Vampire Reincarnation

A forest as large on the surface as a big human city and as dense as The Dark Forest hid under the cover of the night. Soft rays of moonlight slithered through its leaves, touching the dark ground underneath the soft blades of grass. The wind whistled gently, murmuring about times long gone, and about the present, however it seemed more like an illusion than the truth. This forest, compared to its neighbors, housed countless valuable plants whether they were used for medicinal purposes, food, or aesthetics. It was a good foraging ground for travelers, elves, and wild fauna. Most of the beasts slept at this time, hidden away from predators in their little holes. Underground, on the surface, or burrowing inside the trees, all of them dreamt of tomorrow’s meal. However, some of them were nocturnal predators. They hunted their prey at night, hoping to find it sleeping and vulnerable before striking at its vitals and enjoying a barely deserved meal. However, this fateful night the peaceful atmosphere was disturbed by a group of hunters.

The ground shook and the grass rustled as a large beast ran through the forest. Its giant paws left large footprints in the soft earth, and it broke apart the green blades of grass into multiple pieces as it rushed away from something or someone. Its orange, black, and scaly tail stood on end as it jumped on a large fallen tree, grabbing onto it with its sharp claws. It escalated it with dexterity, easily climbing over it, however leaving a thick trail of a crimson color which stretched long before the tree. Whipping its tail, it looked backward, toward its hunters.

However, even as it caught its breath, unable to see anyone in its trail, a ball of fire landed upon it. It scorched the scaly skin decorating its body and caused a furious, yet fearful roar like a hiss to escape its elongated mouth. The feline-like creature rushed over the tree and into the forest. A shiver ran down its spine as the sound of a distant howl echoed in its ears, prompting it to run even faster, however, the crimson tail it left behind revealed the beast’s location.

A group of three people followed quickly behind it, accompanied by a white canine. They stopped in front of the trunk, not trying to go past it, and sat down to catch their breath. There were two women, one of whom had a head of blonde, luscious hair and emerald green eyes. She had a wand strapped to her waist and sat in a beautiful, thin holster. The other woman had deep purple eyes and straight, black hair, similarly holding a sword in a sheath on her waist. Both of them wore armor made from compressed tree leaves, leather, and iron. The last person was a short boy with long, silver hair and red eyes like the blood etched onto the trunk. They were, of course, Kai, Elizabeth and Euphridia.

“Great shot back there Kai, too bad it didn’t do any damage to the Terp.” Elizabeth sighed as she pulled out a water bottle from her ring. “Its only weak spots are the belly and head.”

“Well you did a great job slashing its chest, too bad it ran away like a coward!” Euphridia sighed, anger evident in her voice. “This is supposed to be combat training not running training! I swear to Goddess, nocturnal animals are the biggest cowards!” Her armor clattered as she hit the ground with her fist before similarly pulling out a bottle of water and drinking it in a few gulps.

“Thank you, and it’s a shame it ran away like that. There’s no point in catching up since it won't fight anyway, and going deeper into the forest won’t do us any good either way.” Kai leaned against the tree and sighed, pulling a water bottle and a bowl to share with Onyx, who growled toward the beast’s location.

“It’s alright boy, we don’t need to chase such cowards, I’d rather we find something stronger.”

“I don’t know Kai, most animals are diurn and they hide well once they go to sleep, we’ll need the help of an actual hunt,” Euphy said, munching on a piece of fruit she picked from who knows where.

“But can’t we-”

“No, we can’t.” Elizabeth interrupted him immediately, “For you to be out in the sun even with a hundred layers of protection is like a death sentence.”

“I know Elly, I… I know.” He sighed and closed his eyes, the scars still present on his body, aching as he remembered the incident all those months ago. Clenchist his fists, he jumped to his feet and waited for the other two to follow him. “Let’s go look for another one, maybe a bear of some sort.”

Euphridia nodded and got up as well. “There is a nocturnal species of bear in those parts, however even the cubs are at least Two Star… oh well it should be fine. It’s called a ‘Dark Urs’, and it’s incredibly strong because it can use a tiny bit of dark magic.”

“Dark magic?” Elly asked, “Are you sure Kai can go up against that?”

“Well, worst case scenario we intervene. Plus he has Onyx as well, right boy?”

“Woof!” The Obborik barked, as if saying ‘Leave it to me!”

