"Found it!" The building appeared to be a simple two-story house, the only odd thing about it being the constant flow of soldiers in and out. There were at least five soldiers maintaining the barrier and three mages. Light considered the possibility of fighting. The distance was too great to see the stats, but some preliminary conclusions could be drawn.
Initiates, focusing on physical attributes, would have strong muscles and their vitality would be overflowing like Boros. There were about two such individuals around, and the mages also had to be initiates to maintain the barrier; they didn't provide energy directly, magical crystals did that. Their main role was just to direct energy. Where there was greater tension, there should be more protection.
'If I attempted a surprise attack and was quick, it might work.'
Looking at the sword, he reconsidered.
***
Item: Short Sword
Rarity: Common
Category: Melee Weapon
Damage: 2
Durability: 5/50
***
No one needed a system to see that it was cracked and dull, with blood already hardened covering it. It wouldn't withstand another fight; he could try to steal a weapon during the battle, but how viable would that be?
Magic alone wouldn't resolve the situation, especially considering the three mages should be more experienced than him, with better control over their own mana, and the ability to alter the terrain to their advantage. Most were likely earth magic users. But… what if it only weakens them? Disabling the three would dissolve the barrier, but defeating just one should weaken its effectiveness; it would only be necessary to finish breaking it when the time came.
Climbing quickly onto a neighboring building, he waited, closely observing the movement on the other side. Eventually, someone would approach the window, and that moment would be their last.
A small figure slowly approached the window; Light wasted no time. He drew the sword and positioned it at ear height, one foot forward and one back, a hand flat in front, muscles tense like a bowstring. It still wasn't enough!
[Light cast Wind Manipulation]
[Mana 40/100]
[Light cast Wind Manipulation]
[Mana 30/100]
Strong winds concentrated around the sword, a small cyclone forming, holding the position firmly. The figure was finally within reach; a loud burst was heard as the attack was released.
The impact was instantaneous. The blade, now enveloped in a cutting wind current, tore through the air with explosive force. The window was obliterated in a cloud of glass shards and dust, the concentrated wind carrying the sword straight to the target. The figure on the other side had no time to react; they were sliced in an instant, their body thrown back like a puppet with cut strings.
[Death to hidden enemies!]
[You killed Aris]
[Aura 12 -> 14]
[Your glory reaches the gods!]
[Aura 14 -> 16]
The guards immediately identified the source of the attack, coming from across the street. Light ran as fast as he could towards the barrier, quickly jumping from the building he was on and landing in a passing cart, startling the driver, who turned pale at the sight of the infamous assassin.
Some guards were in front and tried to stop him with their swords. Mundane dwarves, easily Light dodged and counterattacked with his fists, paying little attention to them. His figure cut through hordes of common soldiers relentlessly. Until another Initiate blocked his path.
'Damn, I can't face him now!'
He immediately changed direction, trying another path. Soon he found himself blocked again; the soldiers were always concentrated near the barrier. The further he went, the more common they were. His escape became increasingly difficult.
Finally, he reached the city entrance. The barrier was there. More enemies in sight, trying to retreat, more enemies behind and on the sides. Light was surrounded, this time there was nowhere to run.
A strong man stepped forward and, with a thunderous voice, proclaimed, "Surrender, assassin, and be judged for your crimes according to the laws!"
Light's eyes were restless, analyzing every possible escape route. When he disregarded escape, he tried to find the weakest link among them, constantly formulating plans to get out of this situation.
"Why should I surrender?" he asked, trying to buy time while processing the situation.
"As far as I know, you were the ones who made trouble over five copper coins which I paid!" with a provoking tone.
"Indeed, it was only five coins" the dwarf nodded, suppressing the rage in his chest. "And yet, you killed three of our men and left many wounded along the way!" Hatred was evident in his words.
"Let me see if I understand… you attack me and are the victims?" A sarcastic laugh followed by a malicious smile appeared.
"I've always been a good citizen, so let me at least question the penalty for my crimes."
"It doesn't take a great scholar to know that the penalty is death by execution!" His eyes were bloodshot, eager to cut Light into pieces.
"They were our friends, our brothers! That's the only penalty you deserve!"
"Ahh, these dwarves are rather cowardly, aren't they?" he continued to mock them.Those present grew increasingly indignant.
"What?" he asked with a serious face.
"Need hundreds to capture just one!"
"Besides, you're afraid to kill! You need to capture and only later, without showing your faces, kill! That's maximum cowardice, afraid of the enemy until the last moment! Your law is the law of cowardice!"The crowd murmured, anger boiling in the air. The dwarf leader, overcome with fury, shouted.
"I ask all captains present here to allow breaking the law and directly executing this criminal!" Everyone present shouted in agreement, the people against Light.
"Hey, hand over your sword to him!" The leader could no longer contain his rage.
