The fight took less than thirty seconds. The beasts, while agile, didn’t have much else in their arsenal to deal with a ranged attacker. I dismissed the notifications after a quick glance.
*Monster Slayed - Gnoll Skirmisher Lvl 19*
*Monster Slayed - Gnoll Skirmisher Lvl 19*
*Monster Slayed - Gnoll Skirmisher Lvl 21*
Level Up 15 -> 17
Upgrade: Strength +6, Perception: +4, Dexterity + 2, Additional Stat Point +4
The [Gnoll Skirmisher] would be an easy hunt as long as I hold the advantage of spotting it first. Had I only spotted them at close range, I would’ve probably had to expend a good amount of mana to put some distance between us. Even with an arrow lodged in its thigh, the skirmisher had scaled the tree branch quickly, nearly managing to dodge my follow-up shot.
A fully drawn arrow with my current strength had taken out the beast with a single shot to its vulnerable spot behind the eyes. An arrow to the center of its chest, while disabling the second beast pretty well, wasn’t enough to finish it instantly. Clearly, not all critical points are equal—some are smaller and harder to hit precisely, others are better protected. The key will be finding the optimal spot for an arrow to pierce through effectively.
Everything considered, I’m satisfied with how the encounter went down; I didn’t even have to use a single blinkshot. Had there been four of them, I’d probably have needed to reposition at least once.
Rooted in the same spot with an arrow nocked in [Phantom Whisper], I analyzed the recent encounter. I intended to stay here a while longer, with camouflage activated from the [Cover of Grixivyne] ability. The last Gnoll Skirmisher had managed to let out a howl before I could silence it. Better to wait here and see if anything responds rather than head deeper and find out the consequences the hard way.
Time passed dreadfully slowly while I stood motionless; even worse, my thoughts drifted through the memories I could remember of my time before - the cozy life, my doting parents, my girlfriend. I suppose, being stranded in the middle of an endless forest makes you realize what you took for granted. I swear I will find out what exactly happened. I’m not even sure if I was whisked away from Earth or I died and somehow reincarnated here.
Lost in thought, I didn’t notice the newcomers until they were only a couple hundred feet away, coming from the same direction as the previous gnolls. These beasts appeared to be wary - three skirmishers prowling the underbrush, scanning for any trails as they approached and a gnoll scout leaping from tree to tree, its sharp eyes darting around, probing the shadows.
Four gnolls in total. If I can take one out right at the start, before they spot me, I’m confident I can handle the rest. Maybe I have to use one or two blink shots to reposition but that’s manageable with my current mana. The real problem is if one or two try to flee. The dense cover of trees and shrubs makes it easy to break line of sight and escape, and I don’t want to risk blinking into any traps while chasing them down.
The previous gnolls didn’t seem to expect a ranged attacker, especially one firing from high above. That had given me enough time to kill one and disable the second before they figured out my position. While these beasts so far haven’t shown much intelligence, if they can communicate with each other, letting one escape could make future encounters harder than they need to be. But maybe I’m giving them too much credit—they probably wouldn’t even think of retreating in the heat of battle.
I snapped out of my thoughts as the beasts stood at the same spot their fallen brethren had occupied. It’s of little use debating it further. I just don’t have all the info; so I’ll just have to adapt.
Just as I was about to draw my arrow back, I heard more footsteps - this time, from behind me. I couldn’t turn my head without breaking my camouflage, so I remained still and waited for the newcomers to come closer. The sound of dried leaves crunching grew louder from all around me.
My heart raced as I took in the sight before me - about twenty gnolls in total had gathered.
[Gnoll Skirmisher - Lvl 22]
[Gnoll Scout - Lvl 15]
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[Gnoll Skirmisher - Lvl 20]
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Upgrade: Identify Lvl15 -> Lvl16
More than the sheer number of these powerful beasts, it was the one at the center of the gathering that made my stomach churn - a gnoll stood with its back to me, towering over the others, its size and bulk far greater than any I’ve seen before. Its fur, coarse and dark, shifted from a deep crimson to an almost black hue; jagged scars marred its muzzle and rippled across its body. It gripped a bone axe, its jagged, serrated edge that made the beast look even more menacing.
[Gnoll Ravager - Lvl 30]
Gnoll Ravagers are larger, more formidable gnoll variants, known for their insatiable thirst for carnage.
