Kael remained crouched in the dark interior of the hide tent, his breath controlled and steady, though his mind raced. The muffled sounds of guttural chittering and the shifting movement of dozens of Gloomkin filled the night outside, their alarmed voices growing more agitated by the second.

Damn it… they found the bodies faster than I thought.

He had hoped for more time, at least until he could pick off a few more of them in their sleep. But now that was no longer an option. He clenched his jaw, shifting slightly to glance out the small hole in the tent’s side.

A part of him still wanted to stay. He had come here to slaughter as many as possible. But he knew better. Even if he wanted to keep sneaking through the village, picking off more of them, it wouldn't just be more risky but also not doable for long. The moment they started searching here he would be trapped.

And there were still too many of them left. Even after all the deaths he had caused there were over a hundred Gloomkin left. It was better than the two hundred he had started with, but that was still too many for him to challenge directly. At least not yet. He still had to trim their numbers further.

And then there was the Chieftain.

Kael had no doubts the leader of these monsters was out there, commanding his kin just like last time. He could imagine it barking guttural orders, rallying the creatures into a search party. Kael exhaled through his nose. It wouldn’t be long before they started combing through the village.

He had to leave.

Peering through the hole once more, Kael scanned for an escape route. At first, he didn’t see much—just small groups of Gloomkin still moving between the huts, muttering in their strange guttural language. Then, wanting more information he took a risk. Kael shifted his position, his movements controlled and silent, before inching toward the entrance flap of the tent. He slowly pushed it aside just enough to peek out. What he saw made him grit his teeth.

The closest section of the village to the trees was practically packed, most of the creatures had moved toward the commotion where the bodies had been found. Some of them were searching the open area before the forest. From his position in the northwest part of the village, he could barely see some of them even moving in the forest, their dark figures blending into the cover of the trees.

So they’re sending patrols out to search… makes sense.

Looking around more, his eyes narrowed as he saw something else—something far more important. Through the scattered shapes of the gathering Gloomkin, Kael made out the sickly green glow of the staff the Chieftain carried. Not far from it, two figures stood like statues, their forms unmistakably larger and broader than the rest.

He sighed. At least they hadn’t left to search the forest. That meant the Chieftain was still stationary, likely commanding its forces from a distance.

That was good. The problem was his escape route. He exhaled slowly, weighing his options.

When he entered the village, he had done so from the north side, sticking to the shadows of the huts and moving along the village perimeter. Now, he was on the opposite side, cut off from the forest by nearly the entire Gloomkin horde.

That meant going back the way he came was impossible, If he tried to cut directly through, there was no way he wouldn’t be spotted, not only that he would have to push through the full strength of the village to get back.

No. That wasn’t an option, he needed another way out. His eyes flicked north, toward the open grasslands. It wasn’t ideal, but it was his only choice.

If he could slip out toward the grasslands, he could move far enough north to clear their search area, then cut west back into the forest, hopefully not being noticed as he did so.

Kael clenched his jaw. It would be risky.

Unlike the cover of the forest, the grasslands were wide open. The moment they spotted him, there would be nothing to block their view.

But it was better than getting trapped here.

Decision made, Kael moved.

Keeping low, he slipped out of the tent, immediately blending into the shadows cast by the huts. He moved quickly but carefully, avoiding the few stragglers that hadn’t joined the main search.

Most of them were still chittering among themselves, gathering crude weapons, or sleeping on the ground. But some were still wandering the village.

Kael crouched behind a nearby hut, his body tensed, his ears sharp. He needed to move fast—the longer he stayed, the more likely he’d be discovered.

Then—a shadow moved.

Kael tensed. A Gloomkin was coming around the corner.

He barely had time to react before it stepped right into him.

For a second, both of them froze.

Then Kael moved.

In a blur of motion, he slammed his knife into its throat—a single, deadly thrust.

The Gloomkin’s eyes widened, its mouth opening, but no sound came.

Kael twisted the blade, ripping it free in a violent motion, nearly severing the creature’s head in the process. Black blood sprayed outward, some of it onto him.

[ Experience Gained! ]

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Kael caught the body before it could collapse to the ground, carefully lowering it into the dirt. He exhaled, relief filling him. That had been too close, but it had brought a new problem. Blood, more specifically the scent of blood.

Kael grimaced. The moment any of the Gloomkin smelled it, they would know one of them was dead inside the village. Even worse it was on him, having sprayed on his bare chest and face.

I need to move.

Wiping the blood as best he could, Kael slipped further out of the village, keeping to cover. He darted through the last row of tents, his body low to the ground, every step careful, precise. Beyond him lay the open grasslands, where there was no more cover. It was now or never.

Kael dropped further down, keeping his body pressed as much as he could against the earth as he began moving north. At first, it was going well, his movements were controlled, his presence silent and undetectable. But then—it happened.

A patrol of two Gloomkin spotted him. The moment they did one of them reared its head back and let out a deep, guttural cry.

A call to alert the others. Kael cursed. He had no time to think. Without hesitation, he stood up fully and ran.

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Kael exploded forward, his body shifting from a careful, low stance to a full sprint. All the Essence flowing in from his tendril surged into his legs, enhancing his muscles with more energy. As he did this he also made sure his skin remained untouched by the enhancement, resulting in the forming of faint web-like veins on his legs.

He shot across the grasslands as fast as he could. Behind him, the Gloomkin’s guttural cry still echoed, its raw, violent sound cutting through the night. Kael didn’t look back. He didn’t need to.

