Lucius moved closer and crouched behind a collapsed wall, following the sounds of chattering. His eyes was fixed on the flickering campfire fifty meters ahead as the system notified.
Five figures sat around the flames, their voices carrying through the night air: rough laughter, the clinking of metal cups and the crackling of burning wood under the flames.
He stared from the distance, and his stomach twisted with hunger from the scent of roasting meat. It made his mouth watery and his mind foggy from thinking about it.
'Wrong time to be hungry, tsk' he sighed inwardly, staring at the roasted meat.
'I've got no time to think about this. They have all the resources I need, and the only way to get them is through pain. Trying to talk to a group of bandits might be the worst mistake I make yet again.' His mind recalled a brief memory before shaking his head.
'Streetwise!' He thought, activating the skill.
[Streetwise (Passive) - Triggered]
[Environmental Analysis:]
• Targets: 5 hostiles, moderately armed
• Threat Level: Low-Medium (unaware of your presence)
• Positioning: Campfire blinds their night vision, backs exposed
• Recommended Action: Stealth approach from northwest, eliminate sentry first]
He glared at the system and the message that came with it, and then his gaze shifted to a lone bandit standing watch near the alley entrance.
A scrawny man leaning against a wall, half-asleep with a crossbow slung over his shoulder.
'That must be the sentry. Perfect!'
Lucius moved silently through the rubbles, his enhanced agility making each step soundless. The streetwise skill fed him information, like where to place his feet, which shadows offered the best cover, and when the sentry's attention shifted from point.
As he drew closer, he closed the gap between them. Twenty meters, ten meters, eight meters, five meters.
The sentry yawned, his eyes closed as he scratched his beard.
Lucius's hand shot out immediately, seizing the opportunity to clamp his hand over the man's mouth. His other arm wrapped around his throat: a chokehold, just like the memories from the vagrant corpse had taught him. Another information, the skill fed him unconsciously.
The bandit thrashed, trying to scream for help and clawing at Lucius's arms, but the '43' strength stat made it effortless and easy. Time counted as he held him tight.
Fifteen seconds, the thrashing and struggling weakened. He tried grabbing sand from the floor to throw on his face, but his lack of strength made it hard.
Thirty seconds counted, and his body finally went limp. Lucius lowered him to the ground, his heart pounding from the effort.
'That was a close one!' He heaved softly. 'This is going to be my first kill since reincarnation.'
He stared at the unconscious man and then placed his palm against his exposed neck. 'Absorb!'
[Absorption skill activated!]
[Target: Human Bandit - Living]
[WARNING: Absorbing living targets may result in death]
[Continue? Y/N]
Lucius read the information and hesitated for a moment, weighing his options before responding.
'Yes'
The familiar ice-water sensation crawled up his arm, but this time, it was different from before. It was warmer and calming, more vital, unlike the cold sensation he felt earlier.
The bandit's skin paled rapidly, veins turning black as something essential drained from him into Lucius
[System notification!]
[HP: 85 → 92]
[Absorption complete]
[Target deceased]
[+2 STR acquired]
[Minor skill gained: Steady Aim (Passive) Lv1]
Lucius pulled back, staring at the withered corpse. The face was sunken, aged decades in seconds.
'Woah! It works on the living too?, and I can kill with it. This is going to make things easier for me!'
A strange thrill mixed with disgust formed in his chest. He shook it off and grabbed the crossbow from the corpse's shoulder.
A sudden system notification lighted up on his face, briefly startling him.
[Appraisal activated!]
[Basic info: Crude wooden crossbow with 12 bolts]
[Item Name: Hunter's Crossbow]
[Quality: Decent]
[Approximate Value: 40 copper coins]
[System recommendation: Touch items to gain detailed information on items.]
'Touch items to gain detailed information?' Curious about what it implied, he touched the weapon's stock.
[Enhanced Appraisal - Touch activated]
[Hunter's Crossbow - Detailed Analysis]
• Weapon Type: Ranged
• Attack Power: +8
• Durability: 45/80
• Range: 60 meters (effective)
• Special: Bolts may pierce light armour
• Previous Owner: Marcus "Shaky" - Poacher, 14 confirmed kills]
'Woah! This gives me detailed information on anything I touch? This is good, a very useful skill indeed!'
He read through the appraisal notification, his gaze landing on one specific point.
'Fourteen kills?. These aren't just scavengers. They're murderers!'
Using the new information he got, he made himself feel less guilty about what he was about to do with the rest of them.
Lucius loaded a bolt into the crossbow, his hands moving with unexpected confidence. His new skill 'Steady Aim' guiding his grip and aim. He crept toward the campfire, using the shadows to bypass being seen.
'Only four bandits remaining.'
One was roasting meat on a spit, two others played dice near the fire, and the fourth, a massive bald man with a hand axe strapped to his belt, stood stretching his back.
'Bingo! The big one first.'
Lucius raised the crossbow, aimed at the bald man's throat, and squeezed the trigger firmly.
*Thwip!*
The bolt cut through the air and punched through the bandit's neck. He gurgled, stumbling backwards, his hands clawing at the shaft as blood sprayed everywhere.
'Booyah!' He celebrated internally at his good aim.
