Draven narrowed his eyes.
'Abnormal. A second-order monster crystal… not worth the risk. Maybe it's something worse than a phantom lynx.'
He decisively retreated, escaping in a diagonal direction. He darted through the trees shrouded in green fog.
The thick fog almost made him slam into some trees, but he swerved in time, dodging by a hair's breadth.
He halted and looked behind. His pupils constricted in shock at the sight of the white flame shooting toward him. The distance between them had shrunk even while he was running.
'It can see me?'
Draven's heart raced. He could feel his blood surging through his veins.
'Let's see if I can escape it with a zigzag running pattern.'
He acted the instant he thought of it, bolting through the fog in a zigzag movement while narrowly escaping collisions with trees.
After three minutes, he braked and looked back, only to see the white flame still hot on his heels.
'Really? I've no doubt that it can see me… because I can see it too. I must be stupid to think I'm the only one to see in the fog. I can't go on like this; I will get caught.'
Stopping in his tracks, he decided, 'I will set the battleground. Only three and a bit Soul Vitalis remain, so I need to kill it fast.'
Then he climbed a tree beside him, settling comfortably on a branch hidden by clustered leaves, and activated Stasis. Though he thought Stasis wasn't important, as the monster could see him.
With a reduced presence, Draven gripped his bow and nocked an arrow.
Three minutes later, he squinted, trying to peer through the thick fog to clearly see the fuzzy figure of a tall being rapidly approaching soundlessly. He was able to lock onto it because of the flame in its chest.
'I thought I was supposed to hear the sound before seeing the figure in this fog. Besides, running on two… legs?'
It finally clicked as he watched the figure draw closer.
'Shit! I shot a human. Well… I'll just apologize, and it should be over, right? This is going to be troublesome. Even I would be annoyed if I got shot while hunting.'
He quickly released the tension in his bow but still kept it nocked. Then he remembered Sera and activated Stasis again.
'I should be alert, as not all Elites are normal. This fog is the best place to kill—no witnesses. But is it really a human?'
He remained alert.
Soon, a figure cut through the fog and rushed a few meters past his tree before coming to a stop.
And it was a human, clad in sleek black armor that resembled his. No! It was exactly like his, except it was donned by a different person. The figure swept its gaze around, scanning the surroundings.
'That armor… It must be from Jude's team that killed the worm!'
Draven held his breath and clenched his arrow, ready to pull it, expecting the figure to look at his position. He didn't come down to apologize again.
As he silently watched the figure—who he guessed was a girl based on the contour of her armor—scanning the surroundings, he remained still. She finally raised her head to survey the trees.
She thoroughly scanned each tree around her. Draven couldn't discern her expression, as her face was hidden by the plain black helmet of the armor, but he guessed it was intent and determined, as her eyes lingered on each tree she examined.
His heart was in his throat as her gaze drew closer to his tree.
His brain went into overdrive, searching for a solution:
'Should I attack first before she reaches me and catch her off guard? Or should I wait and see? While the wait-and-see approach keeps me passive, it leaves room for a friendly settlement, as I could write off my previous shot as a mistake in the fog. But if I shoot now, it will be a full-on battle.
Worse, if she's that girl who chased me, I'm not sure one arrow could kill her, even if Wintervein is Second Order. She might also have a ranged weapon, like that red explosive weapon she threw. Lastly, depending on only three and a bit Soul Vitalis is dangerous for a tricky battle; humans aren't simple creatures. What should I do?'
Draven was torn by indecision, locked in a fierce inner battle that made his brows spasm. His eyes never left the girl.
But he snapped to reality when her gaze was a few trees from his.
'Why fight myself? I'll take the passive role now; I've already lost my chance to catch her off guard because of indecision. I'll depend on Stasis, hoping the dense fog and clustered leaves hide me, and…'
His thoughts halted when his eyes fell on the arrow, emanating a soft, blue hue that could be ignored.
Squinting his eyes, he mentally commanded the glow to vanish.
Surprisingly, the glow shrank until it was almost like a transparent outline of the arrow.
A flicker of surprise crossed his face. He had intended to discreetly remove the Soul Vitalis from the arrow and cast it aside, certain his command would fail.
He lifted his eyes and zeroed in on the figure. A cold jolt ran through him, and his nerves coiled tight as he realized her piercing stare was just a tree away.
Finally, her gaze landed on his tree.
He firmly clutched his bow, ready to spring to action.
Her gaze settled on the tree for a moment that stretched infinitely for Draven.
Suddenly, her gaze moved to the next tree. Draven exhaled softly but then thought, as she continued scanning the trees, 'She can't see me? Or is it because of Stasis? Didn't she see me climb the tree? I thought she was seeing me!'
Lowering his eyes, he saw a white flame wrapped in a blue outline in his chest.
He buried those distracting thoughts and focused.
The girl finished scanning the remaining trees and sprinted in the direction she was previously running.
Draven remained still even after she had left.
He decided, 'I'll leave in ten minutes.'
Distant roars still echoed through the forest.
About five minutes later, an abrupt, piercing headache slammed into him like a freight train. His vision spun, and he lost his balance.
Just as he fell, his hand shot out and clamped onto a branch, hanging freely from the tree. He quickly deactivated Soul Eyes and pulled himself up, lying flat on the branch with his stomach against it. Instinctively activating Stasis, he rested and took soft breaths. A tear rolled down his face as he savored the strange, peaceful moment that followed the intense pain. The pain eased slowly.
It took a few minutes before he regained his bearings, and he sat up. Looking around, all he saw was an endless sea of green fog.
Draven felt chills slither down his spine. His heart clenched. The hairs on his nape stood. His hands were trembling.
The fog was different this time. Something he never noticed. Before, Soul Eyes had comforted him, as nothing could sneak up on him, but without it active, he felt vulnerable. He couldn't clearly see beyond three meters. Even the slight movement of the leaves spooked him. His head swiveled around, his intrusive thoughts ringing false signals.
'Calm down. Calm down. Calm down.'
He recited internally.
Bringing his bow closer, he realized his arrow had fallen.
He stretched and called it, and it shot into his grasp.
Leaning against the trunk, Draven thought, 'I'll leave here in two min—'
GRRROOOOAAAAARRR!
His thoughts were cut off by a thunderous roar that swallowed every sound.
Draven froze, his breath hitching as he listened to the deafening roar reverberating through the forest. Around him, the fog churned violently. Beneath him, the tree vibrated softly, resonating with the roar.
The roar continued for a few seconds before it swept past him, echoing in the distance until it vanished. The forest plunged into an oppressive silence. Not even distant roars were heard, as if every being dreaded making the slightest noise.
'T-that is definitely a Third Order. Now, of all times?'
Draven grimaced and launched himself to the ground, veered a bit from the direction of the girl, and dashed for the entrance. He sprinted like crazy, swerving past trees.
Draven screeched to a grinding halt when he spotted a foggy figure standing in the distance. Although the figure was obscured by the fog, he knew it was the girl.
'Shit! Isn't she supposed to be escaping from that roar? Why? Was she waiting for me? If only I had Soul Eyes…'