Retreat

"Run! Run for the teleportation circle!"

If I wanted to keep coming up with great plans to escape and deal with my enemies, I needed to survive and be safe enough. Only through this way could I have time to think in peace, which is why I immediately commended everyone to run.

'Is it another person who can control the wind? But why is he descending so slowly?' I pondered as I ran along with the others towards the area where that one hidden teleportation circle was.

I was aware that going to that cave wouldn't aid me and my followers escape the unknown figure. In fact, I also knew that using the teleportation circle meant that we were going to get cornered. But my plan wasn't to escape the unknown figure; escaping him in the first place would already be considered impossible.

What I wanted was something similar to a fortress– a place where I could have a slight advantage, a space for strategic thinking, and an area where I could gain the upper hand, for example.

The cave was the perfect place for this, as I knew that there would be only one way to enter. I believed there used to be only two ways to enter that cave initially. 

In fact, the whole cave was just a part of a path that one had to take before getting to the teleportation circle which brings one to the town. However, this path had been blocked by the first robed figure, which meant that it was no longer a path, but a room. 

A room which I could use to my advantage against an enemy that would be blindly teleported somewhere else if he dared to chase me through the teleportation circle…

Within the short time frame of seeing the descending figure and estimating his power level, this was the only perfect plan that I was able to come up with. As for a more detailed or alternative plan, that could only be made possible through going through the teleportation circle.

There was no other way. I could not think of anything else, and I was confident that there would be no one capable of suggesting a better idea.

'To retreat towards the river, fooling the enemy, and having my subordinates riled up as they would be fighting for their lives when cornered… I can't believe I'm making practical use of the strategies of Sun Tzu. Wow!'

As I and my subordinates neared the teleportation circle, there was no longer a sign or blur of the unknown figure in the sky. He had long descended and was certainly already making his way towards us.

I was glad that it took the guy a bit of a while to get down to the ground. The reason for this is because time was the key to the success of my plan, as it was a necessity due to the teleportation circle working on one person alone. 

The faster the guy would arrive, the lower the chances of our survival would be. The rest of us who still hadn't gone through the teleportation circle would have to face off against him after all.

The guy's silhouette had yet to appear, so I was at ease. There was at least a hundred meters between us, and seven of my subordinates had already entered through the teleportation circle. 

As for Hazel, earlier when I had told everyone to run towards the teleportation circle, I had given Brolee and his partner-in-crime a few simple instructions. I waited for the two, and when everyone had already run off a good distance and the unknown figure was nearing, I quickly gave my signal before allowing Hazel to come over to me. 

Brolee and his partner ran to join in with the others, while I was left alone to deal with Hazel at that time. The whole purpose of mine when sending off Brolee and leaving myself to deal with Hazel was to win sometime, always had been.

As I had anticipated, Hazel charged at me. It was nothing unexpected, and easy to counter, as I had already been able to counter her simple attacks before when I still had a child's body. 

With a more mature and stronger body, and with a fighter's memories, it was naturally not difficult for me to face off against her. 

I easily dodged her leap towards me, and after doing so, I managed to send a kick her way which made sure her body was sent flying at least a few meters away from me.

After successfully dealing with Hazel, I immediately ran away to gain even more distance between us. 

That was the whole setup and execution needed for my perfect plan! To separate Hazel from me and my subordinates, and to have her throw her hungry-self at the unknown figure instead of us so we could have enough time to escape through the teleportation circle.

"Sigh… Hopefully, you survive. At least, be alive enough so I can feed you and find a way to fix you…" I muttered as I stared at the empty path that I had been keeping an eye on for a while already. The last person had already gone through the teleportation circle, and now it was my turn.

I waited a few more seconds before standing in the teleportation circle. With a heavy heart, I looked down, not failing to notice how different the ground was compared to the first time I stepped on it. 

The crimson circle had become somewhat more exposed. I guessed it was due to the amount of times the teleportation circle had been activated recently. It was still hidden of course, just not enough for my powerful eyes that were deliberately looking at it.

'Seems like they're still fighting… No matter if you win or lose, thank you for your sacrifice, Hazel.' I thought with a warm and sad smile, as a burst of memories that I had with her replayed in my mind. 

I felt like I was about to leave an orphanage that I'd never return to again. A tear wanted to escape from my eye, as the scenario was clearly worse than the depressive scene of leaving an orphanage that one considered a family home.

"Well…" I muttered before moving my feet a little in order to activate the teleportation circle…