Julius turned around.

"What did you say."

Minhyun stared him dead in the eye.

"I said I wanted to stay."

Julius opened his hand and sighed.

"Do you understand what you're saying right now? Do you really think you can take them on? Even if they're injured, they're not something you can handle in the state you're currently in. You're too weak. Wake up and accept that."

Minhyun walked forward.

"I want to save them. Not Marus, not you, but me. I want to save them using my own power."

Julius watched as Minhyun passed him.

"Even if it sacrifices my body."

Minhyun clenched his fists. Blood spilled drop by drop onto the jagged rocks below. After a while, he said.

"Yes..."

Julius just grit his teeth. A burning heat flowed through his body as he closed his eyes.

"Suit yourself."

Then, as if making up his mind, he said.

"Your sword was taken to the village chief's house. I overheard their conversation after you passed out. A carriage will be coming in around an hour or so. Finish before it comes."

Hearing this, a smile formed on Minhyun's face. He turned around and bowed before making his way out.

...

A couple minutes passed as he continued his way down the rugged dark path. At the end of it, what greeted him was an old rusted ladder. It was long and narrow, with an absence of light preventing him from seeing where it led. Yet once he climbed up to the other side, he just froze. His face drooped as he looked around the familiar yet decrepit hut.

So I'm back here again. To think it was so close. How was I so blind?

He then looked through the broken roof of the building. At this point the sky had turned dark, with its light slowly fading from the grassy canopy of the treetops above.

A voice rang out from the other side of the wall.

"Why am I the one in charge of keeping watch? Damn, some bastard really had to bust the lock on the door."

Minhyun paused. After sneaking up to the roof, he took a good look at the man's state and compared it to his own.

I don't think I can fight him. Even if he's injured, he still has a weapon on his side. Surprise won't mean anything for me if I can't take him out in one hit.

With that thought, he used the wading light to his advantage and took the opportunity to scout out the place. A path opened up in front of him, one that avoided the man and still provided cover from prying eyes.

Wow, this is just like...

He slapped himself.

Wake up. This isn't a game. I need to stop making corny references to everything I see.

After waking himself up, he slowly climbed down, making sure to decrease the distance between him and the ground before dropping. With his feet now on the floor, he crouched and made his way towards the center of the village.

Abandoned huts lined the peripherals of his vision, but now they looked completely different. There was no more sorrow, only empty isolation.

Now at the bottom floor of the chief's house, he made his way toward the dining room. He saw the same bottles as before, but right now, he was looking for something specific.

Found it.

Grabbing the bottle they used to pour his drink, he took a quick whiff of it before storing it in his pocket.

Ughh. Yeah, that's definitely it.

Although it was almost empty, it was enough for him to achieve his goal. Now the next thing for him to do is to find his sword.

Julius said that it'd be somewhere in the village chief's house. But where...

Since there was nothing else down here, he headed up towards the second floor.

He paused when he saw the sight in front of him.

Now what do I do?

Four doors were placed in front of him. Putting his ear on the closest one to him, he opened it and stepped inside. Inside, he saw a clean but dirty room. Clean in the fact that there was no cobwebs and other stains, but dirty in terms of the amount of items stored inside. A bed sat in the corner of the room, and on it was a pile of valuable trinkets.

So this is where they live.

Lying in the center of the room was a pile of miscellaneous goods. It ranged from normal goods such as storable rations and stationary to more extravagant things like ornamental pots and jewelry.

"Fk, where's my sword?"

Unfortunately, the only weapons he saw in there were a couple of small daggers and a shoddy looking longsword.

However, before he could complain, a noise sounded out from below.

errrrr.

It was the sounds of floorboards creaking.

Crap, why now of all times?

With time quickly running out, he grabbed a dagger and the shoddy sword before hiding inside one of the cupboards. A low pop sounded as he uncapped the bottle in his hand. Then, in one swift motion, he lathered it on his blade.

A tail peeked out the corner of the door as two scaly legs stepped inside. A long tongue slithered out of its mouth as it smelled the scent in the air.

The lizard paused when he looked at the items in front of him. A wide grin appeared on his face as he used his tail to make creaking sounds away from the door. Once he finished, he then closed it before stepping closer.

Step by step, he made his way towards the smell, making sure to not make a sound. Then, once he was close enough, he raised his tail and...

They both stabbed through the wall.

...

The lizard stepped back.

"Motherfucker, how did you know I was still here!"

Minhyun crawled out.

