Chapter 148: Pursuit
Under the setting sun, the Waypoint, stained red with Blood, emitted a dazzling crimson glow that stung the eyes.
I took a deep breath, telling myself inwardly that I must maintain Calmness at this moment.
Avoiding the Bloodstains on the Ground as much as possible, I carefully moved to the side of the Corpse. During the Rest periods while Training with Kashya, she hadn't forgotten to impart various bits of combat Knowledge. Simple Corpse identification was one of them. At the time, I didn't think this Technique would be useful, and my willingness to patiently learn it was merely out of interest in Detective Novel and a desire to pass the Time.
I thought with a bitter smile, if possible, I would rather never have to use it my entire Life.
First, I approached the nearest Corpse. This Corpse was lying face down on the Ground, Back towards the sky. From the source of the Blood, the fatal Wound seemed to be on the neck.
After observing carefully for a while and confirming nothing was missed, in order to get a more comprehensive understanding, I cautiously flipped his Corpse over, intending to turn him face up, as perhaps some Clue could be found on the front.
Unfortunately, I only succeeded halfway. Although the Body was flipped over, his Head merely pulled but didn't turn with it. It looked as if his neck had been twisted 180 degrees, which nearly startled me greatly.
Forcing myself to endure a sight that would only appear in horror movies, I leaned closer—it turned out the Wound on the Corpse's neck was very deep, almost completely severed. The severed layers of wriggling windpipe and flesh, as well as the neck bone, were clearly visible, with only a thin layer of skin and flesh connecting it to the Body.
After reaching a conclusion, I also turned the Corpse's Head over. Seeing the pale face that appeared before my eyes, my heart couldn't help but tighten slightly. It was this face. The Rogue Archer who had sincerely suggested I Rest for a night before leaving yesterday, now, the smile from yesterday was gone from his face. What appeared before me was a face filled with utter terror, and the Attachment to Life that is shared by those about to be summoned by the Death God.
Instant Kill. From the look of utter terror perfectly preserved on his face, I could immediately determine that even if he wasn't Instantly Killed, he didn't last long. And from the single Wound on his neck, the greatest possibility is an Instant Kill.
Even a Soldier Rank Warrior couldn't be this weak! What kind of thing could Instantly Kill him? I couldn't help but compare myself. Without using Magic, even with Werebear Transformation, wielding that Great Cleaver with 4 Damage and dealing Maximum Damage, I wouldn't be completely Confident in being able to Instantly Kill him.
I then checked the other two Corpses. Without Exception, they were Instantly Killed with a single blow, and expressions of surprise remained on their faces. It seemed they didn't even have Time to Resist. Judging from these signs, there were only two possibilities I could think of In One's Head.
The first is that there was more than one Enemy, and the second is that the Enemy's Speed was very fast. Because the three people didn't fall in the same spot, and there were no signs of them being moved. From the similarity of the Wounds and the fact that the scene was not messy, it is clearly the latter situation.
What kind of Enemy could make these resolute Soldiers show such surprised Gaze? And who in the Rogue Encampment could possess such formidable Strength? Thinking of this, a figure overlapped In One's Head. Yes, the Cloak man who gave me such a powerful Presence this morning, and wasn't his Target the Outer Cloister Waypoint? Although I don't want to admit it, all signs indicate that he is the prime suspect.
"Damn it..."
No matter the reason, why would he harm his own Comrade? Why?
I gritted my teeth, my Fists clenched so tightly they creaked. Unforgivable!
The Blood on the Ground was already cold and congealed. Judging from the Time, they had been dead for at least several hours. And there was an unexpected discovery: not far from the Corpses, there was a small Campfire with a trace of residual warmth, and a few bits of meat scraps left on the Ground.
It seemed the killer didn't mind being discovered at all. After the Slaughter, he even leisurely Rested nearby for a while and ate quite a bit. Was this Confidence, or a provocation?
For me, this was both good News and bad News. The killer hadn't gone far and should still be traceable, which was indeed good News. But the bad News was also terrible—this person is resolute and cruel, and their Strength is formidable, definitely not easy to deal with.
At the critical moment, Light Snow was a great Help again. After understanding my intention, it circled the Surroundings, sniffing around with its nose, which was more sensitive than a Dog's. Soon, it made a new discovery.
Before long, led by Light Snow , we chased out of the Outer Cloister and into the Tamoe Highland. The other four Ghost Wolves and the Poison Creeper lagged behind, clearly unable to keep up with Light Snow 's Speed. Although I really wanted to catch up to the killer quickly, I had to make Light Snow slow down a bit. Facing an unknown Enemy, I had to maintain my full Buff.
