The fresh air of the morning came crashing in. It woke up Siderius.
He opened his eyes to see the faint morning light piercing through his makeshift roof.
[PSYCHOSIS -1]
[PSYCHOSIS LEVEL: 70/100]
A good sleep really helped with your mind, even if only for a tiny bit.
Siderius crawled out of the shelter to breathe the morning air. His new eyesight made everything look much brighter and hard to see the landscape.
One of the side effects of a Nocturnal Ocula, making your eyes completely useless in the day. Siderius needed to deal with this eventually if he wanted to operate in the day.
Siderius examined his current load out.
He had a guard outfit with some mild paddings underneath. It had defensive capability but wouldn't be much useful in a real battle. It wasn't particularly flexible either and was a hassle when moving through the woods.
The silver-coated knife had some chippings on its blade. When Siderius scraped his hand on it, silver dust was peeling off. The knife wasn't forged well and was in a very bad condition. It would be good as an exhibition item but not qualified to be used at all.
The sword that he took from the guard was surprisingly durable. It wasn't that sharp but it got the job done. However, when actually examining it, Siderius graded it as Weak Steel only, a metal rank that was the worst out of all the steels.
Siderius needed better clothes and better tools. He would also need axes and pickaxes to build his hideout in the Rottin Woods.
"It's time to visit the blacksmith." Siderius said.
He had made a deal with George on his way out. The blacksmith still owed him.
The only question now was where would an escaped convict go.
George was old and did not have that much wealth on him. Best case scenario, the blacksmith would go to another nearby town and start a new life there. The town wouldn't be too close to Mucktown to avoid being spotted but it would also need to be close enough so that he didn't die on the journey.
Siderius knew a few towns surrounding Mucktown but only one would he find George.
Scalize, the second nearest town to Mucktown with a respectable population. It was the central gateway to many roads in the kingdom.
George wasn't wanted like Siderius. He only upsetted the wrong people. So George shouldn't have any problem entering Scalize. From there, he could work for a short time to gain enough money to move elsewhere. Completely disappeared for good.
Scalize was around two days' journey from Mucktown. Siderius would need a good map or a guide on how to get there.
He didn't have a map. But he was probably able to buy one.
Siderius needed some money also. He had to figure out a way to earn some coins. The easiest way he thought up was to sell some hunted meat.
This also posed a challenge with his current nocturnal eyes. So Siderius needed to wait until dark.
In the meantime, he kneeled in front of his shelter, practicing his meditation.
"By touch and taste, by scent and sound,
No chaos placed, on hallowed ground."
Hours passed by and when he opened his eyes again, the sun was beginning to drop. Dusk had arrived.
[PSYCHOSIS -8]
[PSYCHOSIS LEVEL: 62/100]
Eight hours of pure meditation had lowered Siderius' psychosis by a lot. The first two hours lowered his psychosis by four points. The next two were one point each. And then the last four lowered only two points.
The meditation technique lost its effectiveness by a bit as Siderius had anticipated. This was normal behavior as the body got used to the technique.
Meditating too much also lowered its effectiveness. From the fourth hour the meditation only had half of its usual effect.
If Siderius meditated for a straight twenty four hours, he probably only lowered around twelve or thirteen points. This was not an ideal routine. It was best for him to meditate around two to three hours a day.
His first ring wasn't solidified yet and there was more to be done.
Siderius stood up and dusted off his knees. Dusk was the time small catches returned to their nest. It's perfect for hunting.
Siderius left the foothills and moved toward the high grassland. This grassland was a natural habitat for rabbits and squirrels, Siderius expected to see them.
He climbed onto a tree and hid behind leaves and foliage. His dark eyes made the dark ground lit up like broad daylight. He could observe everything.
The shortsightedness of this body hindered his ability so he had to look for grass movement instead of actual small animals.
Soon, he saw the grass move. Siderius squinted his eyes and spotted some small rabbits. They hurriedly came back to their nest, a small burrow in the ground.
When all the rabbits went in, they blocked off the entrance with dirt, making that area look nothing out of the ordinary.
"Smart little beasts." Siderius said.
He jumped off the tree and approached the rabbit nest.
With one tuck, the entrance was pulled away. Siderius reached his hand in to grab a rabbit. Once he got it, he broke its neck immediately to avoid it running away.
Siderius pulled out that rabbit. His other hand covered the hole to prevent the other rabbits from escaping. Those little creatures panicked and tried to dash out of the nest in hopelessness. None succeeded.
Once pulling out the first rabbit, he shoved his hand inside again to catch another one and broke its neck.
One by one, all the rabbits were killed and Siderius gained a group of six dead rabbits. Two big ones and four small ones.
Siderius gutted the rabbits on site to avoid spoiling its meat. He left the wasted organs out in the wilds. Scavengers like vultures would take care of these wastes. If not, it would soon decompose and become food for the trees.
With these rabbits, Siderius could survive for quite a while. He could also sell the big ones for money.
However, Siderius couldn't be the one to do it for obvious reasons. The guards would take him away the moment they saw him. But he didn't need to do anything himself. After all, he had an apprentice to do tasks for him.
It was time to meet Ashe once more.