Kael moved through the forest with silent, measured steps, his breathing steady despite the long track from his cave. The sky overhead had darkened significantly, dusk bleeding into night, and the massive trees around him cast long, stretching shadows across the uneven ground. He was heading east from where his treehouse used to be, toward the Gloomkin village, weaving through the dense undergrowth as he kept his senses sharp.
The day had been slower than he had hoped. Unlike yesterday, when he had managed to slaughter multiple groups of Gloomkin with little resistance, today had been different. The creatures had adapted. They were cautious now, the groups sticking closer together, rarely wandering far from their village. Kael had been forced to wait for mistakes—groups that wandered too far or stragglers foolish enough to separate from the rest.
He had only been able to kill two proper groups not including the lone wonderers, one of six and another of eleven both of which had strayed too far from their kin. A far cry from the chaos of yesterday’s hunt. It was disappointing, but not unexpected. Yesterday's attacks had clearly forced them to be more defensive.
But Kael wasn’t discouraged. If anything, their caution only confirmed that his attacks were working. And that now they feared him more. Still, it had left him with fewer opportunities, but he wasn’t done. Tonight, he planned to make up for the lack of progress.
Kael's sandal boots barely made a sound as he moved between the roots of the towering trees, carefully observing his surroundings for any threats. So far, there were none. The creatures of the night had yet to emerge, though he knew it wouldn’t stay that way for long.
Not long after, the forest began to thin, and Kael saw the break in the tree line ahead—the point where the towering trees gave way to the open grasslands beyond. Slowing his pace, he crouched and approached carefully, making sure he continued to remain hidden within the shadows, and scanning the terrain.
Even after finding nothing, he didn’t rush forward. Instead, he searched for cover like he did last time, and found a massive root, one large enough to provide concealment. There was also a thick shrubbery growing under it, coupled with the tangled vines and twisted wood they formed a perfect hiding spot. Kael slipped beneath it, settling into position, letting nature obscure his form. From there, he waited.
The sky continued to darken, and soon, night had fully settled over the landscape. The bioluminescent veins running through some of the trees had dimmed significantly, their glow reduced to faint flickers of blue. It was time.
Staying low, Kael moved along the treeline, keeping himself shrouded in darkness. He traveled south, closing the distance toward the Gloomkin village, retracing the same path he had taken before. When he reached a vantage point, he settled down and began observing. And immediately, he noticed the difference. There were more patrols than last time.
At least twice as many Gloomkin roamed the outskirts of the village, their hunched, unnatural forms moving with tense, watchful energy. Their guttural clicking and chittering filled the air as they scanned the darkness. After a while of watching Kael narrowed his eyes, noticing that something else was different. He had been watching out for hunting parties, expecting to see groups of Gloomkin returning from the forest with food. But there were none.
Were they not sending hunting parties out at night anymore? Kael had made sure not to let any of the Gloomkin he attacked yesterday escape. But he didn't think that the Chieftain was dumb enough not to suspect that he was the reason for their death. And given that he had already attacked their village at night, it made sense that the chieftain didn't want to lose more of them in the dark of night when it was easier to pick them off.
Kael smirked slightly at the thought. They were continuing to adapt, but if he had his way he would make sure that it wouldn’t be enough. Thinking so, Kael continued watching.
The hours passed, deep into the night. Even then he remained in the same position and waited for an opening. But none appeared. The Gloomkin were too numerous, too restless. Frustration crept at the edges of his mind at the thought he had come all this way for nothing, but he didn’t let it take hold. He needed to have patience. He would wait as long as it took.
Then—he spotted it.
Two of the Gloomkin patrols, the ones stationed outside the village, had laid down to sleep. Kael almost laughed at the sight. The ones inside the village had long since settled in, many already in their crude huts or sprawled near the dying fire pits. But these two? These idiots had made the mistake of falling asleep when they were supposed to guard.
Kael didn’t move immediately. He waited until it felt like an hour passed. He wanted to be sure they were asleep, that this wasn’t some form of resting alertness. But after all that time, neither of them stirred.
It was an opportunity too good to ignore, and taking advantage of that fact Kael carefully slipped out from the forest, staying low and moving with slow, deliberate steps. The grasslands stretched wide before him, but the darkness was his ally. The Gloomkin, despite their keen senses, were at a disadvantage when asleep.
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Kael crept toward them, silent as death itself. While at the same time looking out for other patrols. Reaching them he looked down at Their twisted, hunched forms where they were curled on the ground, their chests rising and falling in deep slumber.
He quickly grabbed one's throat, his other hand pressing down to stifle any involuntary noise before snapping it just as fast. The second one did not even make any sound that it noticed before it joined its lazy friend. He then quickly placed some loose grass and dirt over them.
[ Experience Gained! ] x 2
Kael barely spared them another glance before moving on. Slipping past their bodies, he continued toward the village, using the opening they created in the patrol route, his form hidden and seeping into the shadows created by the structures ahead. Kael moved from one hut to another staying hidden and keeping low, while listening for any sounds indicating they were either asleep or not.
