I move in deeper into the forest to search for the Electric Elks and other animals I can hunt. I keep my senses focused on the surroundings to make sure I am not ambushed by any animals.
I could sense a few people hunting away from me, I avoided their fights and moved to the middle of the forest with extreme caution and solid grip on my sword. I am unable to find any animals as most of them are attracted towards the sound that is made by the fighting around me.
I wish I could go there, but decided against it as I don't have anyone to help me if I get to fight more animals than I can handle. After roaming the forest for a few minutes, I start sensing two people following me where ever I go with a decent 20 meters gap.
At first I thought they are just searching for animals like me, but they are following me for an hour now which raises concerns for me and I start to leave the forest in the steady pace I have been roaming so they wouldn't know that I know they are following me.
When I was close to leave the middle region of the forest, I sense them coming close to me faster and realised they have decided to confront me here where there will is no witness to tell what happened to me.
I immediately increase my speed and try to leave the forest so I can get the signal in my watch to call for help as these people might also be killers and thieves who pry on newly awakened people like me for their stuff.
They were able to get in front of me and block my path to the outer region of the forest. Both of them are in Mid-E grade which will be difficult for me to handle. I will be killed within two or three minutes if I fight them. I have a gut feeling that I need to find a way to get away from them or it will not end good for me.
Both of them are wearing the same mask which is definitely not a part of their armor. I look at them both, try to figure a way not to fight them, but I am not lucky enough as they come at me with their weapons raised without giving any warning or to let me know if they want something from me.
The flare gun which I was given during the registration is with the crafters as it was damaged in the mission with Hammerand and I won't get it for another few days. I try to dodge their attacks as I am sure I will be sent flying if I try to block their attacks.
One was having a two-handed war mace that is as tall as me and the other one is having gauntlets as weapons and they are faster and craftier using them in battle.
I dodge their attach once, but the 2nd attack was faster than the 1st attack and I was unable to see it until I felt a pain on my sword hand. I could see a big wound caused by the mace on my hand and I couldn't raise my sword as it was too deep which makes it very painful to move my hand.
I drop my sword because of the pain, I keep moving backwards trying to move away from them, but since I am injured I couldn't move as fast as I usually move and they just had to walk to come close to me.
They again use their weapons to attack me, but by the looks of it, they are not targeting any fatal or critical parts, but just targeting my hands, legs with the sword and hitting me lightly with the mace so I will be alive. I start loosing a lot of blood due to the injuries that are piling by the minute.
I fall down as I am unable to balance anymore. I just grit my teeth not to cry or shout in pain which will surely give them a satisfying feeling of breaking me. I just stare at them with anger as I am unable to do anything to them now.
I am also angry on myself for being too stupid to come here to the forest without any back-up or with the flare that was given to me by Uncle Jon. If I had the flare, I would have used it and I would have got at least 5 people to help me fight these guys in the masks as they will be rewarded for saving me and for capturing these masked people.
I am unable to crawl as my hands and legs are injured and I can't move them without the searing pain. I am sure they want to torture me before killing me or they would have killed me already instead of causing so many wounds on me.
I wish I could stay alive and increase my power so I can find these guys one day and kill them, but I don't think I will be alive or I will be able to find them in the future. They didn't say even a word till now only using hand signals to speak with each other.
The only identification I have for them is the masks they are wearing and I am not confident they will be wearing the same masks till I become powerful. There is also possibility they will be arrested or killed before I can find them again.
With these thoughts in mind, my eyes start to go blurry and I loose my concentration on my surroundings. I am not sure how, but I have till now managed to keep my eyes and my senses focused, not for the entire 50 meters, but for 5 meters where I was able to keep a track on these two masked guys.
"Move Away From Him. Alex, are you okay?" These are the words I hear before I go unconscious on the ground. I am not sure who has come, but I know they are friendlies who will chase the masked men and take me to safety and save me.