Lowlife, Scoundrel, Bandit Queen

Chapter 185 185 - Shadows in the night

I'm not far from the vantage point I used last time. I could reach it in short order, but my [Danger Sense] being triggered stops me dead in my tracks. There is someone there already! And they are not alone. Without thinking about it for even a single moment I trigger two of my new skills in quick succession. First is my [Shadow Step] which moves me from the spot where I was crouching just a moment ago to another a few paces away. Before I even fully emerge from that other shadow though my second new skill takes effect. It's [Shadow Shroud], which makes me blend in with that very shadow like no ordinary stealth ever could.

The use of both skills burns through my remaining Mana, not depleting my reserves completely but it's precariously close. At least the use of the second skill earns me a notification whispered into the back of my mind in Fox's reassuring voice.

[*Ding!* Your skill Shadow Shroud has leveled up to level 2!]

As it is a class skill this one contributes directly to the continuing growth of my recently evolved eminence in the shadows class. And how very fitting that is right now! My overcautious approach is not for naught either!

Even as I crouch there, quiet as any living thing can possibly be and wrapped in shadows, someone else passes close by, barely a pace in front of me in fact. This person too is moving quietly, very much so in fact, but I can still make out enough details. In fact it's weird how well I can discern those details. At least at first. Then another notification brushes through my mind and my confusion quickly is overcome by realization.

[*Ding!* Your skill Monarch's Domain has leveled up to level 2!]

Another class skill leveling up which means yet more progress to my dominant class! Sweet! Yet I barely have the peace of mind to really appreciate this fact. What really catches my attention is how the area I can perceive in this state of heightened awareness expands! Even my [Perception] improving a little too at the same time is barely worth of note in comparison.

And yet, while I'm acutely aware of that first person, the appearance of another still catches me by surprise. Right until the woman too enters the area of my heightened perception I wouldn't have been able to tell at all that she is there.

The man, the one I noticed first, looks around in confusion. He even looks right at me, apparently without seeing me though. If he has noticed me he has to be the best actor there can be, as there is no twitch of even a single muscle and not even the slightest widening of his eyes. No, he really remains unaware of my presence. My [Stealth] improves another bit, apparently in agreement with my assessment of the situation.

From this close I can easily make out the features of his face hinting at a mixed ancestry. I see some orcish features, like slightly enlarged tusks, but overall elven features dominate, including the slightly elongated, pointy ears. Finally he lets out an annoyed little sigh as he turns to his female companion, a gnome if I'm not mistaken.

"I could have sworn that someone was here."

She seems unperturbed and just shrugs as she looks around some more herself.

"It's alright. Can't be too careful on a mission like this. Better to raise an alarm once too often than the other way around. The boss wants this taken care off all hush like."

Their exchange happens in a hushed tone that would be near imperceptible from any further away. The half orc doesn't seem convinced yet either.

"Should we check that tower? Maybe someone is spending the night there?"

The gnome shakes her head.

"No, even if someone is there they are far enough away to be of no consequence to our plan. It's best not to go looking for trouble if we don't have to. We stick to the plan, and as long as we can help it we won't start improvising. This already is risky and troublesome enough as it is. If all goes well, we'll be well on our way again by the time the sun comes up. And by then any adventurers from Riverrun that might be around can do quack about it."

"Quack? Really?"

The gnome woman flashes him a grin.

"What? It's a fun pun. Probably the only good thing to come out of that boring drudge of a town in the last ten years."

He grumbles a little but nods and finally they are moving away from me again, in the direction of the observation spot I had in mind, where at least one other seems to be waiting for them.

I stay very, very still for a little while longer, straining my sense to their limit and possibly beyond, to make sure none are coming back my way. My [Perception] improves some more. By the time I dare move again I'm pretty sure that the two picked up the other sentries stationed at the lookout to move beyond it.

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

Do they have plans to deal with the wyvern? On whose orders though? By the sounds of it they are not being paid by the city of Riverrun. Their Syld sounded subtle different too. They are from somewhere else. And the clothes and armor they wore, those weren't the mismatched outfits of some adventurer group or a cheap mercenary band either. In fact I wouldn't be surprised if they were the elite strike squad of the lord of some other city of the frontier or possibly even one of the realms beyond it. No matter which it is, they were dangerous for sure. Ha! Of course they are. Would they even think about confronting a scaled, flying terror like that wyvern otherwise?

I reactivate my shadow shroud once more, even though my Mana is getting dangerous low right now, to help obscure my movements as I quietly and much more slowly move back to the tower in a roundabout way. At least the Mana spent is spent well and it earns me an immediate notification too.

[*Ding!* Your skill Shadow Shroud has leveled up to level 3!]

My magic attribute and thanks to it my magic power and my Mana reserves improve indirectly as well. It's an interesting experiment too, one that is successful on top! Even when moving the shroud of shadows helps hide my contours. Together with my regular [Stealth], which improves too, as I do my best to move silent and unnoticed, the effect is quite impressive. The shroud lasts a little longer this time as well, which provides additional insights on how it works. The strength of it seems determined by my magic power while the skill's level seems to determine how long each use lasts.

Sadly it seems that even at higher levels this skill won't hide me all day long, but even now already it should be good for short bouts during an infiltration or escape. That's good enough for me. At least for now.

