breathtaking sight of nature. However, Frederick wasn't the least interested in such a sight. He was more interested in knowing if he could get experience points if he provoked a fire that killed other candidates.

'I don't think it works like that… Otherwise, it would be too easy. The Chronicles' goal must be to create a god through stories. If it truly worked like that, it would be way more efficient to just burn crops to create famines or contaminate water sources instead of risking your life. It wouldn't be testing you at all.'

As the day began to wane, Frederick found himself some distance away from the tree where he had previously rested. Frederick could have arrived here faster but his luggage slowed him down. Moreover he wasn't in a hurry at all.

As he was trying to find a tree with a hollow big enough for him to sleep in, he saw a firelight very close to him. Noticing this, Frederick quickly devoured some bread and quenched his thirst with a full bottle. After securely concealing his bag within a tree, he made a mental note of the tree's location details before cautiously approaching the source of the light.

'It must be the same light as what I saw last time.'

Unlike the last time, Frederick wasn't driven by curiosity at all. He knew the risk he was taking by approaching this light, but he needed to get experience points. Benefits can only be obtained by taking risks.

Armed with his newly acquired knife, Frederick slowly approached the light. When he was close enough, he carefully observed the campfire. There was a male and a female around the fire. It seems that both of them were from the same family as they looked almost identical if we exclude their sex and age.

The male, aged around 50, had weathered, tan skin that bore the marks of a life spent outdoors. His rough hands and sturdy build hinted at a life of physical labor. His hair, streaked with gray, hung long and unkempt around his shoulders. A grizzled beard framed his face, and deep lines etched his features, telling the story of a life filled with challenges. Despite his rugged appearance, there was a warmth in his eyes that spoke of wisdom.

The female was in her early twenties and shared a striking resemblance to the male. She, too, had sun-kissed skin, but her youthfulness gave her an air of innocence. Her long, flowing hair matched the male's in color but cascaded down her back in a wild, untamed manner. She had a lean and agile frame, suggesting a life of agility and adaptability. Like the male, she wore clothing made entirely of woven grass, which seemed fragile but spoke of their resourcefulness in an unforgiving world.

After looking carefully, Frederick noticed that these clothes were crafted purely by skills and not by authority. Judging solely by their appearance, Frederick could easily deduce that they weren't easy targets. In his previous encounters, he had selected his victims strategically. He had started with Amely, the most physically capable among them, and then moved on to Ethan, who lacked the stamina for a prolonged battle or to flee.

However, Frederick thought that not only because of their physique but also because of their campfire. He couldn't help but associate this campfire with Alexei's authority of Pyroclasmic Punch. Despite racking his brain on the matter, he couldn't discern whether the fire resulted from their skills or authority. Judging by their attire, which lacked the distinctive marks of an authority, Frederick leaned towards the possibility that one of them possessed extensive wilderness survival knowledge.

However, Frederick refrained from making any rash moves. He needed more information and a well-thought-out plan before deciding on his next course of action.

He exhaled deeply, attempting to formulate a plan for dealing with them while neutralizing any potential authority usage. However, no matter how much he pondered, no immediate solution presented itself. He reluctantly settled on stalking them, waiting for an opportunity when they might be vulnerable due to resource scarcity. He hoped that they wouldn't stumble upon the nearby town, as that could potentially complicate matters.

Frederick's thoughts came to an abrupt halt as he heard a sudden and demanding voice from the man, "Who are you?! Show yourself; I know you are here!" Despite feeling vulnerable in this situation, Frederick initially had no intention of revealing himself. However, as the woman's intense gaze remained fixed in his direction, Frederick eventually decided to step forward.

"Uh, hi there! I'm Frederick Field," he stammered, keeping his knife concealed behind his back. His voice carried a timid tone as he explained, "I saw a light here, so..."

Before the man could respond, the woman's voice rang out urgently, "Dad! He has five of them! I can feel it!" The father's cautious expression shifted towards aggression, and a heavy silence hung in the air. After a tense pause, the man accused Frederick, "You... killed people..."