Day 260 - 9:26 PM - Barangay Toytoy, Municipality of Caramoran, Province of Catanduanes
On the southern side of an unnad river in Barangay Toytoy, several campfires illuminated the night, surrounded by a large number of ard people.
These people were no other than the group of rcenaries and private soldiers that escaped Codon and abandoned everyone else, taking all the supplies they could carry with them.
The ard group did not have problems with food and water. However, it did not an that their journey went smoothly. In fact, carrying large amounts of food and clean water slowed them down a whole lot as they traversed the mountainous terrain.
Although vehicles were now impossible to have, they actually had a few carts to carry their supplies when they escaped Codon Settlent. Those carts helped them escape Codon quickly as it faced destruction. However, carts could only be used in flat terrain. Climbing up unpaved mountains with those carts was impossible. It would have been fine if they could travel through the coast since the coastal areas were much flatter than the mountains. Unfortunately, that was also currently the most dangerous area. Not only the [Infected] were coming ashore from the waters surrounding the island, but enemies could co from both the sea and the mountains, possibly trapping them in the worst scenarios.
Picking the safer choice, they abandoned the carts. It may slow them down along the way carrying all the supplies. However, it was much safer than traveling through the coastal area.
Unfortunately, another problem ca to light long after they entered the mountains.
The private soldiers were lagging behind the rcenaries.
It was not just because it was mostly the private soldiers who carried the supplies. It was more because they struggled to make their way up the steep mountains.
The issue was the lack of experience. It was not like the private soldiers lacked training. However, they lacked on-field experience, unlike the rcenaries who fought deadly battles in different terrains. It was not surprising. All they had to do was train within the training facilities the employer had provided. Furthermore, private armies were illegal, and training them in the open would make it easier for them to be compromised by the public. It was not like rcenaries were legal either in the Philippines, but they were trained in foreign countries where it was more or less allowed or easier to conceal.
The injuries they incurred from every battle dragged down their speed even more. They needed to make more stops to tend to the injured, and those incapacitated added to the baggage. There were even a few tis they had to leave a dying comrade behind or end their lives directly. It was sothing that could not be helped as they had no way of tending to those fatally injured while on this dangerous journey.
With those problems, accompanied by the dangerous encounters along the way, it was no surprise that they had yet to reach their destination after several days.
"Rest properly! We'll leave early in the morning!"
Parris said to the rest of the group after finishing their lacking dinner.
They did not bring any tents, prioritizing food and water. As such, they could only sleep in makeshift shelters made using things they could gather around the campsite. It was not the most comfortable way to rest, but definitely better than nothing.
As for dinner, they had to spend their food supply sparingly. It was still far from running out, but it would not last long. They had to reach their destination before they ran out of supplies. It was a good thing there was a river along the way where they could replenish their water stock. Of course, as rcenaries, they knew that just taking so water and drinking it up straight was not a good idea. As such, they prepared a few pots where the nightti lookouts could boil water while guarding the campsite against enemies.
Ulric, the leader of the group, sat on a large rock by the riverside. He was looking at the sky while scribbling on a piece of paper. He was using the stars to determine the direction they should take tomorrow.
These people were rcenaries with survival knowledge. It was hard for these people to get lost even while roaming inside unfamiliar mountains and forests. The only question was how long it would take to reach their destination.
It was unfortunate. None of these people knew that this would be their last night.
***
After leaving the Napo Settlent, Mark flew south. He did not know the exact location of the rcenaries right now and would need to search a bit. He could ask the [Yasaws] for help. However, those little magical creatures were preoccupied with guarding the coasts around the island to prevent highly mutated [Infected] from sneaking into the island. It was better to leave them to their job and not disturb them.
Besides, Mark did not have to put so effort into finding his targets.
Normally, it would be better to put out campfires during the night to avoid being detected by enemies. However, the rcenaries did not think that was necessary this ti. Light did not matter much for [Evolved Animals] and [Infected]. Although putting out the fire would make them less detectable, it would impair the rcenaries and private soldiers more due to the lack of sight during these darker nights. Not to ntion they needed to boil water for consumption.
Furthermore, none of the rcenaries would have thought that an enemy would co at this point, an enemy that was neither an [Evolved Animal] nor an [Infected].
Mark looked down from the sky. The light in the middle of a mountainous forest shined brightly. He knew that he had found his targets.
Without a shred of emotion, while looking down on the campsite below him. Mark clenched his hand tightly. Per his own rule, he would not wantonly lay his hands on the innocents. However, these rcenaries and private soldiers were never deed innocent. Not by the people of Codon and definitely not by their own actions.
And considering the potential danger and disharmony these people could bring into the now-stable Napo Settlent, it was better to eliminate them.
Mark wondered why he hesitated initially. Maybe he just did not want to waste any possible resource. After all, despite their conduct, so of these rcenaries were skilled in many ways. Ways that regular people could not compare to, even so so-called professionally trained soldiers, felt lacking.
"Hah."
Mark shrugged as he shook off the useless thoughts inside his head. He was overthinking again. Mark then looked down, deciding to finish it fast so that he could go ho. They still have a few important activities to accomplish to prepare sothing for the day after tomorrow.
