Chapter 113: Discovered

Meanwhile, deep within the forest, the Shadow Soldier ended the connection and prepared to leave.

He had delivered the information to Lucian. His mission was complete, and there was no reason to remain near the clearing any longer.

He carefully examined his surroundings before choosing a route through the trees.

Just as he was about to move, a small rabbit emerged from the bushes beside him.

The Shadow Soldier glanced down at the animal.

The rabbit sniffed the ground, its long ears twitching as it moved around a cluster of rocks. It seemed entirely unaware of the danger lurking nearby.

The soldier paid it little attention and started walking.

Then the rabbit suddenly hopped in his direction.

Crack!

One of its hind legs landed on a dry branch, snapping it beneath its weight.

The sharp sound echoed through the forest.

The Shadow Soldier stopped immediately.

Of all the times for this to happen! What terrible timing.

He remained motionless for a moment, listening for any reaction from the clearing.

At first, nothing happened.

He could hear only the faint rustling of leaves and the distant sounds of the forest.

Believing the noise might have gone unnoticed, he turned toward his escape route.

Unfortunately, the disturbance had already attracted attention.

Back in the clearing, the tiger raised its head from the corpse it had been feeding on.

Its ears twitched, and its golden eyes shifted toward the forest.

The BloodFang leader noticed the change.

“My Lord?”

The tiger did not answer. It continued staring toward the source of the sound, its expression gradually becoming more serious.

A small animal breaking a branch was hardly unusual. However, the tiger had been discussing a carefully planned attack. If someone had discovered their meeting, even a small leak could jeopardize the entire operation.

It decided to investigate.

An invisible wave of spiritual sense spread outward from its body, sweeping through the surrounding forest.

Trees, rocks, bushes, and the creatures hiding among them appeared within its perception.

Then it found the Shadow Soldier.

The tiger’s gaze sharpened.

There was someone in the forest.

Before the Shadow Soldier could take another step, an overwhelming aura erupted from the clearing.

BOOM!

The entire forest seemed to tremble.

The Shadow Soldier’s body stiffened as an immense pressure descended upon him. His knees buckled, and his breathing became difficult.

What is this pressure?!

He tried to gather his energy and activate his abilities, but the oppressive aura crushed every attempt before he could act.

It was as though an invisible mountain had fallen upon his shoulders.

He could not move.

He could not escape.

Even turning his head required tremendous effort.

The difference in strength was simply too overwhelming.

A moment later, a massive shadow appeared before him.

The tiger had arrived.

Its enormous body towered above the surrounding vegetation, and its golden eyes looked down at the helpless soldier.

“Well, what do we have here? An unexpected visitor.”

The Shadow Soldier’s heart sank.

He immediately attempted to retreat, but the tiger moved faster.

One enormous paw slammed into the ground before him, shattering the earth and sending dirt and broken stones flying into the air.

Before the soldier could react, the tiger struck again.

Bang!

The impact sent him crashing against a tree.

Pain shot through his body, but before he could recover, the tiger’s massive paw pinned him against the ground.

The pressure increased.

Cracks spread through the earth beneath him, and the soldier found himself completely unable to resist.

The tiger lowered its head, examining its captive.

“Now then. Who are you, and why were you hiding near our meeting?”

The Shadow Soldier clenched his teeth.

He knew that revealing anything would accomplish nothing. His priority was to protect Lucian and the others, even if he had to endure whatever the creature intended to do to him.

He remained silent.

The tiger’s expression darkened.

“You heard my question.”

Still, the soldier offered no answer.

The creature studied him more carefully. It examined his clothing and features before extending its spiritual sense toward his body.

A moment later, its expression changed.

Something was wrong.

The tiger could clearly see the person trapped beneath its paw, yet the presence it expected to sense was strangely indistinct. No matter how carefully it examined him, the soldier’s aura remained elusive.

The tiger tried again.

Nothing changed.

Even concealed enemies usually left traces that could be detected with sufficient attention. Yet this individual seemed to defy that expectation.

The creature narrowed its eyes.

“What are you?”

The Shadow Soldier remained silent.

By then, the BloodFang leader had arrived with several of his men. Seeing the captive pinned beneath the tiger’s paw, he immediately understood that something had gone wrong.

He stepped closer and examined the soldier.

Then his expression changed.

“Wait. I’ve seen this kind of uniform before.”

The tiger turned toward him.

“Explain.”

The BloodFang leader pointed at the captive.

“This person belongs to a newly registered mercenary group. I remember hearing about them recently.”

His initial surprise gradually gave way to suspicion.

“If one of their members is here, there may be others nearby.”

The tiger’s eyes narrowed.

“How many companions does he have?”

“I don’t know exactly, My Lord. But a group wouldn’t normally send a single member into this region without support.”

The possibility was enough to warrant caution.

If the Shadow Soldier had been sent to observe their meeting, his companions might be hiding somewhere nearby. They could have already gathered information about the planned attack and the formation.

The tiger wasn’t willing to leave such a possibility unchecked.

It released its spiritual sense once more.

This time, the search extended far beyond the clearing, sweeping through the surrounding forest and examining every detectable presence. Its perception passed between trees, moved across rocky slopes, and penetrated the dense undergrowth.

The BloodFang leader waited anxiously.

If other mercenaries had overheard their conversation, the consequences could be serious. Their preparations might be exposed before the attack even began.

Yet the search yielded nothing.

No additional mercenaries were detected.

No other observers were found.

There was no sign of the companions the BloodFang leader had suspected might be nearby.

After thoroughly examining the surrounding area, the tiger finally withdrew its spiritual sense.

Its gaze returned to the captive.

“Interesting.”

The soldier’s strange aura had become even more suspicious. The tiger had searched the area thoroughly, yet the captive’s presence remained difficult to understand.

The creature tightened its grip slightly.

“Your companions are nowhere to be found. Your aura is difficult to detect, and you were hiding near a private meeting.”

Its golden eyes narrowed to thin slits.

“Now tell me the truth. Who are you, really?”

The Shadow Soldier met its gaze without answering.

He knew he had already transmitted the crucial information to Lucian. Whatever happened to him now, his master would at least have a chance to prepare for the coming attack.

The tiger stared at him for several seconds.

Then its expression hardened.

“Very well. If you won’t answer willingly, I’ll find another way to make you talk.”

It lifted its paw, allowing the BloodFang members to seize the captive. Two of them immediately restrained his arms and dragged him to his feet.

The Shadow Soldier attempted to resist, but the tiger’s aura still weighed heavily upon him. His strength was nowhere near sufficient to break free.

He had been captured without even getting the chance to fight back.

The tiger turned toward the clearing.

“Bring him with us. I want to know who sent him, how he managed to conceal his presence, and how much he heard.”

“Understood, My Lord.”

The BloodFang leader gestured to his men, and they began escorting the captive back toward the clearing.

The Shadow Soldier lowered his head, concealing the pain on his face.

He had failed to escape, but he had accomplished the most important part of his mission.

Lucian knew about the planned attack.

And for now, that was enough.

— CHAPTER END —