Kael stepped out of the cave, his movements fluid as he made his way through the dense forest. He needed food, but more than that, he needed to keep up the pressure on the Gloomkins. His last raid on their village had sent them into a frenzy. They had scrambled to search for him, sending groups out and around the area. But had they given up? Or were they still looking? Kael planned to find out.

He moved southward through the forest, the familiar terrain shifting subtly as he put distance between himself and his cave. The towering trees near his home were thick with sprawling roots, their branches forming a nearly unbroken canopy overhead. But as he continued toward the direction the clearing and his old shelter were, the forest began to thin just slightly. There was still plenty of cover, but the trees were spaced further apart, the ground less tangled with roots.

Even before reaching the river clearing, Kael heard something. He slowed his steps, his attention snapping to the sound ahead. He adjusted his position, making his way toward the noise carefully. That's when something caught him off guard. His foot suddenly dipped—

Kael stumbled forward, his body reacting instantly to dampen the fall, then twisting just in time to avoid what was in front of him.

A row of sharpened wooden spears jutted out from the ground, hidden by the shrubbery.

He came to a stop just inches from impaling himself. His eyes swept the area, taking in the crude but effective trap. The hole he had tripped on was deliberately placed—it was meant to force anyone stepping into it to lose their balance and fall straight onto the stakes. It had also been covered with undergrowth, masking it but not holding up to a second glance. Kael let out a slow breath, standing up and taking a step back. His heart hadn’t even had time to race, but he felt the weight of how close he had been.

So, they had set up more traps, these new ones placed further from their village.

He knelt down, examining the surrounding area. The hole wasn’t alone. Looking closer he could see several others scattered around, positioned in such a way that no matter which angle someone approached from, they would be forced to step into one if they weren't careful. The spears were crude, but the placement was clever. Kael scoffed under his breath while shaking his head.

“Guess they got frustrated not finding me.”

The Gloomkins must have spent the last day searching for him in vain, not being able to track him down had clearly led them to set up traps in the hopes that he would eventually walk into one.

It had almost worked, too.

Kael stepped carefully around the traps and continued toward the source of the earlier sound. This time, he paid even closer attention to his surroundings, checking every step for more hidden pitfalls. Minutes later, he reached the edge of a small clearing and crouched low behind a thick tree trunk.

Seven Gloomkin stood among the trees, gathered loosely in a scattered group. Two of them were making guttural sounds at each other, seemingly engaged in some form of aggressive communication. The rest stood idly, waiting. Kael observed them for a moment, his eyes narrowing. They weren’t patrolling, nor did they appear to be setting up more traps. What were they doing?

Just to be sure, and to not fall for another trap, Kael moved around the perimeter, checking if more Gloomkin were hiding nearby. He ended up finding nothing and coming to the conclusion they were alone. He then returned to his original position, finding them still standing there. His lips curled into a grin.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

This could mean an opportunity. Kael was also confident in his chances, he had grown stronger with each level and the average Gloomkin was not a threat to him anymore. That was if he was careful and didn't play around.

Kael enhanced his limbs while making sure his skin wasn't included. He glanced at his arms, checking for any excessive visible glow. Seeing the faint veins of Essence beneath his skin remained barely noticeable. Perfect.

Then without hesitation, he attacked.

Kael burst forward in a blur, closing the distance between him and the closest Gloomkin before they even had a chance to react. His first strike was clean—a blade-hand strike straight to the throat, crushing its windpipe instantly. The second Gloomkin barely had time to turn its head before Kael’s reinforced fist slammed into its skull, sending it crumpling to the ground.

Panic spread through the group.

Kael didn’t stop. He lunged toward the next, catching it by the arm and twisting violently before driving his knee into its chest. A wet crack sounded as ribs broke, and the creature crumpled, wheezing its last breath. The remaining Gloomkin finally reacted. Their cries of alarm turned to guttural snarls, and weapons were raised. Kael was already moving in their direction.

One swung a crude club at his head. He ducked under it, his foot snapping out to kick its knee inward. As it staggered, he delivered a brutal strike to its chin, the impact breaking and snapping its head back at an unnatural angle.

The others attacked together, forcing Kael to weave between their strikes. He moved efficiently, dodging a spear thrust, parrying another’s stone blade with his forearm, having placed loose sticks between the cloth strips on his way from the cave, before grabbing its wrist and yanking it forward—right into his waiting elbow. A spray of black blood marked the air. The two last Gloomkin hesitated. Then, without warning, they turned and ran.

Kael narrowed his eyes. Then he bolted after them.

The first didn’t make it far. Kael closed the distance in seconds, grabbing it by the shoulder and yanking it back before driving his fist straight into its chest, he could almost feel something beating close to his fist.

[ Experience Gained: +18 EXP x 4]

[ Experience Gained: +23 EXP x 2]

The second, however, had gotten ahead. It sprinted wildly through the trees, fumbling around. Kael pursued, his feet pounding against the earth. Then, suddenly, the Gloomkin tripped—

Impaling itself on the very trap its kind had set. Kael came to a stop, blinking in disbelief.

The creature writhed in pain, struggling against the wooden spears lodged deep into its body. It let out a series of pained, gurgling cries.

Kael stared for a moment before letting out a short, dry laugh.

“They really are something.”

He didn’t waste time. With a quick step forward, he grabbed the struggling creature’s head and twisted. The cries stopped instantly.

[ Experience Gained: +23 EXP]

Shaking his head, he wiped his hands clean on a nearby leaf, picked up the spear it dropped, and turned away. The fight had gone well, and now, he needed to move before more of them arrived.

Minutes later, as he walked further southwest, he heard it—the distant rush of flowing water.

Kael slowed his pace, keeping his steps quiet as he maneuvered through the trees. He knew this area well, so he took a detour, circling the clearing’s edge without getting too close.

Then he found another group of Gloomkin same as last time, seven of them. Kael crouched low, eyes scanning the area. He searched for more, not wanting to make the mistake of charging in without knowing the full picture.

A moment later, he spotted five more, not too far away.

Twelve total.

He exhaled through his nose, centering himself. He could take the seven before the others joined. Then, he’d deal with the remaining five when they came to investigate. His eyes flicked to the crude spear in his hand.

He then smiled and started letting Essence flow out and be absorbed into the weapon. He waited until it absorbed enough energy to make it unstable and the fractures wider. Then, with a sharp inhale, he pulled back, just as the weapon was reaching its limit and let it eat the distance.

The spear sliced through the air and struck a Gloomkin square in the upper back, piercing through it. Then It exploded.