Tasha and her group quickly killed the goblins and found the pixies more challenging as they where smaller and faster. After the group killed the last one they slowly headed to the last spot.
"Seems like where late" Ruby said seeing a few dead goblins. She was about to take another step when she stopped.
"Stalker" Hope said causing the whole group to stop. This was one key word they made and it meant stop and group together.
"Where" Tash said connecting her staff.
"Above 50 meters" Hope said pointing in a direction Ruby was about to walk in. "It's gone now"
Tash and the group new the plan. There where two plans. If they found a tree stalker on one of the missions before this they where to retreat back to camp. If they found it here they had a meet point to wait for the other group. Hope looked at the map and made there way there slowly making sure to keep an eye out for the stalker. Due to the pace it took them 5 minutes to walk there, and when they got there Gil and Jade weren't there. AS they where talking about what to do they saw Jade running to them.
"Gil, fighting come" Jade said only coming close enough for them to her before running back. Tash looked at Jade and noticed she had a small cut on her shoulder. Without waiting for anything else she dashed forward chasing her.
"What happened" Tash asked.
"We arrived here and saw dead goblins thinking it was you lot" Jade started saying "Suddenly Gil Pushed us into a tree as he thought there was a tree stalker, as we started making our way here it dropped out of the trees on me. Gil blocked it with earth shield then came to check if i was okay. As we got back up and walked slower and checking above us the stalker emerged from a tree"
"Emerged?" Tash questioned not recalling this as a skill
"It was camouflaged" Jade corrected "With is claws aiming at me again, Gil didnt have time to do anything apart from pushing me, i only got this cut but it went deep into Gils left arm. He started battling with it and told me to get you lot. He sacrificed himself twice for me.
The group heard Jades story and saw a tear run down her face.
Gil had activated all his skills to keep an eye above whilst they moved, it was because of this he noticed the shift in mana as the tree stalker come from the tree. Acting on instant he punched Jade and drew his blade.
[-75 HP]
Gil tried to raise his left hand and felt at sharp pain running up and down.
"Go see if the others are there, ill hold it off. If no ones there come back and well try and kill it" Gil called pushing the stalker away.
When he saw Jade run away Gil started to go on the offensive, he had been using his left hand to use mana but that was more out of habit and he didnt need to now. Gil was completly focues ignoring the two screens that popped up and started firing magma needles and spears at the stalker. 2 of the needles sank into the stalker before it could dodge causing it to screech, not waiting Gil pushed forward coating his blade in fire.
The stalker raised its arm to block the sword bringing its other arm, now formed into a point at Gil. Stopping and standing diagonal, Gil brought his sword down and used wind slash allowing him to slip past the guard of the stalker and dodge the attack. Again Gil ignored the screen appearing and fired fire spears as fast as he could.
The stalker jumped into the trees and started jumping from tree to tree not allowing Gil to attack.
"Fine" Gil coated his blade in flames again and swung as the trucks of the trees, with enough power to cut deep but not enough to make it half way. Drawing his blade out the tree was now on fire, Gil repeated this for all the trees near him. Soon they started to fall down at the point Gil struck, the stalker now had to pick facing its prey of fleeing.
Jumping down at Gil as the last tree fell it morphed its arm into a hammer. Gil rolled forward at the last second raising an earth spike in his place.
[-10 Hp]
The second any wait come on his arm he know it would cost him HP. Spinning in his knee Gil swung his blade at the leg of the stalker hoping to cut it of. When the blade reached where Gil thought the leg would be it met nothing. He heard a small crackle above him causing him to jump back with the help of the earth pushing him backwards. As he looked up he saw the stalker with small fire needle in him instantly knowing that it was his auto defence that saved him.
Both the stalker and Gil got to there feet and looked at each other. Around them was almost a compete ring of fire thanks to the trees Gil cut down.
"At least Jade was safe" Gil said, since she said they where friends Gil swore he would do all in his power to save them now he could, as he couldnt save his family. The tree stalker was the first to move charging at Gil, this caused Gil to send magma spikes at it and raise some magma squares to block the paths it could take.
However it took the one path Gil wasnt expecting, straight at him. He had fired the spears a bit to the right and left thinking it would moving in one direction and this would hit it. As the stalker came straight at him it only got the flames of the spear tickling the wood skin.
Gil swung his sword as it was to danger's to fire any mana, aiming at the chest of the beast. The stalker changed its left arm into a thick square like a shield which was what Gils sword sunk into. As the sword sunk into the shield the right arm of the stalker swung at Gils chest causing Gil to jump backwards. Due to how deep his sword was when he jumped back he had to let go, as his finger left the blade he felt a bit of energy leave him, knowing it was the effect from the sword.
"Crap" Gil said not knowing how to respond.
