Some thirty minutes later, I stopped to assess my surroundings. Even though I had enough stamina to not be out of breath and my hand lay by my sword, so I didn’t have to fear, I wondered. Was I going the right way? I was following whatever seemed to be the road - it was almost straightforward and had the least amount of dead leaves. But it was taking so damn long for this forest to end. Yeah, I could recall that seeing up from the castle it seemed an immense forest, but I wasn’t about to walk through it the whole day, was I?

  Stamina or not, I wasn’t exactly a trekking person. Even worse when there was nothing to see. I could hear some muffled birds here and there, but mostly it was a somber place. There were no smaller plants or trees - just the stupidly high ones that reached for the sun. This way, there were no animals, no wild cats or lizards, not even freaking snakes for me to have a nice story to tell Marc later.

  I sighed heavily, deciding to keep this up. The quest still told me to go through the Forest Road to Averly, and if that was the way to go, I had no choice.

  * * *

  Another half hour passed and now the trees had such thick canopies I could barely see where I stepped on. It was basically night time. I could only hope I was heading the right way.

  The birds chirping over me were even quieter than before as if they were whispering. Every branch that broke under my feet made them mute, and the weight of the silence was such that made my heart race, even if I knew I was the one who caused it.

  The silence grew on my mind. Gripping my sword’s hilt, I hoped there were no predators in this forest. The fact I hadn’t seen any didn’t mean there weren’t any. Besides, there were no bushes before, but now it was too dark on the edges of the road for me to know. If a raccoon decided to jump on me and take a piece of my shin home, it could and I would probably take some time to hit it with my sword.

  I sighed, wishing for a lantern or some sort of fire. I wondered if the darkness would get any worse - a bit more and I’d be unable to walk. I could set up a fire of sorts, with all that organic matter and wood, but I didn’t have the skill-

  The skill! I halted, gasping as I opened the menu, cursing myself mentally. I didn’t even check whatever my skill did - what if it made some sort of fireball that I could be using right now, even if I wasn’t a mage…

  A thud some feet behind me caught my attention. I stopped my hand mid-wave, not daring to open the menu, much less use a fireball if I had one.

  There was something close. In this pitch black, light would doom me. I would be a beacon. But then, I couldn’t attack without seeing what and where. I looked around, expecting a pair of glowing eyes in the darkness. But there was nothing.

  Seconds stretched into minutes as my heart beat in my ears. I gulped, paying attention to the sounds of the forest. To the muted silence around me, dense and suffocating. A drop of sweat ran down my neck.

  Either I imagined or whatever watched me was afraid of jumping into action. Perhaps… Perhaps their vision was not this good too. So I curved my fingers around the hilt of my sword, waiting. The hard surface against the tips of my fingers made me focus, forgetting how hard my heart was beating against my ribs.

  Leaves swished to my right, between the trees. I took a step to the left, but I knew I couldn’t run - not in the dark, not to the middle of the woods without a light and away from the only road available.

  I breathed in, willing my ears to catch any sign of movement that would give away any other enemies. Swallowing the knot on my throat, I adjusted my feet - I couldn’t run, so I’d have to fight. Worst case scenario, I’d use up all my potions and die. Brianna mentioned that whenever I blacked out, I would appear back in Glennhaven. I could only hope this also applied to being killed in the middle of a bleak forest.

  I tried to convince myself I wasn’t that bad, looking around me even if I couldn’t see a thing. My level was not mediocre - I did raise it over the minimum so I could take the demoness Astra on without any damage taken. It wouldn’t make sense to die this easily right off the bat.

  Still, my heart galloped. I decided to take some steps backward and to the left, resting my back against a tree so I wouldn’t have to worry about attacks from every side. The rugged bark against my new shirt was too real for me to not be nervous.

  Another soft step came from the first place, and I snapped my head in that direction. My heart raced with the possibility of having more than one attacker. A second later, a whistle followed by a thud right next to my ear made me jump. It was dark, but not too dark so I couldn’t see the bristled arrow quivering on the bark, an inch from my face.

  2

  The arrow bristles still wobbled with the force the arrowhead penetrated the tree trunk when I broke into a run. I zigzagged between the shadows of tree trunks as I abandoned the road and ran for my life. My heart beat in my throat as my shoulder scrapped barks and I kicked fallen branches.

  If the attackers had bows and arrows, I couldn’t stand a chance. I was a fucking knight, for fuck’s sake! I couldn’t throw my sword at an attacker!

  Gasping for air, more because of fear than for real use, I sharpened my ears to any movements. There were. Pairs of running steps behind me, as in more than one.

  Another arrow flew by my right the moment I circled to the left. A large gap between two trunks called me in and I beelined to it, planning on making a curve back to the road and run back out of this cursed forest.

  I crossed the trees, lost my footing and before I could frown, I was falling.

  A cliff. Why wouldn’t there be a fucking cliff inside a fucking forest within an erotic game?