POOF!
Mark turned into a surge of mist as he dove down from the sky.
Hidden as black mist in the dark and his body that contained the [Aura of Death]. Mark was confident in doing a flawless assassination.
"Should I go for the leader or the small fries first?"
Mark mulled a little as he appeared behind a tree south of the campsite.
In the end, Mark decided to eliminate the sleeping private soldiers and rcenaries firsthand because they posed little to no resistance.
Mark took out the [Wind Manipulation ntal Crystal] and the [Photokinesis ntal Crystal]. Both crystals would help hide his movents.
While the idea of just bombarding his targets with [Miasmic Flas] and [Miasmic Lightning] ca into Mark's mind, he decided against it. Surely, that thod was faster. However, it would probably cause more damage to the surroundings, attract more [Infected] due to magical fluctuations, and destroy the loot.
Since the loss Mark experienced due to the abrupt explosion of the [chid Factory], he beca more careful in getting returns for his activities.
After all, these rcenaries and private soldiers did not only have food and water. They also have a good amount of firearms and ammunition. Possibly also explosives. It would be such a waste to let go of such loot.
Mark disappeared, swiftly making his way toward the sleeping targets. Taking out a tanto blade made of [Blood tal], Mark rcilessly slit the throats of his targets.
So of the sleeping rcenaries let out a groan as their throat was slit open. However, the [Wind Manipulation ntal Crystal] prevented the sounds from being heard by the others.
But as Mark slit his fifteenth target...
"ENEMY ATTACK!"
The leader of the rcenaries, Ulric, roared out loud.
Without hesitation, the rcenary leader transford into a large wolfman.
The rcenaries and private soldiers imdiately scrambled into battle stance as they gathered in one place. They were surely trained and practiced this formation a lot.
However, it was also when Ulric and the rest noticed that they were missing many of their people. Fifteen people did not respond to the leader's roar. They could see the bodies of the fifteen rcenaries and soldiers, but none of them were woken up by Ulric's roar.
Worse, none of them could see any enemy within the surroundings.
It was when Ulric raised his claws and pounced in a certain direction. That surprised everyone as Ulric slashed his wolfish claws toward an empty location.
CLANG!
A loud clang was heard, indicating that Ulric's claws hit sothing tallic.
It was when the rcenaries and private soldiers felt terrified. Even Ulric jumped back as the appearance of the assailant ca to light.
A humanoid creature surrounded by a black haze mist. It was wielding a scythe which clearly was what blocked Ulric's attack.
On the other hand, Mark was frowning. He could not fathom how Ulric was able to find him. Mark's body was not supposed to be sensed by living beings because of the [Aura of Death]. It was unfathomable and made Mark curious. In the end, he had to cover his body with [Miasma] and form the scythe using the [Aura of Death]. It would not hurt to fight Ulric directly to understand what had happened.
"FIRE!"
Parris yelled. It was an order to their n while a warning for Ulric to retreat.
The rcenaries and private soldiers were terrified of the creature they were fighting. However, they did not want to die and fired their guns.
As Ulric moved out of the way, the gunshots began echoing loudly across the mountainous forest.
Mark frowned as the bullets whizzed through his body. It was such a waste of ammo.
At this ti, Mark opened his wings. It terrified the targets even more. After all, the bullets did no damage to Mark, and right now, he looked like the harbinger of death to them.
Mark did not care about the emotions he was detecting from the enemies. He zood towards the group, ignoring Ulric. His movents, faster than the targets could react to, caused their minds to freeze.
By the ti the rcenaries realized, the blade of the scythe was already centiters before their necks.
The scythe was brandished quickly, harvesting the lives of those that faced it.
After a few deaths, the formation crumbled, and the remaining targets began to run away in fear.
No one tried to speak or negotiate with Mark. All they saw was not a person but a monster in the night.
Ulric attacked a few more tis to no avail. His attacks only passed through the body of the assailant.
The remaining rcenaries and private soldiers began to scatter in different directions. It would be troubleso since it would need more effort to chase and kill them one by one if they scattered.
With a slight pause, Mark's eyes glowed red.
All the targets froze on the spot.
Ulric, Parris, and those smarter rcenaries realized sothing.
The [Fear Phenonon] that happened a week ago.
Ulric cursed their luck. It seed that they ran into the cause of that unexplainable phenonon. Ulric was not new to this feeling. As a rcenary, he faced and wrestled with death several tis. As such, he knew that the [Fear Phenonon] was not just fear but fear of death.
"Tsk. AWWWOOOOOOOOO!!!"
Ulric clicked his tongue and roared. It was not the first ti he faced death. Ulric was not afraid of it as much as others. As his body was freed from restraint, he jumped away, leaving everyone, and escaped deep into the forest.
And Mark was surprised. Ulric managed to escape the effects of his [Emotion Induction] that was enhanced by the [Aura of Death].
Mark shrugged as he waved his scythe. The rcenary leader had no way of escaping him, not to ntion it was easier to chase a single person that escaped.
In this case, it was better to deal with the other enemies first, as they were already on the verge of a ntal breakdown from excessive fear.
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