It's only once I'm back at the tower that I really dare to take a deep breath and relax at least a little. I feel like the fox that just got away from the hunters. Hunters that weren't even after me but still. I lean against the interior wall for a moment until my heart stops beating like crazy.

It's almost completely dark now and I have spent a lot of Mana on keeping unnoticed. I have to abandon my initial plans in my current state. There is no way I can hide the parts of the throne right now even though it would be prudent to make sure these people never find out about it. I mean I could still do it, but that would be pushing my limits. Of course pushing my limits is what allows me to expand them.

I'm so very tempted to scream in frustration, but it's an urge I successfully fight down. I do run my hands through my hair, pulling on it as I do, in frustration though. In the end I hang my head. I have to hide the damned thing. Damn it all, maybe I should have buried in a fake grave next to the other instead? Well, it's too late for that now.

I push off the wall and grab some firewood to get a nice little fire started. I'll need it and not just to cook either. For the same reason I prepare my meager bedding too. Whatever these strangers are up to, it'll be done before the night is over. And I'll hate myself for my very own reasons before the night is over too. Probably. Oh, who am I kidding. I'll be loudly cursing myself for sure. No doubt about it. None at all.

Once the fire is burning I start to take off my things, everything but my guild tag and my lucky penny, neatly placing them to the side. Biting my lips and shivering ever so slightly already I grab the first stone slab, holding it closely and with a firm grip as I start to descend the tower's stairs right until my toes touch ice cold water.

"Eeep!"

This time I can't keep from screaming out even if just for a moment before I manage to regain my composure. I don't pull away either, setting my foot firmly on the first submerged step instead, hoping to get used to the icy cold. Come on, cold resistance! Any moment now, right? No such luck. The only thing I get are goosebumps all over.

I chuckle to myself and focus on the spot I remember from the other time and Channel some more of my dwindling Mana reserves into a sphere of magical light to illuminate the flooded part of the tower. The placement is a little different this time, as I want the light to reach past the underwater doorway I saw last time too. My [Light] skill improves ever so slightly and the glowing sphere springs into existence as intended.

I pull my lips into a tight line and breath steadily. More importantly though, each breath is very deep to saturate my blood with oxygen, so I won't have to resurface right away. My destination isn't far, but I still don't want to run out of air halfway there or even just on my way back. Oh, goodness gracious, this better be good for a skill level or two.

There is one benefit to the water at least though. The heavy stone plate is much easier to handle once it's fully submerged. I still wouldn't want to drop it on my toes, but it's not nearly as much of a burden anymore.

Finally the water reaches all the way up to my neck. This is the moment of truth. I take one last deep breath and take a bigger step this time, taking the last two steps of the stairs at once. Now I have to move fast and with purpose. Thankfully the water is fresh water, thus I can keep my eyes open without too much trouble. It still stings of course, but I can bear it. My hair is short enough to not get in the way either.

Due to the heavy stone plate I'm carrying I can walk along the ground while holding my breath. Curiously enough, although I'm not really swimming this still seems to count, as I can feel my [Swimming] skill improve ever so slightly.

Beyond the doorway that is my destination I can see the landing turn into another flight of stairs descending even further, but whatever is down there is entirely beyond my reach, at least for now. Thus I focus on what I can see beyond the open doorway instead.

What I see is a single room. If I have the layout and positioning of the tower and the winding stairs memorized correctly the room should be reaching deeper into the rock under the cliff, which might be why the place is flooded. That's not of any consequence right now though. What matters more is, that the room is empty. Well, it's mostly empty except for a single solid wooden chest with iron bands, covered in a thin layer of calcification , at the far end.

A treasure? Or maybe a trap? Could it be a mimic? Nah, probably not, or it probably would have drowned a long time ago. It doesn't matter anyway. The burning in my lungs reminds me that I'm on a rather short timer here.

I lean the stone plate against the wall besides the arch of the doorway and swim back out into the stairway and back towards the surface at my best speed. By the time my head breaks the surface the burning has become almost unbearable and as a result I suck the fresh air in in deep gulps, while I actually crawl the rest of the way out of the water.

Goodness gracious! And that was only the first of five stone plates. My knees are shaking and my limbs in general are shaking, no I'm trembling all over, as I make my way back up to get the next plate. Even rubbing my arms and sides to warm back up barely helps any at all.

[*Ding!* You have unlocked the Cold Resistance general skill at Level 1!]

I want to groan as that notification brushes through my mind now. Well, I guess better late than never? The feeling of bone chilling cold subsides little but of course it doesn't go away entirely. More importantly though, I can feel my vitality attribute and my health improve a little as well, suggesting that the skill is at the very least uncommon rather than common.

Nice as that may be, in the end I make a quick break to warm up besides my fire anyway, while I put some fresh wood on to make sure it'll keep burning while I'm busy with the next piece of that damned fancy chair. That actually helps even if just a little.

Just as I pick up the next slab something else shakes me to the bone. A roar. A very angry roar. I know exactly whose roar it is, and although it's not coming from nearby, it's still making the leaves on the trees outside rustle. Those crazy fools really went after the flying terror! Madness! Almost as bad as my self selected torture. In the end the sounds of far off combat make me hurry back down the stairs with renewed vigor.