The lone group of five walked over rocks, branches, and through bushes. Occasionally, they would encounter small groups of gremlins that were ultimately killed under their weapons and magic.
They walked for an hour, only finding Rank 2 gremlins. Eventually, they started encountering groups of 4, 5, and even 6. These battles were a bit harder with the gremlins being a good bit more aggressive. One managed to cut Harmut, but that was about the extent of the injuries. With more gremlins appearing, Dirk was able to showcase a bit more of his skill. He took out the two pieces of his spear and put them together, wielding the spear to handle the gremlins that liked to rely on their reach. The spear proved to be the perfect weapon against these monsters.
By the end of the hour, they constantly encountered groups of 6, and their appearance came more often. However, nobody was fatigued. Even Harmut who used purely magic wasn't that tired.
So, they decided to continue forward. It wasn't long before they encountered a group of 8. It was here that they had to slow down, taking time to handle the monsters that outnumbered them by 3. Plus, these ones were a bit faster and more agile. They proved harder to hit for Ava, and the group had to come closer together in order to protect Jaxon.
In that battle, Dirk was able to rather easily handle three while Alec handled another two. Harmut then impaled two more while Ava finished her last one. By the end, they were almost shoulder to shoulder with Jaxon between them all.
"That was a bit tougher. But damn was that fun."
After killing the last one, Alec chuckled. The others also smiled while Dirk cleaned his spear blade with a cloth. He wasn't as happy as the others.
For Alec, Ava, and Harmut, while feeling bloodlust was rather exciting, for Dirk it was the opposite. In that battle, he got the same tunnel vision as he did with the goblin at the first kill initiation. While it wasn't as bad, getting it at all was concerning. He continued to feel that excessive desire for combat and killing. He was all the more aware of the fact that there was something inside of him that pushed him to fight. He felt the need to destroy and lose control. It felt good, but didn't at the same time.
He stood there and frowned subconsciously, pondering what it could be that was haunting his rationale. The others didn't notice as they asked him to harvest the bodies and continue moving forward.
It wasn't long before they met another group of nine gremlins. They all surrounded the group and pounced, two on each person. Alec killed one easily before taking a scratch to the armor. Ava swung her axe, but missed both, taking two swipes that scraped the leather over her arms. Harmut managed to pin one before quickly backpedaling into Jaxon, knocking them both over. It was Dirk, who had killed both of his, that saved them from the other gremlin.
After saving them, Dirk turned and quickly observed the others. Alec went into a standoff with his second gremlin while Ava managed to cut one of hers in half after using some extra strength. However, Dirk quickly discovered another that was up in a tree. This gremlin was bigger, had darker skin, and longer claws. It was clearly stronger than the ones they had faced so far. It was a Rank 3.
The Rank 3 jumped down, suddenly charging toward Alec who was still focusing on his second gremlin. It was surprisingly silent as it approached, showing skill in navigating a forest. It came from the side, but when Alec noticed it, the gremlin did something surprising. It scooped some dirt and hurled it at Alec's face. The dirt accelerated unnaturally and got in his eyes, blinding him.
The gremlin then shot out its clawed fingers towards Alec's neck, causing goosebumps to break out all over his body. He was blind and only knew that the gremlin would definitely take the chance to hurt him. However, just before the gremlin sliced his neck open, a rock pillar came surging out from the floor between them, hitting the gremlin right in the gut.
*Bang!*
The gremlin was knocked away as Alec fell to the floor with his hands on his face. After that, the second gremlin he had yet to kill found a spear flying straight into its chest. Dirk's body then appeared, hatchet in hand as he pushed off of another pillar straight toward the Rank 3 gremlin.
*Screech!*
The gremlin screamed as it stabilized itself, preparing for Dirk. Dirk's body rushed straight toward it. The gremlin slashed down with its claws, but then it suddenly felt a burning sensation at the elbow. Dirk had chopped out with ruthless precision.
It looked over and found its arm cut in half, the forearm falling to the floor. As it screamed in pain, Dirk brought back his arm for another swing. The hatchet hurtled straight toward its collar bone.
However, Ava, who had finished her battle and turned to watch, felt her eyes widen. The gremlin had shot out its other hand toward Dirk's body as he brought down the hatchet. At this rate, it would cut through the leather and dig into his stomach. She yelled.
"Watch out!"
