Since the bandits were taking the villagers, their movement speed wasn’t that high. Still, they had a day of advantage ahead of Zenis, so he couldn’t relax. To make things as efficient as possible, Zenis planned regular rest periods during the journey to allow the horse to recuperate. Horses needed breaks to rest, stretch their legs, and recover from exertion. He aimed for breaks of at least 15-30 minutes every few hours and longer breaks for meals and overnight rest.

  Zenis also avoided pushing the horse to its limits by maintaining a steady and moderate pace. Overexertion can lead to fatigue, injury, or other health issues, after all. He ended up monitoring the horse’s breathing, heart rate, and overall condition throughout the journey, making adjustments when it was necessary.

  After riding for a couple of hours, Zenis noticed that he was approaching a massive group of mountains that extended in all directions from the southern side of the area. It seemed like the perfect place to create a border between nations…

  “They are being transported to another nation… I should have known.” Zenis furrowed his eyebrows. “In areas like this, monsters and wildlife should be pretty predominant… do they have the skills and strength to survive that while guarding the prisoners?”

  The mountains, cloaked in a tapestry of rich grounds, were a blend of deep greens, rugged browns, and shades of gray. Each peak displayed a unique silhouette. The distance between Zenis and the mountains only served to enhance their allure. The mountains seemed to emerge from the horizon like giants awakening from a deep slumber. Their sheer size and immensity would fill most people with a sense of awe and insignificance in the face of such natural grandeur. Instead of letting the visage impress him, Zenis still was focused on the game.

  Crossing the mountain might take a while and the terrain will be too rough for horses to climb in that fast. Zenis could use that in his favor as well. While he approached the place, Zenis imagined all kinds of scenarios where he would have the upperhand. First of all, an attack at night will be the best option, but the bandits will probably be on guard against beasts and other treats.

  “Relying on monsters by luring them toward the bandits is too risky. They are a factor that is impossible to calculate thoroughly. I might make myself a target for them, or the prisoners,” Zenis rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “Still, attacking them while they are busy with the monsters would be good… I would have to wait for that from a distance, though.”

  Risk wasting time… in two or three days they will definitely cross the mountains, and beyond it, Zenis didn’t know what to expect. He might find more bandits or other kinds of allies waiting for them.

  When the sun was setting, Zenis reached the base of the mountain. Although it was a bit rough, there was a clear path ahead between them. He found it easily because of the footprints of the horses that the bandits used… they were relatively fresh, just as he had expected. The prisoners were slowing them down since some could be wounded.

  “I am half a day behind them, I guess… I should keep going until I close the distance,” Zenis said and then looked at the horse. “Sorry, friend. Things might get messy, but I hope that you do understand that I will need your help. If something happens to you, I will revive you in my realm, or do you prefer to be reborn as a great and ancient war horse that will serve as a stead for a great hero? Your choice.”

  The horse might have to wait a while. Still, Zenis could go back in time as Aien and make sure that the animal was soon reborn in his galaxy. Regardless, Zenis could think about that later. While walking and pulling the horse, Zenis began to climb the mountain. He was planning to save the strength of the animal for a while, but soon he confirmed that he was the one who would have to be mindful of his strength… The path was clean, but a bit intense, going upward.

  “Keep going, train your body like this, discipline it. It is the only way to make it stronger and more reliable,” Zenis muttered to himself. “The prisoners probably were in a worse state, so I can catch them tonight.”

  An attack one hour or two before sunrise would be the best option… the lookouts will be tired, after all. Still, if the beasts of the mountains were to attack them, they would do so around midnight. So, Zenis had to pick the pace.

  As they climbed higher, the air grew crisp and thin, carrying a hint of pine and earth. Each step required careful consideration. The road was treacherous and unforgiving after all. Zenis and the horse navigated the narrow trail, side by side, in the synchrony of their movements.

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  The sound of their footsteps was accompanied by the occasional rustle of leaves and the distant hoot of an owl, adding a mystic soundtrack to their journey.

  Moonlight cast elongated shadows upon the rugged terrain, amplifying the challenges that were ahead. Zenis’ muscles strained as he tugged on the reins, guiding the horse along the winding path. Still, eventually, his hard work paid off… They found the light of a campfire ahead.