Core Qualities: Brute Strength, Savage Instincts
Upgrade: Identify Lvl16 -> Lvl17
The beast released a deep guttural growl and the other creatures shrank back, visibly cowed by its intimidating presence. The ravager suddenly whipped around to face me and it took my entire willpower to not flinch at its gaze. Knowing that it couldn’t see me didn’t placate my fears at all; my camouflage is [Grade A] ability and logically, should be undetectable for the beasts present here. Yet, I couldn’t shake off the growing unease that this monster somehow knew I was here.
Was it the smell? I was fairly confident from my first encounter with a Gnoll Scout that it couldn’t find my camouflaged presence through smell. Instead, the beast had moved right past me, following the trail in the opposite direction to the river.
The Gnoll Ravager broke away from the gathering and approached closer, growling - a low, bone-shaking rumble that reverberated in my chest. It crouched, bracing its knees and leapt high onto a nearby tree - close enough that I could see every detail, even the sinew binding the axe handle to the blade. The tree groaned, sounds of bark snapping echoed but it held firm, swaying slightly under the impact.
A whirlwind of thoughts rushed through my mind. Should I try to escape? To do so, I’d have to turn and make a blink shot, but what if it struck the moment my camouflage dropped?
Too late. The beast leapt again, landing on the branch right in front of me.My breath caught as I locked eyes with it—its burning yellow gaze filled with a fierce, unrelenting hunger.
It knows.
The only plausible answer dawned on me: it knows it's being watched. Carefully I averted my gaze away, as much as I could without turning my head. I did my best to distract my mind, to think of anything but the current predicament or the predator just feet away. Anything at all.
It proved much harder to do so when a dull thud came from right next to me. The branch I was perched on dipped, and a surge of terror washed over me, fearing my camouflage would drop. But, the faded colors at the edge of my vision persisted, confirming [Cover of Grixivyne] was still active.
I stopped breathing at some point. My heart beat so fast I was afraid it would rat me out. The Gnoll Ravager was so close that I could feel the air vibrate with each of its deep, rumbling breaths.
It’s not relevant. Nothing is. I willed myself to release every thought, to see nothing, to feel nothing. I became part of the forest, blurring into its surroundings.
Then I noticed it - a faint shimmer, like faint blue embers drifting and swirling. It was everywhere. Drawn to it, I watched as it pulsed and shifted, condensing like mist on a cool morning. It was everywhere, an ethereal haze ebbing and flowing as if it were alive. I breathed it in, feeling it course through me, my body absorbing it like instinct.
Gradually, my vision cleared. How long had it been - minutes, hours? I scanned my surroundings; the bright sunlight had faded into dusky glow, and the gnolls were gone, probably a while ago. Even the dead bodies of skirmishers had been removed. What exactly happened to me? A dream?
I retreated back towards the crimson oak tree region as fast as I could. I didn’t stop there, pushing further till I reached the riverbanks. Only then, did I feel safely out of reach from that savage beast. The Gnoll Ravager was about ten levels above the skirmishers, yet it felt like it could overwhelm the entire pack with ease.
Now perched on a high branch with a clear view into the forest depths, I reviewed my recent notifications.
Upgrade: Will +2
General Skill ‘Spirit Vision’ acquired
Upgrade: Spirit Vision Lvl0 -> Lvl3
There’s no change in my vision - definitely nothing like what I saw earlier. I focused on the skill and tried to activate it like I would with my [Eye Of The Dronawk] ability. Still, nothing. I’ll have to figure this out later.
The Gnoll Ravager never spotted me, let alone attack me, yet it felt like I took a beating all the same. Still, I wouldn’t call today’s scouting mission a total failure. I did identify the Skirmishers and Ravager, which is the first one I’ve seen so far wielding a weapon, crude as it is. I was kinda hoping that the [Gnoll War Tyrant] might only be marginally stronger than the Gnoll Skirmishers and Scouts, but that feels naive now.
I blinked to the top of the tree I was perched on. The sun was sinking low, casting the land in a deep, crimson dusk light. I took a moment to reassess. Following the riverbank further down would reach the boundary edge, so not an option. So my choices are to either try following the river upstream or continue the path I took today - which means dealing with that beast.
I don’t want to go back upstream, which was the route I came through here. It feels like going back to square one again. The gnoll beasts, while stronger and plentiful in numbers, are a somewhat known quantity now. With patience, I can pick my battles and steer clear of the ravager.
With that decision made, all that’s left is to hunt down some dinner and get some rest for the night.