People who never fought against monsters didn't know how it happened. But, Lurra was an experienced Keeper, she participated in battles many times and saw others in action, especially newcomers because of her job at the fortress.
That's why she was baffled to see how Kain reacted.
Step. Step. Step.
Step by step, Kain stepped back. He didn't use the Codex or his weapon, the dagger hanging from his belt.
Why?
Because there was no reason.
The Grim Hunter looked menacing, but he did nothing, nor did Lurra.
'Hmm...' Kain hummed. 'She put her hand on the hilt, but she's in no hurry to attack. If I were to get scared, scream, or rush into the fight, I'd just provoke that monster, right?'
Exactly.
That was just what Lurra was thinking.
'Hah, I got a pretty smart guy. Well, what else would you expect from an active Rune Brand?'
Slowly, Kain stood up next to Lurra.
"What are we going to do?"
Lurra smiled bitterly. "You've broken the distance so quietly, I'm even sorry to say it. We came here for resources. The Fruit of Shadows is a good thing, and without a fight, the Grim Hunter won't give it to us."
A few more short phrases, and the plan was set. Not all astral creatures were so patient.
Lurra ran forward. Her figure disappeared behind the columns, finding herself to the left of the Grim Hunter.
Electric shocks ran through her lance-shaped sword as she thrust forward.
Purple lightning ripped a chunk of flesh from the Grim Hunter's shoulder. His painful groan came out through his mask.
BAM!
Crimson horns slammed into Lurra, raising a cloud of dust, but the Grim Hunter only hit the loose earth.
At the same moment, Kain's fist struck the tall monster's knee, the thorn piercing his palm. A frosty blast rushed at the Grim Hunter.
But Kain's confident expression quickly became a confused one.
"What?"
All he could achieve was a thin layer of ice on the Grim Hunter's leg.
THUMP!
The hoof slammed into his stomach as his back hit the rock.
"Good job, boy! You bought me some time!" Lurra exclaimed as she activated her Codex.
Slash. Slash.
Two swings of her hand and a white circle appeared in front of the Grim Hunter, the cross inside pulsing.
Before the Grim Hunter could react, the circle burst into flames, leaving a deep cut on his chest.
GRROOOOOOOOAAAH!!!
With a deafening roar, the Grim Hunter crumbled to the ground. Bursts of blood rushed from his chest, as his large body trembled in pain.
"DIE!"A second lightning strike shattered the monster's mask, blasting its head into dark clots.
Lurra smiled, deftly returning her sword to her belt.
"Good work, rookie." She smirked, turning to Kain.
Kain brushed a trickle of blood from his mouth.
"Ah?" he frowned, standing up with a painful wheeze. "I didn't do anything, just got a hoof mark on my chest."
"That's not true. You distracted the Grim Hunter and gave me the opportunity to attack. A few seconds is enough to kill an enemy if your sword is sharp enough."
Kain scratched the back of his head, looking at the decapitated monster.
Lurra shook her head. "The Grim Hunters are the Tarnished Bearer creatures. Just like the Grim Reapers, but a bit stronger. You have only recently become a Keeper. You should be thankful that your Codex is powerful enough to hurt such an opponent, even though you're just a Tarnished Dreamer."
"The lowest level... Although I'm not a Tainted anymore, at least something is good."
"Yeah, just be careful and don't attack those you don't stand a chance against. That's why I would never think of charging at a Stray Specter."
Then, she turned around, heading towards the fruit.
"The fruit of shadows is a good thing. It was worth fighting against a Grim Hunter. Don't worry, I'll report your progress to Mr. Zoran."
"Thanks, I guess..."
Tap.
Lurra bent down to gather a fruit of shadows.
Suddenly, her eyes went wide, filling with fear.
"Agh...?"
Something touched her hand.
Raising her gaze, she saw a gray figure of tattered energy. The Stray Specter wished for a fruit of shadows as well.
Before Lurra could realize it, the Stray Specter poked her in the shoulder.
Gush.
A stream of blood rushed from the other side, leaving a gaping hole in Lurra's shoulder.
Gritting her teeth in savage pain, Lurra bounced back. Without a second thought for the fruit, she grabbed Kain's wrist and ran forward.
"Fuck! We have to get out of here as soon as possible! We have to find Mr. Zoran or the Stray Specter won't stop chasing us!"
Kain didn't utter a word, he only turned around.
The Stray Specter was moving smoothly towards them, leaving a shivering trail behind.
'So, that's what the gap in power means, right?' Kain muttered internally. 'The Grim Hunter was a Tarnished Bearer, she went up against him with full confidence of victory.'
'But...'
His eyes reflected the Stray Specter.
'The Tarnished Hallow is an unbeatable opponent for her.'
Step. Step. Step.
Lurra ran forward with all her might. Her blood was pouring down her footprints, but she couldn't worry about that. She had the newbie with her, she couldn't let Kain down because of her pain.
"Hey, is this thing going to stop chasing us?" Kain narrowed his eyes, the Stray Seeker kept moving.
Chases.
Chases followed him, both in this world and in the Astral Dimension. It was starting to piss Kain off.
"No!" Lurra shouted. "If a Stray Specter chose a target, then it would pursue as long as it could. We must either run out of the Nest or kill it!"
Fortunately, Lurra knew where Zoran and Morbia were. Each pair picked a spot before splitting up.
"Mr. Zoran!" Lurra exclaimed, running up to him.
Zoran stood among the pillars with a bored look, while Morbia had been trying to pull a huge crystal out of the ground for the past ten minutes. He didn't even think about helping her.
Zoran turned around. "Hm? Do you need something?"
"Please...! Mr... Zoran! The Stray Specter!" she exclaimed, pointing at the shifting monster.
Lurra spat out a clot of blood, pulling Kain behind her.
The Stray Specter was fast. The gray silhouette swept across dozens of meters, wanting to reach its victim.
Yet, only a bored-looking man with green hair was in front of it.
"Hello, buddy. Looks like my subordinates made you angry, right?" he said deadpan.
Any obstacle in the Stray Specter's path had to be destroyed.
Kain's eyes went wide when the specter's long finger touched Zoran's forehead. He remembered well what had happened to Lurra's shoulder just a few minutes ago.
But...
Nothing happened to Zoran.
His aura, the hovering runes around him, trembled slightly before quickly calming down.
"Agh, I wanted to be nice, didn't I?" Zoran scratched the back of his head before raising his right hand.
Click.
He snapped his fingers.
"Burn, you boring ghost," he spat out.
In a lone burst, green flames torched the Stray Specter, leaving not even a shred of the intimidating monster.
Zoran's eyes traveled downward, searching for something on the ground.
"Damn, didn't even leave a crystal. What a shame."
Kain gulped.
An invincible opponent to one wasn't even a threat to the other.
Somewhere in the distance, Georg peered at his watch.
It was time - the next Surge would happen soon.