Dawn arrived silently, with the soft sound of the wind passing through the cracks of the old toolshed.
I woke up before the sun had fully risen, my body still heavy, but already good enough to move forward.
I got up slowly, feeling the cold ground beneath my feet.
The morning air smelled of burnt wood and dried blood.
The wolf pelts were laid out in a corner, already somewhat stiff from the cold, so I returned to working on them in silence, scraping and stretching.
While working on the leather, I thought about the meat.
I could have kept some, maybe smoked it… but something bothered me.
"Eating meat from an animal controlled by an Oni…"
Diseases, parasites, or who knows what else such an animal might carry.
It wasn't worth the risk, the pelts alone were enough.
Between pauses, I began separating the fangs, taking one from each wolf.
I counted seven wolves that had fallen by my hands, and one more by my father.
With the fangs cleaned, I made a simple necklace, tying them together with a braided leather cord.
When I finished, I stared at the necklace for a few seconds before hanging it around my neck, letting it rest against my chest.
I then decided to look at myself after all the chaos. I carefully removed the bandages, the fabric sticking slightly to the wounds.
In the reflection of a bucket of water, I saw the scars that now marked me, a claw mark running from the side of my jaw to the middle of my neck; another crossing from my shoulder to my chest, where the wolf had torn flesh away; as well as a deeper one on my leg and several smaller cuts.
"I sigh, at least I didn't lose any limbs…"
After that, I remembered I should have a guide.
I tried to focus on bringing the item to me, just like I had done with the potion earlier.
Without much effort, a book appeared in my hands.
The book had a very simple black cover, slightly worn at the edges, with the title in dirty white in a plain font: Assassin's Guide.
In the lower right corner of the cover, there was a golden sticker that stood out from the rest of the book, reading: "For use exclusively with the Assassin Talent."
I flipped through a few initial pages until I reached a note that occupied an entire page, describing a place readers should look for to begin their training.
"Hm… an isolated place with uneven terrain, with a flowing river nearby… There must be a large tree in the surroundings…"
Strangely specific, but it shouldn't be too hard to find.
I stored the guide and went back to sewing.
A wolf pelt cloak began to take shape.
I stitched the pieces of fur together roughly, attaching half of a wolf's head as a hood.
When I put it on, I saw that the clothing was somewhat poorly made, there hadn't been enough time to make it better.
"It won't last long," I muttered, pulling at the fabric on my shoulder.
"A lot was missing for it to be perfect… at least it won't rot."
I put on my family's keepsakes one by one: Sumire's bracelet on my right wrist, Chiyo's small bell on my belt, along with the improvised kusarigama.
I set aside my father's letter and carefully stored it inside the backpack, next to my mother's handkerchief, a sturdy rope, some chains found in the shed, and all the other items given by the villagers.
Before leaving, I took one last look at the shed, the destroyed house, and the graves.
I took a deep breath and began my journey.
─── ◆ ───
The walk to the place indicated by the guide was long, but peaceful.
I began following a small river, passing through the dense forest, observing my surroundings, until I finally found a tree that seemed to match the description.
I set the backpack aside and sat down for a moment, observing the environment.
The cold breeze hit my face, carrying the damp scent of earth and the distant sound of water and birds.
I picked up the guide again, this time opening it from the first page, which began with the author's introduction:
"First of all, I would like to express my indignation at my guide being restricted for use only with the Assassin Talent."
"Seriously? My book could be used by anyone, it's so simple!"
I raise an eyebrow reading this part, but continue.
"Well, anyway, welcome to the best Assassin's Guide you could ever find!"
"I'll be your teacher, but you can call me Author, or you can use any of my nicknames, including:"
"Shaolin Pig Slayer;"
"Lil Jim Bob;"
"Larry;"
"Square Stabber *note: I've never stabbed anyone in a square;"
"Juninho: The Pure Wickedness;"
"Jalim Rabei…"
The list goes on until the end of the page.
"..."
I take a deep breath, closing the guide and tilting my head toward the sky.
"I got scammed…"
I close my eyes, accepting my cruel reality as an imaginary tear runs down my cheek.
─── ◆ ───
After some reflection, I decide to keep reading and follow the guide as best as I can.
I raise my hand, channeling a shadow shuriken that spins threateningly at the tip of my index finger.
"The same thing that gave me my powers gave me this guide… It has to work, even if it looks absurd… I hope so…"
After mentally preparing myself, I open the guide again, now reading the table of contents.
I feel relieved seeing that the contents seem legitimate.
The book's chapters are divided into:
Endurance, strength, reflex, and senses training;
Introduction to Presence detection;
Weapons and Martial Arts; Basic First Aid; Basic Anatomy;
Poison Crafting and Bomb Making.
On the next page is the note about the training location I had read earlier.
On the following page, there is another note, saying:
"The guide does not necessarily follow the chapter order of the table of contents."
"Just follow from the beginning, and occasionally I will ask you to start another chapter without necessarily finishing the previous one."
I close the guide again, deciding to start training early tomorrow.
For now, I need to set up a camp and a fire before night falls.
After some time, I set up a decent tent using some materials I received from the villagers.
I eat some bread, also a gift from them, while heating and purifying some river water over the fire I built.
I yawn between bites, already feeling sleepy after all the walking and preparing the camp.
'I can't stop imagining what the guide will tell me to do… It shouldn't be anything too complicated…'
I could never have imagined the surprise I would have the next day, the guide… would be more interesting than I could ever think.
─── ◆ ───
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