Drake spent the afternoon after returning to Stonebridge Crossing making final preparations. He restocked basic supplies using the coin from the completed quests, ensuring his waterskin was full and he had enough simple rations.
"Intel suggests sundown is the best time. Shift change for Groknak's crew at the 'back passage', potential carelessness at the main gate according to Marta. The hidden entrance near the collapsed mine at the back of the ravine is the target. Need to find it before full dark hits, then use the twilight for infiltration."
He traveled quickly and cautiously back towards Blackfang Ravine, bypassing Stonebridge Crossing and approaching the ravine from the less-traveled western slope, near the area Farmer Giles had indicated hosted the collapsed mine entrance. The terrain here was rougher, steeper, littered with loose scree and thorny bushes. As the sun dipped towards the horizon, casting long shadows, Drake activated [Relic Hunter].
He began his meticulous search along the base of the ravine wall, near the overgrown, rubble-filled depression that marked the old mine's collapse. He scanned the cliff face, the ground, the dense thickets, looking for anything out of place. [Relic Hunter] subtly highlighted areas of disturbed earth not matching natural erosion patterns, unusually worn patches on seemingly solid rock faces, and sections of undergrowth that seemed too neatly pushed aside or recently trampled.
He cross-referenced these visual anomalies highlighted by the skill with [Perfect Recall] of the Guard Captain's words: "old smuggler's tunnel near the collapsed mine..." He focused his search in areas combining proximity to the mine collapse with the subtle disturbances revealed by [Relic Hunter].
After nearly thirty minutes of careful searching as twilight deepened, he found it. Tucked behind a thick curtain of thorny vines that seemed deliberately encouraged to grow there, [Relic Hunter] revealed faint tool marks scarring a section of the rock face and a barely perceptible outline of what looked like a low, rough-hewn doorway camouflaged against the stone. Nearby, slightly trampled earth confirmed recent passage.
<< Discovered Hidden Entrance: Smuggler's Tunnel! +200 EXP! >>
"Got it. Looks like the Captain was right. Now, traps..." He activated [Relic Hunter] again, focusing intently on the tunnel entrance itself. The skill highlighted a faint pressure plate mechanism hidden just under the dirt threshold and a thin tripwire connected to some noisy-looking scrap metal further inside. "Simple, but effective against careless entry."
He carefully used his sword's pommel to wedge under the pressure plate, disabling it, then snipped the tripwire with his dagger. Satisfied the immediate entrance was clear, he activated his torch and slipped into the narrow, dark passage.
The air inside was cool, damp, and smelled of earth and stale air. The tunnel was crudely dug, barely high enough to stand upright, clearly not Alvari in origin. It snaked downwards into the earth for perhaps fifty meters before beginning to slope gently upwards again. He moved slowly, listening intently, [Relic Hunter] still active, scanning for any further traps or ambushes. The tunnel seemed clear.
After several minutes, he saw faint light ahead and heard the distant, muffled sounds of the bandit camp – coarse laughter, clanging metal, crackling fires. He doused his torch and crept forward to the tunnel's exit. It emerged low to the ground, concealed behind a large pile of discarded crates and refuse at what appeared to be the very edge of the main camp clearing, near some poorly maintained storage tents.
He peered out cautiously. It was indeed nearing sundown; the sky was awash with orange and purple hues. He could see the main camp activity further across the clearing – bandits gathered around a large central fire, others moving towards the main gate area. He spotted a few rough-looking individuals matching the description of Groknak's crew heading away from a less-used path near his position, presumably ending their shift at the 'back passage'. The main focus of the camp seemed directed towards the center and the front gate. This periphery near the refuse heap was relatively quiet.
"Okay, inside. Perfect timing with the shift change hopefully drawing attention elsewhere. Need to clear this immediate area, secure a foothold before moving deeper. And find that locket for Lyra."
He scanned his immediate surroundings from the cover of the crates. A lone Bandit Sentry (Level 12) stood leaning against a storage tent about twenty yards away, idly kicking at the dirt, clearly bored. Further off, another sentry patrolled a slow loop near the edge of the ravine wall.
Drake waited until the patrolling sentry had moved further away, leaving the leaning bandit completely isolated. Taking a deep breath, Drake burst from cover, closing the distance in seconds. The sentry looked up, startled, fumbling for the crude axe at his belt. Too late.
Drake didn't bother with defense. [Basic Slash] (100% SCR). << Perfect Execution! +Flawless Strike! Relentless Assault: +21 Stacks! Damage Dealt: 105! >> The bandit gasped, already severely wounded. Drake's follow-up strike was instantaneous. << Perfect Execution! +Flawless Strike! Relentless Assault: +42 Stacks! Damage Dealt: 112! (Critical!) >> The sentry collapsed after a few more hits. << Target Eliminated! EXP +150 >>
Drake immediately dragged the body behind the storage tent, out of casual line of sight. He quickly looted it – a few copper, nothing else of note. "One down. Keep it quiet."
He melted back into the shadows near the crates, observing the second sentry's patrol path. He noted the timing, the points where the bandit paused or turned. Using [Perfect Recall], he calculated the optimal moment to intercept him near the ravine edge, furthest from the main camp's sightlines.
He waited. The sentry completed his loop, turned back... Drake moved. Fast, silent steps across the packed earth. He emerged from the shadows just as the sentry passed a blind spot created by a large boulder. Same sequence: Perfect [Basic Slash] opener, ignore the fumbling counter-attack attempt, follow up with relentless perfect strikes fueled by rapidly climbing [Relentless Assault] stacks. The second sentry fell just as quickly and quietly as the first.
<< Target Eliminated! EXP +150 >>
Drake looted him (more copper, a half-eaten piece of jerky) and quickly scanned the area. Two immediate threats neutralized without raising an alarm. He had secured the tunnel exit area. He could hear the sounds from the main camp more clearly now – drunken shouts, arguments, the clang of the smithy likely working on stolen goods.
"Okay, periphery clear for now. Need to move deeper. Locket is probably with the Chief, likely near the center or in a main tent/cave structure. Need to proceed tent by tent, clearing silently if possible."
He took another look around the less-guarded periphery he currently occupied. A few more storage tents, perhaps an animal pen with stolen livestock (Farmer Giles's sheep). He decided to clear this immediate section methodically before attempting to penetrate towards the camp's center. The infiltration had begun successfully, but the real danger lay ahead.