Chapter 72: Wild Encounter
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Not long after, they stopped briefly under the shade of a lone oak-like tree to drink water and let Kai’s arms rest from supporting Renna’s weight. Vexor sat on a smooth rock, face twisted in pain. "We must keep going," he said simply, voice low. "But I feel so weak. Can you please check the surroundings, Are we... safe?"
Kai peered around, warily scanning the open grasslands. "I’m not sure," he admitted, "but we can’t stay here. We might find a safer location beyond that forest." He pointed to the tree line still an hour or two away. The thick canopy might offer shade, along with new hazards, but it was better than cooking under the midday sun in open fields.
With a determined exhale, they set off once more. Time seemed to drag, each step draining them. Rocks and twigs snagged at Kai’s feet, and Vexor kept glancing behind him as though expecting an ambush. The memory of savage beasts and betrayal weighed on their minds. Renna, though unconscious, occasionally twitched and whimpered, a sign that he still fought a battle inside his own delirium.
At last, the afternoon found them entering the outskirts of the forest. Towering trunks replaced the bleak open slope, and a cool hush enveloped them. The tall canopy overhead let in speckled sunlight, weaving bright patches on the forest floor. The new environment brought both relief and worry. They had shade, but also the risk of hidden predators prowling among the undergrowth. Regardless, they pressed deeper, searching for a place to rest.
By late afternoon, after countless steps, they found a narrow trail leading between thick bushes and wide ferns. Kai’s back ached from bearing Renna’s limp form, and Vexor stumbled often. The forest thrummed with life: distant bird calls, the chirping of insects, and the swaying hum of branches. The ground felt softer underfoot, covered in layers of decaying leaves that muffled their steps.
Suddenly, a rapid rustling in a patch of dense foliage snapped them to attention. Kai felt it with his predator instinct and his antennae tingle with alarm. Vexor clutched his spear, pointing it shakily toward the sound. The bushes parted to reveal a squat creature about the size of a large two feet dog, brown fur patched with green moss, and it stared at them with beady eyes. It let out a low growl, and from its open mouth, dripped a sickly fluid reminiscent of some earlier nightmares.
Vexor recognized it as a Muck Spitter, a two star rank beast known for hurling globs of stinging, gooey slime at threats. Though smaller than the monstrous foes they’d faced recently, it was still dangerous to them in their weakened state.
"Back away slowly," Kai said, shifting Renna’s weight to one shoulder. Vexor, trembling but determined, angled his spear forward.
The beast snarled, stepping closer. Then, without warning, it lunged, flinging a sticky wad of parrot greenish slime from its mouth. Kai jerked aside, wincing as the slime splattered onto a nearby stump with a hiss. Vexor responded by thrusting his spear, nicking the beast’s hide. The muck-spitter growls, swirling to face him, preparing another glob of slime.
With no time to think, Kai gently set Renna behind a log and rushed in to help. Activating his reflex mode, with his newly bolstered strength (the +30 from devouring Lomar’s essence), he delivered a heavy punch that knocked the small beast onto its side. It screeched, spitting slime that signed the leaves around them, but Kai leaped behind it, hooking an arm around its neck.