*Splat!*
Blood splashed as the hatchet buried itself in the gremlin's surprisingly tough body. Ava felt herself freeze as her eyes looked toward the gremlin's other hand. It was stopped right next to Dirk's ribs by the man himself. In Dirk's hand was a knife that he planted right through the gremlin's palm, halting it in its tracks. She was stunned as the gremlin collapsed to its knees. With that, Dirk ripped out and swung his hatchet again, taking off its head.
*Thud*
The head hit the dirt, and Dirk pulled back his arm with the knife while the body fell. He sheathed the knife and the hatchet, turning back to check on the others. They were all looking at him, surprise written all over their faces.
"Hey, you okay?"
Ava came jogging over. He looked at her before taking his knife back out and wiping it off with a cloth. She sighed before knocking her fist against his shoulder.
After he cleaned his knife and hatchet, he bent down to the gremlin's head, digging its eyes out. These ones were black instead of red and felt more like marbles. He imagined that they would sell for more. He then dug around for the crystal, eventually finding a big one. This one swirled with even more earthen mana that was a deep brown color. Walking back to the group, he opened the bag on Jaxon's waist, taking out two of the red eyeballs and tossing in the better loot. The bag had already been filled, so they stopped collecting normal stuff.
"Hey, nice battle. Thanks for saving my skin."
Alec came over after wiping his face, patting him on the shoulder. Dirk nodded.
"Sure."
"That gremlin looks different. Rank 3 maybe?"
"Definitely rank 3. It was stronger and had different eyes. It used magic too"
"Yea, that dirt throw hurt. We must really be getting deep then. If we move deeper, we'll definitely encounter more."
"We shouldn't."
"I agree, but why do you think so?"
Alec smiled at him. He thought that Dirk was taking into account their lack of skill, and Alec knew that they couldn't handle many rank 3's. They were faster, stronger, could use magic, and the group didn't have the ability to keep up, especially if there were more rank 2's to distract them. However, Dirk gave a different answer than expected.
"It's getting darker."
He pointed to the forest, and everyone looked around. The forest was already dark, looking like a foggy swamp in the evening. But that darkness was the daytime in this place. While it was hard to notice, it had gotten even darker. Dirk barely noticed this, and after bringing it up, the others noticed too.
The teacher said to be back before dark. Now that it was getting darker, they were probably late, not that they knew when darkness fell anyway. Alec took a look around and nodded.
"That's true. Then we should probably head back. This far is our limit anyway. Although..."
Getting to that point, he spun around a few times. Because it had gotten darker, it was difficult to know which way was back. The trees and bushes all looked the same, and he had been distracted in the battle. He didn't know which way to go.
Sensing his concern, Dirk pointed.
"We need to head back that way."
"Really?"
"Yes. There's a pillar not far from here."
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"Hm, alright then. I don't have any better clue. Let's go then. I don't want to camp outside in monster territory tonight."
Nodding in agreement, everyone situated themselves. Jaxon hoisted his bags while Dirk retrieved his spear, the group quickly marching off. While they had to fight another group sooner than expected, there at least wasn't a rank 3, so they finished quickly and headed to the pillar.
And sure enough, there was a pillar that pointed them toward the haven. Everyone smiled as they followed the arrow, making haste as the forest around them got darker and darker.
Unfortunately, they didn't move quickly enough. The forest soon became pitch black, the group barely able to see a few meters in front of them. They all stopped as Alec cast a spell, a ball of light appearing above his palm. The surroundings were illuminated by bright white light. Dirk remembered that he had the light attribute at that moment.
"Nice. Now we can actually see-"
*Screech!*
Ava spoke in relief but was interrupted by a shrill scream. Everyone looked around and could see red eyes light up around them in the darkness beyond. There were at least 20, and Dirk quickly remembered a saying at that moment.
Behind every red dot were 5 more that you couldn't see.
"...We need to hurry."
Dirk spoke, and everyone nodded. The gremlins were obviously being attracted to the light, but if they turned it off, they wouldn't be able to see. That meant that if they didn't want to fight tons of gremlins, they needed to get back to the haven quickly.
"Go!"
*Screech!*
Alec shouted, and the gremlins around them screamed. The group started running through the forest as leaves rustled behind them. Their hearts beat out of their chest as they looked back and saw even more red eyes. Gremlins began to rush them from the sides.
"Hah!"
*Slice!*
Alec shouted as he swung his sword, cleaving a gremlin in half. He continued to run but was thrown off balance, so he slowed down. The group stayed with him so they slowed down too. This allowed more gremlins to get close.