A new sword fell at Light's feet. He quickly picked it up as the dwarf approached.
"I, Eracton, Son of …" the dwarf began, but didn't have time to finish.
[Through Wind Manipulation…]
[New skill Dash (Swift) learned!]
[Mana 20/100]
Light immediately propelled himself at high speed towards the opponent, who was too occupied with his own speech. His foot landed on the opponent's shoulder, who had yet to realize what was happening.
[Light used Dash (Swift)]
[Mana 10/100]
With the new sword in hand, Light directed a precise thrust towards the magical barrier. The structure, already weakened, could not withstand the impact and shattered like glass at the point of contact, opening his path to freedom.
[Rejoice, mortal],
[Your deeds are being recognized!]
[A new title is being formed...]
For a brief moment, silence reigned as the crowd of dwarves absorbed what had just happened. No one had anticipated the enemy's escape. But this moment of shock was quickly replaced by a wave of anger. Like a pack of crazed bloodthirsty individuals, the dwarves turned towards Light, their eyes full of hatred. He could feel their bloodlust emanating from them, as if countless needles were piercing him.
[Several dwarves used Fury!]
A titan had awakened in a chorus of primitive rage. Light's eyes narrowed as he assessed the situation. He knew that, although he had broken the barrier, the fight was far from over. Every dwarf approaching now was imbued with the 'Fury' ability, making them even more dangerous opponents.
Light felt the adrenaline pumping through his veins. His body was at its limit, his mana nearly depleted, but his mind remained sharp. There was no time to hesitate. He needed to act quickly, or he would be overwhelmed by this wave of enemies.
[Light used Dash (Swift)]
[Mana 0/100]
'I need to escape, the only safe place for now must be the Ruari Swamp.' He ran, pursued by the crowd, trying to stay out of their line of sight through the trees and bushes. However, the enemy was tenacious and always found him, refusing to let him escape.
The forest around Light turned into a battleground. Branches snapped and leaves flew as he moved rapidly, trying to evade his pursuers. At one point, one of the enemy captains caught up with him, his axe swinging as he easily demolished the entire forest in his path. Light managed to dodge narrowly, the whistle of death passing him by, using his reflexes and plants to gain momentum and barely avoid the blow.
Light sensed the danger even before seeing it. A sharp instinct made him throw himself to the side, avoiding the axe that buzzed past his head. The impact of the blow behind him made the ground tremble, and he used the force of the momentum to propel himself forward.
Every move was critical; his reflexes were at their limit, narrowly dodging each attack that could be fatal. The dwarf captain, now fully consumed by fury, was cutting through the forest in pursuit, his brute strength turning entire trees into rubble.
However, Light could not stop. He knew that his only advantage was his agility. Using the plants as trampolines, he propelled himself in unexpected directions, confusing the captain for brief moments, but the sound of the axe swinging behind him was a constant reminder that death was only a step away.
'I need to keep my distance, just a little longer, until I reach the swamp…' he thought frantically as he advanced, every muscle aching from the effort and each breath heavier than the last. The sight of the dark, murky waters of the Ruari Swamp began to appear ahead of him.
The witch was already there, having long noticed the barrier being raised and the troubles Light was facing. As soon as the barrier broke, she headed straight for it.
As Light ran, his alert senses detected a shift in the atmosphere. A supernatural chill swept through the air, and he felt a powerful presence. Before he could react, black flames condensed in the witch's hands as she emerged from the shadows. With a swift movement, she hurled the black fire like lightning toward the dwarf captain, who was still in relentless pursuit.
The black flames sliced through the air like hungry serpents, striking the dwarf with devastating force. The impact was immediate; the captain, caught off guard, barely had time to react before being engulfed by the flames. His axe, which had been a constant threat to Light, crashed to the ground with a thud, while the dwarf's body was consumed by the cursed flames.
The crowd soon arrived at the scene, desiring Light's death. But upon seeing the witch in all her dark glory, with the black flames still crackling in her hands and the captain's corpse still disintegrating on the ground, their thirst for revenge gave way to fear. They hesitated, exchanging nervous glances among themselves, aware that death was certain if they dared confront such a terrible force.
Trembling in fear of their own annihilation, they withdrew with dark faces, knowing they had allowed the enemy to escape. As Light watched the adversaries retreat, he said, "Thank you, Lady Ruari. I didn't expect you to be here already, wait."
"As much as I would have loved to save you, I came because of the dwarves. I don't want any of them setting foot on my land, especially a band of troublemakers who destroy everything they pass through" she said, her eyes fixed on the retreating enemies.
"I see the negotiations failed"a grim expression taking hold.
"We had some temporary problems.." Light scratched his head.
"Can we go back and rest for a bit? I'm rather tired."
"Yes, I imagine you've been through quite an adventure."