Dark Forest

Kai followed Donley into the dark forest cautiously.

The monsters were higher level here, so Donley slowed down considerably as he led the way through the forest.

Between the trees, Kai saw one of the monsters.

"Uh… oh right, analyse." he thought as he watched it.

[Blood Wisp - Level 2]

[12 HP]

"Huh, it's only level two. Not that dangerous… Maybe Donley is just scared of them?" he shrugged as he walked.

"Pretty strange monster though, it looks like a floating red orb."

The duo continued deeper into the jungle, and soon, the blood wisps were level 3.

"Hmm, they have a bit more HP now, but I think I could still take one of them on." Kai thought.

The level 3 blood wisps had 16 health, and with Kai's hand crossbow, it would take four hits to end them.

However, he wasn't sure how much damage they could do, and he hasn't even had a battle before so he couldn't be sure how well he could fight.

Soon enough, they were walking down a narrow path, hemmed in by trees, bushes and boulders. It seemed like this was the path to the next area.

Ahead of them were two level 3 blood wisps - to continue on this path, they had no choice but to fight.

As Kai had these thoughts, wondering if he could take on a blood wisp, Donley stopped and turned around.

"Kai, it seems like we will have to fight some of these, there's no way around."

"I see… so, do you have a strategy? What should I do?"

"Hmm, it will be better to damage them from a distance. How about you attack them, and then when they come into close range, I will jump in and finish them off?"

"Sure, sounds good."

Donley's plan was straight-forward and simple, and Kai followed it without any hesitation.

"Oh, I will just aim…"

*Shewww* the bolt made a quiet whistling noise at it left his hand and went flying into the blood wisp.

*Ptui~* it implanted itself into the wisp.

[-4] A damage number floated up above the blood wisp.

"Wow.. I hit it." Kai thought, a little shocked at how easy it was.

While the wisps looked like an orb of red light, they actually had an invisible physical body which surrounded the orb of red light, and this was what Kai hit.

"Ok, now the other one." he quickly reloaded his hand crossbow.

*Shrewww~ Ptui*

[-4]

"Another direct hit, nice!" he said as he began to reload.

Turning around he asked for advice "Should I just keep firing?"

"What the?" Donley wasn't there.

"Huh? Donley?"

Before Kai realised it, Donley had left the party and had disappeared.

"Donley!? I need you buddy!" Kai reloaded his hand crossbow and shot again.

[-4]

"This won't be quick enough…" he decided to use a skill.

[Quick reload]

[-4] he landed another bolt, not missing a single attack since he started firing.

The first blood wisp was close now - close enough to attack Kai.

Its red light was bright for a moment before it contracted and a red tentacle of light shot out from it and pierced Kai right in the arm.

[-5]

"Ah!" The pain caused Kai to be temporarily distracted, before he remembered one of his skills.

[Quick step]

He dashed back a few metres, giving him time to reload and fire once more.

[-4]

So far, Kai had split the damage up between each wisp.

One was on 4/16 health, the other was on 8/16 health.

"Just one more hit, and I can finish the other one… where are you Donley?!"

Kai reloaded once more as the wisp drew closer and attacked.

[-5]

"Ah!" it felt like a hot iron burning into his flesh.

"Donley?!" he cried out once more.

The second wisp was getting closer now too and was preparing to attack.

"Dammit, I need help Donley!"

*Shru~"

"AHH!"

A small hatchet pierced right into Kai's back.

[-8]

"Sorry, nothing personal kid."

As Kai turned around, he saw Donely holding a bloody hatchet, a ravenous smile across his face. This was when the second wisp attacked.

[-5]

Kai only had 25 health, and he currently only had 3 health left.

"Why?" Kai's voice weakly cracked.

Donley looked at him, without an answer he simply shrugged at him. "Thanks for weakening them for me."

*swish swish swish*

[-12]

Kai felt the pain fully. With a final swing, Donely's hatchet found it's place in Kai's collar bone, blood squirting across a nearby tree as Kai dropped to his knees and died.

Suddenly, a white light appeared and before Kai realised it, he found himself back at the fountain in the middle of town.

"What… the… betrayal?! Why? …I will not let myself be kicked down in this life too, no…"

Kai glanced at his map.

"South…"

He then sprinted in the direction of south.

"I will make him regret this." he eyes gleamed with ferociousness. He was like a madman with a single purpose - revenge.

Kai ran and ran, ignoring the beetles' as he ran past and even jumped over them. He was running so fast that he even lost the beetles.

Getting to the dark forest, he continued to run, taking the same path as before.

It was easy to find where he was before, as the map was blacked out everywhere else.

As Kai drew closer, he noticed a weird light in front of him.

"What the.."

It was the soul-killer mark.