Chapter 45: First Blood

Maydee suddenly raised her hand. "Be still and don't speak," she whispered, her voice barely audible but firm with command.

In one smooth motion, she nocked an arrow straight from her quiver, drawing the short bow in a movement so fluid it was as if she had done it a thousand times before.

Joshua frowned. "What are you doing, Master?"

A snap of a twig. Leaves shuffling. A guttural growl echoing from the darkness.

"Prepare for battle," Maydee murmured. "We're being surrounded."

Joshua's heart pounded against his ribs, but his hands moved instinctively. He reached behind him, unfastening the shield from his back and strapping it onto his left arm. His body tensed as he pushed energy into his eyes, instantly enhancing his senses. The world sharpened—the faintest shift of shadow, the twitch of unseen figures in the foliage, the subtle gleam of hungry eyes watching from the underbrush.

His core flared to life, energy coursing through him like fire. He calculated frantically, adjusting angles and trajectories, ready to unleash tens of Needle Shots at a moment's notice. A thin, deadly anticipation coiled in his gut.

Yet as he glanced at Maydee, he noticed something odd.

"Why aren't you gathering energy, Master?"

Maydee's golden eyes glowed in the dim light of the forest. "Be quiet and concentrate. I know what I'm doing."

She exhaled softly, then spoke in a language Joshua barely recognized, but one he had heard before:

"Ser'vial arthanis, lumis far'theran— Spirits of the golden dawn, grant me strength beyond the waking light!"

A golden aura flared around her, spreading out like ripples in water. Warmth washed over them, sinking into his bones. His exhaustion lessened, his breathing steadied, and his energy felt... sharper. Clearer. As though his body and mind had been honed like a blade.

But she wasn't done.

Her lips moved once more, this time faster, her fingers crackling with invisible force.

"Vel'rethan aeris, sylva luth'arai— Winds of the boundless sky, grant my arrow the speed of the storm!"

The wind around them shifted unnaturally, carrying with it the scent of steel and ozone. A faint green light shimmered as she chanted.

Joshua watched as Maydee pulled back her bowstring, aiming not forward, but directly behind her. With one steady breath, she loosed the arrow.

A piercing shriek rang through the night, followed by a deep, guttural growl of pain. The whimper of a wounded beast echoed in the dark.

Joshua's enhanced vision caught the scene unfolding before them. Shadows flickered between the trees—large, hulking forms moving in calculated silence. Wolf-like creatures, but grotesquely larger, each the size of a lion, their fur bristling with a sickly green glow. Their elongated snouts dripped with saliva, sharp fangs gleaming under the sliver of moonlight that cut through the canopy. Their eyes—feral and filled with hunger—were locked onto their prey.

The pack leader, a monstrous beast nearly the size of an elephant, stepped forward, baring its fangs in fury at the fallen wolf. The other beasts tightened their circle, their predatory instincts overriding any fear of the unknown.

Joshua felt a bead of sweat trickle down his temple. This isn't just a hunt. This is war.

"Master," he muttered, keeping his voice low, "I count at least ten. Maybe more."

Maydee nodded slightly. "Good. Then we fight."

The alpha let out a deafening howl, its eerie cry sending shivers down Joshua's spine. As if answering the call of death itself, twelve feral beasts erupted from the underbrush, their glowing red eyes locked onto their prey. The monstrous creatures, each the size of a lion, moved with terrifying coordination, their razor-sharp claws slicing through the undergrowth as they encircled their targets.

Maydee's golden eyes flickered in the dim light. Without hesitation, she nocked an arrow and began chanting, her voice resonating with power. Ethereal energy pulsed around her as she prepared to unleash devastation.

Joshua's mind went into overdrive. His enhanced vision mapped out every movement, every subtle twitch in the enemy's muscles. He calculated their approach speeds, trajectories, and possible attack angles, his core surging with refined energy. He compressed the gathered power, stabilizing it to the perfect point of release. With pinpoint precision, he flicked his finger forward.

