By the time sunlight spilled into the courtyard, Eldros was already awake.
He stepped outside and glanced toward Jarek's side, but the old woman was gone. Not surprised, Eldros left to explore the outpost. People noticed him, some out of curiosity, others with a hint of caution as they had seen what he did during the testing.
No longer was he just another newcomer. He had earned his place in the most spectacular way.
The younger ones, especially those skulking in alleyways, gave him resentful stares. Eldros understood. Respect here wasn't given freely; it had to be earned through blood and strength.
But he ignored them, as much as they don't get in his way, he won't also bother them.
As he walked, he kept an eye out for a shop that cleasing potions. He also took mental notes of the outposts layout. Now that he had time to fully look around he noticed that the whole outpost was made in such a way that it was as if the whole thing was a village in a mountain—narrow alleys, food stalls, tents, and cabins. Stray dogs were common, most of them starved, some dangerously aggressive. As well as a lot of cats that shoot suspicious looks at everyone.
Eventually, in the inner wings he found what he was looking for, a large general store with steady foot traffic. Weapons, potions, food, clothing, it had everything.
From outside, he spotted the girl from the test working inside. She was busy running errands, her face drenched in sweat.
He lingered for a while, observing. When he finally stepped in, she noticed him immediately, but before she could speak, a forager barked an order at her.
Eldros didn't respond.
He studied the other customers, ten in total. Some were browsing, others haggling.
One pair stood out, a short man and a tall one. Both exuded power and wore the look of seasoned killers who won't blink twice before killing.
The tall one was berating the girl.
Eldros ignored them and began examining the shelves. The store was fully stocked, but what he needed was behind the counter. A shopkeeper sat there, watching everything.
"How much for cleasing potions?" Eldros asked.
The shopkeeper gave him a long look. "Ten silver coins each. Limited supply. Only got five a day, and I've already sold two."
Eldros frowned.
He only had twenty-three silver coins, it was from the loot of the bulky man he killed. Still, the pain from the coin size Noxium on his abdonen made the choice simple. Without hesitation, he handed over twenty coins.
The shopkeeper handed him a paper box. Eldros opened it to find two potions. But they weren't a shimmering yellow that he expected, the ones he was looking at was filled with black spots.
"All the potions here are like that," the shopkeeper said with a tight smile. "Not fresh, but they work. Safe to consume and that's all that matters."
Eldros didn't respond. He had no intention of taking them without verification. That would be stupid.
He turned to leave, then stopped and quickly blurred to the side, a hand slamming down where he had just been standing.
It was the taller of the rouge Magus.
"You've got quick reflexes," he said, feigning surprise.
His short companion moved to block the exit, grinning with rotten teeth.
The customers tensed. Someone whispered, "It's Soren and Fenric. Squad of Skullhowl that's affiliated with the Ninefold Eclipse!"
The shopkeeper didn't interfere. "This has nothing to do with me. Just don't break anything, take it outside!"
Eldros remained silent, assessing his options. The two of them are in the second stars of the Initiate of the Arcana, just like him. But there are two of them.
'...I should be able to handle one of them but two would be two troublesome and from what I heard, they belong to a squard...'
"Don't take it personally, kid," Fenric said with a grin. "You fought well yesterday, I saw it, impressive and all. But I need those cleasing potions. Hand them over and walk out. Or... I take them from your body."
Eldros studied them both and his eyes flashed with killing aura.
He wasn't going to bet on Jarek showing up. He never relied on others. Not in the gangs, and not here. That won't be survival, it would be a gamble.
His eyes flicked again to Fenric's eyes. The eyes are always what he like to targets in a fight. Block the sight and you'll be able to deal damages.
But that was in his past life. This one, even people without eyes would be able to sense their surroundings if the practice the Arcana art.
Then, without a word, he tossed the box of potions.
Fenric caught it, laughed, and turned to leave with Soren. The crowd resumed their business as if nothing had happened.
The girl exhaled in relief and returned to work.
Eldros, expression became unreadable as slipped quietly into the alleyways and began trailing the two men.
Like a shadow, he stalked them across the outpost. They never noticed that someone was trailing them. They even went down to the base of the mountain.
By nightfall, they split up.
Soren sat by a fire near their tents. Fenric wandered toward the outskirts, far to the edges as if he wanted to relive himself.
Then he heard a sound behind him and turned but he saw nothing.
Eldros waited until he was in the middle of it before he made his mouth.
Fenric grunted softly and In the next instant, a hand clamped over his mouth.
A dagger flashed.
The blade slid cleanly across his throat, too fast for him to react.
Blood sprayed into the night. His eyes went wide as he struggled, legs flailing. But the grip was iron. He was dragged into he shadows like a sack of meat, not given the dignity to even lift a arm.
Thrown to the ground, choking on his blood, Fenric looked up, and saw Eldros standing above him, eyes cold and empty like pale ice.
He tried to speak, to beg, but could only gurgle.
Eldros rifled through his pockets, retrieving the stolen potions and three more. Coins, random junk.
After he was done with that, Eldros reached into his sack and pulled out the barbed tail of the crocodile he killed during the testing.
He exposed the tip, jabbed them into Fenric's skin.
The man began convulsing, his flesh bubbling where the venom entered. He didn't last long.
Eldros waited, then closed the man's eyes.
He stripped the corpse, shoved barbed tip into a sack with all of his loot, theh he left the outskirts as easily as he arrived.
Even before he was truly gone, wild starving dogs had begun tearing into the body.