*Slice!*
Dirk slowed as he thrust his spear, stabbing the chest of a gremlin. He pulled back and caught back up with the group. Their running speed quickly became a fast walk as they fended off the gremlins that dove toward them. Over several minutes, 10 gremlins fell. Then 20 fell. They kept killing the gremlins that rushed toward the light. Even Jaxon was occasionally swinging his weapon.
Half an hour passed as they continued to kill gremlins. Harmut had labored breathing, as did Alec. Harmut could only use magic, but his mana wasn't infinite. Meanwhile, Alec only had limited stamina. Their killing speed went down, and Ava and Dirk had to compensate. Jaxon was already out for the count as he stuck close for protection. The gremlins began to overwhelm them.
The five continued to walk though. For the first time ever, Dirk began to yell and shout.
Harmut slowed down as fatigue built up. A sense of desperation arose within him as distance grew between him and the group. He wanted to shout for Alec, but he needed to breathe. He looked at Alec's back with helplessness. However, at that time, he felt a hand grip his armor.
"Keep moving! Don't stop!"
Dirk yelled at Harmut who slowed down. Harmut looked at him with shock as he grabbed him and shoved him forward. Alec and Ava's eyes also went wide, though they didn't dare take their eyes off of the monsters in front of them. From then on, the leader of the group changed hands, and Dirk actively guided the four along the shortest path toward the haven.
But even he started having a hard time. Too many gremlins pressed in from all sides, and his mind worked faster and faster to keep up with the changes. Eventually, something within him triggered, and his AI popped up with a notification.
[High stress combat detected. Multiple threats detected.]
[Generating combat scheme. Kill orders formed.]
[Combat assistance activated.]
[Happy hunting.]
*Slice!*
Dirk's knife sliced a gremlin's head off. The next moment, displays lit up in his vision while the light coming into his eyes was enhanced, giving him something like night vision. All the gremlins around him were highlighted as the AI took in information from all his senses, primarily sight, sound, and touch. Every little detail was captured, and he was given optimal killing orders to enable the most efficient death of each enemy. He smiled as he indulged in the familiarity. At the same time, he didn't realize how much he was enjoying the battle, a sense of bloodlust surging from within.
Dirk rushed around, activating the anima in his body to kill gremlins faster as more appeared. He also cast earth spells, spikes of rock shooting out of the floor and impaling oncoming gremlins. But they just kept coming, the light acting as a beacon. Alec huffed as he struggled to swing his sword, and even Ava was getting fatigued, deciding to use magic instead of swinging her axe. Harmut had also run low on mana, not daring to use anymore so he could concentrate on running.
Only Dirk was constantly moving around them with a smirk. He had reverted to using his hatchet and his knife as he was put on the defense. Blood soaked his front as he engaged in close combat while tossing in spells when the situation called for it. Whenever someone was about to be attacked, he was there to protect them. They eventually got used to his assistance as they just focused on doing as much damage as they could. Due to this, they had basically bundled together right next to him.
Then, the AI came back with another notification.
[Combat scheme generated. Applying.]
With that, Dirk received an infusion of data. He immediately understood the gremlins' attack patterns and habits. Basically every aspect such as their weaknesses and behaviors associated with combat was grasped. With that information, Dirk was able to increase his efficiency, his killing speed rising a notch as he incapacitated every gremlin by slicing tendons or destroying vital areas. All this information was obtained by fighting dozens of gremlins and analyzing every wound he dished out.
The group retreated like this for over an hour with Dirk dishing out the most precise of attacks where they were needed, though perhaps with a bit more brutality than his more rational self would like. His group's attacks were also accounted for while determining what enemies to attack. The gremlins became sparser as they continued forward, but everyone's energy also dwindled. Jaxon and Harmut were barely walking while Alec could only cast a few fire spells here and there. Even his light was dwindling, reducing their vision.
But Dirk and Ava held strong. Dirk compensated for his group's exhaustion while calling upon his mana lungs to fill him with mana, rapidly casting spells with the assistance of his AI. The magic circles that appeared above the backs of his hands were difficult to see, a result of his proficiency rapidly rising and the introduction of silent casting. However, Dirk found himself with a bad headache, his mind's fatigue growing quickly. And while Ava was even more exhausted, she refused to leave everything to him. She eventually took his spear and used it instead of her axe, guarding one of the sides.
Seeing this, Alec also mustered up the last dregs of his stamina, hoisting his sword. Harmut also decided to cast a couple more spells from his barely regenerated mana pool. Jaxon, on the other hand, just did his best carrying the bags and staying out of the way.