  I cursed the whole way down. I brought my arms and legs closer to my body, having the sense to hold the hilt of my sword so I wouldn’t lose the only weapon I owned. Or be stabbed with it, because that would be the cherry on top.

  The cliff was steep and instead of dropping all the way down, I rolled over dead leaves, boughs, and stones. It didn’t exactly hurt, but the pointy rocks stabbing my ribs and the branches breaking as my face made contact full-speed with them was not exactly the most comfortable feeling. Besides all of that, I was making so much fucking noise it hurt my ears after so long in the silence. I clenched my jaw, cringing with my lack of luck.

  I reached the end of the cliff, rolling a couple of times in plain ground before stopping. Once more, not the most comfortable feeling, but I stretched my arms and legs without feeling pain. Catching my breath, I checked my health bar. Translucent colors told me my health had dropped some twenty percent. Perfect.

  My heart raced as I gasped for air, waiting with wide open eyes, but no sound followed me. I slowly sat up, clutching my sword as I blinked, trying to make out the place I was in.

  Not surprisingly, it was dark as night, and I could only make out the silhouettes of tree barks. The floor was soft with high underbrush. Standing up, I brushed dead leaves from my pants as I looked around, following the edge of the cliff.

  Willing my heart to stop racing, I looked up but couldn’t quite see the top of the cliff. That is, until a dim, orange light blinked up in the darkness.

  I snapped my head away, covering my sore eyes as I ducked down, stepping softly to hide behind a tree. I blinked dozens of times before my eyes adjusted to the fact that light still existed in the world.

  Peeking from around the tree I hid in, I watched the light approach the border from where I fell. Holding my breath, I could hear not only soft steps but whispers, murmurs so quiet one could mistake them for the hustle of leaves.

  The cliff was far shorter than I expected once I looked up, orange light bathing the side of it. I squinted, looking for the source to find a torch held by a slim arm.

  I held back a gasp - this game knew how to make gorgeous women. Angled cheeks and eyebrows, plump lips half-opened as keen eyes looked around the trees for me. A lithe, slim body clad in a skimpy green top that barely held back amazingly round tits. So amazing, in fact, that one could say they were fake - though I was pretty sure there was no plastic surgeon in this forest. Her skirt, made of the same green material, hugged her hips so tight it looked more like a second skin. Limber, long legs clad in hazel boots completed the look of the beautiful female, her unreal face framed by soft, light green locks of hair. The top of a pointy ear escaped from between luscious curls. Her other elegant hand held a short bow, and I could see a quiver tied to her hip.

  An elf. Of course. Shooting arrows in the dark from up the trees.

  I was dead.

  Another she-elf came up behind her, pretty-faced, a way darker green hair, but she was nothing compared to the beauty holding the torch. The newcomer whispered something to the first’s ear, who nodded. Her eyes still darted the forest floor for a moment.

  But just for a moment. The dark-haired elf took the torch from the gorgeous one, who left. The other held the torch up, descending the cliff with elegant, careful steps. I clenched my jaw, looking around for a way out, or an idea, or anything that would save me from imminent death. As much beauty as those elves had, I still didn’t feel like dying just yet. I had no idea what would happen if I did - my last saving point was before fighting Astra. If I died, would I have to fight her without taking any damage again? I was not that patient, even if I knew I would get to punish her all over again…

  Punish her.

  It was just then that it hit me. I had a skill I hadn’t used yet - Punishment! I forced my breathing to slow down, not daring to move more than the tips of my fingers to open my menu. Hopefully, whatever punishment it was, it would have to be enough to save my ass.

  Deals 30% extra damage, increased chance of critical for a minute, three minutes cooldown

  I swallowed hard. I only had a minute to make it or break it. In this case, the elf breaking me. Possibly with an arrow through my skull. But luck was on my side - they apparently needed some light, in the least, and the fact she was holding up a torch to look for me would help me fight without hitting a tree thinking it was an enemy. Also, she was not up in the canopy, so if I was fast enough, I could possibly manage to hit her.

  Her steps approached my tree, my heart galloping as a part of my brain kept asking where the hell the gorgeous elf was.

  I activated the skill. Here goes nothing.

  Jumping from behind the tree, I unsheathed my sword. The sound reverberated in the mute forest, filling the silence. The elf jumped back a couple of steps, dodging my swing twice. I clenched my teeth. She didn’t fetch any kind of weapon nor attacked me. I swung again. She dodged. Why wasn’t she attacking back?

  A presence grew behind me. It loomed and made my breath hitch before I even heard any movement. Straining the muscles of my arm, I swirled around, swinging my sword back with everything I got. The light-haired elf was standing steps behind me when the tip of my sword met the bow she was holding, inches above her hand. It cut clean through it the wood, a small, iridescent Critical hit hovering on the top corner of my vision. The bow parted in two, the arrow falling from her fingers. She gasped, wide eyes as she watched the top half of her weapon dropping from her hand to the forest floor.

  My heart swelled in pride. Holding my sword up, I took a moment to analyze if she was giving up - but she looked back up at me with pure fury in her blue eyes, her hand searching for her hips.

