11 Assasain and Survival

Alice and her group arrived back near the base after leaving the swamp and saving those along the way they could. Alice's group had about 20 people now. As they approached the base, a few proposed just camping outside the gate. Since they did not say they couldn't, they decided to try to do so.

However, after getting within 100 feet of the base, the guards on the walls yelled for them to stop over some speakers. "Stop; if you come any closer, you will fail the exam, and even then, we will not let you in until the end of the exam." A soldier on the wall said over the intercom.

On the wall, a few guards were talking about the group that had just arrived. "I can't believe such a large group made it out of the swamp. I bet only a handful would escape after realizing their mistake of heading in that direction." One soldier recalled.

"I told you you could bet on Alice Green to survive and save some participants. She comes from a military family with many generals in their family history. She would not be weak nor cowardly." A female soldier remarked as she looked down at the group. Thanks to Alice, she had just won a month's worth of salary in bets.

The soldier talking to the group informed them that they were not allowed within 1 mile of the base after the start of the exam. They had to leave for another area. Just as the group was about to leave, The female soldier tapped on the announcing soldier's shoulder and grabbed the intercom.

"Head East," the female soldier said, putting down the intercom and returning to her post. "What are you doing? If General Garrick or, worse, Lieutenant Dan finds out you helped the participants, we will be punished for sure!" the soldier said as a cold shiver went down his back, regardless of who found out first. Both would punish them in unimaginable ways.

"Don't you think if they found out about our gambling, we would get in trouble regardless? As long as no one here says anything, we will be fine." the female soldier said as she looked around at the others. "Plus, thanks to Alice, I made quite a profit. It is the least I could do to pay her back."

After the group left, Alice climbed a tree to find out what was east. Soon she realized just how much that soldier had helped them. In every direction besides the east were unfavorable environments. So she led her group towards the giant forest.

To the south of the base was the Fang Han. He had headed south alone and soon found a river and decided to follow it. Being near this river ensured he did not have to worry about water. He was confident in being able to obtain food.

As he was resting under a tree near the river. Suddenly, a giant kaprosuchus lunged out of the river with its massive jaw and rows of sharp teeth aiming to rip him apart. Fang Han took a moment to appreciate this enormous creature with a formidable presence. But he was not one to be easily intimidated.

"Amitabha, it seems that the river's waters are not calm, and the flowing waters brings change to those who walk its banks." Fang Han reached for his staff, which he had been carrying with him. He grasped it firmly, feeling the cold metal against his hands, and held it in front of him.

As the kaprosuchus charged toward him, its massive body hurtled through the air. Fang Han stood his ground, waiting for just the right moment.

As the creature closed in, Fang Han stepped to the side and swung his staff with all his might, aiming for the head. With a loud crack, the staff struck the kaprosuchus squarely in the center of the spine just behind the skull, stunning it momentarily. Fang Han did not waste a moment. He delivered a second, crushing blow to the creature's weak spot. The kaprosuchus let out a loud roar, writhing in pain as it fell to the ground. Fang Han walked over calmly and delivered a killing blow.

"Amitabha, this was a test of my strength and faith. I will not waste this beast's life and shall use it to nourish my own." Fang Han bowed toward the beast before beginning to prepare a fire.

He had water and now food. Those in tune with nature will not find themselves in need of sustenance.

After eating, Fang Han climbed the tree he was resting at and surveyed his surroundings. "Amitabha, it seems that my path has an unfavorable end. I must move elsewhere. Although the ocean is full of life, the water is undrinkable. Too many things beyond my strength lie in its blue depths." Fang Han decided to follow the river back up north and then move from there towards the east once he neared a giant forest he saw in the distance.

Near the giant forest, one would find many dead participants. However, these people were not killed by a creature or their actions. These people had one thing in common, no matter where they were found. All of them had a single wound either in their skull, across their neck, or in their heart. One singular dagger wound.

