58 Encounter 5 - Disturbance (1/2)

Thirty minutes ago, while Stigma and Felix were having their discussion inside the tent, a man was jumping around from the top of each tent with a panicked expression. His breathing was haggard and his face was covered with a decorative face mask sold locally from a nearby shop.

Each time he tried to peer into the crowd, he jumped to the next tent and repeated the action. Clearly the one he was looking for wasn't in the area, so he had to look around the entire market which may ended wasting too much time, but he had no choice.

'Fuck! Where is he? If something happens to him, I'll be in deep shit when I return!'

While he was jumping around, the people from below soon noticed him, assuming that he was some sort of performance from the Top. But the merchants, who were informed beforehand and agreed to the events had no idea who that man was causing a disturbance.

They soon realized the man was looking at the crowd with a heavy breathing, so the daughters of wealthy patrons along with the young women in the crowd panicked and called for the guards in a panic.

Realizing that suspicion and attention were forming from the surrounding people, the man left with mad haste.

When he left, the Security Guards finally arrived and started questioning several eyewitnesses, the jumper was described as a man wearing a brown robe and was covering his face with a mask and covered his head with a hood when the majority looked at him, so they couldn't describe the face.

After dashing around a few more time, he decided to end his search from above and used the second approach to search from within the crowd and start from scratch, after he jumped inside an unguarded tent he disappeared from their sights.

While the guards were busy searching, the jumper was already attempting to change his identity. After a flick of his wrist, a new set of clothes had appeared including a new mask, changing into a new set of clothes, he then replaced his current mask to a mask with a different design.

A space ring was a universal sign of a Cultivator since they were the only ones who can activate it, even if the Cultivators aren't a part of a clan or a large organization, it could also means they had slain one which proves that they are at the level of Cutivators.

”Damn it! Where is that brat! I have to hurry find him or else sister and leader will beat me to death, and we have to start the mission soon!”

With another flick of the wrist, the set of clothes he was wearing disappeared, after calming his breathing he ventured into the crowd and continued with his search. As he was walking outside he saw a passing a group of guards, he then walked towards a peddler selling old pots and overheard them mumble a few words, because he was a cultivator his senses are more powerful than normal folk, so the conversation was clear as the wind.

”Hey did you hear, some hunters who came from outside have found pools of blood a few meters away from the valley, along with some torn flesh they found a handful of trees with some charred layers and deep claw marks.”

”What? It could have been some hunters who did that, you know to preserve the meat longer by draining the blood. Also it must've of been a beast who had some life left then struggled when it was hanged and fought its way, eventually dying halfway and the hunters didn't say anything to hide the shame they made.”

”Might be, but the amount of blood found was unsettling so the Top ordered an investigation if some people have gone missing from their quarters. Fact is, there was a number of missing people that matched the amount of people who ventured into the forest at night and have yet to return, don't you think it...”

”Enough! Those are just rumors, nothing more but gossip from the mercenaries or commonerswho don't know shit!” With his teeth nashed, the one of the annoyed guards moved on ahead with the other lagging behind to catch up.

'...Pools of blood and people not returning, now that I think about it, the cook of that meat skewer shop hasn't returned...and I have been hearing some rumors going on about the night hills have eyes...'

”....Not my problem.” Afterwards he disappeared into the crowd and continued with his search with a look of indifference. But even as he moved forward, the whispers never stopped entering his ears with the same topic - Beast of the Forest.

***

After having their discussion, Stigma had given the option for both of their goals to work out, but Felix had to listen to his request first.

”...I'm sorry some people just asked me to join a profession not long ago, so it might conflict my time in visiting your clan. But you took care of me when I was sick, so I can't look away when the favor has yet to be returned, so let me explain what could we do...”

The request details are as follows: Stigma would agree to what Felix had offered, but before he could follow him. Stigma will need to explain to his employers first and workout a consensus. Afterwards Felix should not treat him differently, when he hear Stigma's reason for agreeing to take the job.

For the details, Stigma described what had happened yesterday without missing any details. As for Felix, he continued to listen as his eyebrow continued to twitch, while he was trying not to break his poker face. Felix had a hard time believing that Stigma wanted to involve himself with some dangerous people.

Especially the man. He also had some concerns to the one who had formed a barrier, immediately realizing a cultivator had to be involved. Barriers are made in two ways; either by a cultivator with knowledge in producing trap formation or items with inscription inscribed before hand.

Both these are plausible, since all the needed was a cultivators in activating it, and if Stigma did have a talisman then it was personally made.

It was true Felix thought that Stigma's gifted strength can lead him to a bright future and wanted to recruit him, but he would had never expected that someone else had approached him first and offered a job to be an Assassin.

If this was true, then Stigma would have the opportunity to create a connection to the underworld, but at the same time experience the dark side of society.

'....If he wants to be an assassin, then all I have to do is support him and be there when he needs me. After all, if one trudges down a path, they must have a place to call home to continue moving forward.'

But there was a problem Felix pointed out to Stigma.

So far, their method to recruit members or how many existing assassin groups is unknown, the underworld is known for making sure the information they receive is accurate. At the same time, any information leaks are impossible to find. Any traitors are impossible to find since they had the same reason and origin so not one had emerged, if any did exist then they were silenced without exceptions.

To make sure their clients or mission information are not carelessly leaked, Assassins are said to have used various methods of silencing any members and forcing them to not be careless, such as mixing food with slow acting poison with a time limit with an antidote or another Assassin following them in secret.

Since no Assassin afflicted to the underworld had yet to be captured alive, no clear evidence can support the theory, and most of them were coming from rumors spreading about from pubs or slums.

Based on how Stigma described their interaction and their ability to create a barrier, the ones who scouted him sounded like actual members who are Cultivators, or they may also be assassins that are trying to made a name for themselves and earn a living by killing political figures or nobles currently in the market and are trying to use Stigma as a scapegoat.

'Since they were trying to hide their identities, they must be hear under orders to be incognito...So who is their target then...'

”Stigma you may have to rethink this, these people may be trying to fool you and be nothing but bait.”

From what Stigma explained, if he takes the profession he can collect information that could not be circulated, so he would know who he interacts with and where to venture. He also wanted to collect as much combat experience from experts that have criminal records, along with collect bounties and fame so he can move around more freely while gaining more information.

But in truth, Stigma wanted to get use to killing and have a license to kill, between earning an honest living to plundering wealth, the former gained more profit. Plus, no one would complain if the scum would disappear from the face of existence and Stigma can gain all their accumulated treasure they had.

Beside, this world already made it clear that the strong rule everything, while the weak crawl in the corner and are taken advantage of. Stigma threatening those men from the entrance or the people from the reception before were clear example.

”I don't gain anything if I don't venture into a tigers den. Also, it's common courtesy to follow through the first choice then judge what to do next, immediately abandoning the offer would be no different that insulting the person who reach out to you”

Felix can only sigh from that thought, although Felix was older than him, he felt that Stigma was far more mature than his age and had a more broad vision for his future.