The other three noticed the scene and scrambled to their feet.
"What the—?!"
"We're under attack!" One of them yelled.
Lucius was already moving before they noticed, dropping the crossbow and sprinting forward. The element of surprise was gone. Now, it was all based on his speed and strength.
The nearest bandit drew a rusty short sword, and a system notification appeared before him.
[Appraisal activated!]
[Basic info: Rusty iron short sword]
[Item Name: Bandit's Blade]
[Quality: Poor]
[Approximate Value: 25 copper coins
Lucius didn't bother with an enhanced appraisal. He ducked under the wild swing, driving his fist into the man's gut. The bandit doubled over, and Lucius grabbed his wrist, twisting it until his bones cracked and the sword clattered to the ground.
'Absorb!'
His palm pressed against the screaming bandits face firmly.
[Absorption skill activated!]
[HP: 92 → 98]
[+1 AGI acquired]
The body crumpled and felt to the ground, lifeless.
'Two left'
One of them, a wiry man with a throwing axe, hurled the weapon toward him. Lucius twisted, but it grazed his shoulder, tearing through his skin and clothing likewise.
[HP: 98 → 94]
'Shit! That was close one' he cursed as the pain ignited.
The last bandit, a woman with a knife, used the opportunity and lunged at him. Lucius sidestepped, grabbed her arm, and slammed her into the ground hard.
She gasped, as air escaped her lungs as it deflated. He didn't bother with any other thing. He simply tossed her to the distance and returned his gaze.
The axe-thrower was scrambling for another weapon and successfully picked up a bundle of rope?.
Lucius stared at him with disdain 'Pathetic' he sighed.
He closed the distance in three strides, grabbed the man by the throat, and slammed him against the wall.
'Absorb!'
This time, he watched the man's eyes widen in horror as his life forced drained. His skin withered, and his screams turned to rasps, then silence.
[Absorption complete]
[HP: 94 → 100]
[+1 VIT acquired]
Lucius dropped the withered husk to the ground and turned to the woman. She was crawling toward a waterskin, whimpering with fear as he closed the gap between them.
"Please, please don't…." she begged, clamping her hands together.
He knelt beside her and grabbed her wrist. A slight show of emotion on his face before it hardened.
"Its nothing personal, I'm sorry, but I need to survive" he said before activating the skill.
Her pleas turned to whimpers, then nothing.
[Absorption complete]
[HP: 100/100 - Fully recovered]
[Skill gained: Survival Instinct (Passive) Lv1]
[Survival Instinct: Detect nearby threats, heightened awareness in dangerous situations]
—------------------------------------------------
There was silence, five withered, drained, unrecognizable corpses, and Lucius.
Lucius stood in the middle of the carnage, breathing heavily. His hands trembled, but it was not from fear. It was the rush, the thrill he got from the whole scene that just played out
'I just killed five people, and I barely feel anything in my chest' he grabbed his left chest, staring at the floor.
He looked at his palms, his veins glowing faintly from the skill before fading away.
'Tsk! This is not normal, I'm not normal!'
A notification rang through the silence, grabbing his attention from the scene.
[Kills: 5]
[Essence Absorbed: Moderate]
[Title Progress: Slayer - 5/50 kills]
He shook his head and turned to the supplies scattered around the camp. 'I don't feel hungry anymore. I think I'll just grab some items before leaving'
Lucius appraised each item serially, according to the closest item before dealing with the farthest.
[Appraisal activated!]
[Basic info: Weathered leather waterskins (set of 5)]
[Item Name: Patched Waterskins]
[Quality: Decent]
[Approximate Value: 15 copper coins]
He took one of the waterskin bottles and scanned it thoroughly.
[Enhanced Appraisal]
• Capacity: 1 litre each
• Condition: Patched but functional
• Note: Contains stale water, drinkable after boiling]
'Won't need the water, but I'll need them to gather water for drinking later'
He turned to the next item, assessing it accordingly.
[Enhanced Appraisal activated!]
[Basic info: Bundle of dried meat and stale bread]
[Item Name: Trail Rations (5 days)]
[Quality: Poor]
[Approximate Value: 12 copper coins]
• Nutrition: Low, but edible
• Duration: 5 days for 1 person
• Note: Meat is heavily salted, bread is rock-hard]
'Alright, good. I'll keep this for later. Though i don't feel like eating now, I'll definitely get hungry again later though.' He nodded to himself.
[Enhanced Appraisal activated!]
[Basic info: Flint and steel fire starter kit]
[Item Name: Fire Starter Kit]
[Quality: Good]
[Approximate Value: 8 copper coins]
• Condition: Well-maintained
• Uses: Unlimited (with proper tinder)
• Note: Previously owned by experienced travellers]
After reading through the appraisal message, he grabbed the axe from the dead, bald man's corpse and appraised it also.
[Enhanced Appraisal activated!]
[Basic info: Chipped steel hand axe]
[Item Name: Throwing Axe]
[Quality: Worn]
[Approximate Value: 18 copper coins]
• Attack Power: +5
• Throwable: 15-meter effective range
• Durability: 30/60
• Note: Blade needs sharpening]
'This is quite good for something a bandit wields.'