Chapter 4 | Forest Phantom
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"Gah, what the hell was that?" I spat, dropping the burnt meat onto the ground. "How is this hard? Even dragons can roast meat without burning it to a crisp."
After several failed attempts, I decided to let the fire die out, which only led to me getting hungry again.
"Damn it all. Let's try it again."
I gathered a fresh pile of twigs and sticks, piled them atop each other, and let them by scratching a chunk of wood on another. After a while, a small flame started burning.
"Perfect!"
I took a stick and stabbed the meat. Then, I held the rod over the open fire, cooking the meat slowly. When the juices dripped into the flames, the smell wafted through the air.
"This should work. Probably."
I settled in, patiently observing as the savory juices oozed from the meat. They dripped into the fire, creating a hissing noise as the aroma intensified, filling the forest.
"Finally."
I removed the stick and chomped directly on the roasted bear. The outer layer had a slight char, but its flesh was tender, at least against my jaw. Its flavor profile was rich, and a faint taste of smoke lingered on my tongue, and the warmth spread through my body.
I took another bite.
And another.
Soon, the entire carcass disappeared into my belly.
"Human bodies fill up so easily."
I wiped the grease from my mouth and stood. The sun had long since set, and darkness fell over the forest. Now, then, what should I do next? If I considered tracking the path Nyla had taken. A city awaited in that direction. It was probably a more efficient pursuit than stumbling blindly through the night. And so I followed. And as I wandered deeper into the nocturnal heart of the woods, a feeling began to gnaw at me. My skin prickled, and my pulse quickened. I was being watched.
I spun around. Nothing.
I scanned the area. Nothing.
"Show yourself," I demanded, balling my hands into fists.
Nothing responded.
Then, I heard it. Footsteps. I whirled again, expecting an ambush, but there was nothing. Still, the footsteps were getting closer. Closer. And closer.
"Who's there?!"
Silence.
I waited, tensing, ready for anything. Something moved.
I saw a blur. A shadow that darted between the trees. With it came faint flashes in the moonlight, accompanied by the sound of leaves rustling. Whatever it was, it was fast. Really fast.
I tried tracking its movement, but it vanished in the blink of an eye.
"What the hell was that?"
I kept scanning, looking everywhere, searching for any signs of danger. Nothing came into sight, though, and after a while, my pulse slowed. Maybe it was just my imagination? No. There was something out there.
The air changed. A presence manifested. Powerful. Menacing. Unseen.
I whipped around, trying to spot the source. But once again, I saw nothing. Just trees and grass and the delicate moonlight.
- [ Notice ] -
A new quest has been generated!
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- [ Notice ] -
Quest Details
[https://i.imgur.com/swDsHTA.png]
Quests Progress Rewards You've entered the territory of a Forest Phantom. Defeat the Forest Phantom to complete the quest. 0/1
800 experience.
1 skill point.
1 skill orb.
"Huh, a Forest Phantom. Those aren't easy prey."
But the rewards were certainly worth it. 800 experience would mean another level up, and a skill orb sure sounded promising. I'd need to think of a strategy. Beating a forest phantom with raw strength for now is rather difficult, as they often had tricky skills up their sleeves.
I looked around, trying to spot any hint of movement, but nothing showed itself. I couldn't sense anything, either. Was it invisible? Or just too fast for my eyes to follow? Either way, I couldn't do anything yet. Not until the phantom attacked first. My gaze darted across the darkness. A moment later, something struck. It came at me like a blur, striking from above. I reacted instantly, throwing myself sideways and rolling. The blow hit the ground instead, leaving a gaping hole where my head had been.
I jumped to my feet, ready to fight back, but the forest phantom vanished again.
"Where are you?!"
A second strike came. This time, it was aimed at my legs. I sidestepped, barely avoiding the attack, and counterattacked with a roundhouse kick. A rush of air accompanied my kick, sweeping aside the surrounding foliage in its wake. The wind seemed to disrupt its path, revealing a dark silhouette almost as tall as me.
It was humanoid in shape, and its limbs were long and thin, with a narrow waist and broad shoulders. Its head resembled a mask. No eyes or ears or mouth, just a smooth, flat surface. Its arms were abnormally long and ended in razor-sharp claws.
I grinned, recognizing the familiar traits of the forest phantoms. "Ugh, you're nasty."
It lunged forward, swiping its claws. I jumped back, dodging the blow, and counterattacked with a series of rapid strikes. My fists flew in a flurry of punches, and my legs kicked at a frenzied pace, each impact echoing throughout the forest.
"Come on! Is that all you got?!"
The forest phantom retaliated with an overhead swing. I ducked and countered with an uppercut, launching it high into the air. As soon as its feet left the ground, I unleashed my Astral Claw, aiming for its torso. The attack connected, but instead of cutting through flesh, it passed through empty space.
"An afterimage? No, is it an ability?"
It landed, and the forest phantom lunged, disappearing again.
"Shit!"
I threw myself into a roll, narrowly dodging another strike. I rose, spinning and kicking, connecting with its shoulder. A shockwave followed the impact, sending the forest phantom staggering back.
"Got you!"
I lunged, aiming another punch. The forest phantom disappeared again, and my fist struck empty air.
"It's... unbelievably fast? No, it's most likely a unique skill."
The forest seemed to come alive with the phantom's elusive movements. I focused, trying to anticipate its next strike, but it reappeared in a flash behind me. Claws slashed, and I barely managed to twist away, feeling the wind of the passing attack.
"Persistent, aren't you?" I muttered, keeping my senses on high alert.
A blur came at me, and I leaped. A gust of wind rushed past me as the forest phantom's claws missed. I landed, pivoted, and thrust my leg, connecting with its chest. It staggered back, but the hit didn't do much damage.
"Tough bastard."
Another blow came, and I rolled away. The ground split apart under the force of its strike, leaving deep gouges in the soil. I jumped to my feet, preparing to launch another assault. But before I could act, the forest phantom charged, closing the distance in an instant.
Claws flashed. I threw myself to the side, but not fast enough. They graced my arm, drawing blood, and I retaliated with a strike of Astral Claw, cutting through empty space. It vanished again, reappearing several meters away before lunging. This time, I held my stance, preparing to take a hit head-on.
As expected, it emerged directly in front of me with its claws aimed at my chest. I caught its wrist and twisted, locking its arm. The phantom struggled, but I held firm and with a sudden burst of strength, I slammed my free hand into its stomach. A blast of air exploded, and the forest phantom was launched away, crashing into a tree. And without hesitation, I dashed in, following up with an Astral Breath with the full force of the skill, crashing directly into its torso.
The phantom didn't even have time to scream as its body burst into a cloud of dust, disintegrating.
"Ugh, that thing was disgusting," I grumbled, wiping sweat off my brow. "At least it gave me a good fight for once. Stand proud."
- [ Notice ] -
Congratulation! You've completed a quest!
Rewards: 800 EXP, 1 Skill Point, 1 Skill Orb.
You've reached level 6!
Experience Points: 260/720
You've gained 110 Stat Points
Additional EXP will be rewarded for slaying a Forest Phantom.
You've gained 1200 EXP.
You've reached level 7!
Experience Points: 740/980
You've gained 70 Stat Points