Murderous Intent

A Few Moments Earlier...

Arden was now perched in another tree, his gaze fixed on Donald, who continued to walk forward. He was still contemplating whether he should wait a bit longer to observe Donald further. After all, Donald was stronger than Ryker, and rushing into battle without careful consideration could prove fatal.

Sure, Arden was stronger than before, but that didn't mean he could afford to be reckless. He still had to be cautious.

'Donald's senses are sharp… That's another thing I know about him,' Arden thought, placing a finger on his chin. Donald's heightened senses would be an issue, but if Arden could find a way to hinder them, his plan would succeed.

Suddenly, Arden heard a rustling sound behind him. He instantly turned around and spotted a wolf with green fur and dark eyes standing near the base of the tree he was sitting in. Since he was perched silently on one of the branches, the wolf hadn't noticed him.

'It seems like it knows someone is around, but it can't pinpoint the exact location,' Arden mused, his eyes narrowing.

As he was about to shift his focus back to Donald, an idea flashed in his mind.

'Wait… This might work...' Arden thought, his gaze fixed on the wolf, which hadn't yet left.

Wasting no time, Arden decided to execute his plan. He quickly retrieved his dagger from the inventory and gripped it firmly.

Positioning himself directly above the wolf, Arden prepared to strike. Without warning...

*WHOOSH*

He leaped down, his dagger aimed precisely at the wolf.

Before the creature could growl or react, the dagger found its mark, plunging into its skull and killing it instantly. A low growl escaped the wolf's mouth, but it was barely audible.

As Arden removed his dagger, the force of the action severed the wolf's head from its neck, causing more blood to splatter onto the ground.

"Perfect," Arden muttered, satisfied with the first phase of his plan. He then moved swiftly to the next.

He pulled out a cloak and mask from his inventory, donning them quickly. Now, his body was concealed beneath the cloak, and his face was hidden behind the mask, leaving only his eyes visible.

With his disguise in place, Arden touched the wolf's body and head, storing them in his inventory.

He glanced ahead and saw that Donald was still moving forward. 'Good, he's still there.'

Arden began to move toward Donald's location, creeping through the forest with practiced stealth. After a few seconds, he reached a spot closer to Donald and scaled another tree, ensuring he stayed hidden.

At that moment, a wolf with grey fur, similar to the one Arden had just killed, lunged at Donald.

Arden's eyes locked onto Donald as he observed how easily he deflected the wolf's attack.

"Just a little more…" Arden whispered, preparing to make his move.

Finally, Donald killed the wolf by slicing it in two. That was the moment Arden had been waiting for.

Immediately after Donald dealt the killing blow, Arden retrieved the wolf's body and head from his inventory and hurled them toward Donald.

Without waiting for the body to land, Arden dropped down from the tree, dashing around Donald, using the trees as cover.

Donald, still focused on the wolf he had just slain, didn't notice the figure darting around him. He only realized something was amiss when he heard a noise behind him. Turning around, he was met with the sight of a dead wolf.

Confused, Donald knelt to inspect the carcass, trying to figure out who was responsible for this. But before he could come to any conclusions, he sensed movement behind him. His hand instinctively gripped the handle of his Axe.

He barely had time to react as a blinding flash of metal hurtled toward him, his axe meeting it in a desperate clash.

*CLANG*

The force of the impact reverberated through Donald's arms, nearly knocking him off balance.

"What the—?" Donald exclaimed, leaping back as his eyes locked onto the figure standing before him.

"Tch… It still didn't work. I thought I could kill him discreetly," Arden muttered, his gaze cold and calculating as it rested on Donald.

Meanwhile, Donald's expression was one of bewilderment as he stared at the cloaked figure in front of him. The person was draped in a black and red cloak, with a black mask obscuring all but his eyes. Yet, those eyes radiated a murderous intent that Donald could feel in the air around him.

'Who is this? And why is he emanating such intense killing intent? Do we know each other?' Donald wondered, scrutinizing the masked figure for any recognizable features, but it was no use.

He didn't have the answers to his questions, but one thing was certain...

"This person is here to kill me…" Donald whispered, his voice steady despite the tension thickening the air.

Despite the growing sense of danger, Donald kept his composure as he stared down his would-be assassin. "Who are you?" he demanded.

Arden didn't respond. He simply continued to glare at Donald, his grip tightening on his dagger.

"Were you sent by someone?" Donald pressed, his voice firmer this time as he readied his axe.

'Now that we're face to face, a sneak attack is out of the question. I'll have to confront him directly,' Arden thought, preparing for the inevitable clash.

His plan hadn't gone as intended, but retreat was not an option. This was his chance to eliminate Donald, and he wouldn't let it slip away. He was determined to see this through.

*WHOOSH*

Arden shifted his right leg back, bracing himself.

*BOOM*

The battle had just... begun.