…

Deeper into the forest, the group carefully snuck around a small clearing, looking closely at a bear as dark and mysterious as the night. Two small horns sprouted from its head and a long tail, like the body of a serpent snapping from one side to the other. The beast stood on its hind legs as it scratched its back against a tree, letting out low growls of satisfaction. Its yellow eyes shone brightly in the shadows of the night, creating an eerie, fearful sight. The four looked at each other, neither of them willing to make a sound despite coming here to fight it.

The Dark Urs before them looked to still be young, as it carelessly walked around without paying attention to its surroundings. However, its stature said otherwise, as its height seemed to be at least twice as tall as the average man. Kai gulped after inspecting the creature, and his confidence seemed to have suddenly plummeted as he clutched the silver sword’s hilt. Euphirida noticed his nervousness and patted him gently on the back, before smiling mischievously and pushing him forward, out of their hiding spot.

He immediately wanted to run back, however it was too late, as the Darks Urs quickly spotted him. Letting out a low growl, it jumped on all fours and rushed toward Kai like a mad bull.

Crap He yelled inwardly as he unsheathed his sword and got into a combat position. Staring at the beast, his entire body trembled as his eyes shone with an intense desire to fight. His weak, wobbly legs barely managed to prop him up as the large beast approached him at an intense speed. Quickly murmuring under his breath, his feet shone with a faint light, and so did his body afterward. He waited for the bear to be within inches of him, and jumped up, dodging its fierce bite. The beast sunk its teeth into a branch, ripping it clean off the tree as it looked around for Kai, who came crashing from above. However, before the sword could even get close to its back, the bear rolled away, and Kai dropped the sword and tumbled onto the ground.

He immediately picked up his wand and sent a fireball straight at the beast, deterring it from charging again. After picking up the sword he retreated and prepared another fireball, this time letting it float around him, waiting for the perfect time to shoot it. Taking a deep breath, he summoned another three, and bit down on his lower lip. Four… good enough. Once again, he got ready to fight the bear, this time his legs rooted firmly on the ground. Kai gulpe, and clutched the hilt tightly as the enraged beast dashed toward him. His heart skipped a beat, and cold sweat ran down his forehead, however, he kept a cool head and prepared to counter the bear’s attack.

The creature’s body flashed with soft light, its speed increasing by twofold, its huge figure almost becoming a blur as it appeared in front of Kai in the span of a few seconds. Still too slow! Seeing the bear’s paw move in slow motion as it aimed straight for his face, and with the dexterity of a cat, he avoided the fatal blow and slashed at the beast’s stomach. However his pupils widened as the strike had little to no effects on the tough fur, and he quickly retreated, avoiding another fatal blow. Commanding a fireball toward the beast, he retreated even further as a precaution and quickly analyzed the situation.

It can use Inko magic and its body is resistant to slashes… there is also the possibility of Dark Magic… this opponent is going to be tricky. He grinned and looked at the bear, his eyes shining with the desire to battle and kill. Luckily this one doesn’t seem like it will run away… the perfect training partner!

The sword shook in his arms, and his body flashed with light as he cast several enhancements. Taking the initiative, he rushed the bear, his body almost becoming a blur, and jumped in the air. He shot a fireball at its face, temporarily blinding it, and thrust his sword straight into its shoulder. Blood sprayed out like a fountain, covering Kai in the crimson liquid. However, he couldn’t be bothered, and he clicked his tongue as he wiped the tip of the sword. Only a flesh wound… That didn’t deter him from trying again, and he slid under the bear, attempting to slash at the soft tissue connecting its legs and lower body.

Before his blade could even reach, the beast rose onto its hind legs and rapidly descended once again, its front paws aimed straight at Kai’s stomach. Bastard! He cursed inwardly as he rolled away, barely managing to escape the crushing blow. Jumping up and landing on his feet, Kai didn’t stand on ceremony and shot another fireball at its face, then jumped up again and landed on its shoulder. He raised his sword, ready to plunge it deep into its neck, however before he could even attempt that the bear rose on its legs and rolled over on its back. The boy’s pupils widened and he jumped down without hesitation.

He panted, his heart racing after experiencing such close calls one after the other. His right leg shook, the adrenaline coursing through his veins causing unrest.

Taking another leap back, he watched the bear roll over on all fours, its disheveled appearance sending a shiver down his spine. The two opponents locked eyes mid-air, and the beast let out an angry growl. However, unlike what Kai expected, it didn’t charge or use any magic but instead seemed to look him up and down. The boy’s pupils constricted, and he suddenly changed his stance, putting his sword away in favor of the wand.