A barely visible streak of compressed energy burst forth at over Mach 1.4. The air cracked violently as the needle shot found its target—but Joshua had miscalculated. Instead of hitting the beast's skull, the shot veered slightly and struck its spine. The creature let out a pained whimper, collapsing onto the dirt, its body convulsing as it struggled to rise.

Joshua gritted his teeth. No time for mistakes.

Five more were closing in.

His body moved instinctively. He refined more energy, compressing and stabilizing it in the blink of an eye. This time, he adjusted his aim ever so slightly, accounting for the shifting terrain and the rapid movement of his targets.

One.

A needle shot pierced the eye of a lunging beast, burrowing straight into its brain. It collapsed mid-leap, its momentum carrying it forward before crashing into the ground.

Two.

Another creature was nearly upon him. Joshua twisted his body, sending a second shot right through its open mouth. The high-speed projectile obliterated its skull, spraying blood across the dark forest floor.

Three. Four. Five.

Each needle found its mark, each shot an execution. Joshua barely had time to exhale before Maydee's chanting reached its crescendo.

"Vel'rethan aeris, sylva luth'arai— Winds of the boundless sky, grant my arrow the speed of the storm!"

A burst of magic flared from her fingertips. The air around them trembled as her empowered arrow ignited in a swirling vortex of green energy. Without hesitation, she loosed it.

The arrow streaked through the air like a falling star, slamming into the chest of an advancing beast. A violent burst of wind followed, sending a shockwave through the clearing. The creature was thrown backward, its ribs shattering from the force of impact. It barely had time to let out a dying whimper before collapsing into a heap.

Joshua exhaled sharply. Five more remained. His core burned with energy, but he needed to end this fight quickly.

His gaze locked onto the alpha. The massive beast stood at the edge of the battlefield, its golden eyes calculating, waiting. Unlike the others, it had yet to strike. It was gauging them, assessing their abilities, waiting for the perfect moment to crush them.

Joshua wasn't going to give it that chance.

He tightened his grip on his shield and activated the three-layered energy barrier. A translucent glow enveloped the surface, pulsing with reinforced energy. He could feel the strain on his core, but he pushed forward. He needed time to prepare his next move.

The alpha snarled and let out a guttural growl. In response, the remaining creatures lunged, a coordinated assault meant to overwhelm them.

Maydee's bow blurred as she loosed another arrow, skewering one of the beasts through the throat. Joshua didn't hesitate.

"Focus on defense, Master! I'll handle this!"

He dropped to one knee and funneled every ounce of refined energy into his fingertips. This wasn't just another needle shot. He needed something stronger—something that could erase the alpha in one strike.

His mind worked furiously. The numbers spun in his head. He calculated the required compression, the optimal energy density, the aerodynamics of the projectile.

It took three agonizing seconds.

Then, with a single breath, he released it.

The penetrator—a tiny spear made entirely of compressed energy—screeched through the air. It moved so fast that even Joshua's enhanced vision barely tracked it. The alpha barely had time to react before the projectile struck its chest.

For a heartbeat, nothing happened.

Then, with a sickening explosion, the creature's back erupted in a spray of gore. Its internal organs were completely vaporized, its ribcage obliterated. The beast let out a choked gasp before its massive body crumpled to the ground, lifeless.

The remaining creatures froze. Then, realizing their leader was dead, they turned tail and fled, disappearing into the darkness of the forest.

Joshua slowly rose to his feet, his body shaking slightly from the energy expenditure. His breathing was ragged, but, he had done it.

Silence filled the clearing.

Maydee lowered her bow, staring at him with wide eyes. Then, without warning, she let out a small chuckle.

"You never cease to surprise me, Joshua. That was… impressive."

Joshua let out a tired laugh, shaking his head. "I'd rather not do that again anytime soon."

Maydee smiled, her golden eyes gleaming. "Come. We have a long way to go."

Joshua then noticed a blinking notification on the upper right part of his vision.

"WHAT THE FUCK?!"