Oliver kept his hand on his neck, refusing to die such a pathetic death so early in his life. His eyes were bloodshot and wide open; however, he knew his actions wouldn't change anything. As the oxygen going to his brain was too little and his strength started to leave his body, he did something drastic and borderline insane.
He kept one hand on his neck, crushing it even harder and breaking his windpipe. The other moved to his leg where an arrow was still lodged. With a single pull, he yanked the arrow out. His hands shook as blood started to pour out of his leg, and his eyes were shaking at the massive amount of blood. Suddenly, his eyes gained a cold look and his hands became steady. With a swift and decisive movement, he stabbed the arrow into the bottom of his neck. The arrow went straight through his body, and the arrowhead had something attached to it—a small black worm with multiple half circles and circles spread around its body. Its blood ran a horrid yellow, and it let out a single last screech before it perished.
With gratification, Oliver let his hand fall away from his neck and sucked in any air he could. However, his broken windpipe made it next to impossible. His eyes showed a slight reluctance at his situation; he had killed the pest inside his body, yet his death was still imminent. His eyes slightly watered, and he wished he could have at least lost his virginity before he died, although that would have been quite difficult with his curse. As his body slowly became closer to death, a feeling of pleasure and comfort washed over him. His mind was in chaos, but a monotone voice spoke straight into his mind, unheard by anyone other than Oliver.
"Your existence has become clearer."
His body slowly mended itself, dislodging the arrows stuck through his body, replenishing the blood lost, and even clearing his mind. His body felt lighter, and everything even seemed a tad slower. All in all, his entire body seemed to improve. Yet, even so, Oliver knew he wasn't out of the woods just yet. His body was still covered in blood, and he still had no idea where he was. The only information he had at the moment was that he was in enemy territory. Surrounding him was an endless forest with nothing that might help him. As he looked around the tent, he noticed a few items, and his face morphed into a dark grin. Whether his thoughts were influenced by the near-death experience or something much more sinister, his outlook on life abruptly changed. He didn't take much of this situation to heart, believing his abnormal strength would carry him through any troubles. Now? Even if he had to kill, he would make sure he would survive this!
As Oliver put his new plan in motion that would paint him as the bad guy, the Jinki were slowly preparing to snuff out a lasting pest in their territory, the Crimson Tiger. The Jinki, luckily, were able to inherit the skills and memories of those they had consumed. As such, they had ample knowledge of the forest and archery. Each of the thousands of Jinki was equipped with a steady bow along with a quiver of arrows. Each arrow had been doused with a deadly poison. Their eyes still had that emotionless look, yet the minuscule smiles on their faces were enough to know they enjoyed the hunt. Just when they were about to leave, every single one of them suddenly stopped in their tracks. Some stopped on the soft dirt, others on top of the sturdy wooden structures, while many stopped atop the tree branches. As they all came to a sudden halt, they swiftly snapped their necks to a single wooden hut. Their faces were still empty; however, their smiles had faded, and they grabbed their bows with tightened hands. With surprising coordination and swiftness, they moved towards the hut and completely surrounded it. Dozens of them got ready to enter the hut with an arrow already loaded. Unfortunately for them, their vision was hindered by the night. The moonlight was being blocked by a cluster of clouds, giving only streaks and glimpses of light. As they came closer to the closed door, their hearts suddenly tightened and sweat slowly formed on their faces. Just as the door slowly opened, an arrow streaked past one's cheek, leaving behind a small cut. The arrow sliced through the air and hit one of them in the head. The one killed was a young man. The body flew off from the tree branch and headed toward the ground; however, it wouldn't even make it. The man let out a single screech before his body started to rapidly lose all moisture and swiftly became a husk. Before they could even get their heads back in the game, another arrow flew out and killed the person who opened the door. This one was a beautiful woman; however, her body quickly shriveled up into a husk. This time, however, they didn't sit around like ducks.
The few nearby the hut quickly ran inside, while those further away repositioned themselves, ready to cover their comrades. Yet, when they heard the screams from inside the hut, their entire bodies became cold. Just then, three husks were thrown out of the hut.
Just a few minutes ago, after the three entered, they were greeted with three perfectly aimed arrows flying towards them. Although such an attack was expected by them, they swiftly dodged by twisting their bodies, leaving the arrows to pass by them. They quickly took some space and readied their bows and arrows when three more sudden arrows flew past them. The arrows weren't aiming for them and even had something wrapped around them. They simply ignored it; however, their bodies stopped suddenly. They quickly looked down and noticed three arrows piercing their chests—no, more specifically, their hearts. They let out a last screech before their bodies turned to husks and were thrown outside. As the rest around the hut were hesitating to enter, Oliver smiled in the darkness of the hut. His face was cold, and his eyes had a sadistic glint in them. His voice was soft as he announced the beginning of the next phase.
"Phase two, Apollo's Wraith. Hehe, let's hope the show doesn't disappoint."
VI