Then, he found it. A small hut. The sound of sleeping Gloomkin coming from the inside. He inched toward the hide serving as the entrance, careful not to be noticed he shifted the primitive flap to the side.
Inside, two Gloomkin lay sprawled out, breathing steadily. Kael didn’t hesitate. He slipped in and ended them before they even knew he was there.
[ Experience Gained! ] x2
Having finished up something caught his attention. From a hole in the hide, Kael noticed a flicker of movement outside the hut. His instincts screamed at him to act. He crouched, keeping his form pressed against the wall, his breath silent. Peeking through a tiny hole in the crude wood structure, he saw a single Gloomkin make its way from a campfire and toward the hut he was in.
And from the look of it, it was planning on coming inside. Kael tensed, bracing himself. The entrance hide shifted. The moment it stepped in—Kael’s hands shot out, closing around its throat. He squeezed hard, cutting off its air before it could react and make a noise. Then—he yanked it inside. Before the creature could even struggle, Kael twisted, snapping its neck in one fluid motion. The creature's body went limp.
[ Experience Gained! ]
Kael then set it down carefully, stacking it alongside the others, ensuring they remained unnoticed. Then he turned his gaze back toward the hole in the hut’s wall, peering out.
Nothing. No one had noticed. Kael then spent a bit of time waiting, watching, and seeing if more would come. After confirming that no other Gloomkin was heading this way, he slowly moved to the entrance again. He waited until the coast was clear, then slipped out, and made his way to a tent nearby. Like the others, this one was made of crude hide, the material was stretched over wooden stakes. And from the looks of it, the hide came from all the animals and monsters they killed, but it didn't seem like they did anything to treat it, before using it for their homes.
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Kael listened for the telltale sounds of sleeping Gloomkin coming from inside, this time hearing even more. He then moved with careful precision and stepped into the tent. Inside, six Gloomkin lay sprawled out in deep sleep, their forms illuminated shortly and faintly by the small Essence sphere Kael made. Their limbs twitched occasionally, their guttural breathing the only sound filling the enclosed space.
He had to be quick. Efficient. Any noise beyond the faint rustling of fabric or the muffled sound of movement could spell trouble.
Lowering himself into a crouch, Kael moved to the closest one. His hands clamping around its thin, wiry neck. There was a sharp twist followed by a crack, then he eased its body down, ensuring it didn’t slump against anything. The second was just as easy. A smooth, calculated motion and it was dead, Kael already moving on.
[ Experience Gained! ] x 2
The third shifted slightly in its sleep, its nostrils flaring as though it sensed something was wrong. Kael froze, his muscles coiled like a spring, waiting. But after a moment, it exhaled a deep, wheezing breath and settled back into unconsciousness. It was the last breath it would ever take.
With practiced control, Kael pressed a knee onto its chest, pinning it in place as he clamped a hand over its mouth. The thing stirred—its hands twitching up toward his arm—but he didn’t give it a chance. His other hand grabbed the back of its head and with a twist, its neck was broken, cutting off any attempt at resistance. It spasmed once, then went limp beneath him.
[ Experience Gained! ]
Taking a moment to see if others noticed something, and seeing that they didn't, Kael then moved on. Three down. He had three more to go.
He moved on to the fourth. Then the fifth. Then, finally, the last. By the time he was done, six bodies lay silent and unmoving. He let out a silent controlled breath.
[ Experience Gained! ] x3
As much as he hated to admit it, part of him had expected something to go wrong. Killing this many in close quarters, with none of the once outside noticing—it felt almost… easy.
Still crouched near the last gloom, Kael shifted his position, preparing to slip out into the night and continue his killing. That's when he heard a sound, a low murmur, distant but spreading as more joined in and it grew louder. Kael froze, his entire body went rigid, as he cursed himself for the jinx. Paying closer attention he could hear that the sounds were coming from nearby.
He then moved toward the edge of the tent, carefully peeling back a small opening near the bottom. From there, he could see Gloomkin emerging from their homes, one by one stepping out into the night. At first, it was just a few. Then more. Then dozens.
Something was happening. Kael narrowed his eyes. What the hell was going on?
All Kael could see was that they were panicking, some were confused, blinking their hollow black eyes as they adjusted to the situation, others stepped into the open, looking toward a single directio—outside the village, the direction he had come from.
Kael’s stomach tightened.
He stayed low, pressing his head against the side of the tent, trying to see more of what was going. He couldn’t understand their language, but he had spent enough time hunting them to recognize when they were agitated. And right now, they were alarmed.
A disturbance. Something had drawn them out of their huts. And Kael could guess what, seeing that the only thing in that direction was the two lazy and now dead Gloomkin.
Continuing looking out the hole Kael could see that the flow of movement was undeniable now. More and more Gloomkin were stirring, some grabbing weapons, others simply following as they headed out.