Chereads / The Archaic Dragon Mage / Chapter 23 - Hunting

Chapter 23 - Hunting

I slowly closed the gap between us. I didn't want any of them looking up. I had no clue what any of them were capable of after all. If they saw me coming I wouldn't be able to make a kill. I cocked my head as I thought of how I would make the kill.

I thought of the sniper. Right now the quickest way for me to kill them was to break their neck, and then run away. Then I could go after a different group, and just keep repeating this strategy until I got them all. Having decided on what I would do I jumped. I landed on one of the weaker looking guys.

He cried out in surprise as I secured myself, and wrenched his head hard to one side. Jumping back into the trees as the rest of his team tried to attack me. I stopped a good ways away, and climbed a little higher. I switched my vision to infrared, and looked back to the alarmed heat signatures of the guys I'd just attacked. I saw a green rimmed heat signature headed towards me slowly.

140/200 xp until level 4

Green meant ally so I ignored that one looking around again. I spotted a lone heat signature that was facing the group I'd just attacked. It was off the ground, and seemed to be waiting for something. Then the heat signature jerked as a gunshot went off, and one of the group I'd attacked disappeared. He then jumped out of the tree running away from his position.

A sniper? I saw other heat signatures rushing toward where he'd been. They didn't seem to be working together so I slid down the tree, and picked a straggler. Switching back to my regular vision, and going after him. He was crouched low to the ground trying to sneak up on the guys that were ahead of him.

He strategy didn't seem to be too bad, but he wasn't the only one who'd thought of it. I jumped on his back, and wrapped my little arms around his throat. Squeezing hard. He tried weakly to pull me off as I suffocated him. He burst into particles, and I got my bearings quickly before rushing off.

165/200 xp until level 4.

Two more to go. I heard someone moving around, and ducked into a hollow spot next to a tree. Ripping up grass, and pulling it over myself. I needed to be cautious since I hadn't seen what had made the noise. I held completely still as I heard the telltale sound of footsteps coming closer.

"Fuck," someone whispered off to my right, "I could've sworn I saw something."

I turned my head super slowly so I wouldn't disturb my cover. There was a guy there. He was using a staff of some sort as his main weapon. He had a hand gun on his hip. He slashed the staff suddenly at high speed causing a burst of air to push all the grass down in front of him.

My cover moved off of me a little. This wouldn't work much longer. I moved super slow as the guy slowly walked past me. Slinking into the grass, and trying to get around behind him. I would have to surprise him if I wanted to take down someone as fast as he was.

I jumped as he swiped again. I landed on his back, and ended up clinging to his gear as he rushed off at super speed. He stopped suddenly. Whipping around so his back was to his team.

"Get this thing off of me," he shouted as they all focused on me.

I pushed off hard as I could. Throwing the speed dude on his face as I sprung towards one of his buddies. I clamped my arms around his head bracing myself with my legs on his chest, and squeezed as I let my rage loose. There was a loud pop as he dissolved into yellow particles. Then I gathered the air.

Throwing it at the speed dude as I rushed his next teammate. I got hit by two shots, but it wasn't fatal so I ignored it, and knocked the next guys feet out from under him. Rushing into the trees behind them as fast as I could. I ducked weaved, and climbed until it got hard for me to breath. I climbed a tree quickly, and ducked down between the branches.

190/200 xp until level 4.

I waited for I don't know how long before switching to heat vision, and looking around carefully. That speed guy had scared me with his tactic. He had wanted me to try, and surprise attack him so he could counter me. I was just stronger than he'd expected so I didn't come off when he rushed away.

I saw one green lined heat signature close to me so I pulled myself out of my hiding spot, and switched my vision back to normal. I could tell by the little tug in my mind exactly who was coming. I watched him approach slowly as I sat on the branch switching my vision occasionally to see if any other hot bodies were headed my way. I waited until Ethan stopped under the branch I was on to let him know I was there by dropping onto his shoulders. He grunted under the sudden addition of my weight, and straightened as I evened out to both shoulders.

"So," I lowered my head, and turned it so I was looking at his face, "You found me."

"Do you want me to find you again?" I couldn't tell what Ethan's face looked like behind the mask.

"No," I smiled, "Let's team up."

I dropped to the ground, and scanned the area quickly. I locked on to a heat signature, and pointed towards it before pursuing it slowly. Ethan followed. Keeping low to the ground as he could without making too much noise. There were two of them.

They seemed to be panicking as they stood back to back waiting to kill whatever popped up. I looked at Ethan, and tilted my head towards the enemy. Ethan nodded, and pulled two marbles out of his pocket. Using his telekinesis to direct them slowly towards his enemies. I motioned for him to stay here as I started moving forward.

These two had no idea what was coming for them as I clung to the ground. From the way they kept looking into the trees I could tell that they remembered where I'd come from last time. Ethan's marbles suddenly sped up, and I followed them. The two guys saw me when the marbles split off to the sides, and accelerated even further as they shot towards their hands. They both dropped their weapons as I launched myself onto the left one.

My teeth sunk into the tasteless virtual throat of the left guy as Ethan put multiple holes into the other guy. Both guys burst into particles as a screen popped up in front of me. Informing me that my time was up, and I was being logged out.