Chapter 4

The clearing where the pillar had once stood was now nothing more than a patch of disturbed earth and silence. Without a word, the group turned toward the line of trees, moving away from the site of their arrival. The forest was dense, the canopy overhead weaving together so tightly that the sunlight only reached the mossy floor in jagged, dusty beams. Every step through the undergrowth felt heavy, the air thick with the scent of pine and damp earth. They needed water and a place to ground themselves before the light failed. Arthur led the way, his massive frame pushing through the brush with surprising quietness. He came to a sharp halt, raising a hand. Behind him, the rest of the group froze. Thirty yards ahead, the trees broke into a small, sun-drenched opening. Four creatures, looking like oversized, muscular badgers with coarse grey fur and wicked claws, were huddled over the carcass of a deer-like animal. The sound of tearing flesh and low, guttural growls drifted toward them. Arthur leaned back, glancing at Noah. "See those things? What do you make of them?" Noah peered through the foliage, his expression calm and analytical. He adjusted his grip on his weapon, his eyes tracking the way the creatures moved. "They look like large badgers," Noah said, his voice a low, decisive murmur. "They're preoccupied with that kill. If we're going to survive out here, we need food and we need to know what we're up against. These don't look particularly dangerous if we keep our heads." Kyle watched the beasts. He didn't feel the surge of panic he had expected. Instead, a strange, cool detachment settled over him. Looking at the way they hunched over their meal, he didn't see monsters; he saw targets. They looked manageable—easy, even. "They're just low-level beasts," James whispered, shifting his bow. The R&D tech looked nervous but determined. "We need the meat, and we need the experience. I say we take them." Kyle focused his gaze on the largest of the group. He felt a tug at the edge of his consciousness, a prompt from the system waiting for his command. He silently activated [Appraise]. Floating translucent panels appeared above the creatures' heads, visible only to him. [??? - lvl 3] [??? - lvl 4] [??? - lvl 3] [??? - lvl 3] Adrian Reyes, crouched near a thick oak, whispered to the group. "I managed to ID one. It's level 3." Noah turned his head toward Kyle, his eyebrows raised in a silent inquiry. "Adrian's right," Kyle said softly, his voice steady. "Three of them are level 3. The one in the center, the biggest one, is level 4." Noah nodded, taking in the information without hesitation. He signaled for the group to pull back. They retreated twenty yards behind a small rise, shielding their movements from the clearing. "Okay," Noah said, crouching in the dirt. "Strategy is simple. We lead with a ranged volley to thin them out or wound them. Once they charge—and they will charge—the melee fighters step up. Arthur, Adrian, and I will take the front. Sophia, stay back and keep an eye on us. Kyle, James, you're our primary damage until they close the gap." Kyle listened to the back-and-forth, the tactical debate about positioning and angles, and felt a flare of irritation. The badgers were sitting ducks. All this talk for four oversized rodents felt like a waste of time. He wanted to stop talking and start doing. The silence of the forest was beginning to grate on him; he wanted to hear the snap of a bowstring. Noah looked at Kyle, noting the way the younger man was already fingering the grip of his wooden bow. "Kyle? You're the best shot we've got. Are you confident you can hit the big one from here?" Kyle met Noah's eyes. "Yes." "Then take the lead," Noah commanded. Kyle moved back to the edge of the rise, kneeling in the soft dirt. He reached into his quiver and pulled out a feathered arrow, nocking it with a fluid motion that felt more like a memory than a new skill. He drew the string back to his ear. [Eagle Eye] activated. The world zoomed in. The swaying grass slowed, the distance seemed to shrink, and the level 4 badger's throat became a massive, stationary target. Kyle exhaled, holding the breath at the bottom of his lungs. He released. The arrow hissed through the air, a blur of cedar and flint. It struck the level 4 badger square in the throat. The creature didn't even scream; it simply collapsed sideways, its legs kicking once before going still. Kyle didn't wait to watch it die. His hand was already in his quiver. He nocked a second arrow, drew, and fired in a single, continuous motion. This shot caught a second badger in the chest as it tried to scramble away from its fallen leader. The beast tumbled backward, letting out a high-pitched shriek. The remaining two badgers didn't flee. They snarled, their eyes locking onto the source of the attack, and charged up the hill with surprising speed. "Now!" Noah shouted. Kyle fired two more arrows in rapid succession. One caught a charging beast in the shoulder, the other grazed a flank, but the momentum of the Forest Kits was too great. They were closing in. Arthur stepped forward, his heavy weapon swinging in a brutal arc. Noah and Adrian flanked him, meeting the beasts head-on. The sound of the clearing was suddenly filled with the clatter of steel and the guttural barks of the kits. Adrian Reyes dodged a snap of jaws, lunging forward to drive his blade into the hind leg of the badger Kyle had already wounded. The creature yelped, its leg buckling. Arthur didn't miss the opening; he brought his weapon down with a sickening crunch, finishing the kit where it lay. The last badger was frantic, snapping at Noah's shins and catching the fabric of his trousers. Kyle tracked the movement from ten feet away. He didn't hesitate. He loosed an arrow that sank deep into the badger's side, slowing it just enough for Noah to step in. Noah's sword flashed in the dim light, a clean strike to the head that ended the struggle instantly. Silence returned to the forest, broken only by the heavy breathing of the survivors. [You have slain [Forest Kit - lvl 4] - Bonus experience earned for killing an enemy above your level. 8 Initiate Points earned] ['DING!' Class: [Marksman] has reached level 1 - Stat points allocated, +1 free point] [You have slain [Forest Kit - lvl 3] - Bonus experience earned for killing an enemy above your level. 4 Initiate Points earned] [You have slain [Forest Kit - lvl 3] - Bonus experience earned for killing an enemy above your level. 2 Initiate Points earned] ['DING!' Class: [Marksman] has reached level 2 - Stat points allocated, +1 free point] ['DING!' Race: [Mercer Group] has reached level 1 - Stat points allocated, +1 free point] [You have slain [Forest Kit - lvl 3] - Bonus experience earned killing an enemy above your level. 2 Initiate Points earned] Kyle stared at the notifications, the golden text shimmering in his vision. He felt a rush of heat through his veins, a physical sensation of growth that made his skin tingle. Noah was looking down at his leg, where a few shallow red marks showed through his torn pants. Sophia stepped forward, her hands glowing with a soft, pale light. She placed them near the scratches, and Kyle watched as the skin knit back together in seconds, leaving nothing but clean flesh. Noah stood up, stretching his leg. "Good work, everyone. Clean kill." Kyle barely heard him. He was looking at his bow, then back at the corpses of the Forest Kits. The satisfaction was unlike anything he'd felt in the corporate office. The boredom was gone, replaced by a sharp, predatory hunger. He didn't want to find water anymore. He didn't want to build a camp. He wanted to find something else to aim at. ════════════════════════════════════════