Chapter 557: Battle in Withered Forest I
Chapter 557: Battle in Withered Forest I
"Can you teleport near this withered forest?"
Knight nodded at Michael.
"Then I have some time to kill," Yet again, Michael took out a piece of paper and scribbled something before handing the list over to Ken,
"If you don't mind, get me these please," Ken looked at the list of items and frowned. He couldn't guess why he was asking for those items. Still, he nodded and teleported to his workshop along with Catalie.
Everyone was confused.
"Time is of the essence," Kotar mumbled,
"You worry about finding the rat. I'll bring back Yuki," Michael stretched his arms and cracked his neck,
"What are you going to do?" Amaryll took a deep breath and asked Michael. She could see there was no stopping him. Since Knight didn't try to stop Michael, she could only pray for his safe return.
"My lord,"
At that time, Ken and Catalie returned to the room carrying a few metal parts, including a black metal bracelet.
"Cool," Under their curious gazes, Michael took the metal bracelet, attached some tiny, tiny nuts and bolts, and merged them with the bracelet by heating up the metal bracelet using his alchemy flames.
Then, Michael proceeded to place a space ring inside a hole created by the flame.
Knight saw the shield on the table disappear into the ring.
"This should do it," Michael wore the bracelet around his left wrist so that he could use the hidden blade in his right wrist without any problem.
"What did you build my lord?" Ken curiously asked Michael,
"Nothing complex. Just a retractable shield," Michael clenched his left fist as he said. In a blink of an eye, the black shield materialized in his arm. By using the space ring, Michael cut the retracting time by half. It was more efficient than Draven's device. But, of course, Etheria had no space rings. Hence, they couldn't have built this device.
"Shall we go?" Michael asked Catalie as she looked at everyone for their confirmation.
"Be safe. If something goes wrong, teleport back to Everlight," Knight warned both of them.
"I am really ashamed we are putting your life at risk," Amaryll looked sad, but Michael calmed her mind with a gentle smile and a pat on her shoulder,
"Believe me, I faced worse," Michale's words filled with confidence gave some strength to Amaryll. Again and again, the people of Everlight surprised Michael. They were so kind and pure-hearted. If it was his world, people would have jumped the gun to put his life in danger instead of risking theirs. However, the Everlight people really cared for Michael, whom they had just met.
After Michael tested the shield device, he felt ready to hunt some skinless creatures. Now that the system had come online, he could use the teleportation scrolls. Hence, even if the skinless creatures proved troublesome, he could just activate the scrolls and escape.
Of course, that would be the opposite of being a badass. Not that Michael wanted to run but surviving to fight another was never a bad idea.
"We will not forget what you're doing for us Ghost," Knight walked around the table and came before Michael.
Knight clasped Michael's forearm, shaking it firmly.
"Don't miss the feast," Knight smiled,
"Not planning to," Michael nodded as Ken waved his hand. The very next moment, Michael saw a large mirror appearing in the room and saw the room in the mirror.
"Now we see everything Catalie sees,"
"I am ready," Catalie said, looking at Michael as he adjusted the gadgets around his wrists.
His wrists had so many devices now, including APD, Mark 3 grappling hook, hidden blades, and the retractable shield. As soon as he returned to the dark forest, he planned to optimize everything. It was time he upgraded the Inventor skill to star level 5.
"Let's go," Michael nodded as everyone took deep breaths and only exhaled after Catalie and Michael vanished into thin air.
The withered forest was large, dark, and primal. However, every single tree in the forest looked burnt and sick without a single leaf. Hence, the name withered forest. Long ago, its canopy was ruled by hickory, beech, and walnut, which provided just enough openings for light to pass down for a mishmash of plants to take advantage of the stony grounds below.
At that moment, when the forest was filled with nothing but eerie silence, Catalie and Michael appeared at the border.
"We are here," Catalie whispered to Michael, who looked around the place without uttering a word. The forest was already spooky with dead trees and deadly silence. Yet, mother nature added an extra layer of spookiness by enveloping the forest with a thick mist and dark clouds above the forest in the sky.
Michael couldn't even see what's in front of him in five meters due to the thick mist. In fact, he could barely see the trees in the forest.
"What's the plan?" asked Catalie,
"Get a good look at our targets," Michael raised his hand,
Click!
