Damn demons and their damn powers. I block a light spear with my sword and parry another with my off-hand sword. I can no longer trust my senses, and I'm outnumbered by a stronger force. Even in my shadow, I'm still not safe from attacks. My only respite is letting my passive mind take control.

So, I let my passive mind handle this mess while my main and split focus are trapped in illusions. The next round of conflict outside of my shadow is a blur. I'm seeing everything and nothing at all. Dragons are devouring me; my body is burning while, at the same time, I'm drenched in blood. I'm yelling and hearing others yell. I've died countless times in my mind, yet I'm still fighting with animalistic fury.

I'm suspended in this empty and lost state for a few minutes, then the forest returns to normal. Well, normal, plus a bunch of dead soldiers and a dying paladin. Pulling my blade free from the light templar's neck, I feel an immense weight fall from my shoulders and mind. My surroundings are a bloody mess, and I'm equally so. I quickly heal my wounds, loot all enticing gear, and absorb the demons.

All the fighting today and the days prior haven't allowed me to inspect all the gear I've acquired or any of my ability upgrades. It'll be nice to have a break from fighting. Hell, I'm still supposed to be on a break from fighting. Yet somehow, I'm still in a forest surrounded by death and blood, only wading deeper into the violence.

One day. Soon. There will be peace here. Until then, I've got more work to do. I loosen my shoulders, stretch my back, and crack my neck. After hearing the satisfying crackling sounds, I summon two new black iron scale swords and continue my hunt.

The last two commanders are a pair of dryads working in tandem to control the main force of the demon army. One is a life ranger, and the other is a light wizard. The two share many similar features and appear more human than the other dryads I've encountered.

I can feel life flowing from the ranger to all the demons under her command. Moreso, the life around us is invigorating her army. Even in her position far from the frontlines of battle, the ranger fires off massive arrows that suck the life or un-life out of any target it hits and disperses the energy to ally forces.

Her bow looks like incredible workmanship. It glistens with golden life energy, and the power behind the arrows the dryad is shooting is amazing. The arrows practically explode through her targets. I close my mouth and steel in my new objective. I will get her bow. Before I hastily enter into combat, I also give the wizard a good look over.

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Like the paladin, the wizard is covered in heavy plating that shimmers with light mana. Runes glow from her active barriers. Emanating from the wizard is a wide array of light directly pushing against the darkness. Besides the shimmering glow, she is using an arsenal of various spells from different elements.

She slams her golden staff into the ground; lightning strikes the dead army from the sky, shattering many dead soldiers. Death mana collects into a massive ball at the light wizard's command. Then it detonates into another bunch of raised soldiers. Fire blazes through Bones' army, orchestrated by the control of the wizard's wand in her off-hand. Ice freezes the field, shatters into an ice blizzard, and then freezes again.

The amount of damage the two templars unleash on Bones' army is why the demons haven't been squashed. To the credit of Bones and his power, he's still winning the fight. It's just taking him a moment longer. Each dead demon or destroyed dead soldier is added back to Bones' power which he uses to collect more death from the monsters.

Unlike my previous fights, I put more preparation into this attack. I will be facing two talented templars that know how to fight together. It will be challenging, especially if I intend to keep masking my skill as much as I have been. The battle must be close, and luck must be the deciding factor for my victory. Besides, the demons have seen enough of our cards. There is no reason for them to see more.

I firm up my strategy and then execute it.

"Hey, dryads!" I shout across the distance. Instantly the two templars focus on me, and I can feel the mana blazing to destroy me. "You two are super impressive. Care to have a chat?"

"We have no time for a weak demon when a sage of death is on our doorsteps. Get out of our way if you don't want to die painfully slow." Says the life ranger. Her bow is locked onto me, and she has an arrow notched, ready to be drawn.

I want to call out her improper use of the word demon when she is the realm invader, but I've got more important things to discuss. "I like your bow."

The trees ignite behind me in response, and I can feel the ground beneath my feet begin to freeze. The light wizard splits into two, and then one of them vanishes though I'm not sure if it is the original or the clone that remains. I'm not even sure if it matters.

"If you like my bow so much, let me show you its power." Life arrows are shot, capping off her superb quip.

I feel a massive threat behind, below, and before me. This is slightly less than perfect. But so far, my strategy to Recruit and Loot is going… well, it’s going.