  She pulled a long knife. The blade reflected the light mesmerizingly as she pointed it toward me.

  But I wasn’t hesitant any longer. I got this. I ducked, noticing the orange light behind me moving. Snapping my gaze over my shoulder, I jumped to my left just to be sure. I watched the blade from the other elf gliding down the air on the exact place I had been a moment prior. I stepped sideways, my eyes darting from one to the other, but I didn’t have time. My skill gave me less than a minute to finish them now, otherwise I’d have to wait for three minutes for it to activate again. I knew I wouldn’t live that long without an attack boost.

  So I unclenched my jaw, emptying my lungs in a yell as I lunged at them. The two were close to one another, but I knew they would jump away when I swung my blade. So I got ready.

  As I drew a horizontal arch, I watched the two ducking to opposite sides as I expected. I stepped up my right leg, ending my motion with an upward move that made a cut in the dark-haired elf’s arm. She wailed, pulling her arm back to her body. I took my chance, lunging at her and sliding twice at her torso. She gasped, falling to her knees, but no experience points floated up from her corpse.

  Which meant she wasn’t dead.

  The stunning one behind me yelled something along the lines of “Eleria”, jumping in my direction. I had no time to worry about the fallen elf. I turned, repeating my feint with a horizontal motion that made her stop in her tracks. I changed my feet, standing in front of her with separated legs as I looked for an opening.

  There was no time. I had no time for analyzing, no time to fear the fact that I didn’t kill the other elf, so she could get up and stab me in the back. I clutched my sword, jumping with a scream.

  The light-haired elf brought her knife up to stop my sword, but as the words Critical hit blinked up on the corner of my vision, my blade slid right through hers, parting it in half. The point drew a circle in the air before dropping to her shoulder. She yelped, jumping sideways with a limp.

  She gasped for air as I held my sword up, ready for another blow. She scrunched her nose, frowning at me, but she held her chin up, waiting.

  I moved my blade, lifting it and resting the tip against her neck.

  “Captain!” The fallen elf behind me whimpered, and I stepped back so I could the two of them.

  It was an enticing sight, it was for sure. The captain’s chest rose and fell with heavy breathing and this close up I could distinguish the green material that hugged her curves - leaves. Not leaves properly but some kind of cloth sewed from vivid green leaves. The poise with which she held herself was that of indeed a leader, proud as she looked at me from between lashes, waiting for the final blow. Watching her on her knees, her half-opened lips breathing in harshly, I couldn’t help but imagine her lips around my member.

  But there was still the small problem of them trying to kill me to solve.

  The fact they were defeated but not dead was new to me. They weren’t trying to attack, they just waited for their sentence. Which probably meant they played some kind of role in all this.

  “I do not wish to fight,” I tried, staring straight into the captain’s eyes. “I just want to cross the forest.”

  She snickered, “Oh please,” her low voice was clear as the gurgle of a river but strained in rage. “No one crosses the forest unless they’re servants of the Necromancer.” She bared her teeth as if the name itself brought her intense fury.

  I scowled. “I serve no one,” and I was surprised to catch the pride in my own voice. “In fact, I am on my way to destroy this Necromancer.”

  She chuckled. “I won’t deny you’re strong, stranger. But you can’t take on the Necromancer by yourself. No one can. One would need…”

  “Allies?”

  She cocked an eyebrow, nodding. “You’d have to make the leaders your allies first. That’s not a simple quest.”

  I looked between the two, lowering my sword. “That’s what I have set out to do. I could’ve killed you if I wanted to, but I just want to cross the forest.”

  The two looked between them for a moment, the captain slowly rising to her feet after she retrieved her broken knife. I watched her, waiting for her to attack me… But she limped a bit and put the knife away. Two pairs of eyes blinked up at me.

  “Very well,” the captain nodded, motioning a hand to the cliff. “Let’s get back up to our quarters. We can talk up in the safety of the trees.”

  3

  I followed the two back up the cliff, rearing the line. Eleria still carried the torch, the fire making her hair seem even darker. She limped slightly as we reached the road but no sound escaped her lips.

  “This way,” the captain motioned down the path and I followed her, enjoying the view from her back. She was way less curvy than Astra, the hot demonic leader, or Brianna, but her bubble ass, barely clad in those green leaf-like-clothes, was a sight. Her light green hair swished side to side over her hips, a mesmerizing motion accompanied by the swing of her ass.

  The three of us followed the road for another five minutes, what made me think they had been watching me for some time. As we neared a particularly large oak tree, they stopped and the captain brought two fingers to her mouth. She whistled, such melodic sound I could’ve mistaken it for a bird song.

  That made me wonder if I heard any real bird in this forest, or if it had all been elves watching me as I tripped and cursed.

  A rope ladder fell from the low canopy and Eleria let the torch drop, stepping on it until the fire was out. She knelt, hiding the branch among the tree roots, then turned and climbed the steps gracefully. The captain looked over her shoulder at me.

 

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