Chapter 56. Ghoulish Wolf (3)

Right before Grim left*

Ash sat meditating having closed up his wounds and started to train his qi manipulation when he felt Grim's message.

"Did he seriously just go off on his own. Freaking retard, where exactly would you even go?" 

Expression livid, Ash got up before stopping as one of his wounds opened right back up.

"Damn, sects, they always gotta suppress others." Moving a bit slower this time, Ash got his things and followed after where Grim left. His expression became increasingly annoyed as Grim had not only blocked his link but had also left the range in which he could still sense his partner's location. 

His partner moving fairly quick while he moved slower than normal. 'When I find that miscolored chicken I'll roast his ass.'

All trainers and their bonds had a sense of where their partners were but this varied. Some had a deeper connection, others had a sixth sense, but it remained a fact that after a certain distance neither could sense the location of the other.

Traveling in the general direction of where Grim left, Ash pulled out his bow and arrow.

"Injured and without a definitive location, wonderful." Breathing deep he stopped and thought of his father's lessons. Looking around he increased his vigilance and started to use his qi radar while moving with lighter footsteps. Arrow nocked, Ash shot three, one after the other at a still vine. They punctured it causing a previously still rock to go crazy. A head with a jagged maw let out child like whines as it released it's camouflage.

"Man eating Illusive Fly trap, no way I'm letting you get a bite outta me." The arrows hit one of it's many arms while the head morphed from a smooth looking rock to a mouth with a very flesh like eye."

The eye squinted as it's vine swung like a whip at Ash.

Feeling the wind, Ash maneuvered with measured steps as he looked at the various vines now starting to move before finding one in particular that was grey in color. Arrow knocked again, Ash used [blood rush] quickly as he fired arrows as fast as he could trying to pin down that specific vine.

Getting two shots in that particular vine, the Illusive Fly trap lost control for a moment as the head bobbed up and down.

Not slowing for a moment, Ash knocked a couple more arrows before they sank into the grey vine.

The plant finally started to wilt as Ash cautiously walked over to the plant.

Taking a knife from his pack, Ash disassembled the plant before taking a coiled looking root and a flesh like grey mass from the head.

"Huuhhh, I swear, it's like cores try and avoid me." Taking the two ingredients, Ash packed them away carefully before moving after his partner.

Ash fought a couple of creatures off easy, gaining some herbs and components. Stepping away from a Lion headed weasel he dissected. Ash's eyes went wide as he was blasted back.

Rolling on the ground he got behind a tree as a nocked some arrows on his bow. Using qi radar he got a sense of his opponent before they just disappeared.

Facing the last known location Ash moved from cover bow at the ready as he stared down the area from his attacker. Not finding anything, Ash was quiet before using bone shell on his arm as a chopper slammed into it.

His bone casing broke as a one-armed boy kicked Ash in the stomach. Flying back, Ash still fired arrows at his opponent, who dodged systematically. Ash laid on his back still firing arrows at the man trying to take his life.

For the first time, Ash was getting a good look at the boy who was bald, with attire only from the blood sect. The boy honestly looked more like an old man with shriveled skin and age spots on his face.

Completely bald, one arm, and blood splattered all over him, the boy absolutely looked crazy.

Looking at his eyes, Ash could see a look that only animals had. His eyes were sanguine red and dilated to the extreme.

"I don't know who you are but why don't you just ease up and we can see if we can help each other."

"You must have a blood affinity, just the tonic for my situation, your scent is simply appetizing." The voice was raspy and aged but held a slow authoritative tone. Ash couldn't put together that this was Kraven, the young master of the Blood sect. His appearance was just too different.

'Great a freaking cannibal, must be a disciple of the blood sect.'

Ash did a back flip, popping himself off the ground while storing his bow and arrow, swiftly taking out his saber. Ash grit his teeth at the pain, several wounds opening back up and his movements slower than normal. Kraven eyes seemed to lock on even more as he saw blood run down Ash. 

Eyebrows jumping Ash didn't expect the boy to move so quick he was already in front of him.

It was only a second when he flipped that he lost sight of the boy that he appeared again.

The chopper slammed down on his saber before the boy's technique went from forceful to grateful.

The chopper glowed red on it's inscription as it moved so quick it went from being block by Ash's weapon to having moved into his chest.

Suffering a cut, Ash staggered back as the boy followed. The both of them frowned. Ash because he had blocked the attack, only to have his saber in the same position and the chopper in his previously guarded chest. Kraven frowned because that cut should've gutted the boy.

Ash' armor blocked the attack but a cut still appeared underneath the now torn armor. Using [blood burst] Ash sped up as he attacked vigorously.

Kraven smiled at seeing the attack.

"It seems like you stumbled upon our sect's technique, how fortunate." Kraven dodged effortlessly before kicking Ash's arm upwards, jerking his saber with it. His elbow crashed into a specific qi node on Ash's torso as Ash felt his qi flow in reverse.

Kraven smiled as Ash was left wide open. About to make his next move Kraven's vision pulsed, his body seizing as pain wracked his body.

"Damn you, you greedy bastard. How the hell do you expect me to feed you when you screw up the collection of prey?!" Inside his spirit pouch, the little worm pulsed quietly. An extraction of qi, blood, and even soul took place. "Your hunger knows no bounds."

Ash was still, as the moment his opponent attacked one of his qi nodes, he felt like his insides were being ripped apart by his blood. Sweat flowed from his forehead from the pain but he still tried to regain control of his body.

