CHAPTER 31

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Fearing for his freedom, Isaia did not even allow himself to think of going out into human society in such a state, all dirty and barefoot, and with an unkempt beard. He would be immediately exposed, for he would stand out like a sore thumb or a white crow.

The second encounter with intelligent beings showed the possibility of an aggressive and hostile outcome of such meetings, which posed a threat not only to his freedom, but also to his health.

He was unlikely to be found on CCTV in the area where he was, but he might have been recognized from the testimony of the fleeing stranger Isaia had met on his first day in this strange place.

Reporting to the police and being arrested for actions he in no way wanted to commit was not the brightest prospect. But now there was a certain confidence and courage that came from the strengthening of his abilities, giving him more faith in his ability to act with less fear.

Well, it would not even occur to him to organize mass genocides, but at least there was an understanding that it would not be an impossible task to get rid of a couple of annoying ill-wishers. The first priority was still to find and clarify the circumstances of his own case, realizing the reasons for being in this wilderness and with this new ability.

The plan to find an informant and a source of knowledge for himself included actions of the utmost stealth. Hence the conclusion that a confrontation with anyone was among the last desired outcomes of events.

If possible, it was necessary not only to act quietly, but also to seek a way to find a friendly contact with someone who would help him.

A man is the best carrier of information, and taking into account that every skirmish was with bloodshed, Isaia already refused to find answers to his questions doing it in a civilized and peaceful way.

Isaia however was concerned about something else, namely his job, due to being away for such a long time. Without the magical ability and thoughts of the strangeness of this place, he would at first worry about his professional plight. Players who make their living from this occupation try to avoid the tendency to miss out on any new developments, which can be anything from the release of new products to new advertising contracts.

They had to march in step with the times and always keep their eyes wide open. Everything new required personal consideration and study, because change promises benefits only to those who first noticed them and was able to take advantage of them, so that the wind of change was turned in their favor.

Because of the wasting of his stamina reserves earlier, he had to go out hunting again. For this simple reason, he could not immediately start looking for a man to capture. The search for people would consist of waiting on the edge of forest, because he did not want to go out and put himself in danger. In this case, it was desirable to find a single target.

A primitive and fairly short rope would clearly not be enough to tie up two people. God only knows what might happen if two or more individuals were targets for capture. Any course of events was possible, from an unwanted confrontation to an attempted escape if the initial capture was successful.

There was the option of killing the companion in front of the person from whom the attempt to obtain information would be made, but such a thing would be contrary to common sense.

Yes, it could frighten and open the target's eyes to the fate that awaited him if he refused to cooperate, but the opposite could happen and the murdered man could turn out to be a significant person for the future captive, which would make him even more angry and stop cooperating.

In short, there were too many variations and alternatives of circumstances that he didn't even want to think about, only wasting his time with imaginary possibilities.

He preferred to stop at the idea of not bothering himself unnecessarily, and to search for just a single target. And, of course, right now he preferred to focus on the task at hand.

Hunting boars had become boring, there was no drive and excitement. You go in the direction that sensations commands, find a victim to pump out all the red liquid from and complete the whole hunt from afar.

Isaia did not even have to guess what kind of beast he would meet this time, because habituation took its toll and by the location, as well as the noise and swarming one could guess what kind of beast the sensations led to.

The night spent in search was not overly productive, and only six boars agreed to become "donors" and helpers for the young man in such a difficult task.

The starting point of the endurance reserves did not hit the conceivable bottom this time, and according to the estimations of Isaia some more boars would be needed for him.

Six specimens caught during the night suggested that at least ten more of them would have to be found, unless he encountered too small or large specimens, putting the arithmetic out of order.

And of course, with each new beast came the clear realization that his overall stamina reserves had increased. Previously, those six boars caught would have been completely enough to hit the upper limit, but now, it was barely enough to saturate thirty percent of the total reserves.

And that was all considering such an unforeseen factor as having to spend three hours covering up the traces of what had happened, burying the corpses of three thieves.

It was surprising how little physical exertion had worn and exhausted him. The main reason for the rapid depletion of stamina was still resorting to the use of the skill, which made it strange that one second of blood manipulation was equal to about two hours of physical activity, whether it was running or digging.

The recent result, in the form of skill enhancement after absorbing human blood, made Isaia pay extra attention to the blood being absorbed. Unfortunately, the boars found overnight did not add any clarity or enhance it in any way.

He even wanted to find other animals to see if there would be any boost from consuming them, but alas he found only hares and wild boars. The lad still avoided confronting wolves, even realizing that he wasn't the same now and could pose a threat to the fleabags.