A day passed, and then another, and then a third, but Liam never stopped trailing the caravan, mimicking each break it took while continuing to consult his map.
Luckily, the rain had subsided by the second day, allowing Liam to keep a safer distance from his prey, but problems had started to arise. His supplies were running short, and the clear weather now added the issue of finding a water source.
On top of that, the map was starting to lose value. Liam was still within the areas it covered, but continuing to advance in the current direction would make its details and notes scarce since that wasn't a path his father had ever needed to explore.
Of course, that was good. Liam's destination wasn't something an ordinary hunter would have any interest in reaching or recording. Still, he was about to be completely lost, which was another annoying variable he had to add to his already unrealistic plan.
Now, Liam could make do despite all that. After all, he was a hunter in a forest. Dangers aside, starvation wouldn't be an issue for him.
Yet, hunting in an unknown environment usually took longer than usual, and Liam didn't want the caravan to get too far away in the meantime. If the weather stopped playing nice, he would have to rush after the ride to shorten his safe distance and avoid getting lost for real.
By the fourth day, those problems became urgent, so Liam made up his mind. Survival in the wilderness was no trivial matter. It was always better to be safe than sorry, especially before more variables could arrive.
Hence, when the night arrived, Liam got ready to move. He left his pouch on a designated branch and neared the caravan until he saw a fire being lit. The Guild's envoy and those following him were about to take the longest rest of the day, which Liam could use to hunt something without risking being left too behind.
Still, as Liam was about to leave the caravan's surroundings, his sixth, animal sense kicked in, making him freeze and hold his breath on his secluded branch, his alertness reaching its apex.
The development left Liam confused. He didn't feel observed nor did he sense any concerning detail, but the atmosphere had grown undeniably heavier.
Then, Liam realized that he wasn't alone in that stillness. His reaction belonged to the animal world, and the area's animals had mimicked it. Except for the caravan and its campfire, the forest had gone completely silent, as if waiting for something to unfold.
Liam wasn't alone in that realization, either. The three men and two kids around the fire were utterly clueless, but Carl was no ordinary mortal, and he stepped aside the small gathering, crossing his arms behind his back before throwing a calm challenge.
"Come out," Carl called, staring at an indistinct spot among the trees beyond the beaten path.
The call inevitably alerted the rest of the group, which started inspecting their surroundings warily. The two hunters even drew their knives, which frightened the two kids from Krosstoen's village.
As for Liam, his sharp ears captured everything, prompting far different worries.
'Have I been found out?' Liam wondered. He was confident in his trailing technique, but his prey was no animal or ordinary man.
Moreover, Liam couldn't be sure whether Carl was behind that heavy atmosphere. His instincts said otherwise, but he didn't know how reliable they were in the presence of a cultivator.
Liam's instincts turned out to be right, but he found no reassurance in that. Movement happened among the trees until two dark figures stepped into the path, stopping a few meters from Carl, filling Liam with the same dread only cultivators had caused.
The two figures wore tight black robes that extended to their heads, hiding them beneath hoods. Black fabric also covered most of their faces, only leaving their eyes exposed.
Carl seemed to hesitate before the newcomers, but only for a second. He brought his arms before him, cupping his fist and performing a bow, wanting to show respect.
"I'm Carl from the Recruiters Guild," Carl announced. "I'm on official Guild business. I hope I haven't disturbed you, Seniors."
Liam was paying close attention to the scene, and those words deepened his wariness. Carl had sounded apologetic for no real reason, which didn't bode well. Something had to be terribly wrong, and Liam instinctively drew his bow.
The two hooded figures didn't match Carl's respectful gesture. The fire illuminated their eyes as they inspected their surroundings, but that also lasted only a second.
"Take the kids," One of the hooded figures said, his voice deep and muffled. "Kill the others."
"Preposterous!" Carl shouted, snapping, half-stepping forward, and raising his right palm to wear a fighting stance. "You dare make light of the Guild! I showed you respect, but you give me no other opt-."
Liam didn't blink at all but failed to see what had interrupted Carl's speech. He could only witness its conclusion.
The hooded figure who had spoken earlier had magically teleported behind Carl, a long blade now coming out of his tight sleeve. Then, a second passed, and Carl's chubby head fell from his neck, severed cleanly, before his body followed it on the ground.
Liam's eyes went wide while the group by the campfire panicked. Cries cut through the night while the three men and two kids began to run, only for the other hooded figure to instantly reach the latter.
Once again, Liam failed to follow that sudden movement. He only witnessed its conclusion. The hooded figure touched the two kids' napes simultaneously, and they both fell limply to the ground.
The three men had only managed to take a single step in the meantime. Yet, the hooded figure immediately reached one of them, the blade that had extended from his sleeve already stabbed in one of the runners' backs.
Liam wanted to run, but couldn't. That wasn't out of fear. He believed that those mysterious figures would capture any movement, no matter how silent or distant it was.
However, utter stillness turned out to be a poor cover, too. Liam had stopped breathing, becoming as immobile as a stone, but the first hooded figure slowly raised his gaze, pointing it straight at him.
Everything came crashing down. Every emotion or physical function Liam had suppressed exploded outward, converging into the single-minded goal of running away.
Before Liam could realize it, he had already jumped, darting as quickly as possible toward the trees deeper into the wilderness. Getting lost or encountering unknown fauna didn't matter anymore. Liam only knew he had to escape, and the forest could provide cover.
Yet, by the time Liam's feet landed on another branch, his nape tingled to no end. His sixth sense was telling him that the hooded figure had already caught up and was now behind him.
That made no sense considering the previous distance, but clearly, cultivators weren't bound by reason.
Escaping instantly became an impossibility, so Liam gave up on it. He jumped again, diving toward a nearby trunk, his figure spinning while drawing an arrow.
Once Liam did a one-eighty, he spotted his opponent. The area was dark, and the cultivator's black robe blended him with the night. Still, Liam's trained eyes spotted his figure above him, chasing him through his jump, allowing him to adjust his aim in a split second and fire his arrow.
The shot was perfect and unavoidable. No matter what mystical abilities cultivators had, Liam had to believe they couldn't fly.
But flying wasn't necessary for a cultivator. Despite the perfect timing, surprise factor, and lack of a foothold, the cultivator caught the arrow aiming for his head mid-air.
Liam didn't have time to feel shocked since his back hit the trunk, stealing air from his lungs. On top of that, the hooded figure reached him before he could slide down, delivering a devastating punch to his stomach.
Everything became fuzzy at that point. Liam lost track of his surroundings, seemingly on the verge of fainting. Strength abandoned the body he couldn't feel anymore, but his ears did capture some voices.
"He wasn't among the others," A man said. "A runaway who was rejected?"
Unknowingly to Liam, the other man inspected the arrow in his hand before looking at him again, reaching a simple conclusion.
"He goes to the Divine Cult, too," The other man ordered before something hit Liam again, finally making him faint.