Near some freshly killed people was a boy. He was a dark-haired boy who stood with a slight hunch. His hair, a deep shade of brown, fell in messy strands around his face, partially obscuring his features. His eyes were dark green, and his eyes flickered from time to time from a regular human pupil to that of a snake's eyes. His clothes were different from before. Now he wore an entirely dark full-body suit and had a mask covering everything but his eyes and hair.

This boy was the weird boy Kayla had talked about before. He entered the exam under the name Clark Cole, but that was not his real name. His name was Lucsius Silfer, and he was a part of the Scaled Shadows, a group of assassins trained to do tasks his master could not.

"Ahh, it has been too long since I have tasted fresh blood!" Lucsius said as he licked some blood off his dagger. This was no ordinary dagger either. The dagger was made with some unknown metal and was pitch black, with a green line going down the blade's center to the hilt.

Lucsius sighed. "I need to control myself, so I don't become careless, although I could kill every human on this planet right now easily one on one. I would die instantly to those weapons of the soldiers or that laser tower." Lucsius had considered going on a killing spree down in the tunnel but changed his mind. There was no guarantee that his target would not be able to escape somehow back at the base.

"But now, out here where they are unwatched and unguarded, is the perfect chance for me to achieve my goals while still having some fun," Lucsius calmed down. His eyes returned to looking normal again. Whenever he gets too excited, the power his master used to disguise him as a human would waver. It is not that his master is weak. It is that there was no energy to support the change, and the more Lucsius pushed it, the quicker it wore off.

He had been in disguise for weeks to impersonate a human to enter the exam successfully. This exam was for only humans, and any other race would not be allowed to participate. So the need for a disguise.

As Lucsius prepared to leave, he heard a voice call from behind him. "Amitabha, it seems that we are fated to meet here." Fang Han appeared from behind Lucsius. "I sensed the evil in your heart before, and it seems you could not contain it. It is a man's own mind, not his enemy or foe, that lures him to evil ways. I will free you from evil's grasp and send you to be judged in the six paths of reincarnation. May you do better in your next life."

Fang Han raised his staff, holding it slightly above himself, angling it towards Lucsius. Lucsius grinned and suddenly vanished from Fang Hans' sight. Realizing that the boy's strength was greater than he thought. Fang Han closed his eyes and began to sense his surroundings.

Suddenly Fang Han swung his staff behind him, and there was a loud clang and screeching sound from metal colliding with each other. Behind Fang, Han appeared Lucsius, who was surprised that his attack had been blocked.

"No human should be capable of blocking my strike. I have strength greater than they can achieve in this universe. How was he able to block my strike?" Lucsius thought to himself as he vanished once more.

Lucsius was leaping around Fang Han, using the trees to propel himself around Fang Han. In every tree he lept from, there was a foot mark from where he launched himself. Suddenly Lucsius saw an opening in the monk's guard, and his bloodlust peaked. "A mere human blocking my strike is a dishonor. I must bathe in his blood to redeem myself."

However, at the last second, Fang Han stepped back, and Lucsius' attack met nothing but air. His strike, which should have plunged into Fang Han's skull, missed. However, Fang Han swung his staff down at Lucsius' extended arm before he could land. With an audible snap, his arm was broken by the strike.

Then Fang Han used the momentum from his attack to spin his body around and kick Lucsius' in his ribs. With a spurt of blood coming from his mouth Lucsius was launched into a tree 30 feet away and fell into a bush.

"Amitabha, this battle would not have ended so soon had you not released such thick bloodlust when you went for that killing blow. Now allow me to send you onto the next life." Fang Han walked over to where Lucsius had fallen, but when he arrived, he was nowhere to be seen.

"Amitabha, it seems that our encounter will not be the last." Fang Han then proceeded to walk over and say a prayer for the fallen participants. Afterward, he headed back towards the base to report the matter of an assassin from a different race appearing in the exam. Lucious was stronger than humanly possible, and he saw his eyes appear like a serpent, so it did not take much for Fang Han to realize he was not human.

With this, the clock was ticking down for Lucsius to complete his mission in time. It would not take long for Fang Han to reach the base. At most, Lucsius had a few hours to achieve his mission before he was caught or killed by the base's soldiers.