Fighting at the Forest

To understand what was currently happening, one had to go back to a few hours ago.

After getting the answer to his questions from the old woman, Kayden headed to the street, looking for a shop to get suitable attire to replace his worn-out and damaged clothes.

Entering a shop, he observed the different options that they offered before his eyes stopped on a white shirt and brown pants.

He ran his fingers along the linen material, appreciating its lightweight and breathable nature, perfect for the swift movements required in his pursuits. With a satisfied nod, he made his selection.

As for his shoes, he did not change them as their condition was acceptable. In fact, they were military boots of the highest quality, which stood out for their durability and versatility, being much more comfortable than the footwear that could be found in the town.

Lastly, Kayden bought a sturdy belt, knowing he needed a better place to carry his sword. It had been made with the goal of fitting snugly and being able to hang things from it, which was perfectly suited to his needs.

Leaving the clothing shop, Kayden made his way to the renowned weapon store the woman had recommended, apparently the best of its kind in town.

The smell of oiled metal greeted him as he stepped inside, eyes scanning the assortment of blades and armor on display.

There, although he did not change his sword, Kayden bought a few things again.

First, a sheath. It was incredibly uncomfortable to carry the sword wrapped in rags, and the same was true for carrying it uncovered, so this was the most important thing he had to buy.

Among the different types of sheaths, with various lengths and prices, he chose a simple one, which was exactly the size of his sword.

Besides, Kayden added two small, sharp daggers to his arsenal. Their sharpness and balance were impressive, and he found a suitable place for them in his belt.

He may not have the best aim, but due to his training and his enhanced capabilities, the control over his body was great, which allowed him to throw with precision.

The desire for additional protection led Kayden to consider acquiring armor, but sadly he had already run out of money.

This was not strange at all, as he had spent a few tens of silver coins just to ask questions to the woman, the rest of the silver coins in the clothes, and the golden coin for the sheath and the daggers.

He had been given back a few silver coins after the last buy at the weapon shop, but it was nowhere enough to buy an armor as they were significantly more expensive than the daggers or the sheath.

It was a setback, but Kayden remained undeterred, knowing that his skills and agility would have to compensate for the lack of physical protection.

After that, Kayden left the shop with renewed equipment, prepared for the different conflicts that may arise.

It was then that things started to go problematic.

The question that had cost Kayden the most money had been none other than the way to locate the Assassin Guild. After taking a considerable amount of silver coins, the old woman told him to visit one of the alleys in the town.

However, when Kayden arrived at the alley, he found nothing strange. The small street had a few shops with a completely common appearance, which seemed to be nothing but simple and honest business.

Without a better idea, Kayden had asked the owners of the different shops about the Assassins Guild, trying to find a suspicious sign on their faces after they listened to his question.

Yet, Kayden could not find anything unusual in their expressions when each owner told him he did not know what he was talking about.

Out of ideas, he decided to leave the alley to sneak back later. And this led to the present moment.

Shortly after leaving the alley, Kayden realized that he was being followed.

The skills of the pursuers were quite remarkable, but they could not escape from his sharp senses.

Since he had just been in the alley inquiring about the Assassins Guild, one did not need to be a genius to know that the pursuers were from that guild or were related to it.

Without showing that he was aware of their presence, Kayden continued on his way through the cobblestone streets.

***

With a surge of excitement, Kayden got gradually closer to the outskirts of the bustling town.

The familiar sight of buildings gradually disappeared, replaced by open expanses and deserted paths. In a daring move, he abruptly veered into the depths of the surrounding forest, catching his pursuers off guard.

Though his speed was outstanding, he refrained from using it to its full potential, aware that hiding his true skills could prove pivotal in a confrontation, especially when one was outnumbered.

After venturing into the forest with which he had become so familiar recently, he swiftly hid as the assassins followed him.

Even though they were close to him, they could not help but lose sight of him as Kayden burst out with all his speed, blending into the lush landscape.

The reason why he hid himself was that he had seen that there were around six or seven pursuers, and seeing the way that they were following him they must have at least around forty nodes unlocked.

This realization momentarily surprised Kayden since there should not be too many people in his base that had such an amount of nodes already unlocked. However, here he was, running from a group that consisted of more than five cultivators with that talent.

But the surprise quickly faded since he had already expected to find talented participants at the Trial. Furthermore, they might not be participants and simply people related to the Trial.

Kayden was confident with his cultivation and was sure that he would have no problem crushing the pursuers one by one. Nonetheless, he was not stupid enough to fight a sizeable group openly.

Hiding silently amidst the bushes, Kayden waited for the first enemy to pass through the area where he was.

Soon, a figure dressed in black appeared in his sight.

Kayden waited, controlling every move of his body to avoid alerting the enemy.

Another figure showed, but the rest seemed to have gone to another area of the forest.

'It seems there are underestimating my strength,' Kayden thought in amusement, realizing that they had decided to split into pairs since they did not think that he could manage to survive a 1 vs 2, especially considering that they were not average people but trained assassins.

A grin spread Kayden across his face as he thought about this.

'I'll show how wrong you are,' he thought, as his hand reached one of the daggers he had bought.