Kai was staring at them but suddenly he ran deeper into the dense forest, his breath was even and steady despite the battle to come. His Warlock enhanced physique carried him like a shadow through the underbrush, far faster than the five hunters trailing behind him.
They grunted and cursed, the undergrowth tugging at their legs and branches whipping at their faces, unable to match the pace of someone strengthened by Death Qi and Rank 1 cultivator physique.
Kai reached a clearing where a massive, ancient oak tree stood. He pressed his back against its trunk, its bark was rough and it brushed against his sweat slicked skin. His ears twitched, they were still following him, almost convinced they could catch their prey.
Footsteps approached, crunching twigs and rustling leaves. One of the men muttered, "How is he so damn fast?"
"Jessica," the man with a terrible scar growled, "cast the detection spell. Now."
The girl no older than twenty, her face pale but determined nodded and began to chant. She formed a sigil with her hands, glowing faint blue. But just as the spell took form, something blurred from the shadows.
Kai exploded out from behind the oak tree like a vengeful wraith, his body shrouded in a translucent flame. The air rippled around him with oppressive heat, it was Rank 2 Fire Protection spell flaring into existence, coating him in a flaming shroud. It would last only three minutes but that was more than enough.
Half of his Qi was gone.
All five of them froze, startled by the sudden attack. The girl's chanting was broken in panic.
Kai didn't go for her first.
He pivoted mid-air and redirected himself toward the scrawniest among them a gaunt young man with shaking hands, clearly the weakest. An Inept Apprentice Cultivator. A weak link in this group.
Kai's fist drew back and crimson energy surged along his arm. It was Qi Punch Rank 1 skill for a cultivator.
It used its user Qi to brust a ball of condensed energy.
The moment his fist connected with scrawny man's jaw, a sickening crack echoed through the forest. The man's neck twisted violently, his head turning almost entirely around, his eyes bulging out, blood gushing from his mouth and nose. He collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut.
"D-Derek!" someone screamed. "You're dead meat, you bastard!"
Two men sprang into action one lunged with a dagger while the other brought a wide slash with his iron sword toward Kai's face.
Kai ducked under the dagger and slid forward, planting a brutal Qi Punch into the gut of the sword-wielder. The man's breath exploded from his lungs. His sword clattered to the ground, and he doubled over, vomiting blood violently.
The girl started trembling violently and tried to chant a spell again. Her voice shook, her fingers twitching in fear.
But Kai moved faster.
He unsheathed his black steel sword, a cruel, jagged weapon he had bought from nameless village months ago.
In one motion, he thrust it toward the dagger-wielder's face. The man flinched, and the blade missed his skull by inches but cleaved off his ear.
The ear hit the dirt with a wet plop. The man howled, clamping his hand to the side of his head. "MY EAR! MY FUCKING EAR!"
He charged in rage towards Kai.
The moment his hand made contact with Kai's body, the Fire Protection spell reacted like a beast disturbed. Flames burst outward in a roar, consuming the man's hand in searing heat. He fell to his knees, screaming so loudly that birds scattered from nearby trees.
"M-My hand! Gods, my han..!" Before he could finish his sentence Kai thrusted his sword towards man's throat killing him instantly.
The girl finished her chant another water ball spell, desperate and pointless. A wave of blue ball surged forward, but Kai sidestepped it effortlessly. She began to chant again, her lips wobbling with fear.
He didn't give her the chance.
Kai surged forward.
That man with a terrible scar, big muscles knotted ropes jumped in front of her, howling, "Jessica, run!"
Kai snarled and swung his sword with both hands, using every drop of strength he had left. The blade cleaved through the man's side with a sickening shhluck, cutting him from shoulder to hip in one clean strike.
His body fell in two halves, his organs spilling out onto the leaves. Soon the iron scent of blood overwhelmed the air.
The girl's scream pierced the forest. "B-BROTHER!"
She dropped to her knees, sobbing, holding the air as if she could somehow pull him back.
"Y-You monster you killed all of them." she said pointing her index finger towards him with trembling hands.
Kai stood over her, his blade dripping with blood, fire aura flickering in the breeze. "Not all of them are dead," he said coldly, pointing the tip of his sword toward her.
He was breathing very hard now. His Qi was low. His both cores were running dry. But he had enough. Enough to kill three more if he had to.
"S-Stop! Don't kill her!" a croaked voice came from behind him.
Kai turned.
The man he'd punched in the gut earlier Joe, if he recalled right, was still alive. Barely. His hands clutched his ruptured abdomen, his lips were pale.
"Oh?" Kai said, tilting his head. "Still breathing?"
The girl turned to Joe, "J-Joe…"
Kai's eyes gleamed like twin daggers. "Why shouldn't I kill her?"
"I… I'll tell you everything!" Joe blurted. "Why we attacked you! Why we did all this!"
Kai didn't answer. He just stared.
Joe's voice trembled. "The village chief he's using orc babies. Sacrificing them in some ancient ritual… trying to extend his daughter's life. She's dying. Nothing's working. He has gone mad."
Kai narrowed his eyes.
Joe continued, "Some villagers… they lost people in the last orc raid. They submitted a formal request to the academy to deal with the orcs. But when the chief found out… he snapped. That family was executed. Then… then he told us to hunt you down. Said we had to silence you too."
"I already guessed that," Kai said with a cold smile. "I knew who was behind it the moment you tried to lure me out."
And then, without a moment's hesitation, he slashed Jessica's arm clean off.
She shrieked, a raw, primal scream.
"Ahhhhhhhhhh."
"S-STOP!" Joe howled.
Kai ignored him and slashed again, severing her leg at the knee. She crumpled to the ground, sobbing, blood pouring out in thick rivers.
"She was just following orders!" Joe shouted, tears mixing with blood on his lips.
"That makes it worse," Kai said softly. He leaned down and whispered in her ear, "You shouldn't have messed with me."
And then he slit her throat.
Her body convulsed, then went still.
Joe screamed as if his soul was being torn apart. "N-NO!"
Kai turned to him, now a specter of death, cloaked in dying flame and coated in blood.
"No witnesses should be remained. Right?" he said smiling
Joe tried to crawl backward, but it was pointless. Kai raised his blade and brought it down in one clean arc, separating head from shoulders.
The head hit the grass with a dull thud. Blood pooled like spilled ink.
Kai stood in the clearing, breathing heavily, watching the Death Essence rise like dark mist from the corpses. It spiraled toward him, drawn to his unique cores.
He felt it the intoxicating rush. The surge of power. His magic core and physical core trembled, and then solidified.
He turned to Nyx, who had remained quiet on his arm the entire time.
"Clear them," he ordered.
Nyx's eyes gleamed. She slithered down and began devouring the bodies one by one, her jaws widening impossibly. Bones cracked. Flesh vanished. In minutes, nothing remained not even bloodstains.
She disappeared into his arm after she finished eating a surge of death essence was thrown into his body by Nyx.
Peak Rank 1 Warlock.
He was very close to Rank 2 just a day and two of meditation. But he was confused why Jonna shadow assassin gave him so little death Qi who was Rank 3, while this group apprientce rank have him almost three times more than him.
He was cunfused but throwed away this thought, this was not the time.
Kai stood alone in the silent clearing.
His fingers tightened around his bloodied sword.
"Issac…" he whispered, voice dripping with fury.