Chapter 25 Infiltrating the Hideout (2)

Engulfed by shadows, Alexander walked deeper into the cave that was being used as a base for a band of criminals.

Along the way, he found several branching paths that were being used as storerooms for cheap goods and foodstuffs, or quarters for bandits.

Whenever he came across someone, he swiftly killed them and stored their body into his dimensional cache.

He felt a bit disturbed to know that he was carrying several dead bodies around with him but leaving them out in the open would increase the risk of someone discovering his presence.

Eventually, he noticed a bright light, and as he got closer, he could see ahead of him that there was a far larger chamber than the others in this cave system.

Inside were several people sitting around makeshift tables and eating and drinking.

Most of those present were rough looking men, but there were some women as well. All of whom looked as equally dangerous as their male counterparts.

'There's somewhere between twenty and thirty of them. Can I take them all?'

Alexander could not get a fully accurate count while hiding in the shadows a couple meters from the entrance, but there were certainly quite a few outlaws present in the chamber.

If they were a normal group that had gathered simply because of convenience, he might have been able to cause enough chaos to throw them into disarray by simply rushing in and killing a few of them.

However, Alexander knew that these bandits had received training from a skilled leader and were fairly disciplined when it came to battle.

Should he just rushed in, he might kill a few of them before they could get their bearings, but after that, the others would form up and fight him off in a coordinated manner.

'I wish I was better at shadow magic. There are plenty of shadows in the chamber, but the lights are too bright. I don't think I could completely hide myself.'

Alexander was only capable of using his new magic for a short time, and the fundamental concepts behind anything but the most basic spells were difficult for him to grasp.

Unlike all other forms of magic, shadow magic was completely outlawed. He did not have any basis of knowledge on the subject other than what little he had recently learned from Tharildron's tome and the shadow dragon itself.

While Alexander was considering a strategy to take out the large group of bandits, one of them got up and began walking towards where he was hiding.

Taking this opportunity to thin out their numbers, he slowly backed up until he was out of view of anyone in the large chamber.

Then, when the sole man passed by him, Alexander leapt out of the shadows and sliced through the bandit's neck.

Within just a few moments, the man had died completely unaware of what had happened.

'It won't be fast, but this could work.' Alexander thought, turning his gaze back towards where the other outlaws were congregated.

Thanks to his dimensional cache, he was able to make most of the evidence of his deeds disappear.

There was still some blood scattered around the tunnel, but in the dim light, it would be difficult for anyone to notice.

All Alexander needed to do was wait like a spider for the bandits to wander towards him and then inflict a swift and fatal strike.

Fortunately, this strategy worked quite well.

Men and women that were either headed to their chambers to sleep or going to a place to relieve themselves after imbibing too much walked past Alexander every few minutes or so.

By the time the remaining bandits still left in the large chamber started to suspect that something was wrong, there were only thirteen of them left.

A group of five got up, and with their weapons out and ready, they cautiously headed towards the dark tunnel that gave off the feeling of being a doorway to hell. All that had entered had been consumed by it and none had returned.

As the five bandits entered the passage, they looked around and called out for their associates.

Yet there was no reply, as well as no sign of anyone.

"Wait. Is this blood?"

One of the more perceptive thieves noticed a small pool of liquid on the floor of the tunnel and squatted down for a better look.

A quick touch and careful look were all it took to tell what the substance was.

"Everyone be careful! There's somethi-"

Before the bandit that had noticed the faint traces of their comrades' demises could finish warning the others, a dark blade pierced through his chest and came out the other side.

The remining four were caught off guard by the sudden death of one of their own.

By the time they had regained their bearings, two more of them had been dispatched by what appeared to be a shadowy whirlwind.

It did not take long for the other two to fall at the hands of their assailant. The difference in their abilities and preparedness was simply too much to overcome.

"I won't be able to lure any of the others in here, but I've lowered their numbers significantly. If I'm careful, I should be able to take on eight of them."

Resolved to finish what he had started; Alexander ran into the large chamber where the remaining bandits waited.

When finally entered the area, he found that only six of the eight that should have been there were present. Two of them seemed to be missing. There was another tunnel within the chamber far to the left side, so Alexander figured that they must have gone through there.

'I don't think I've come up against anyone that could be considered their boss. The missing two probably went to go get him.' Alexander surmised.

Still, he would have to worry about that later. Right now, he had six armed bandits looking at him with murder in their eyes to contend with.