The surprise attack by Jeff's companions turned the battle into a real war zone. Dozens of fighters joined the fray from one minute to the next, each fighting for their own motives.
The nomad thieves were caught off guard by the sudden turn of events, and their formation collapsed under the weight of the unexpected attack.
Jeff and his companions seized the opportunity to advance further, using their now numerical and territorial superiority to push their enemies toward the center of the battlefield.
As the battle raged around them, Jeff stood out as a ruthless leader, commanding his companions with the authority of a captain. His experience in smaller battles allowed him to read the dynamics of the battlefield in sections, like a beautiful score full of different musical notes. He could anticipate the enemy's movements before they even knew what they were going to do. With clear and concise orders, he led his warriors in a series of brilliant tactical maneuvers, always staying one step ahead of the enemy, who tried to escape the ambush but found themselves trapped like in a black widow's web.
Despite fierce resistance from their enemies, Kaizen, Jeff, and the other thieves of the Rock Group eventually emerged victorious thanks to their determination, skill, and courage.
When the last enemy is killed and falls at Jeff's feet, everyone except Kaizen celebrates with a simultaneous roar of victory.
Seconds later, most of the warriors gathered in the center of the battlefield, surrounded by the bodies of the nomads and the shadows of the tall trees that stretched in all directions.
The air was damp and heavy, filled with the smell of blood and sweat. The warriors were covered in guts and dirt, their weapons stained with dried blood and their faces scarred and bruised. Some leaned against the trees or the ground, panting and with their hands on their knees, while others paced back and forth, checking their comrades for wounds or rescuing those who needed help. The sounds of mourning and celebration mingled in the air, and everyone felt the weight of what had just happened.
Kaizen looked at them and then at Jeff, who was staring at him as well.
"Some of my men died as well. Wait at least a minute," Jeff said as he approached.
"My condolences. The sneak attack was really useful, but there is no need to wait for you," Kaizen replied.
"No need to pity us. Everyone came here because they wanted to. By the way, if you want to leave as soon as possible to get the mark, that's fine, I've seen now that I have no power to stop you."
Psyker nodded and smiled. "Now? Well, better late than never."
Jeff also smiled briefly. "The person I know who will help you get the Mark is an old shaman who lives isolated from the villages and thieves' camps. No one dares to tangle with him. He lives near a creek even further north from here, you shouldn't have any problems getting to him, because like I said, no one wants to get close to him. I bet he's still alive and well, I haven't seen him in a few months. The old man is, shall we say, more complicated to deal with than a disorganized group of thieves like mine."
Kaizen nodded, paying attention to what Jeff said. "I'll leave right now if that's all." He said.
"All right, don't forget our agreement. I'll wait for you."
With that, Kaizen turned his back and started walking towards the indicated path in search of the old shaman.
As Kaizen walked away, Jeff watched him for a moment before turning his attention back to his own companions. There was much work to be done, wounded to tend, weapons to clean, supplies to replenish, and an entire camp to loot.
*
Kaizen walked carefully in the middle of the Forest of the Lost. Somehow he knew that the dangers of this place were not only the people, but also the creatures, that no matter how much he could hear them, they were always out of sight.
His legs moved swiftly even after the battle. He was not tired.
The night was very dark in the forest, and the shadows of the tall trees around him gave him the feeling that this place was an endless maze, except that he had recent experience with mazes.
The insects buzzed around his head, but Kaizen didn't mind. He walked for minutes, not caring about the stress that was beginning to take over his mind or the outside world, considering it was his day off. His eyes were alert, taking in every detail of the forest, every tree trunk, every shadow, trying to avoid any major surprises.
Finally, after a few minutes of walking, he spotted a flickering light between the trees. Kaizen smiled, knowing that he had probably found the shaman's hut. He approached cautiously and studied the wooden structure before him.
The shaman's house seemed to have been built long ago, blending in perfectly with the natural surroundings of the forest. Made of twisted logs and branches, the structure seemed to have grown organically from the ground up, like a great tree that rose toward the canopy of others, but never came close to reaching it.
The entrance to the house was marked by a low, wide door made of dark wood and decorated with mysterious symbols and carved engravings that even the title Kaizen Language Master could only understand ten percent of the time.
Surrounding the entrance were a series of stones and crystals arranged in semicircles along the walls, giving off a soft, mysterious bluish glow in the moonlight.
The door creaked as he pushed it open without knocking, revealing a dark room with a roaring fire in the center. Smoke rose to the ceiling and naturally wafted out through the old chimney, but the smell didn't bother Kaizen.
At the same time, Kaizen noticed that the inside of the house seemed larger than the outside, as if it were another dimension, an alternate reality. The interior was lit by a dim, pulsating light emanating from various candles and candlesticks scattered across the dirt floor.
In addition, the room was filled with strange and mystical items such as crystals hanging from wires, stuffed animal bones and feathers, and piles of ancient books and scrolls and esoteric drawings.
The house was also filled with exotic and aromatic smells, like dried herbs and incense smoke, that didn't seem to come from the fire.
And then, at the back of the room, he saw him. The shaman was sitting in an armchair, surrounded by strange objects and ancient books. He looked at Kaizen, and his dark eyes seemed to penetrate the player's soul.
"Psyker." He said in a deep, high voice. "I knew you would come."
Kaizen was taken aback. "Do you know me?" he asked.
"All beings with the disease of insatiable hunger for knowledge know you." The shaman said, rising from his chair and stepping out of the shadows.
At that moment, the shaman proved to be a more peculiar and fascinating figure than Kaizen could have imagined. Small in stature, with slightly stubby limbs, the shaman moved slowly with light steps. It was clear to everyone that he was a halfling, a smaller human, but one with great courage and magical gifts. Long, curly hair in shades of brown flowed in solitary waves over his head and shoulders. He didn't have much hair, but the few strands he had were long. His eyes were small but intense, a beautiful shade of navy blue. His face was marked by deep wrinkles, signs of his long life.
The shaman's clothing consisted of a dark, coarse woolen robe with small embroidered cloth and red thread symbols.
"While all powerful people know who you are without needing to introduce themselves, we can only wonder what our role is in your journey," the small shaman said, approaching the fire with a quiet gaze.
Kaizen was still impressed by the halfling's wise aura, so he asked:
"How do you know about me? I mean, I know there are legends about the Psykers and all, but as soon as you looked at me, you knew who I was.
"When I look at a child, I see a child, not only by physiognomy, but by the pure aura that most of them have. When I look at a sick person, I know he is sick. When I look at a murderer, I am the first to know what he has done. In the same way, when I look at you, I know exactly what you are. I'm sure you've felt something similar."
"I think I have. Maybe. But how do you do it?"
"Experience. It is what makes all living things stronger and stronger throughout their lives. A child in an adult's body will still be a child, but an adult in a child's body could rule the world if he wanted to. With experience, you can acquire a sharper eye that is more open to absorbing knowledge and interpreting events, both in the natural world and the supernatural. Psyker, your appearance was announced to the world, and all supernatural beings were stirred by it, as were we Magi who could sense the changing winds".
Kaizen then remembered that he had seen on a website the previous month that the emergence of the Psyker class had indeed been announced to the entire world by a message that resounded from the heavens, just as it always did when a new boss was killed.
"So you mean the message about me even made it this far?" Kaizen asked.
...
Edited by: DrHitsuji
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