While Light Snow was Tracking the whole way, I was also considering countermeasures. If the killer was really that person, then what should I do? I had been in the Diablo World for over a year, but I had only dealt with Monsters, never truly competed with other Adventurers. In other words, in terms of Experience, there was a huge Gap between us.
Moreover, based on his performance, he was undoubtedly a strange Assassin. Observing his Presence and the signs on the three Corpses, my judgment of his Strength level was that it was equivalent to Sister Sharna, or even above her, but not by too much. Otherwise, I would definitely not dare to chase after him so rashly.
That is to say, he should at least be able to use Tier 3 Skills. Regarding the Assassin's Skills, I carefully recalled the introduction in Cain's Book. They are divided into Trap, Martial Arts, and Shadow Disciplines. I don't know which tree he is proficient in, but I hope it's Martial Arts. Otherwise, with my Speed, even Approach him would be difficult.
As for Equipment, I pondered for a long Time and finally decided on the following items.
Clothes: Sturdy Scale Mail, 82 Defense.
Gloves: Death Skin Gloves. Of course, I wore a pair of ordinary Gloves over them for disguise.
Shoes: Rare Heavy Boots. 12 Defense, +15 Accuracy, +10 Stamina, +5 Dexterity (this way, that Crossbow can also be used), +1 Light Radius, Cold Resistance +19%. As for the +30% Defense, ignore it...
Belt: Golden Light Buckle Belt. 5 Defense, +5 Dexterity, +18 Life, +15 Mana, Lightning Resistance +24%, Poison Resistance +22%, Attacker Takes Damage 4.
Weapon: Because there were too many options. So I haven't decided what to use yet. I'll hold the Scepter (+1 Resistance Aura, +3 Holy Bolt, Poison Resistance +15%) to enhance my Defense for now, and adapt accordingly when the Time comes.
As for the Necklace and Ring, I didn't have the luxury of being picky.
What made me hesitate the most was the Hat. Two were very suitable. One was a blue Skull Cap, +25% Fire Resistance. Because among the Assassin's Skills, the Tier 2 Skill Fists of Fire from the Martial Arts tree, and the Tier 3 Skill Wake of Fire from the Trap tree, are primarily Fire Damage, Fire Resistance is particularly important.
The other option was the Wolf Head. Although its Stats were relatively Junk, its advantage was its wide Vision, which is very effective against Speed-type Assassins. After thinking for a long Time, I decided to wear the Skull Cap first.
Although I am certain that person hadn't left long ago, it was clear his traveling Speed was not slow. By the Time night fell, Light Snow and the others, who had been maintaining their maximum Speed, still hadn't seen any sign of him. If Light Snow hadn't told me with full Confidence that we hadn't lost the trail, I would have suspected we had gone in the wrong direction. After all, finding one person on a vast plateau is absolutely a Difficulty of mythical proportions for me.
When the red moon rose Mid-air, I had to stop. Although continuing to chase would likely allow me to catch up before long, I was unwilling to compete with an Assassin at night. To conserve sufficient Energy, I thought it would be better to Rest for a while. Anyway, Light Snow hadn't lost the trail.
After setting up the Tent, I gave Light Snow and the others a Command to stay extremely vigilant and set up many Traps further out—although they wouldn't be of much use. Facing my lack of Experience, I had to compensate with more caution and vigilance. Perhaps the Assassin had circled around, turning the tables and was now lurking behind me, observing.
Fortunately, I slept very soundly. I figured that no matter how capable that Assassin was, he couldn't possibly know someone was following him. He didn't have Akara's foresight Ability.
The next morning, before the Sun had risen, I quickly packed my Items and rode Light Snow , continuing towards the unknown direction in the morning mist.
This state continued until the afternoon. Just when I thought Light Snow 's nose had occasionally malfunctioned and we had lost the person, an empty Fallen Camp made me regain Confidence. There wasn't a single Shaman's Shadow in the Camp, but a faint trace of Blood still lingered in the Air. Although I couldn't definitively conclude that person did it, it at least gave me a Single Point of motivation to continue the pursuit.
Fact proved that Light Snow 's nose had absolutely not made any mistakes. In about half an hour, a figure the size of a black bean appeared within my Vision. When the size of the figure enlarged enough for me to clearly see the outline, I finally confirmed that I had found the correct Target.
Very quickly, his Speed was very fast. Even though Light Snow and the others were running at full power, the Speed at which we closed the Distance between us was still very slow. No wonder I had been chasing for almost a day. Thinking of this, I broke out in Cold Sweat and raised my evaluation of his Strength again.
However, the Assassin quickly discovered the pursuers behind him. He stopped, so I didn't take much Time to catch up.
He turned around, examining us as we slowly Approach with a Gaze I couldn't discern. I stopped about ten meters away. This was a very subtle Distance, just within the maximum range allowed by Airdrop Encirclement.
