As Jacob got closer to the forest the original vibrant and green feeling it gave slowly changed into eerie winds and the surroundings around the forest slowly changed into a muted green and gray. The originally robust, thick and green trees slowly faded away to withering gray husks lacking any sort of greeneries atop the various crown. The swaying of leafless branches causing hollow creaks to resound around the area.
'How did they not notice all these death flag shouting at them to be noticed, the surrounding all screams do not enter to me. Either what I'm seeing is a mirage and it only became this way when I got closer.'
Jacob analysed the situation either way he had decided to find the group, backing away from what he decided was not to his liking the danger level would not be too high as long as he was cautious he calmed himself with that thought. What's more was the fact that if the current clearly haunted forest was not a mirage he can spot the monsters hidden easily with that hopeful analysis Jacob headed into the forest.
With the last Sun still providing some dying glimpses of light, Jacob was afforded some level of vision however the search remained fruitless. He decided to climb his way up a rather sturdy tree by the standards of the withered forest. To take a rest in relative safety while he waits for the telltale signs of a campfire. Jacob stabbed Flowing Water with all his strength into the dirt up to its hilt, in an attempt to hide it.
Jacob then started his climb, tree climbing was unfortunately not one of his unforgettable memories during his childhood hence he clawed his way up the tree figuring out the best way to climb as he had an inkling it would be useful knowledge down the road. As a result he earned a generous amount of cuts and bruises as he slid down the tree more than once in his bid to climb the tree after much difficulty and with some effort from his cut laden right hand it found purchase on to the sturdiest branch he could eyeball from below. He heaved himself up to the branch and laid his back onto the tree afterwards.
Jacob took this experience as some recompense for his absent childhood in addition to the safety and scouting chance granted. While he awaits total nightfall or any signs of smoke, he took this chance to recall the actions of the knight in the vision while it was still fresh in his memory, he was currently a novice in all forms of combat even killing the stone hand was more due to having a good sword like Flowing Water, the knight eliminated waste it all it's movement meanwhile Jacob could not even cut where he aimed.
Jacob rumination continued till late into the night, where there were now two moons oscillating in the sky one blue and one grey-silver similar to the one on Earth luckily Jacob was not around any body of water for now, the waves would be crazy.
Thinking about waves somehow the gravity did not feel much different from Earths' even before he gained a bunch of stats from his level and grade up. This felt strange to Jacob but he cast those worries aside as he smelt smoke blowing in from further within the forest. Mentally preparing himself with some deep breaths, Jacob climbed down slowly making sure his grips were okay while he descended. When he was near the base of the tree he did a small push and landed on the floor bending his knees to absorb the impact properly.
He got Flowing Water off the ground with some effort observing that none of the dirt and grime sticked onto the blade, Jacob made his way in the direction of where the wind blew in with the smoke. With the company of the ever increasing wind chills and the creaking of the branches, Jacob managed to see a campfire in the distance with shadows huddling near it.
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Jacob moved forward glad to see the first signs of humans again after awhile as he walked closer however he realised they were any humans he knew of atleast the ones that were sitting around the campfire, sounds emanating from them in a language unknown to him.
They were humanoid in appearance with skin the colour of sand and protruding from the left side of their head was a horn that curved upwards. The rest of their body was similar to humans their apparel however was another difference, they seemed to be made purely of a black silk like material it covered their torso and most of their legs. They seemed to be wearing nothing to cover their feet as if it was not affected by terrain. Jacob moved closer to take a closer look at their numbers avoiding anything that might alert them to his presence, as he drew closer his eyes widened in horror as 4 of his group were bound hand and feet all of them tied to a makeshift fence and trembling constantly, his heart started beating like he never felt before constantly thumping against his chest.
However in that moment what made his heart raced harder was the fact that even without making any sounds, like the scene out of a horror movie the heads of the humanoid slowly turned towards where Jacob was standing as he came to grips with his group being captured. 5 pair of glowing pale cream coloured eyes looked straight at him. They started moving towards Jacob gliding over the terrain untouched by the floor only now he realised none of their feet were touching the ground.
Jacob made a dead sprint in the opposite direction, he wanted no part of this horror show. How were they even able to sense him, he made sure not to even breathe too loudly but the way they turned right in his direction was definitely not to scare him out they clearly knew where he was.
'Fuck this, they should be coming after me to capture me too right now. Block and cut just like what the knight did, they might have creepy floating powers bu-' Jacob was halfway through his pep talk when the hair on the base of his neck tingled, in that moment Jacob threw himself forward narrowly remembering to avoid being cut by Flowing Water by putting his left hand straight out. He took the crash with his body sprayed out, quickly gathering himself to find one of the floating creeps right in front of him. Casting his previous thought aside Jacob roared his frustration and charged at the floater with his sword angled at its chest noting that it did not have a weapon per say but long claw hands. The floater brought its arms down one to block and the other slightly slower so as to catch Jacob defenseless, Jacob not noticing that barreled through the blocking arm knocking it into the floaters chest and along with it Floating Water smoothly slid in before the floater could even bring down the waiting arm. The floater released a raspy gasp as those glowing pale cream eyes lost its colour, Jacob felt the rush of essence confirmed his kill.
To avoid being caught in the back while trying to pull the sword out, Jacob ran with the sword still stuck in the floaters' chest turning the body along in direction he was running in before the floater dropped down completely. Jacob smoothly dragged the sword out with the chest of the floater now facing his back as he ran along the eerie forest. Gasps and more of the weird language could be heard during this sequence from behind him, trusting in his ears Jacob allowed himself to look back at the sound. A swipe raked across his right arm, causing Jacob to scream in pain 'Well that's the last time I trust my ears' bemoaning his previous judgement. He ignored the pain building up in his right arm where he could feel dollops of blood starting to flow
He dragged his left arm in a 180 degree arc to his right catching the floater across its left forearm drawing blood another raspy sound emitted once again, Jacob did not let the swing end and instead pushed into the swing angling it upwards hoping the floater got caught up in its pain. Jacob caught the floater neck cutting clean through, this time as he pushed through the neck of the floater catching its eye and the yellow coloured blood flowing from the semi opened neck, he brought the sword back to him and with a grimace he used his right hand to grab the floater around its neck closing the wound, to give himself time to assess the last 3 enemy and also to catch his breath. His left hand tightening the grip on Flowing Water, Jacob saw the last 3 floaters trembling just a short distance away.
That moment, Jacob knew these floaters can feel fear too. So he laughed, he laughed hard in the best imitation of a villain that he could. Those deranged laugh as if he had not a care in the world only what the sound of bone separating from muscle sounded like. He dropped the floater he was hanging on with his right arm, a body that he only recently killed and he smiled. A wide ear to ear smile graced his face as he slowly stalked towards the remaining floaters, for each step he took they floated away 2 more. For every breath he took he saw their eyes tremble even more. Guess having glowing eyes was not an evolutionary advantage in this case, for the final step to instill even more fear in them Jacob roared and readied Flowing Water with both hands and ran at the 3 floaters. They then turned and ran, however even floating and equipped with glow in the dark eyes did not stop them from banging into each other in their mad rush to escape causing them to pause. Jacob covered the short distance in that moment taking the chance and mustered up all the strength in both his arms and dragged Flowing Water across their torso, separating it from their lower body, visceral dropping in loud thuds yellow blood spraying all around covering the floor and Jacob in yellow viscous liquid. However being soaked was not on Jacobs mind, it was the taste of their blood. Their blood too tasted like iron.