Ruby was the first to arrive as she activated her power, she thought it would be hard to find but it was easier then she thought as she got closer she saw the light of the fire through the trees. Ruby ran round the circle twice trying to find an entrance to help, when she got back to t he original spot she found the other just getting there.
"I can see an easy way in, the fire is blocking all of it and the smoke makes it a bit hard to get close" Ruby stated.
Tash didnt even wait for her to finish before blasting one spot with ice killing the fire. Just when it seemed passable a huge flame erupted from within drawing in all the flames round the circle. Slowly the flame started to get bigger and bigger and twirled round.
Gil didnt know what to do, he preferred to fight with swords and felt like this was to close to use mana as it could damage him. Checking his health Gil saw that it was down to 100. Looking round hoping that Jade would be back soon, he realised it would be hard to get through the wall of fire.
Gil created a ball of fire between him and the beast, causing it to halt as that was its natural weakness. Willing all the fire around it to come into the ball Gil started to envision it slowly spinning and grow as the fire from the balls started to combine with it.
[Pyro tornado learnt]
[Pyro tornado lvl 1
A combination of wind and fire spinning at high speed increasing the power of the fire. AS the level increases the power of the tornado will increase]
Gil had time to read this as the tree stalker was in the middle of flames and was slowly burning. Gil poured all his mana into the tornado not caring about the trees that caught fire as a result. After 1 minute Gil couldnt maintain it and slowly the flames started to die down and wind started to slow down. In 30 seconds the whole tornado was gone and the tree stalker still stood, the bark on its skin was blackened due to the flames. Gil couldn't really focuses and saw the beast slowly walk to him, he could hear the crackling of the fire in the trees all around him. HE know that he wouldnt die here as Leon would most likely prevent students from dying.
"Guess i still am weak" Gil mumbled.
When the stalker was 5 meters away, Gil saw a blue object fly to the tree stalkers then another and another, mixed in there was arrows as well.
"Over there" Hope pointed at where she felt Gil was
As soon as the fire died down Jade started running in trying to find Gil, Ruby set of a second after but was in front in an instant.
"Tree stalker there" Hope now declared, after hearing conformation Tash started firing ice as fast and as strong as she could slowly walking in to the scorched area. As she got close enough she noticed that the beast was covered in burn marks and cuts, thanks to Gil's damage Tash and Will managed to bring it down as it didnt have the energy to escape.
Jade found Gil on one knee staring at the stalker not moving his eyes as the two girls came to him. Jade didnt know what to say, looking at the state he was in she knew she would have died if he didnt make her run away. Refocusing her mind Jade started healing the gash on Gils arm, slowly it started to close.
Gil wasnt staring at the beast when the Ruby and Jade arrived, he was reading the screens in front of him.
[Tree Stalker Defeated]
[Calculating damage.....76% done]
[Rewards available]
[3,500 exp gained]
[low level monsters core available, would you like to collect]
[Yes/No]
Gil picked "Yes" and felt something go into his inventory, checking he saw a small orb with a green and brown glow inside. Thinking it would be weired to continue staring at the dead beast Gil looked at Jade who was holding his left hand and healing it.
"Thank you, you now owe me 2 days out" Gil whispered causing her to have a slight smile remembering earlier the same sort of thing happening. Tash was walking to them with Gils sword i hand.
"You didnt have to burn down the forest did you" Tash said jokingly looking at the trees still on fire.
"Blame Leon, he prevented me from doing it earlier so i wanted to try" Gil joked, prompting them each to tell the others about there time facing the monsters.
"I think i can head back to camp" Gil said slowly standing up, Jade kept hold of his left hand healing it. After walking for about 5 minute they got to the area they camped in. When the got closer to the box of earth, Gil raising his right hand up and the wall closest to them sank back into the earth, walking in they all sat at the logs they left for seats.
"What's for dinner" Gil asked to break the silence.
"Beef stew" Will respond bringing out a pot causing Gil to light the fire to warm it up. When it was warm Hope got up and handed out bowls of steel to everyone. Gil only then realised Jade was still holding his hand when he went to grab the bowl and felt a bit of resistance. Gil didn't know what to say so used his free hand to get the stew and hoped Jade would let go of his hand, unfortunately Jade took the bowl in her free hand and put it on her lap to eat.
"What's the plan for tomorrow" Will asked putting items back on his storage.
"Unless there's any more notes why not go to the lake" Ruby suggested. Everyone agreed and Gil stayed quite, firstly he had never swam and secondly he didn't bring his shorts. After that the mood started picking up again, Tash and Hope volunteered to watch for some of the night and get Gil after midnight. As everyone headed of to there tent that was the only time Jade let go of Gils hand, which everyone noticed and now realised they had been holding the whole time. Apart from Tash who noticed since they left the tree stalker.