---
Raya pov...
Syn had been asleep for a while now, and whatever it was didn't seem pleasant, his dream was obviously not a good one with how he was thrashing and sweating, before bolting upwards and brushing off the dust on his clothes and walking over to us.
"anything happen over night, you didn't wake me."(syn) said, no good morning, no how did you sleep, nothing.
"last night went fine."(Raya)
he changed so much after we entered the forest, it's almost like he's a different person, but maybe that's been what's keeping us alive here?
---
I watched the morning sun gradually crawl in the sky, the warmth of it reaching me, I didn't want to move right now but we needed to, I motioned to kina and Raya, leading them through the overgrown and collapsed main opening that I blew up with (blood bomb).
letting us pass through easily.
that was a mistake.
a large roaring creature smashed through the treeline up ahead and started charging us, I took position in front of everyone and stopped the thing, being pushed back a bit but not alot.
[challenger for forest king has arrived]
wait did I take the scales deers title when I killed it?
I must have if this thing is challenging me for it.
I shed my human form as I leaped into the air, the large furred rhino thing roared at me before charging something at its horn, shooting it at me, I moved my tentacles out of the way as the blast went harmlessly by me, my turn.
I sent forth my (elders sanguine energy blast), it impacted the rhino and sent it back into the treeline from where it came, a pained growl escaped its throat as it thrashed around on its back, it's fur on fire and the thing heavily bleeding.
I moved my way to it and released a limb blade pn one tentacle, stabbing the furred rhino directly in the heart, or at least where I thought the heart was, cutting at its neck to make sure it bled out.
[challenger defeated]
*(evolving siphon)*
[ability compatibility, elders sanguine energy blast has upgraded, it's now more powerful]
[BP:240/240]
at least it's something for the trouble.
"wow, you've gotten stronger since I last saw you!"(kina)
"thanks."(syn) I looked at her awkwardly, I don't know if we knew each other enough to talk like old friends but here we were.
I waved for them to follow with one tentacle while moving silently among the debris of the fight, not making a sound.
"can you stop showing off for like two seconds?!"(Raya)
showing off?
oh right, I defeated that thing without much effort and now I'm showing how good I am at stealth while in plain view, was that showing off?
"whatever, just cmon!"(syn)
kina was the first one to start walking, while Raya, the one with the bags and info on where to leave was standing there, she looked deep in thought, why?
"alright I'm coming I'm coming."(Raya)
it took everything in me not to make a dirty joke at that moment, it was hard, nope, control yourself.
but eventually my inner urge to make the dirty joke won.
"you say that alot when I'm around."(syn)
kina just stood there with a confused look, which for a succubus was astounding, and Rayas face turned redder than any color I've seen, who am I kidding that was totally worth it.
"SYN!"(Raya)
"I don't get it."(kina) said, with an innocent voice.
"I don't get it either kina, what was so wrong Raya?"(syn) I asked in a mocking tone, feigning innocence in front of what was probably the only innocent succubus in existence, sorry half succubus.
she growled at me, which was odd coming from the throat of a girl, I've heard all kinds of growls from all sorts of creatures and I've never questioned it, but here and from her, it sounds so off.
"what's wrong with your throat?"(syn)
she scoffed at me as she walked past, taking the lead and going in a direction, a random direction.
"have a plan on where to find shelter?"(syn) I asked her seriously.
she stopped only to motion for me to take lead, which I did so happily.
---
hours later...
how many things live in this damn forest?!
I've fought off everything from large insects to rock armored snakes, and everything in between, the furry rhino was common, those were easy, the armored snakes, not easy and way more common.
and what's worse is I haven't gotten a single level yet, what the fuck system?!
kina and Raya were some distance away from me because apparently they're fine and can walk normally without getting attacked which is total bullshit and me, I'm a God damn trouble magnet.
I was tired but so far I haven't failed that quest, my HP steady at [235/240], one of tje few good things that have happened so far during the start of this two weeks.
stopping abruptly I was mesmerized, calling out to the girls behind me that were taking a break I, still in tentacle form made a mad dash for what I saw.
a beautiful oasis with crystal clear waters and play trees, tall and graceful palm trees, I didn't even wait for the two girls before jumping directly into the water, swimming around a bit before coming back to the surface to float around for a bit, to relax.