บท 69: Chapter 69: New Bounty
The message in the letter was simple, it stated that Zaos should arrive at the tavern during the night to get briefed on a new bounty the Whisperer has found.
[There are still a few hours left… ] Zaos casually stowed away the letter and entered his abode.
He made himself some breakfast, which he devoured quickly, before heading to his room to train.
Once inside the room, he got onto his bed, adopted the lotus position, and began slowly regulating his breathing while simultaneously utilizing his elemental weave to take in mana through his nostrils and mouth.
Each breath he took allowed one of the different types of Mana to flow through his body causing him to slowly get accustomed to it while also strengthening his physique slightly.
With his mind clear of any distracting thoughts, Zaos remained transfixed in the serene state for a few hours before he stopped.
He rose from his bed and looked out the window; the dark sky was still clear.
[I might as well take a nap since the appointed time hasn't reached,] Zaos returned to his bed and collapsed onto it.
He slept for a few more hours before he naturally arose from his slumber.
The dim star lights trickling into his room through the window informed Zaos that the night had descended on the region.
Swiftly getting out of bed, Zaos donned a black leather coat, some ash trousers, and a pair of leather boots and exited the building.
He left the lower residential district and headed to the commercial district for the second time today, however his designation this time was the tavern he visited whenever he needed to meet with Whisperer.
Compared to the morning, the streets were much less lively. The only ones up and about were the ladies of pleasure and the rogue mercenaries seeking a release from the day's events.
Zaos navigated through the crowd like a ghost since no one noticed his presence. He wasn't employing any stealth techniques, instead, this was the result of his body mutating during his evolution. He could no longer be considered a Dark elf but instead a variant which he dubbed the Void elf.
His void elf physique had a reduced presence that could only be sensed by stronger individuals or an individual with powerful perception. The only other way for him to be perceived required him to be in the observer's direct line of sight, if they were familiar with him then they would be able to track him for a while as long as he remained in the vicinity, however, if the observer was unfamiliar with him, his presence would easily be forgotten except they made contact with him during that period.
This ability paired well with his shape-shifting made infiltrations, tailing, and assassinations much easier to complete.
Zaos shook his head, clearing his mind of these random thoughts, and walked into the two-story tavern.
He moved to the secluded table on the far right corner of the tavern.
Contrary to his previous visits, the hooded Whisperer was already seated at the table.
As Zaos took a seat at the opposite chair, Whisperer greeted him candidly, before getting to the point of the meeting.
"Have you heard of the Spectral Raiders?" Whisperer asked in a serious tone.
"The infamous group of bandits? I have heard of them," Zaos responded calmly.
Whisperer nodded and continued, "Good, that makes things easier. The bounty this time involves the Spectral Raiders. The group seized the goods of a merchant's caravan and abducted his daughter. The merchant is offering 30 good-quality mana gems to anyone who can save her and retrieve the goods," The Whisperer announced.
Zaos pondered for a few minutes before asking.
"How do I find them?" He was indirectly indicating he had agreed to the request.
Whisperer passed Zaos a stack of papers he had prepared earlier and explained, "That contains a map on how to get to their hideout which is called the Thieves' den. There is also information on the various influential members of the group and information on the hostage,"
Zaos nodded slowly and accepted the papers before showing them away.
"I'll claim the bounty from the merchant and will bring your share over to you," Zaos spoke nonchalantly as he stood up.
"Alright," Whisperer nodded as both parties split up.
Zaos walked back to his residence in the lower residential district, he needed to prepare before making his move tonight.
Swiftly navigating the streets, Zaos arrived at his home. He went inside, sat on the wooden chair in the living room, and read through the contents of the documents given to him by Whisperer.
The first paper showed a map leading to the Thieves' den. Zaos memorized the routes and placed the map aside.
The second paper was a portrait of an individual with fierce red hair, crimson-colored eyes, and a large scar on his left cheek. The individual was known as Scarface, he was a high elf and was the leader of the bandit group.
The third paper was also a portrait but the individual depicted was a dashing young lady with long dark hair, deep dark eyes, and soft facial features. She was the daughter of the merchant who had issued this mission; Finnea.
The other papers showed the less impressive vice leader and some other goons with high status in the bandit group.
After memorizing the important details, Zaos went to his room and changed into his hunting gear.
He then packed a sack full of basic supplies and exited the residence with the map to the Thieves' den in hand.
He crossed through the tunnel leading outside the city and followed the path drawn on the map to his destination.
Since he was unfamiliar with the location, he couldn't teleport to it, nonetheless, with his immense speed, it didn't take him long to arrive at the location.
The forest surrounding the Thieves' den was rather small so there weren't many predators in it. Because of this, the bandits were able to set up a forte in the forest, turning this once peaceful forest into a dangerous place.
Zaos stood outside the forest and expanded his senses to encompass a kilometer radius ahead of him.
[There are at least a hundred living beings in the area. A majority of them are elves. Also, this place seems to be rigged with a lot of traps…] Zaos analyzed.
[It will be troublesome to fight this many people with a hostage. I'll get the girl out first before taking care of the bandits for fun…] Zaos smiled to himself as he activated his invisibility and stepped into the forest.
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