"Son of a bitch, how did you know I was hiding there!"

...

They both just stared at each other.

"What the fuck are you saying. Ahhh who cares, just die already. You're not worth the hassle."

The lizard then raised his tail for a second time, but before he could strike, a dizzying effect took hold of him. Slowly losing grasp of reality, he slipped and fell headfirst onto his pile of treasures.

Minhyun grimaced. Then remembering the injustice he suffered, he spat on him before flipping him the bird.

"Yeah, this is what you get. How's it feel to be on the receiving end of my..."

Minhyun paused. After walking over to the pile of mundane items, he just grabbed a rope and tied the lizard up. A constipated look was on his face as he hung him off the ceiling like a piñata. However, feeling that this wasn't enough, he grabbed his bottle and fed him a couple drops before tying his mouth back up.

His leg trembled as he took a seat on the bed.

"That's one down."

Now then, where could the last one be?

The lizard's by me, and the human's on guard by the prison cell.

Hmm...

A light-bulb flashed in his head.

That's right. The gate. It'd only make sense if one was stationed at the gate. With how volatile the situation was, the safest thing would be to have someone watch the gate until the carriage arrived. That'd also explain how we were received so quickly when there's only three of them here.

But which one should I go for first? Probably the one near the prison. If he goes down and checks, then he'll know that I'm not there. It's easier to deal with an opponent that doesn't know I'm there.

With his next target in mind, Minhyun grabbed a set of rope before heading out.

While on his way there, he started to talk to himself.

"The longer I take, the worse it'll get. How long has it been? 10, 20 minutes. That means I have around 40 minutes until reinforcements arrive. Take away another 20 as a buffer and I'm left with only 20 minutes."

He then shook the bottle in his hand.

"As for this, there's enough left for 3 more uses."

A grunt escaped from his lips as he looked at the wound on his side. Crimson red blood was slowly dripping down, staining his white clothes in a red hue.

"I'll just have to end it in one strike."

After saying that, he knelt behind one of the large huts. Each distraction brought him closer to his target, and once he got close enough, he dashed forward and struck.

Unexpectedly, the man turned around and swung his blade in return. His nose scrunched as he said.

"Did you really think I wouldn't notice you."

The sheer force sent Minhyun back a couple of steps.

How, how did he know I was here? Even without seeing me, they seem to always know where I'm at.

A memory flashed in his mind.

"As for the reason you lost, it's because of your smell. Humans have more than eyesight to work with. If you want to sneak up on an enemy, you will have to remove any sense of presence you have."

It's smell. They can smell the blood leaking from my wounds.

He then clutched at his wound with a grim look.

"What's got you so scared? Dog bite your tongue."

The man licked his lips as he stepped closer. His eyes turned red as drool seeped out from his mouth.

Minhyun readied his sword.

Without giving him the time to react, the man rabidly dashed forward and struck with all his might.

Each clash of their blade sent Minhyun back a step. His sword began chipping as the power of the man's strikes ruined the integrity of its material. Cuts started to lather his body, and his arms felt like they were carrying boulders.

That bastard's using my own sword against me.

Using the momentum of the man's strike, he then stepped back and grabbed a fistful of dirt. After stabilizing his posture, he threw it.

The man just dodged. A laugh escaped his lips as he said.

"Did you really think that would hit me. I've fought dirtier than that."

"No, you dipshit, it's to hide my second attack."

After saying that he threw his longsword. It flew, getting dangerously close to the man's face, but just like before, he dodged it.

The man's eyes traced the blade as it passed by his face. Seeing his opponent's weapon fly away, he laughed.

"You're gonna have to try harder than that to live."

However, hidden out of his vision, a swishing sound erupted before a sharp stab penetrated his skin. Looking down, he saw that the red haired youth had stabbed him in the stomach. He reached to slash him down with his sword, but Minhyun just released his weapon and dodged it.

The two stood there at a standstill. One held a weapon in his hands while the other had none whatsoever. Yet one was more injured than the other.

A brief pause ensued as the two checked each other out.

Minhyun laughed. After wiping the blood from his face, he ran towards the longsword he had thrown earlier.

The man slashed down, but Minhyun just back-stepped before throwing a second round of dirt.

Ugh...

He then used this opportunity to grab his sword off the ground. His eyes stared at his opponent with an eagle like intensity while adrenaline pumped through every inch of his body. A chill crept up his spine and his lips quivered in excitement as a thought entered his mind.

So this is what a real fight is like.