  Zenis looked around and eventually found a rock on the side of the path. and he tied the horse to it before he slowly moved toward the other side of the first summit. The horse wasn’t exactly good at being stealthy, so he wondered how they weren’t discovered.

  While crawling, Zenis reached the first summit of the road and then found a large trail where the bandits and the prisoners were camping. He found them sooner than he had expected… he thought that they would be far ahead. At the same time, there were no bandits too far off the camp to watch out for pursuers.

  “They killed everyone, so it makes sense, even if someone headed to that village and discovered what had happened, it would take days for that person to organize a force to hunt the bandits and no one in the area was interested in doing that,” Zenis thought while he was watching the bandits eating and drinking while the prisoners were tied up with ropes. “There are some able-bodied women there, but they probably don’t have the strength or the experience to overwhelm the bandits. A bunch of them will need to get weapons to make any real difference.”

  After studying the camp around, Zenis’ heart began to beat faster when he saw a woman and a little girl younger than him.

  ‘I know, I know… calm down already, these memories are too troublesome,’ Zenis thought and then sighed. ‘We didn’t predict that we would feel these kinds of things, but I guess it makes it more interesting.’

  Zenis mother bore marks of distress and exhaustion on her face. Her complexion appeared pale and drawn, accentuating the shadows beneath her eyes that spoke of sleepless nights and constant worry. The lines etched upon her forehead and around her mouth told a story of hardship and resilience, evidence of the weight she had carried on her shoulders.

  Her disheveled hair, now hung in unkempt strands, a reflection of the chaos and turmoil that had disrupted their lives. Dust and dirt clung to her clothing, evidence of the harsh conditions they had endured during their captivity.

  Beside her, the little sister appeared fragile and frightened. Her youthful innocence had been marred by the traumatic events they had endured, leaving her eyes wide with fear and vulnerability. Her cheeks, once rosy with vitality, now held a pallor that spoke of exhaustion and fear.

  The little sister’s clothes, too large for her petite frame, hung loosely, evidence of the bandits’ disregard for her well-being. Her hair, usually neatly combed, was tangled and matted, further accentuating her disheveled appearance. The remnants of tears glistened on her cheeks, a testament to the emotional turmoil she had endured.

  “Man, you sure are noisy…” Zenis muttered while his heart was beating faster and his body was getting hotter thanks to the anger. “I guess this is the downside of transmigration. In that sense, reincarnation is better. Nothing is perfect, I guess.”

  Some of the bandits were sleeping while others were keeping themselves awake by eating, drinking, and talking. Some of them were drunk, so they weren’t in good conditions to fight. Zenis could take those guys down later… The skinny ones that seemed young could also be left alone for a short while. The real problem was the big ones that were sleeping. They had the strength and the experience to be a nuisance for the current Zenis.

  “If I had enough time, some smoke bombs would come in handy as well… the wind isn’t blowing there thanks to the terrain… the smoke would take a while to dissipate,” Zenis muttered. “Regardless, I will have to make it do with what I have here.”

  Zenis studied the enemies for a while and watched them eating and drinking. It didn’t take long for some of them to move around to take a dump or a piss on the area. Eventually, one that was pretty shy decided to approach the summit of the path to take a piss, and he was moving toward Zenis.

  “That is what you get from drinking too much,” Zenis smirked and then rolled to the side with a spear in hand.

  Zenis stopped even his breathing to catch the enemy by surprise. In the darkness of the night, he looked like a weird rock on the ground. Thanks to that, the bandit didn’t react to him at all and just pulled out his pants and began to piss. Zenis waited for a while until the enemy finished his business and felt the most relaxed, to the point that he closed his eyes and sighed in relief. When that happened, Zenis suddenly got up and then pierced the enemy’s throat with his spear.

  (You obtained 200 experience points.)

  (Level Up! You obtained five status points.)

  (You unsealed the skill Spear Mastery.)

  (You unsealed the skill Silent Strike.)

  Spear Mastery: elevates your proficiency in wielding a spear or similar polearm weapon. It increases your damage when using spears and similar weapons by one point per level.

  Silent Strike: empowers your stealth-oriented abilities, enabling you to eliminate enemies quietly and swiftly. Increases the power of your silent attacks by three points per level when attacking enemies by surprise.