Finally, when everyone was on their last breaths, they could see the haven. They all felt a renewed sense of vigor as they rushed toward the open gate. However, at this moment, Dirk's AI picked up on another figure. It wasn't a gremlin, but a human. He flicked his head around and caught an image of his teacher coming from their side.
"I got you!"
*Woosh!*
The teacher yelled, and winds were suddenly kicked up. The group felt the air around them sharpen as invisible blades came down upon the gremlins attacking them. At once, all the gremlins in the surrounding area were diced into pieces, falling to the floor as nothing but limbs and chunks of flesh.
Everything was suddenly quiet, the group looking around them with alert eyes. When the teacher walked over to them, they all snapped to him and prepared their weapons. Dirk also looked at the teacher with a ruthless gaze and violently steady breathing. Seeing that everything was okay though, he motioned to his group.
"Stand down. Thank you teacher."
"Mm. Of course. Come, get inside the haven."
The teacher waved them over. Alec, Ava, Harmut, and Jaxon felt their nerves relax as they walked through the gate that shut behind them. Dirk's AI also exited its combat mode and calmed down. Inside, all the students had awakened and stared at the incoming party.
Their eyes all went wide at their blood soaked bodies. Red liquid dripped from their weapons, still fresh from the bodies it came from. When they entered the area full of tents, the smell of iron caused the students to recoil. They felt fear when they saw the group's menacing gazes. They could practically see the aura of violence. This was especially so for Dirk who looked around with a mean gaze. His eyes sent chills down people's backs.
"Come over here and wash up first."
The teacher brought the group over to another room that had a few tubs within. Using a mana crystal, water filled the tubs. The group stripped their armor and took turns jumping into the tubs, their clothes still on to clean them along with their bodies. Dirk let everyone go first, and they didn't argue with him.
Blood turned the water red, and when the first three boys came out after a while, the tubs had to be emptied and refilled for Dirk and Ava. Dirk stripped off his shirt before jumping in, Ava glancing at him as they settled in the tubs.
"That... was crazy."
Ava spoke as she and Dirk settled in the water with nobody around. He nodded, his rationale coming back and lust for combat reducing. His radiating body heat warmed the water rather significantly, and he decided to save recollecting the battle for later.
He spoke to Ava.
"You fought hard."
"No, you fought hard. You were practically protecting all of us."
"You still fought hard. Any injuries?"
"Just a few. My armor blocked a lot. Luckily they only scratch you."
"Mm. We need to clean our wounds before going to bed."
"Alright."
With that, the two relaxed for a while before getting out of the tubs, their wet clothes sticking to their bodies. Ava was too tired to be self-conscious and simply let her fit body be on full display in front of Dirk. Lucky for her though, Dirk gave her his dry shirt that had been mostly protected from blood by his nice armor. She accepted it and took off her own wet shirt, putting his on.
After drying off, Dirk grabbed his armor, intending to wash it. However, the teacher came in at that moment and stopped him.
"I'll take care of that for you."
Dirk looked at the teacher, wondering why he was offering to help. He didn't stop him though as the teacher came and took his and the party's armor to another tub. Ava thanked him before pulling Dirk along.
The two walked out, coming under everyone's gazes. As they walked to their camp area, many of the boys cursed at Dirk's sculpted body and stared at Ava's slender one that her clothes did nothing to hide. Despite being dirty, they were currently seeing her as one of the prettiest girls in the class.
Upon getting to their camp area, the others were finishing pitching tents. The three looked like they would fall asleep any moment. Once the tents were finished, everyone took out their blankets. The bags and blankets had some bloodstains here and there, but none of them had the energy to care. The boys quickly piled into their tents after giving a quick goodnight. Seeing them so exhausted, Dirk and Ava smiled at each other before finding a spot to sit.
Dirk went on to clean Ava's wounds with some of the medical supplies in the bag. She had several scratches along her arms. What caused her to gawk though was the fact that Dirk didn't have any wounds at all. She couldn't fathom how he could have killed as many gremlins as he did and not get hurt a single time. Then again, the combat ability he displayed was shocking enough.
Shaking her head, she sat in front of Dirk as he treated her. She closed her eyes and lost herself in the sensation of his touch. After some time, her head fell forward, prompting Dirk to catch her. When he noticed she fell asleep, he smiled and finished bandaging her before putting her in her tent.
He then entered his, his body relaxing as he laid himself down. He quickly fell asleep after, going into a deeper than normal slumber.