Broken Tower Saga: The First Swordsman

"If you can endure what I am going to do for two minutes, I'll let you go. How's that sound?" Anton said bluntly.

The red-faced man finally ran his spinal cords. "No need," he said, with a cruel smile on his lips. "Everyone here knows where the Scythe stays, you can go challenge him there, but I . . ."

Before the red-faced man could continue, Anton smacked him again on the head, just as hard as the first time. "Couldn't you say that earlier?" Anton shouted at the man. "I wasted so much effort to threaten you, I could have used that line on someone else. A'dil you deserve this smack."

The Red-faced man's face turned even red in anger. "Go straight south west from here you will find Scythe by the evening," the man said, gritting his teeth. "If you have guts."

While Anton looked at Davin as if asking with an honest expression, "Davin, do you know why people become arrogant even when they are down? Look at our friend A'dil, he was ourcaptive yet he did not forget to be arrogant even after that."

Davin's face showed the expression: 'How should I know?' He was already weary from yesterday, with the cold in the night he did not have a proper rest. While he was quite astonished by Anton. It did not even affect this guy. From outside, Anton was fine as he was before coming to the test. He saw him shuddering sometimes yesterday, yet when the sun rose again, Anton regained all his energy and vigour. 

"You don't know," Anton continued. "Then I have to ask our red-faced friend A'dil again. But this place is not so good for interrogation. Well then, let's go." 

Anton moved as he pulled one leg of the red-faced man. He said with a crook smile on his lips. "Look how good your arrogance did to you. While all your friends get back to their business, you have to go with me."

The red face almost vomited in anger at hearing that. Moreover, for one thing, his name was not called A'dil in the first place.

"Why are you taking that poor guy with you?" Davin asked, eyeing the red-faced man dragging away by Anton. Anton did not even bother to look at the discomfort the red-faced man was feeling.

"He still has his uses," Anton answered, still walking. "Move fast. There are a lot of people nearby. I don't want to get my hands dirty again."

Davin could only follow after Anton. They moved through the grassland for a few more hours. The direction they were heading was North-west—where the Scythe was. Even Though it was still tens of miles away, Davin had a bad feeling about this. 

Moreover, Anton's personality showed he was in no mood of turning. He could only hope Anton was not so stupid to walk into the enemy's lair in broad daylight.  Fortunately, Anton did not forget his job as a tracker. He led down the path with the least number of people

After pondering for a moment, Davin decided to talk out of it, but he did not know if this reckless guy would listen to him.

Apparently, the only guy Anton listens to was not with them, and probably in danger. He sighed and noticed Anton stopping by a shade of a tree. He threw away there red-faced A'dil as if throwing garbage, before sitting down as well.

"Davin, you look like you have a lot on your plate," Anton said as he started to unpack his belongings. "What's bothering you?"

Davin looked at Anton carefully and found nothing out of the blue. No worry or anything. He sighed again. 

"First tell me, what you are planning?" he asked.

"Me?" Anton scoffed off. "I was just thinking about giving a visit to this Scythe. Do you want to come?"

Davin's lips twitched—it was as he had feared. "Are you serious?" Davin questioned. "Haven't you heard he has over two hundred men under him? Are you going to throw away the test?"

"I know," Anton said opening the dry jerky and flask of water. "But I need to make a visit there."

"Why?" Davin asked, frowning.

Anton said nothing immediately. He looked at the sky, then to the southwest, before opening his lips again. "Davin, tell me what you know about this Scythe?" he asked.

"Are you asking this seriously?" Davin asked. Seeing the simple nod from Anton, he continued, sitting next to him. "From all the information we gathered from yesterday, this Scythe was one of the participants that entered first in the test region. Well, being in the first among the participants, this guy did not waste any opportunity, seemed to have built the strongest force in the test. Moreover, he had built a reputation among the participants that he's the boss of the test, none could stand his way. . ."

Anton nodded and nodded again, listening to all this. 

"Do you see it now, Davin?" Anton said as Davin finished his speech. "The test has not started properly, yet this Scythe seemed to win it already." 

Davin clasped his lips as the frown formed again on his brows. 

"And that means we have to go against this guy sooner or later," Anton continued slowly.

Davin felt little goosebumps hearing that. "But. . ."

"Well, don't worry, I was not going to attack there heedlessly. I'm just going there for scouting," Anton smiled as he repacked his baggage. 

"This is alright, but what about the emergency call?"

Anton stopped in his packing and said, looking at Davin. "It's almost half a day since then. I don't think it would be easy to find Wrik or Tanya, whoever called for help. They should have moved far away from the spot by now, and by any chance, they were captured. . .'' he paused for a moment. "Where do you think they will end up?" 

Davin's eyes turned big. "Did you mean?" his lips shook a bit as he said that. 

"Yes, that was another reason for me to scout the lair of this Scythe," Anton nodded. "Though there is a faint chance of them being held there." 

"How are you so sure?"

"It's my gut feeling," Anton said as he put away a chunk of jerky into his mouth. 

Davin pondered for a moment and resolved his mindset. "I'll go," he said. "I'll go as well."

Anton's lips curved upward. "I knew you would say that," he said. "But no."

"Why?"

"It's not a good decision for both of us to go there at the same time," Anton said. And besides, that Davin has no skill in stealth, while his class prioritised over this area. 

Davin frowned and unresigned to listen to Anton. He was about to argue about it when Anton said again.

"Davin, you need to stay. I can only handle this if I'm alone. You know you are not good at this sort of job. If you got captured it would only make our situation worse," Anton said quietly, glancing Davin in the eyes.

"What if you get captured?" Davin could not help but ask.

"Don't worry about that," Anton said. "I have another task for you."

Davin looked at Anton, anticipating what he was going to ask.

''Listen carefully. I'll go to scout when the darkness intensifies. You will wait for me for about four hours, then you'll move without looking back if I did not come back at that time. Your task is to find Wrik and others. Do you get it?" 

Davin said nothing.

"Did you get it, Davin?" Anton repeated. 

Davin nodded. "Yes." After pondering a while, he found out this was the most proper decision to make in these circumstances.

"Good," Anton said as his expression became carefree again. "Well, you probably don't have to go alone, as you know I'm best at this kind of job."

"How confident are you?"

"Well, even if all the rumours about this Scythe guy are true, I'm 99% sure I can come back." He laughed out loud.

"You are not modest at all," Davin laughed as well, seeing the confidence in Anton's voice.

"Well, before that we have to take care of our friend A'dil," Anton stood up, finishing his meal. 

"Seriously, why did you even bring him here? And even told him your plan?"

"Did I not say he had his uses?" Anton smiled again. "Well, it's not him. All I need is his dress. We'll have to bind him somewhere so that he did not mess up our plans." 

"So you'll invade there, imposing on of their own." Davin said as he finally understood.

"That's the plan," Anton nodded. "While I try to finish it as quickly as possible without making any contact, though I am a little interested in this Scythe fella." 

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End of Chapter: Scouting.

Next Chapter: New cave.

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