I suppressed the nervousness and unease In One's Head, trying to examine him with a cold Gaze. Light Snow beneath me, and the Ghost Wolves and Poison Creeper following behind, also calmed me down considerably.
He was also looking at me with interest. While saying "interest," his Gaze still couldn't escape the sinister and indifferent Personality that emanated from his bones. It was as if he regarded everything with an Attitude of indifference, making one feel none of the integrity an Adventurer should possess. Instead, it was more like facing a cold-blooded Monster.
We stared at each other in silence, both seemingly waiting for the other to speak. The invisible Atmosphere around us was somewhat suffocating.
"The people at the Waypoint. Did you kill them?"
I tried my best to suppress my anger, speaking in a slightly trembling Tone.
After hearing my words, he made a slightly thoughtful Expression, and then replied in his unique Tone.
"Oh dear, I've killed too many people. If you ask me so suddenly, how can I remember? However..."
He paused slightly. His eyes seemed to be staring intently at me.
"If you're talking about the Outer Cloister Waypoint, then yes, I did kill them..."
"..."
"Why? Why did you kill your own Warriors?"
I tightly gripped the Scepter in my hand, suppressing the urge to attack and roaring loudly.
"Why? Don't say that. I'm not someone who likes Slaughter. It's just that those three guys were too talkative. I just wanted to go back to Rogue, but they kept asking questions. It was really annoying, so to make them quiet, I had no choice but to do that."
He continued to provoke my nerves with his nonchalant Tone.
"They were just a few Minions. Is there a need to be so agitated..."
"Whoosh..."
My answer to him was the Crossbow, loaded with Crossbow Bolts, that I suddenly pulled out of my Inventory, which landed right on his mouth.
I completely understood. The person before me had completely lost their true nature. Talking Nonsense with him was a mistake from the start.
"You're really an impatient person. To be honest, I wasn't sure I could kill you, otherwise I would have done it back at the Outer Cloister. However, you've given me a good reason..."
He gently wiped the Bloodstain from the Corner of his mouth, and his Tone gradually filled with intense killing intent.
The next moment, he had appeared in the open space only a few meters away from me.
So fast! Even faster than Kashya's Demon-like Training!!
My Gaze sharpened. The Scepter and Shield in my hand had already been re-equipped after firing the Crossbow Bolt.
"Whoosh whoosh..."
In just a few instants, he was less than three meters away from me. In an instant, his Body shot towards me like a loosed Arrow, so fast that his figure was almost blurred.
In my eyes, I only saw a black blur rushing towards me. Subconsciously, I held the Shield in my left hand In Front of me. I swung the Scepter in my right hand towards the black blur. Facing a high-Dexterity Assassin, I didn't choose to Dodge in vain. Trading Damage for Damage was the most reliable Tactics. Before this, I had already drunk several Potions, and I still had over ten bottles of rejuvenation Potions on hand, which was enough to wear him down to Death.
With a "Bang," a huge Strength came from my left hand. The Scepter in my right hand, which swung into empty Air, was also within my expectations. Just when I thought my Attack had missed and the opponent's Attack had been blocked by the Shield (actually, I was still at a disadvantage, as blocking with a Shield still reduces Life), I suddenly found his figure had disappeared. Then, the next moment, a chilling Voice came from behind my neck, instantly making my heart turn cold.
"Too slow..."
Before the Voice finished, I already felt an icy, bone-chilling edge Approach my neck.
In the nick of Time, Light Snow beneath me suddenly darted sideways, narrowly allowing me to Dodge this Attack. Touching the goosebumps on my neck, I only felt a chilling coldness penetrate my heart.
It turned out the Strength coming from the Shield in my left hand was not an Attack from his Weapon, but rather his toes using the Strength from the Shield to perform a quick aerial flip to my Back.
Not good. Engaging in Melee Combat with an Assassin is simply courting Death.
"I knew you would be a big trouble."
After Dodging the Attack with Light Snow 's Help, the Assassin didn't press the Attack. Instead, he stared intently at Light Snow with a cold Gaze, seemingly valuing Light Snow 's threat more than mine. Damn it, I'll make you regret having that thought later.
"Crack..."
He suddenly leaped up. The next moment, the Ground where he had just stood exploded open, and a vine burst out of the Dirt. It was the Poison Creeper's Submerge Attack. I didn't expect him to Dodge it too.
"Not bad, really not bad."
The Assassin, still Mid-air, said lightly. Although his words seemed understated, in Fact, he Dodged that Attack quite narrowly. If it weren't for the Intuition honed through long-term Training in Death, he might have actually been successfully hit by the Sneak attack...