Catalie saw a grappling hook fired from his wrist to the tree branch above them. After the grappling hook coiled around the branch, Michael soared through the air and landed on the branch.
"Hmm," Michael saw several heat signatures on the ground via his thermal vision. The forest, the thermal vision, and standing atop a branch reminded him of the earth and predator movie.
"Why are you smiling?" Catalie whispered after seeing the gentle smile on his face.
"Just some nostalgia," Michael jumped from one branch to another without making a sound. The only sound they heard was twigs cracking under the footsteps of the skinless creatures.
"Look," Michael pointed at the skinless creatures patrolling the forest, holding a white spear. When Michael looked closer, he realized the spear was made of human femurs.
The skinless creature was oblivious to the fact he was being watched from above. So instead, the creature patrolled the borders like a good soldier.
Michael could easily kill the creature, but he jumped from branch to branch, reckoning the place. The more he jumped around, the more he saw the layout of their camp.
In addition, Michael also scanned the place with his Environmental scanning.
"Sixty cannibals," Michael told Catalie looking at the skinless creatures walking around the forest. His gaze swept across the area and found the tent erupted in the center of their camp.
A large group of cannibals gathered around a large cauldron, making weird sounds. When Michael looked at what was in the pot, he was nauseated. The cannibals were making some gooey red soup as Michael noticed tiny skulls and bones floating on the surface.
"They are making human porridge," Catalie growled as Michael shushed her,
"Shh,"
He then turned his gaze away from the boiling pot to the tent in the center. With the help of his thermal vision, he could see a figure tied to a chair inside the tent.
"There is someone in the tent. Looks human, a girl maybe," Michael whispered to Catalie,
"It must be Yuki," Catalie said,
"Brother Knight, we might have located Yuki," Catalie whispered to Knight. At the same time, Michael looked at the two other figures inside the tent with the hostage.
While Catalie was talking to Knight, Michael quickly took a Spyder from the system storage, dropping it down.
He could try to poison the soup by flying above them and dropping the poison he brewed in the Shadow realm into the pot. However, it would take some time, and there was a possibility the poison wouldn't work on these creatures. Besides, they were not powerful. The most powerful was at the Core Strengthening stage level 3.
Instead of poisoning, Michael chose the most direct route. That option would get him the most amount of badass points.
"What's next?" Catalie asked,
"Watch and learn kid," with a smirk, Michael flew to the border again and landed on a tree branch above the first skinless creature they saw.
The creature was looking around, and the moment it turned around, Michael swiftly landed behind the creature.
"Nighty night,"
Pulch!
Catalie saw a blade retracting from his wrist through the creature's throat. The creature frantically squirmed, but Michael's grab around its neck soon stopped its movements.
Since leaving the body might attract the other creatures, Michael took off from the ground with the dead creature in his hand.
Michael put the body on the branch before jumping to another branch. This time, there were two creatures on the ground. Catalie thought Ghost would wait for the creatures to separate. But instead of waiting for them to part ways, Michael landed right between them.
Not only the creatures but also Catalie was stunned.
Pulch!
Pulch!
"Wow," Catalie barely blacked when she saw the two swords in Ghost's hands sticking through the creatures' heads. He killed them so fast without making a sound. Even Arrora's elites didn't have the finesse and quickness.
Like before, Michael flew atop the branch and put the dead bodies before flying to another. It took Michael a few minutes to silently kill all the patrolling creatures.
After killing them, Michael reached the center, where he saw the creatures growling and wailing.
"We can't alert them. Otherwise, they might kill Yuki,"
"Not if we kill them first," Michael smirked before leaping towards the tree near the tent. Still, to this moment, the cannibals were unaware of Michael's presence.
They had arrays and traps placed for Don and anyone with battle energy. Unfortunately for them, Michael had no battle energy running in his veins but Arch energy.
Hence, none of the arrays were triggered by Michael. While they were excitedly waiting for the human porridge, Michael stalked them from above and picked them up one by one.
Catalie was curious and afraid at the same time. She followed him behind, waiting for his next move. Unfortunately, the tent was surrounded by cannibals. Therefore, there was no way to get inside without being seen by the cannibals.
"Are you curious to see what I am gonna do next?" Michael whispered to Ccatalie with a smile,
"Hmm," she nodded,
"Then you have to wait a bit more,"