Chapter 86: Chapter 86: A Short Visit to the Zeru Forest

The sun was steadily rising, about to reach its zenith. Under the bright sunlight, the black city walls looked especially sturdy as they shone with a metallic luster.

A dense flow of people could be seen entering and exiting the tall city gates in the direction of the Zeru forest. All kinds of people, mainly mercenaries and adventurers, could be seen traveling in groups or solo.

Within the lively crowd, an inconspicuous figure was walking towards the city gates.

Dressed in simple leather armor and wearing a black cloth mask on his face, the man was carrying a travel bag on his back.

It was Anom.

He had quietly left after making arrangements at the gang's base. Currently, he is on his way to prepare for the next phase. The Zeru forest was a crucial element of his plan; he needed to make sure that everything was fine to create the greatest impact on his targets.

Soon, he joined the line of people leaving the city. The line was moving quickly as they didn't need to go through a thorough inspection as when entering the city. Showing your city pass was enough.

This pass was different from the ranked passes that top adventurers and members of the families, such as Safaira and the Handlers, carried. It was a basic pass issued only to permanent residents of the city.

Of course, it belonged to the original gang leader. Anom also preferred it over the silver ranked pass that Crystal had used when he entered the city for the first time. This was more subtle.

It was also the reason he carried a backpack when he had a storage bag. According to what he had heard, there were less than a thousand of these bags in the city. Most of them were big merchants or members of powerful forces. While he was not afraid of trouble, not leaving any noticeable tracks was more preferable for Anom. 

Passing through the gates, Anom stepped onto a stone paved path that extended towards the horizon. There, a faint hint of green could be seen merging with the bright sky.

It was the Zeru forest.

Not in a hurry, Anom moved at a moderate speed. The stone path was quite broad, so there was no problem even with the heavy flow of people passing through.

Besides, this side of the city basically didn't have any carriages, or any vehicles for that matter, as they were simply useless in the dangerous terrain of the forest.

If this was a border city, then this stone paved path would not have been contrasted like it was. Because, other than providing ease of movement, such a wide and flat terrain could also allow the gathering of a large number of enemy troops. Besieging the city would have become easier for them.

Of course, this was all based on the assumption of knowledge from planet Earth. Anom was still not too familiar with the broader aspects of this world, or, to be precise, this planet. His exploration journey in this new world had just begun.

Around a quarter of an hour later, Anom finally reached the end of the paved path. What lied in front of him was a flat land spanning a few hundred meters. Right behind that was the Zeru forest.

Anom stopped in his tracks and took out a book. It was the one he had purchased in the morning.

After checking and confirming that the path he had remembered was correct, Anom placed the book back in his bag.

"I suddenly miss those little devils." Anom spoke to himself as he finally appeared in front of the dense woods. His moderate pace changed as he quickly disappeared among the trees.

…

The sun slowly crept towards its resting place, giving way to the darkness.

As the last ray on the horizon disappeared, the ever-daunting Zeru forest began to appear even more menacing.

Throngs of adventurers and mercenaries, who had gone inside to collect resources and complete their missions, were returning quickly. Only the strong ones could be brave enough to stay a night inside, though they had to be cautious too.

A shadow suddenly appeared in the distance, away from the crowd.

"Huff…" Anom breathed out in relief as he stepped out of the forest. There was a slight smile on his face as he had finally made all the necessary preparations.

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"Now all that is left is the play tomorrow." His lips curled upward as he thought about it. He was not too worried, as both sides would have their own performers; it wouldn't be a problem even if someone messed up.

Taking one last look at the forest shrouded in darkness, he walked back towards the city.

…

He soon entered the city after going through a slightly bothersome inspection. Thankfully, he was patient enough. Unlike those hot-blooded mercenaries that he witnessed getting dragged away by the city guards.

Tracing his way back, Anom quickly arrived outside the Safaira estate before easily making his way back inside.

Compared to the early morning when he had left, the atmosphere was obviously bustling, as many members and servants could be seen going around the estate.

The previous gloominess due to the Handler family had also subsided. It was mainly related to the fact that Loreana had come out of her grief-stricken state and begun to manage the family affairs once again.

Another cause was Rudard, Crystal's second uncle, not interfering in the matter. He had received Gamus's assurance. He would be the next head of the family after they had dealt with their current situation. Loreana would also give up the authority that she had been holding in place of her husband. 

This delighted Rudard, who didn't even have the faintest idea that the brother he resented was already dead.

Amidst his thoughts, Anom finally reached the central area of the estate.

He didn't continue hiding himself, as the people here already knew him or at least had heard about him.

In addition, he had also changed back into his own clothes, so no one would be the wiser about him leaving the estate.

Anom soon appeared outside Loreana's chamber. He knocked on the door and waited. But even after a few moments, no response came. His hand moved to knock again but was halted midway.

Instead, Anom moved the handle, and as he had expected, the door was not locked.

As he stepped inside the dark drawing room, a dim light coming from a nearby room entered his eyes. He moved in that direction and found the person he was looking for.

Loreana was sitting on a chair with her elbows resting on the study table. A bunch of papers were scattered around in front of her eyes as she looked at them with her brows furrowed.

Anom entered the room and felt the slight coolness due to the change in temperature. The vents inside the room were operating, creating a comfortable atmosphere within the room.

Even after he had arrived to stand directly behind her, she did not notice his presence. Part of it was because of Anom's light steps, but it was also because she was too engrossed in her work.

Anom smirked as he suddenly stretched his hands forward. But he suddenly stopped as he looked down at the chair. After thinking for a bit, he changed his position to the right, as Loreana's head was currently tilted towards the left.

Once again, he extended his hands, and this time, he grabbed Loreana.

Shocked, she stood up with a fright, but before she could open her mouth, a hand had already covered it.

Pulling her towards him, Anom made her back fall on his chest.

Before he could say anything to calm her agitation, he suddenly felt a threat approaching his precious tool.

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