Ambush

The level 15 large lesser demon groaned, turning its neck hurriedly in an attempt to catch where the flicker of light that had attracted it went.

It found nothing but trees and bushes and a few small hairy humanoid creatures looking at it from above, observing curiously.

It groaned once more clearly dissatisfied with its loss and then it lifted its hand up and strongly struck the ground. Dust and dirt pushed away from the area where the force was applied and the hairy creatures above scattered and hid in fear

It roared, raising its hands and began running back.

….

"You will die if you don't come awake. Eaten alive and dismembered." A tiny voice rang in Finrod's head and he immediately opened his eyes turning his head to the sides in search of where the voice had come from. When he saw no one, he looked above and still, there was no one.

He slowly got up, he felt that his right arm had healed significantly, and the pain he felt earlier had greatly lessened. He slowly moved up his right arm and though it still hurt, he was sure that he could grip his sword and fight with it.

His ribs as well had healed considerably, he could get up without holding the urge to scream out.

'This is truly incredible, no elves have made this much progress in healing, not even in our ancient readings. This must be an effect of the system.' He had a look of total astonishment, he looked at his hands like they weren't his, clenching and flexing them like he just had the ability to do so.

He looked to his front on the soil where the skull had stopped before he slept and he saw that it wasn't there any longer.

"Hmmm?"

He walked forward to the spot, stopped at a step before where he knew it had laid and looked around. It was gone, someone, something had taken it.

"The voice, it wasn't a dream."

He looked at his stat information, they were mostly the same as he left it except the ones in fractions. They had increased significantly, especially mana.

He let out a sigh of relief and then his thoughts wandered off to the voice again.

It certainly wasn't a voice that he had heard before and the accent didn't belong to his people, that meant one thing…

"The warning must have come from whoever took the skull. It certainly wasn't a demon nor a transformed which means that it's likely that it was a person who knew the skull's owner. A friend of theirs perhaps?"

He cleared his throat, arching forward a little with his clenched hand up to his mouth.

"Thank you, kind stranger! If you're still around, I'd like to enlist your help with directions, I might be able to protect you if our paths align. Please"

Nothing, no sounds but a few rustling of leaves.

"It's coming." The voice said with a hazy voice.

Finrod swiftly turned to spot them.

"What is coming?" he spoke to empty trees, he couldn't see the fellow.

"Oh, you'll see." It said lowly with a mischievous smile hidden behind a tree and sitting on one of its large trunks, not intending for Finrod to hear.

Immediately after, heavy stomps rumbled the ground.

An unflattering scary image of the dungeon mimic came up in his mind but he shook away the thought once he realized that the stomps weren't as heavy.

"It's coming this way." His eyes widened in realization.

He jumped up backwards sensing the creature's close approach. The demon broke through the bush in front of him and leaped, its large hands stretched forward to grab him.

Finrod's body was alert, his eyes glued on the hands of the creature while his left hand swiftly went into a pocket by his upper thigh and grabbed a little knife.

He threw forward the knife and it struck into the cheek of the demon causing it to yelp. Its attention was off at that moment and it fell to the ground.

Finrod landed perfectly with his legs lowered and far apart. He swiftly equipped his bow on his left hand and forced his right to nock an arrow. He gritted his teeth, the demon was getting up.

"It won't work." The voice uttered again soundly disinterested.

He released the arrow as soon as it got on its feet and it struck its neck.

The demon groaned lightly still at the spot, it pulled off the arrow in its neck and a little stream of dark red blood poured.

It picked the arrow between its fingers staring at the now red spot and then it licked it and bit off the metal.

It chewed it for a few seconds and spat the ground residue out.

Its large hand went on its face and pulled the knife that stuck below its eyes.

It winced a little feeling some discomfort.

"Not enough."

[Lesser Demon-lvl 15]

The demon roared and beat its large chest with its big strong arms violently like it was immune to pain.

Finrod's nerves flared as it did, he looked shocked and a terrible message came up.

[You've been hit by a Lesser Demon's cry, you do not bear enough resistance nor are your stats high enough to nullify its effect]

[Stats are reduced by 10% for 30 seconds]

"Ahhh!" Finrod felt that his eardrums were going to bust and he held his hands over his ears tightly.

The demon ran forward swinging lowly its right arm.

'Jump, jump.'

His body couldn't move, the demon was way too fast not to mention that his stats had been reduced.

Its forearm swept Finrod and sent him flying for meters breaking through bushes until a tree finally stopped him.

[Health is dangerously low, you've been granted rein over Arcane Fury]

'Arcane fury… what's that? Where am I?' his thoughts became muddled up as he fought to stay conscious, his vision darkened and then his eyes closed.

"It'll be a shame to let the last elf of Mire Woods die, won't it?"