At the first light of dawn, a figure darted through the dense forest. This truly was a primeval forest, with no trace of paths anywhere. If Soren's clothes had not been sturdy enough, they would have been torn open in several places after only a short walk. All sorts of small animals could be seen throughout the woods, with squirrels and rabbits being the most numerous, followed by all kinds of birds. It had to be said that places untouched by human activity were indeed brimming with life. No wonder druids so fiercely opposed excessive destruction of forests by others.
They had even gone to war over it several times and killed quite a few people.
Following the direction indicated by the militia captain, Soren soon arrived at the edge of the woods.
It was around noon.
There were obvious signs of logging nearby. Intelligent creatures in the wilderness also established settlements, and some larger Gnoll groups even built camps of their own. Soren did not dare get too close, because his Stealth was not yet capable of producing an Invisibility-like effect. It merely made him blurry beneath shadows, impossible to notice without close scrutiny. Sneaking silently behind an enemy required both skill and the right environment, especially when dealing with hostile creatures.
Invisibility was not true disappearance either. Enemies with keen senses could still tell that someone was approaching. Stealth's greatest advantage was that one could slip into the shadows at any moment. In many situations, once one left an enemy's sight, it would not be so easy for them to find one again.
Although a Rogue's Backstab was powerful, it required too many conditions to activate.
Soren circled through the nearby shadows and discovered three Gnoll guards. Large Gnoll groups also had the old, weak, women, and children