Death to Power
Copyright© 2025 by TheSmartOne
Chapter 37: Eyes Wide Open
With the ring suppressing his presence and his perception stretched as far as it could go, Kaden was as close to invisible as an Awakened could get.
But close wasn’t enough.
He needed more. So much more.
That’s why if he could sharpen that edge even further—he would.
And he will.
‘What’s my perception stat, Death?’ he asked silently.
[150.]
‘How many stat points do I have left?’
[15.]
Kaden didn’t hesitate. ‘Put all of it into perception. Do it.’
[DING! Confirmed.]
And then—he felt it.
The moment the points were allocated, his world shifted.
His awareness cracked open wider than before, sharper than ever. He could feel the rustling wind brushing against his skin and it was distinctly different from how it rustled against his clothes. Two completely different textures. Two different sounds.
Something in normal situation, he wouldn’t even notice.
And this improvement changed everything.
Long-range detection was still blurry, subtle movement at a distance was hard to detect easily but it was a start. A foundation. And it wouldn’t be long until he could read every flicker of air across miles.
He smiled faintly, the gathered himself.
It was time to act.
The plan was basic.
Find a lone guard. Kidnap him. Get answers—specifically, how to get the hell out of this forest before someone strong enough to make a mountain kneel decided to show up.
The plan had some loopholes. Big ones at that.
He didn’t know the guard’s patrol timing. He didn’t know if they had ways to communicate with each other. Didn’t know if they had instant-alert systems. Didn’t know if hurting one would alert the whole fucking Celestial Empire.
A dozen unknowns. And so a dozen chances to screw everything up.
And that means his death ... literally.
Which is why Kaden made one thing clear to himself first:
“I need information.”
You don’t run blind when death’s on the line.
You learn the terrain.
So he started watching.
Using his Slothful Steps technique, he became elusive, slipperier than a shadow on mist, blending through thick flora and fading under the shade of golden-hued trees. His presence was a whisper beneath the breeze. His perception scanned for movement with pinpoint focus.
The process was brutal. He had to keep every muscle relaxed and lazy as ever, every breath quiet, every sense wide open.
Hours passed.
Then more.
Nearly a day later—Kaden finally found someone.
A single guard, patrolling the edge of a deeper section of the forest. He was fully armored in gold and white but more importantly ... he was alone.
And that’s when a thought struck Kaden...
‘Why the hell are they even patrolling a forest?’
It didn’t make sense.
Patrolling meant guarding. Patrolling meant there is threat to guard off. Which meant something in this forest mattered.
And if something that mattered to the Celestial Empire was here, that was a very bad sign.
But Kaden put the thought aside. One thing at a time.
Focus.
He tailed the guard carefully, never getting too close, always double-checking if anyone else was nearby.
It was exhausting.