Looking at the opponent that suddenly stopped, Ash furiously tried to regain control over his body. His opponent still a mere step away from him holding his chopper staring at him like a well primed meal.

"Thank God... I just need to get back in control and I can handle this guy." Ash tried harder and harder to regain control, blood spurt from his nose and from his mouth but the more it did, the better he felt.

"Maybe if I..." Ash stopped the circulation of qi while doing his best to draw blood to his throat. After a few seconds, he coughed out copious amounts of blood.

Vision dizzy, Ash tried to get into stance only for his legs to give out. His opponent oddly enough was still frozen and looked even more withered than previously.

"Fuck, there's no way I should be this weak, what the hell did this guy do to me?"

Blood still pouring from his nose, turning the moss, grass, and dirt red. Weak beyond what he could comprehend.

Ash grit his teeth before he hobbled away, his grip on his saber never loosening in the event the mad man regained mobility. Getting a fair distance away, Ash popped a healing pill and switched back to bow and arrow.

'My meal is getting away, hurry up with your extraction.' Kraven's bond acted like it didn't hear him but a satiated feeling started to be released from it.

Anticipation rose in Kraven as he saw Ash turn around, drop to one knee, and notch an arrow. He didn't miss how shaky and uncoordinated Ash's movements became.

"Hahahaha, dumbass should've used a teleportation talisman when he had the chance. I'll be recovering well with that fool's body." Kraven's expression remained the same but the mockery in his eyes was still able to convey his observation.

Ash noticed that Kraven's muscles were moving slightly and fired off arrow after arrow only for most of his attacks to miss. The few that did were blocked by armor. One of his arrows flew to Kraven's heads but it was mysteriously blocked by a blue shield.

"Damn it, why the heck does this guy have armor? I got one head shot but it still amounted to nothing, this rich kid probably has an artifact. Ok... I should've expected that but it still sucks nut."

Realizing his attacker would be able to move any second Ash started to brainstorm some ideas.

'Fuck I should've trained more with the bow like dad said.' Remorseful at his lack of foresight, Ash decided to bet on one move.

'Bet I could use flash point.' Slowly performing the move with a bow for the first time, Ash focused on one point only to be presented with another dilemma. If armor was blocking, then where to shoot?

Thinking Ash decided to fully commit to flooding his technique with death qi. It wasn't an energy he was very familiar but it nonetheless Ash was still able to summon some of it.

His arrow gleamed with a now black energy as a target formed on Kraven. Holding the arrow, Ash used as much qi as he could, further worsening his condition. Blood ran like a faucet in his nose but he held fast as the target shrunk, turning pitch black.

"[Flash Point}" The arrow released, Kraven's eyes shrunk at the attack, an arrow zoomed forward, aimed at his one good eye. His artifact only protected his head but with armor it was all he needed.

Yet he saw the deathly aura radiating from the attack and knew it may injure him.

A clash of black and blue took place as Ash's arrow meet the shield protecting Kraven's head. Ash's attack gnawed away at the blue shield until it finally popped.

A flash of black went forth, but Ash's vision went hazy. Breathing heavy, he leaned on a tree until his vision stabilized as a he watched a now empty area. The boy from before had rolled out of the way but not before the arrow tore a nasty line on the side of his head, starting from the corner of his eye to behind his ear.

Black qi still lingering from the attack now festering the wound.

Kraven looked like a deranged zombie at this point, having his qi/blood/lifeforce absorbed and death qi seeping into his head.

Using his blood manipulation, blood poured out of the wound as wisps of black qi went with it. After going pale beyond what any human should, all of the death qi had been extracted but with that was most of his energy.

"You will die here today. You think you can beat me, no....." Madness started to erupt from his eyes as Ash watched.

Sucking his teeth, Ash took out his saber once more as weakly put away his bow and arrow. Kraven himself could hardly walk and Ash was just as bad. The two stared daggers at one another as best they could while their vision betrayed them. A short huff let the two know that they weren't alone. A lumbering figure walked over slowly.

A big fat belly visible before the rest of his body. The creature had dark blue skin, stocky legs, and muscular arms. A head fatter than a pig's ass came into view.

"Lumbering Ogre" The two said at the same time. Kraven looked at Ash trying to sear his image into his mind. No words needed to be said, Ash's face held no mercy. Crushing a talisman, Kraven was teleported away as Ash was left alone with the ogre.

"Better run, freak, next time your head's going to rest on my saber." Leaning on his saber, Ash got ready to fight to the death. But a strange feeling enveloped him as a flash of white went through his eyes.

"Grim..." Ash felt his spirit invigorated as he healed slightly. A new power at his finger tips but he hardly had time to understand it. Using his now crystal clear mind, Ash looked around as the ogre walked ever closer.

The scent of blood and battle an alluring bell that called the ogre as if to signify the start of a meal. It had a metal club in it's hand and a hand full of dung in the other.

Performing a status check, Ash's face twitched.

Beast: Lumbering Ogre (f rank)

Attributes: Wood/Physical

Sex: Male

Innate skill:

Vitality Smash: Hit an opponent with power twice of your vitality.

Skills: [Intimidating Roar] [7 club knock] [Fat distribution] [Dung throw]

{Str: 7.3 Sta: 5.0 Agi: 3.0 Vit: 9.0 Int: 2.1 Spi: 2.1}

"Great time to not have a partner."