The bushes rustled as Onyx jumped out, circling Kai a few times before eyeing the bear with a fierce, annoyed look. He let out a low howl which echoed throughout the forest, waking up a few birds that fled as fast as they could. The Obborik’s body flashed briefly as he cast several Inkos spells, and waited for Kai to give him the go-ahead.

Gritting his teeth, the boy pointed his wand at the bear, prompting Onyx to charge straight at it, his figure becoming a blur as the wind howled past him. Compared to the Dark Urs, the young Obborik looked like nothing more than a teenager to an adult. Despite that, the huge beast let out an apprehensive scoff as it carefully followed Onyx, eyeing him like a viper.

Kai’s mouth moved wordlessly, a few whispered murmurs escaping his body as a small fireball manifested at the tip of his wand. Waving it around, the flame followed it as it grew bigger and bigger until it reached the size of a baby’s fist. Just like the Dark Urs, he carefully observed his companion and waited for the perfect moment to assist. Squinting, he advanced with caution, calculating the distance and how long the fireball would take to reach the Urs.

Onyx approached the bear, and when he was less than three meters away, cast another speed buff spell, which increased his speed by a very small percentage. However, that was all he needed, as the bear’s paw, which would have slammed into his body, missed by a hair’s breadth. The ground shook slightly as the bear’s paw left an imprint, and Onyx took advantage of the slight moment of confusion. Baring his fangs at the creature’s body, he aimed for the soft tissues at the ankle of its front legs, and bit down without mercy. The Dark Urs let out a deep, painful roar and rose on its hind legs, however Onyx didn’t let go. Seeing the opportunity, Kai shot the fireball without hesitation, reaching the beast’s body in less than two seconds, and hit it square on the abdomen. The smell of scorched fur and slightly burnt flesh permeated the air, however, it was nowhere near enough to cause an actual wound.

Another roar shook the entire forest and echoed in the air, sending a shiver down Kai’s spine. However, he instantly prepared another fireball and shot it in the same spot. At the same time, he immediately took out three fire crystals let them drop onto the ground, and immediately inserted three earth crystals. All of this happened before the second fireball even hit the bear. When it finally did, the bear’s anguished roar resounded in his mind, finally fully revealing its skin. Kai rushed the beast as fast as he could.

A low murmur escaped his body as the ground rose from around him, sending dozens of small, sharp stones and earth projectiles at the freshly revealed soft tissue. Without any fur to protect it, blood began seeping out from its torso. The bear grits its teeth, and its horns glow with a dark light as anger seems to take over its body. The free claw it had lit up with a similar glow, causing Kai’s, and the two women’s pupils to widen in shock. Dark Magic!

However, before either of them could do anything, the bear’s magic inmubed paw rushed toward Onyx, who kept digging deeper and deeper into its flesh. Blood covered his white fur, however he refused to let go, even as the deathly attack rushed toward him.

“Onyx!” Kai yelled out, preparing to send another fireball. But he wasn’t fast enough, and the paw made contact with the young Obborik. The boy stopped breathing for a second as his pulse rose, and anger coursed through his veins at the thought of his companion perishing. However, the muffled sound of shattering glass echoed in Kai’s ears like a church’s bell, which was accompanied by a brief flash. Following, the bear staggered backward, falling onto its back. Onyx immediately took advantage of the opportunity and aimed for its neck, his body glowing with a faint light once again. The Dark Urs let out a pained growl as he once again reached for the Obborik.

Onyx glanced at Kai, waking him up from the shock, and the boy immediately acted. Stomping the ground, he waved his wand downward, causing the dark crystals on his wand to glow slightly. The earth around the bear trembled, immediately rising at the same time as the wand, then enveloping the creature’s limbs and torso, rendering it unable to move. With one last move, the ground sunk, burying the beast, the only part of it still visible being its head and neck.

Kai panted heavily, putting the wand away and leaning on his sword for support. He let out a relieved sigh, however, this moment of relaxation lasted for only that, a moment. The ground shook once again, small fissures appearing around the bear’s body as it seemed to quickly break free from its earth prison.

Onyx let go of the thing and barked repeatedly at Kai, who grabbed the sword and ran as fast as he could, quickly arriving next to his companion. Watching the bear roar and struggle, the will to fight within his pupils softened, and hesitation began to set it as he looked at his blade. The Dark Urs’ horns glowed with a black color once again, and it seemed to break free faster and faster. It bared its fangs at the same time, trying to reach for Kai’s legs.

He clutched the hilt of his blade, which shone with a faint silver light, and closed his eyes.