Kailen left the guild. As he navigated the streets, he heard chatter about the death of the Count of Castelan and his daughter.

"So his enemies managed to get to him, huh," Kailen thought. "He should have killed them back then to tie loose ends instead of just wounding them. Was he thinking they’d just let him be because they feared his strength or something?"

Kailen shook his head. He melded with the void and disappeared.

After Kailen disappeared, four individuals appeared at where he was previously standing: an alleyway. These four were Dawnseer Guild members.

"Boss, do you think it will work?" one of them, a gnome, said with a crooked grin.

"It’s perfect," the supposed leader of the four, a Treant, said. "We monitor him and watch him try to finish the mission. Then, when he’s injured at some point, we take advantage of his weakness. After that, we will kill him."

A glint of ruthlessness flashed through his eyes. "Then, we will quietly return to accept the mission for ourselves, and return back and finish off the few remaining bandits he started to deal with. This mission is not detective-based like the previous one he completed. He will have to definitely confront the bandits directly and get rid of them if he wants to stabilize the Southern Mountain range of the city. There’s no way a single person can complete this mission without sustaining any wounds."

Everyone nodded. The plan of the boss was something very clear and wise; they could complete the high-difficulty mission this way without much effort.

"Kailen Darkhaven, no offense. We are all doing everything we can to grow stronger," the Treant said, as a glint of cold necessity flashed through his eyes. Quickly, they shot into the skies, headed for the Southern Mountain range of the city.

*****

Venzula Empire.

Richtchard City.

Southern Mountain Range.

The afternoon sun was warm. Several rays fell on the solid grounds. The winds caused several trees to sway; their shadows danced on the ground. Kailen materialized at the edge of the Southern Mountain range of the city.

"Those four must still be following me. I have to admit, their plan is a very clever one, though. Anyway, let’s get rid of them before I proceed with the mission."

Kailen activated the Principle of Space. Quickly, he scouted the Southern Mountain range. He noted places where bandits were hiding and where chaotic beasts were currently at.

"As a matter of fact, these fellows can help me eliminate some of the bandits." A glint flashed through his mind as an idea brewed.

The Will of the Universe observed Kailen and shook her head. "This kid and that mind of his is..."

As for Kailen, he disappeared from where he currently stood. He appeared in an uninhabited cave in one mountain.

"This place looks perfect for the plan."

Kailen observed the edge of the Southern Mountain range of the city. At the moment, four individuals led by a Treant appeared at the edge of the mountain range.

"Where the hell is he?" one of the four, a human with a buzz cut, spat on the ground.

"Keep your temper in check. We need to spread out and search for him. He must have started the mission," the boss said. "When you locate him, do not engage. Let’s send thought transmissions to each other and regroup some distance at where he’s been discovered. We will then proceed with the plan accordingly."

Kailen was listening to everything they were saying, even monitoring their facial expressions. He didn’t attack.

"Oh, they want to separate and look for me so that it will be faster? Smart but stupid. Well, that makes it easier for me."

Kailen could now eliminate them individually, instead of having to deal with four of them at the same time. Even though he was currently in a cave and they had not yet discovered him—and he could have used his hidden location to deal with them at the same time—dealing with them individually was less of a hassle. It would be more effective and swift. Any possible interferences to his attacks from any of them won’t be possible since each of them will be alone.

Kailen observed from the cave as they separated from one another. Each of the four bolted towards different directions.

"Let’s deal with their leader first. Fortunately, they are all rank 1 novice-stage transcendents just like me; else, it would not have been possible to deal with them," Kailen thought.

The Treant was currently moving through several trees. His eyes would glint from time to time, his perception heightened to scout a few kilometers around him. Suddenly, he felt a lethal threat encumber him. He felt his head suddenly hollowed out from his neck. His head was not being cut or butchered from the rest of his body; it was as if it was being separated by some sort of unseen force from his body.

He felt the space between his neck and head was expanding and twisting. Space morphed and twisted across his neck region. It was so sudden; he could not even prepare to defend himself. Who was attacking him?

"Your plan was a very clever one, though."

A voice resounded in his head.

Kailen Darkhaven... how? He knew all along? That they had been following him? That they had plotted against him? How?

A feeling of extreme fear encumbered him. This fellow was too terrifying. He had to inform the others. They were not trapping Kailen Darkhaven; they were chess pieces on his board. They were prey.

Wait... why could he not move?

That’s right... He saw his headless body in the line of his capsized vision. It hit him. He had been killed. Shit.

This was the last thought he had before his vision went off, and his head rolled on the ground, a few walks away from his headless body, sprawled on the ground. The head and the body disappeared into Kailen’s secret realm. It was necessary for the next part of his plan, after all.

"One down," Kailen thought. His attention shifted to another part of the Southern Mountain range.