"Now, you have two choices, either I can chock the lights out of you or you can tell me why you were following me around. If you chose the first option, keep struggling and if you chose the latter, then stop!"
Hearing Jacob's icy voice, in the end, the long hair man chose the latter since he can't even flinch from Jacob's grip, much less escaped from it. He was utterly horrified at how strong Jacob was. Even a C-rank mercenary won't be able to manhandle him if he put his everything. But in front of Jacob, he was like a two-year-old child.
Jacob finally loosened the grip, but he didn't let go.
"Now start signing your life story or I can simply put a full stop to it." Jacob chuckled mockingly.
'He heard us?!' This gave him another jolt.
They were talking in the close carriage, and he himself observed Jacob's carriage was twenty meters away from theirs all the time. It was completely impossible for Jacob to hear them from that distance with all the noise pollution.
He even started to consider Jacob some rare monster who was in human disguise.
He knew they had wholly miscalculated Jacob's strength and abilities. Likewise, he wasn't just some helpless, talented youth. But he was a sleeping tiger, and they unknowingly they had ruffled the tiger's whiskers.
He quickly told without hiding anything, "I-it was Vice Guild Master Olaf who commission the Vice Leader Kite to keep a close eye on you! We were simply following order, we have no other motives!"
Jacob wasn't surprised by Olaf's involvement. That old man always looked at him as if he was prey, but he restrained himself because of Drew and never mess with him.
However, he didn't expect Olaf would seek help from the Vice Leader of the star mercenary agency, Kite.
'It seemed that old guy was waiting for a chance so he could beat the secret out of me while he could also keep his hands clean even if things go south.' Jacob sneered coldly.
Since he had already confirmed Olaf's scheme, which he only considered an ant's dream, he didn't need this guy anymore. Without giving any chance, he clutched his hand!
'Crush!'
The man's neck was crushed completely, without any resistance. He died before he even reacted!
Jacob coolly threw the limp body to the side and move on. He didn't even bother with the man's belongings, since he knew he won't find anything that could interest him on this small fry.
He only acted because these guys were following him like annoying flies for days now, but he didn't act since he wasn't done with his preparations.
However, now, he wasn't afraid of showing his prowess and drawing attention anymore.
Before, he only showed the tip of the iceberg so he could use the workshop in the gunsmith guild as much as he wished and peacefully while Drew covered for him until he was done.
Now that he was done, they can come as they wish!
A few hours later,
Jacob finally reached the Lion Forest, which was spread over fifty miles, and there were some uncommon species residing in this place.
However, what really drew him to this place wasn't the mission, but he felt a peculiar sensation within his heart when he passed this place in Peter's carriage.
He simply thought it was his imagination, but after seeing the mission, he thought otherwise.
Out of curiosity, he took the mission. Since he was going to pass this place, he didn't mind taking a detour.
On the contrary, if he crossed the lion forest, he would get to the Rainy Mountain Range in half the time he is required to travel on the safe route.
After crossing a few miles, he was carefully walked between towering trees.
Suddenly, a silhouette lunged at him out of nowhere.
'Fast!'
Jacob's agility shifted his body and dodged the sharp fangs, and the silhouette missed the sneak attack. It directly landed on the ground and start escaping.
It was a one-meter-long black snake with small brown dots on its body.
'An uncommon Raptor Snake. It seemed I'm having snake soup for dinner.' Jacob smirked before he swiftly moved his hand and a dark streak shot toward the Raptor Snake which was crawling away.
'Peng…'
The short sword directly pierced through its head and pin it down in its place.
However, right at this moment, faint smoke started to rise from the group all of a sudden.
Jacob's expression changed drastically from this sudden turn of events and quickly picked up his sword.
He didn't care about the snake anymore, since he could feel his senses were starting to get disenable the moment this mysterious smoke appeared.
'Sedation Gas?!' Jacob quickly stopped respiring.
His heart palpitated because even with his mental fortitude, he felt slightly dizzy with a faint whiff of this smoke.
He knew he had entered a trap and someone who could escape his sharp hearing had to be an expert or he had accidentally triggered this trap. Nonetheless, he would not wait here to find the exact reason, as he ran at full speed!
Because of his water meditation, he could hold his breath like this for over an hour, but his skin started to burn as it came in contact with this strange gas, which make it somewhat difficult for him.
After running for over five hundred meters, he finally emerged from the smoke and his complexion was pale red as thick vines bulged on his forehead.
He finally breathed fresh air, and his complex started to recover. He was feeling extreme rage all of a sudden. A gas nearly did him.
'Who could have this kind of gas, and why did it set up in this place? Even C rank mercenary might not escape,' Jacob mused with a dark expression.
He could tell this gas wasn't just effective with breathing, but it can also affect someone with skin contact as well. If not for his powerful body, he might've already been laying somewhere on that smoke screen.
"Hehe, it seemed I captured another one." A vague, uncanny voice rang from some distance.
Jacob snapped out of his stupor and moved his body and hide behind a tree while he controlled his jittering breathing.
Thereupon, a 1.2 feet tall cloaked figure walk appeared in his view.
Although he can't see the face, he saw a small cylinder belted around this person's waist and a slender tube attached to it.
'An oxygen mask?' Jacob's expression turned frosty with a tingle of astonishment.
He now knew who the culprit behind that smoke was.
However, he didn't act and observed. He now had a deep understanding of the humane kingdom's strength and what they were capable of.
Although an oxygen cylinder can be bought from the apothecary guild with some connections, but it was as expensive as 50 gold coins!
Furthermore, that guy's equipment was far more refined than Jacob had seen until now. They were almost at Decker's lab level!
That cloaked figure unhurriedly entered the smoke screen like he was strolling in his backyard.
Jacob suddenly took out a bottle filled with dark liquid. It was the last bottle he had from the dark liquid tank in Decker's lab.
His recovery was extremely slow, and now this stranger appeared he needed to recover faster. So, he quickly took a mouthful and a cold sensation spread all over his body.
He started to recover at a visible rate.
'It was worth saving it.' Jacob was glad and stored the bottle away quickly.
He never thought he would be forced to use it in the uncommon region of all the places.
Now, he was even more curious yet vengeful toward the person who set up that trap.
"Damn it, how could a snake waste a precious the Gas-Trap?!" a confused yet angry cussing sounded at this moment and the cloaked figure appeared again.
"Now I have to go back empty-handed and even have to replace the trap. Damn that worm." He wasn't happy about what he found inside the smokescreen.
Jacob had a stiff expression when he heard this, 'What a loose mouth. It seemed he wasn't afraid someone would hear him. Well, he made it easier for me now. But there should be more of such traps. I have to be careful. If I could just make x-ray glasses!'
He felt like cussing right now.
Nevertheless, soon, an icy smirk emerged on his face, before he started to follow the cloaked figure every step without missing any. He wasn't sure if there were more of those bomb traps or not, but he was sure that loose mouth won't trigger one himself.
It was already getting dark.
After following that cloaked figure for two hours, they reached a water source, and just as Jacob was wondering where the hideout was.
That cloaked figure suddenly put his hand on a tree trunk and his icy voice rang, "Now, are you going to come out or I'll make you?!"