Pushing aside the branches and undergrowth, Kilan took notice of the eerie silence, there was no sound or animal movement making the environment cold but Kilan was undeterred as he followed his instincts to find the hijeng.
After a long search Kilan finally reached the center of the forest. He stood in a small clearing surrounded on all sides by thick trees, for normal people there was no sign of abnormalities but for someone like Kilan with supernatural abilities he could sense the overwhelming dark energy from the area.
He took two steps forward and was immediately jolted back, as if he had walked into an invisible wall. Stumbling back, he tried again only to met with the same resistance.
" a barrier and a strong one at that " Kilan muttered to himself and took a step back.
"Alright then.." with a deep breath, he focused his energy into his palm preparing to break through the barrier.
As he pressed his hand against the invisible barrier a surge of power flowed through him.
Closing his eyes, he concentrated his energy on breaking through without causing disturbances in the inside, slowly Kilan step inside.
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Once on the other side, Kilan found himself in a different environment surrounded by tall, ominous trees. The air was thick with the smell of decay and darkness .
Kilan cautiously move forward, careful to not draw any attention to himself. As he crept closer, he saw a group of mysterious hooded figures standing in a large circle inscribed with dark symbols.
They began to chant in unison, their voices reverberated through the barrier. They moved with fluidity that suggested years of practice, each movement precise and deliberate.
As Kilan observed from a safe distance he could sense the dark aura emanating from the circle a sense of malevolence that made his hairs stand.
Suddenly, a low growl echoed through the forest causing the men to fall silent, Kilan eyes widened as a dark figure emerged from the swirling black circle that had been cast on the ground. The figure was tall and lean, with surrey arms and legs that ended in sharp claws.
Its skin was a sickly shade of green, covered in snake like scales that glistened in the moonlight.
As the creature crawled out of the circle, the hooded men fell to their knees in reverence.
Kilan was left in shock has he realised the true nature of the ritual.
"This...is not a hijeng this is an art that summons a mid- level demon" Kilan forehead was dripping with sweat " green eyes....snake-like scales..A Gladine beast"
" if this beast is released from this barrier the whole town will be in danger"
Kilan observed the situation of the Gladine and realised the form is not complete yet.
" there's still a minute left"
Kilan made his decision to kill it before its form is complete
He took a deep breath and summons a silver dagger adorned with dragon scales, focusing his energy onto it , he planned to kill the Gladine with one shot in the given minute.
Kilan stood in the distance waiting for the perfect moment .
As he was about to strike, his spiritual senses was triggered, he saw another hooded figure dashed towards one of the men and cut off his head.
Thud
The man was decapitated, blood gushing out from his headless body.
The hooded man was tall and wore a mask that covered half of his face, his piercing red eyes gazing at the dead man
"An intruder " one of the men shouted all of the men ready themself to attack.
Grroarr!
The Gladine gave out a deafening roar, its eyes had turned completely red and the body became massive with strong large scales and sharp yellow fangs that dripping with saliva.
"The ritual is a success " the hooded men shouted with joy and some with tears in the eyes as if they have lost their senses.
The man turned towards the beast unfazed by its intimidating power, he snapped his fingers and five men in black cloak emerged from the shadows attacking the men.
The man pulled out his dagger and launched himself to the beast, a blur of motion as he unleashed a series of punches and kicks, but the beast easily block them with its claws.
The man moved with incredible speed and precision as he dodged its vicious attacks, his dagger clashing against its thick claws. The beast let out another deafening roar, its red eyes blazing with a raging light.
Kilan who is still invisible from a distance could feel the sheer killing intent from the the from the beast.
It unleashed a blast energy from its mouth, the man was able to the dodge the blast but was caught by the aftermath which send him flying to the air however, he managed to twist his body in mid-air, landing on his feet with a perfect grace.
The man looked at the beast whose left eye was bleeding.
"Its time to end this" the man said in a hoarse voice, he raised his hand into the air and the moon was suddenly overshadowed by dark clouds,crackling with lightening and with a deafening thunder, bolts of lightening shot down from the sky striking the beast with deadly accuracy.
Ghoarrr!
The beast howled in pain, its body writhing and contorted as the lightening coursed through its body, but the still stood firm and launched itself at the man with deadly intent.
"You are a stubborn one"
The man lifted his hand again but this time the lightening intensifies and struck the beast with full power and the fell to the ground lifeless.
He then turned to his men " apprend them all and shut down the barrier "
"Yes capitan " the men answered in unison.
As he was about to walk to his men, he felt a movement behind him.
Caught off guard the man watched with horror as the Gladine launches its final attack on him, its claws extended. The man braced himself for the inevitable blow
But just as it was about to land, a flash of movement caught the man's eyes, out of nowhere, a dagger adorned with shimmering dragon scales struck its head, plunging deep into its skull with a sickening thud.
"...." the man watched in disbelief as the Gladine's body fell and evaporate into the air living only a shimmering dagger on the ground , he looked towards the direction the dagger came from and saw a figure cloaked in the shadows, disappearing into the darkness.
The man knelt down and picked up the dagger watching it intently, his red eyes shimmering with interest.
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