He could hear them.

More shrieks joined the first, rising in intensity, blending into a chorus of alarm and aggression. The patrol had done its job—the village was now fully aware of his presence and more importantly where he was. Kael pushed himself faster. He zigzagged erratically, forcing his already-enhanced muscles to keep pace with his mind.

He didn’t have to see behind him to know some of the Gloomkin were armed with those crude bows, he had already seen a couple of them carry those weapons. And as expected, the first arrow whizzed past him, slicing through the air just inches from his shoulder. Another followed. Then another.

They weren’t accurate. Like he had noticed before their bows were crudly crafted, their arrows made of sharpened wood and sinew, the parts likely looted from whatever poor creatures they had hunted before. But luck could still kill him.

He threw his body into another erratic sprint pattern—twisting, ducking, swerving. The lack of predictability made it harder for them to land a shot.

But more were joining the chase.

Kael could hear the pounding of feet behind him, and surprisingly the snarling growls, as well as the scraping of claws and weapons. Usually, they were much more quieter than this when they hunted. He must have truly gotten under their skin.

With a quick peek. Kael noticed that some were faster than others, but none could match his speed. Then focusing on what was in front of him again, he saw the grasslands continue stretching endlessly before him, a vast, open terrain with no immediate cover, and the forest blurring by to his left. His only advantage was the darkness. But the Gloomkin had a good sense for smell, and not only did he smell of blood, but the creatures could already see him, thanks to one of the moons being revealed by the clouds and illuminating the area.

Kael knew he couldn’t run forever. Even then, his plan remained the same, though, with some new additions. He would get far enough north to clear their search area to avoid any large groups waiting at the treeline to ambush him, then cut back into the forest. He just had to make it there first. More arrows continued to rain down, one grazed his arm, and another buried itself in the dirt just beside him.

Damn it.

He wasn’t worried about the minor wounds—a scratch wouldn’t slow him down. But if one of those arrows hit a joint? His leg? His spine? That would be the end.

He gritted his teeth, trying to push more Essence into his legs, but being limited by the rate at which the Essence was coming in from his core, still something was better then nothing, and as he did this he continued focusing on extending the gap between him and the horde behind, even if he was starting to feel both mental and core drain of forcing the Essence flow speed. And slowly—it began to work.

The distance between him and the closest pursuers widened. The less athletic Gloomkin started falling behind, their stamina burning out quicker than his. He still heard their screams, their anger, but it was growing more distant.

He pressed harder, his enhanced feet barely spending time on the ground as he covered more distance. Then thinking it had to be enough distance away from their search area, he adjusted his trajectory, shifting his path westward. His heart pounded as the forest loomed ahead. But he didn’t slow down. Not yet.

He pushed into the trees, his body moving in a desperate burst of speed. The moment he crossed the threshold, the darkness grew thicker feeling like it was swallowing him whole.

The canopy blocked most of the night sky, casting deep shadows along the tangled roots and towering trunks. The air was thicker here, damp with the scent of soil and leaves.

Kael’s breathing was sharp, and controlled. Still, he didn’t stop running.

Even if he had left them behind the Gloomkin were still close. He could hear them crashing into the undergrowth behind him, hear their guttural sounds of frustration as they struggled to keep up. They weren’t as fast or as good at maneuvering the forest as him.

Unlike in the open grasslands, Kael had obstacles. And he knew how to use them.

He leaped over fallen logs, twisted between tree trunks, and ducked beneath low-hanging branches. The more he moved, the more he forced his pursuers to slow down.

His agility stat making the terrain his ally. And soon—it was over. After several minutes of near-constant sprinting, the sounds behind him faded.

Kael continued moving, now that the sounds from the Gloomkin had lessened to nothing, there was just absolute silence, his footsteps barely a whisper against the damp forest floor.

Kael kept going, he was slower but more careful.

He wasn’t going to make the mistake of running straight home. No. Instead—he looked for a place to hide.

He spotted a thick, tangled cluster of roots, wide enough to crawl under, concealed by what looked like overhanging ferns. He slipped inside, his body pressing into the damp soil beneath it.

There he waited and listened.

His heart pounded in his chest, his breath slowing as he forced himself into complete stillness. Seconds passed. Then minutes.

Then—silence.

The Gloomkin had lost him, fully. Kael exhaled softly.

Finally.

His body ached from the sustained activity, and the strain of forcing on the Essence flow for so long. But it had been worth it.

And then, as he lay hidden beneath the roots, his mind began to turn.

The original plan had been to escape, to get as far away from the village as possible, and make his way back home.

But now…Now, a new idea was forming.

His lips curled into a small, knowing smirk. The Gloomkin had made a mistake by leaving their village in such a big number, and by following him into the forest so far away.

Where there was more cover.

Where it was darker.

Where there was no firelight or moonlight to help them see better.

Kael’s fingers flexed against the dirt.

He had planned to thin their numbers by a small amount under the cover of night in their village. At best Kael thought he would be able to kill the amount in two or three huts before he had to escape.

But by running after him, and tiering themselves out in the chase, they had made it even easier for him. Plus the fact that Kael was sure now there were no great predators he had to worry about this close to their village, given the amount of hide their homes were made of.

He let out a deep breath, feeling a surge of excitement burn beneath his exhaustion.

It seemed, his little late-night adventure wasn’t a failure, or over just yet.

He cut off his musings, his smirk widening slightly. A quick regeneration and it was time to get back to work.