I Received System to Become Dragonborn-Chapter 995: Stiffened

The assassin was still cloaked in shadow. He exhaled slowly and muttered a another spell under his breath.

Threads of Magic energy curled around his body, weaving tighter than before.

Normally, his concealment Magic was more than enough. He had infiltrated castles, guild halls, and even temples without ever being detected.

But this time was different. He had seen what the girl was capable of, and her presence gnawed at him. He feels like a predator lurking too close to his prey and then would lose everything when he were found out.

He pressed more of his own Magic into the spell and layering it carefully, each thread meticulously controlled.

His pace slowed as he balanced focus and movement. "If she senses me... it won’t matter how fast I run. I’d be gone before I could draw my dagger or send another spell."

He gritted his teeth. Recklessness was death. He had survived this long by avoiding it. And so, for once in his long career, he felt the sting of unease.

Meanwhile, Jan’s party pressed forward through the forest, every step heavy with caution. The air was tense and their ears tuned to every rustle. Their eyes sweeping the forest.

Wyverns had no business here. Their lairs were deep within volcanic ridges or jagged fogged valleys, far from the fertile lands near Qomore.

For one of them to appear here, meant some disturbance was happening. This was an anomaly. A threat that could ripple far wider than a single beast.

As adventurers tied to this land, that duty weighed heavily on them.

"You think something dangerous is happening again, deeper in the forest?" Esther finally asked, her voice hushed, brows furrowed in concern.

Her mind flicked back to that day when just the mere shadow of an ancient god had nearly swallowed them. She had seen the unnatural shadow and had felt her soul tremble.

That trauma still lingered, carved deep into her memory. The thought that something of that magnitude could return made her stomach twist.

Jan didn’t answer immediately. He kept walking, his bow in hand, eyes scanning the treeline. After a long silence, he said, "I hope not."

But the weight of his tone said otherwise. He hadn’t denied it. Because he couldn’t.

The others heard it clearly. Annette’s lips pressed thin, Hund’s grip on his sword hilt tightened, and Esther’s shoulders stiffened even more.

Arty, walking just a step behind them, stayed silent. Her heart was still fluttering with excitement from the wyvern fight but even she could read the tension coming out from her companions.

Their experience told them what her instincts whispered. Something wasn’t right.

She chewed her lip. She too had felt that there was something wrong around them.

When she unleashed her Magic, when the wyvern had been consumed by her fire tornado, she felt something else. Like a presence, or a gaze that followed them. It was faint and fleeting, though.

At first, she thought to keep it to herself. Maybe she had been imagining things. Maybe saying it aloud would just sour the mood further.

But the thought of staying silent while they walked into the forest making her worse than the tension itself.

So, after a moment’s hesitation, she stepped closer to Jan.

"Jan," she whispered, tugging at his shoulder.

He turned to her, eyebrows lifting in quiet question. "What’s wrong?"

Arty leaned in, her voice was low when was talking.

"When we fought the wyvern... I felt someone following and watching us. But now I don’t sense it anymore. I’m not sure if it was real."

Jan’s expression hardened instantly. His jaw tightened and his eyes sharpened.

He turned his head just slightly, just enough for the others to catch the signal.

Hund, Esther, Annette, all three of them stiffened after they saw his eyes. Their steps slowed almost imperceptibly, weapons shifting into subtle readiness.

The forest was silent, too silent.

And somewhere behind them, the assassin felt a cold prickle race down his spine.

---

"Damn it. Did they see me? Why are they stopping suddenly?" The assassin’s thoughts tumbled in panic, though his body showed nothing.

His muscles stiffened then locked into stillness as he forced himself into the kind of discipline honed only through years of survival.

He slowed his breath until it barely stirred the air, widened his eyes to catch every subtle shift, and poured the whole of his concentration into smothering his presence.

One twitch, one uneven pulse of Magic, and they’d find him.

Jan’s gaze swept the treeline. His eyes narrowed as if to pierce through the veil of leaves and shadows.

He stretched his senses outward waiting for the faintest ripple of disturbance. But he felt nothing. The forest was no different than it had been before.

But Arty’s words lingered. Her Magic was definitely sensitive, and he couldn’t ignore the earnestness in her voice.

"Let’s keep moving," Jan said finally, a faint smile breaking across his lips as if to ease the tension. "Maybe there’s nothing out there. The wyvern must’ve just made you nervous. Heh."

His tone was casual but his eyes shifted to Hund, Annette, and Esther and carried far deeper meaning than his words.

The three of them only gave the slightest nod and their stance had shifted into an alert as well.

Arty caught all of it. A lump formed in her throat, but she forced a laugh, matching Jan’s tone and decided to play along.

"Ah, you’re right. Maybe I am just nervous."

Jan’s nod was small but approving, and with that the party pushed forward once more.

The trees grew thicker, branches tangled overhead, and shadows deepened as they ventured further into the forest’s heart.

The assassin dared not move. He let them pass ahead, their figures sliding between tree trunks.

Sweat trickled down his temple, itching maddeningly, but he didn’t raise a hand to wipe it. His heart beat was slow as he buried every trace of his existence deeper into the shroud of his Magic.

Only when their footsteps faded further into the distance did he allow himself the barest breath of relief.

They hadn’t found him. But it must be the girl’s instincts that had brushed against him. One more slip and the entire hunt could fallen into mess.

"This mission is tiring."

Then he moved.

---