Exploration

The heat of the fire kept the cold away and illuminated the area around, Looking beyond what the light of the fire lit I was only met with the silence and darkness of the forest that lad right in front of me.

I ,along with Floyd, were meant to keep watch whilst everyone else rested. Floyd decided he'd lurk in the trees above and keep an overhead view of the situation while I stayed on the ground level and protected the camp.

The crackling of the fire was the only sound I could hear and it remained that way throughout the entire time I was on watch.

*****

After just waking up from my comfortable slumber I walked out the tent and joined the rest of the group who were already ready to go.

I pasted the four other tents and the pile of corpses before I reached where everyone else appeared to be waiting for me at.

Floyd waited for me to sit before he finally explained the plan for today.

"We're going out to hunt. Since all of us except for Anastasia and Azriel have killed monsters those two are going to be slightly behind us when it comes to the energy required to return to Earth meaning they might get left behind...

Currently my energy in my body is at around 20% complete and my energy mind is only at around 8% complete. How much energy to you two need?" Floyd asked the two of us.

"My energy body is at 15% and my mind's at 2%." 

Anastasia's wound had already been completely healed and she was ready to fight.

'How's her energy so high after only killing one monster, mines still at zero, I didn't kill anything.'

"My energy's at 0%. I haven't killed anything." 

I gazed towards the ground with my hand rubbing my head out of shame as an embarrassed smile formed on my face from the fact I hadn't killed any monsters like the rest of them.

"This makes it even worse. We can't really help you in killing monsters because energy is given based on your impact on the battle so even if we did help you gain energy we'd be gaining energy as well, plus you're the only one in the group with nothing.....

"Might sound a little cruel but we're going to have to leave you." Floyd turned to me and said before he continued to elaborate on what he meant.

"We're all still going to work as a team to kill the monsters but once everyone else starts to leave you're going to be the last and only one left, that's what I meant by we're going to have to leave you." 

Floyd explained before he refocused on the bigger picture and on the game plan before I even had a chance to refute.

"Before we move out all together I'm going to explain a little bit about where exactly in the Aquinox Realm we are and what makes this region so dangerous."

"The Cursed Breath is the name of this region,it was once a major demon citadel that humans and demons alike used to meet at before a calculated siege by the Aquinox Realm's monsters destroyed the citadel and this region's land leaving most wildlife to rot except for these huge trees that acts as protection against the monsters in the sky and a weapon for the monsters on the ground..."

"Amelia, Jasper, and Gabriela have already scouted out the area and have found what appears to be an abandoned mansion in the distance. It'll take us around two days to reach so we're going to start heading there as soon as possible for shelter and to see if anyone else is also there."

Dismissing the meeting Floyd headed over to the tents and destroyed the wooded tents made from mud, sticks and leafs.

After that we were all prepared to go. Whilst everyone else seemed ready and prepared I felt wary and felt multiple pairs of eyes almost glued to me but no matter how much I looked around there was nothing.

Maybe it was because I was already on edge that I became even more cautious ,after all we were traveling in the most dangerous world, the Aquinox Realm,as a group that has absolutely no weapons except for our fists' It just felt a little unnerving.

Floyd led us upward on top of the 110 meters tall trees, the last living things in this region of the Aquinox Realm besides the countless monsters.

Jumping from tree to tree I was stationed in the back of the group.

Thinking for a while I followed behind the Kyle who was a few feet in front of me, but then I realized something.

'If these trees are the only living things left in this region then there must be water so why did every other plant die including the grass, I mean the grass in there but it's a dull gray and black color instead of it's vibrant green.'

Suddenly in the middle of my thoughts the branches below us collapsed as the entire group fell down the light of the sun hit the ground below us and illuminated the tens of most that lurked below us with their maws wide open ready to eat.

As if one instinct I bared my hands into the nearest tree and enchanted them with energy to slow my fall but the momentum from the fall kept my downward motion until I eventually stopped.

Looking down I saw Jasper and Gabriela lower than me but looking up I saw Jillton and Krill a few feet above me similarly looking down and above them was Kyle and the rest.

"What are you waiting for Azriel, Jillton, and Krill go and help Jasper and Gabriela before the monsters reach them!" Anastasia shouted at us from high above.

Confused I looked back down and saw that the previously assumed tens of monsters turned out to be hundreds of them and they were all hungry and climbing the trees one on top of another to reach Jasper ,who was the lowest, and Gabriela.

Feeling as though an arrow shot past me I saw Jillton's free-falling downwards towards Jasper at an astonishing speed and right behind him was Krill who dove for Gabriela.

If I was to jump down at that point I'd be useless because they already have enough people what I really need to do is come up with a way to stall those huge panther-like mindless dogs whilst no disturbing Jillton and Krill from saving those two.

The panther-like monsters were giant but their bodies were all thin as if they were malnourished and their bones were sticking out of their bodies and yet that didn't take away from their savage thirst for blood as they climbed over each other and quickly made their ways up the tree.

Their maws would continuously open and close as they bit at thin air as if it were their prey, their rows of huge white teeth probably capable of easily breaking steel, with or without their energy on, was on complete display.

I thought and only one thing came to mind, energy discharge if I focus enough I might be able to send an energy ball capable of knocking down the highest one and once he falls the below him will be hit and then the one below him and so on.

'That'll only happen if I'm able to make one that can go far enough and if I can make it fast enough, or before they get eaten.'

Focusing my energy I extended my palms and congregated my energy in a ball in front of my hand, then I amplified the energy ball making it so it'd last longer when it floats through the air and then I enchanted it once more and gave it a lot more fire power but not too much of it'd become unstable.

I constantly reshaped the ins and outs of the energy ball to ensure it'd reach and hit its target before I finally launched it, but I forgot to calculate one thing. Speed, the speed of the ball was faster than a snail I'll give it that but it was still extremely slow.

Jasper and Gabriela had been reached by Jillton and Krill, but the monster too were only a few feet away from meeting them.

The ball won't reach in time unless...

Conjuring another energy ball I make it completely off of instinct and spend a minimal amount of time calculate anything before I discharge it and perfectly aim it to hit the first energy ball I launched.

The second ball is an extremely fast ball the hits the first energy ball a second after being discharged , but here comes the moment of truth if the second ball hit the first one and they both explode I failed and they're dead but I the two balls combine and the velocity of the energy is increased and reaches the monsters I'm saved.

Staring at the result in batted breath the outcome becomes painfully clear as the ball shoots and nails the monster right in the head right as it was a foot away from Jillton and Jasper.

The energy from the ball knocks the monster of the trees just barely and sends it barreling down effectively hitting multiple monster below which causes a whole disruption in the entirety of the monsters below.

[You have killed a Cursed Panther.]

Jillton hops from branch to branch upward with Jasper whilst Krill and Gabriela are right behind them effectively escaping.

Everyone makes it back up and the monsters are left to feast on nothing but themselves below us.

Continuing to jump through the trees Floyd leads the group with more caution and makes sure nothing happens.

Spotting a clearing with a few monsters Floyd leads an attack on the monsters and grabs their attention before the rest of us follow up and finish the monsters.

After killing them we continue venturing atop the trees until we reach where were going to rest for the night.