Chapter 17: Give Me A Hug!
By the time Kage reached where the party was happening, the scene had unfolded how he expected and even far beyond.
In the heart of the forest’s entrance, an enormous bird with a featherless neck and head that looked like a vicious flame straight from hell had scorched it, thrashed as throngs of Impures surrounded it.
Kage observed from the top of the tree he had climbed the moment he got to this section of the forest.
It was closer to the entrance of the plains, so fewer trees sprawled around the area, making it open a little bit. The grasses and plants were also growing sparsely here, and apart from each other. In fact, it was like an entrance into a garden.
But right now, the scenery was drenched in too much savagery that the once prestigious verdant art had been obliterated.
The abominable bird was hemmed in from all sides, but it did not seem to be giving in at all. Its long ferocious legs with curved talons like scythes moved and crushed the bark of the Rootgnarl next to it, peeling the bark with ruthless efficiency.
Kage had never heard a Rootgnarl cry.
The cry was guttural, full of pain and anguish.
The bird did not give that particular Rootgnarl a moment of reprieve as one talon scratched down its back, the other moved with terrible speed and crushed into the tree trunk’s large eyes, squashing them out with a squeeze.
It pushed forward its other leg, leaning its weight on the Rootgnarl and forcing it to the ground. Another was already upon it, so the bird did not have the leeway for a finishing move. Instead, it had to move quickly, breaking its large jagged beak into another Rootgnarl that lunged its hand forward.
The bird tore away the hand with a sharp twist of its beak and slammed its head against the tree trunk in a swift and powerful swing.
The creature rolled away with astonishing force, crashing against a nearby tree.
The few barrowspikes that managed to make it there had already joined the hunt. The Impures were trying to tear down the bird, but it was too great for them.
Kage stared at them with a mild astonishment. It was indeed pleasant how their laws could be manipulated. But he felt no pride in such petty tricks. He knew his father wouldn’t acknowledge him for them. No matter how cunning and clever he was around his enemy, it was only the clan’s principle that mattered.
To face it head-on like a mountain of iron and crush it with unstoppable force. The kind of force that the enemy would see coming and yet be unable to do anything about.
Which was why Kage had to do something of such.
He looked at himself. His body was weak, and he was even out of breath. But he smiled.
’This is still where I need to be, I guess...’
Kage inhaled deeply and exhaled. Then he jumped down the tree.
He slowly withdrew his sword, saying:
"Hey, old friend... you might not remember very well... but there was something you could do. It saved me a couple of times. You know, where you take my enemy’s life force and transfer it to me as vigor... only to siphon every last bit of my own much later, but let’s focus on the part where you give to me first... is that alright?"
If anybody saw him right now, they’d say he was a madman for talking to a scrap of metal.
But Kage didn’t mind. He had long grown comfortable speaking to things that couldn’t talk back. He liked the listening ear they lent him.
Things that could talk were rather... revolting.
His face paled with mild contempt as he thought about it. Then he smoothed his expression, gazing steadily at the fray beyond as he walked with measured and unhurried steps.
When Kage reached the first creature, he twisted his hand and slashed down at the Barrowspike. Then he shoved his sword deep into its neck.
[You have slain a Stain: Barrowspike]
[The Heart Demon has progressed by 0.0001%]
Kage looked at the letters again; however, this time, there was a third one that rather stunned him.
[Your vigor has temporarily increased]
’Oh?’
He smiled softly—still moving while considering how convenient the voice was for him. It turned out its only function was not to serve as the Sovereign Gods’ proxy.
Kage sidestepped. He felt a little strength course through his body as he moved—he dodged the Barrowspike that gnashed in his direction with its bone-like teeth.
Kage swung down his hand, his sword finding purchase on the back of the monster. His precision was terrifying and surgical. He found skin easily amongst the clusters of overgrown bones, and the obsidian blade severed down the Impure.
[You have slain a Stain: Barrowspike]
[The Heart Demon has progressed by 0.0001%]
[Your vigor has temporarily increased]
With each Impure he killed, Kage felt the rush of adrenaline coursing through his body, albeit in a sublime manner. But it was enough.
He twirled, letting the next Impure fly away, and shot forward swiftly, driving his sword into the next Barrowspike’s mouth. He wrenched out his sword instantly, without looking twisted his body, and diagonally slashed the Impure that had turned and was going to attack him from behind.
The voice of the proxy sounded again, confirming his kill for him. Kage did not have the time to look at the words.
There was a particular enemy that he was looking forward to fighting.
The leader of the Rootgnarl Watchers was somewhere around the left flank of the Wretched Vulture and was attacking amidst the little swarm of Murkstingers that remained.
The Impures were a pitiful existence. Even in this situation, they lashed at each other, desperate to tear each other apart. They knew no such thing as cooperation.
It was as though that single law that was keeping them at bay was a line that was suddenly erased. And with the erasure, what served as line of sight, model of action and inaction existed no more.
The Impures were savages, but now they looked like something worse than savages—they were lowbrows.
And thus, it was very easy for Kage to move between them, slaughtering them systematically while making his way towards the Rootgnarl Watcher’s leader, which was definitely going to be a Sullen.
However, he still had to be careful of the enormous Vulture in their midst. Which was why he wasn’t brutally murdering every one of the Impures—he left enough of them so he could move between them undetected.
The Vulture was very sensitive to Qi essence. All Impures starting from Wretch rank were, really, but Kage right now had all his essence drained out by the sword. So, he was as silent as a leaf.
He whizzed through the thrashing Impures, rolled on the dirt around them, and finally stood to his feet, standing behind the Sullen Rootgnarl Watcher, which had just struck down a Murkstinger.
Kage stood behind it and composed himself like he wanted to surprise his bride.
Then he gently tapped the huge back of the Impure, calling its attention, while smiling as the tree trunk turned back.
His smile widened to reveal his teeth.
"Hello, friend. You probably don’t remember how much you were a problem for me in the next..."
He counted his fingers and looked up at the Impure.
"...eight, eight years. You were quite a degenerate leader... you."
Meanwhile, the abominable tree stared at him, its large eyes blinking. It watched as Kage easily moved around it and sliced off the Murkstinger’s stinger it had just struck down.
Kage finally faced it again.
"Heavens! Are you so shocked that you can’t even come at me? Come on, buddy! Give me a hug!"