Statues & Evolution

With an arrogant grin plastered on his face, Felix, in pure bliss, counted the humans in his head.

'One, two, three, four, five, six! Six humans around it.' His eyes shifted to the coachman handling the two horses, 'One that," Finally he turned toward the doors shielding his vision, but not his senses, 'And... two more inside.'

Incidentally, he could also see their statuses.

Seth, quietly standing beside him, his hand on his dagger, muttered slowly, "They are a... complete party." He started in his slow, rigid pace, "A defender, two attackers, one physical supporter, one magic supporter and a healer!"

As he finished, a frown pieced together on his forehead, "They are... strong!"

Felix's grin widened, a satisfactory look flickered on his face, of course he knew that all of them were around level fifteen. With the strongest being level 17 and the weaker 14, but he could care less, "That's the bare minium to be my power!"

His inventory tab popped up and just as he was about to charge over, a pop-up appeared in his sight.

[● Quest Initiated:

- Infect the humans in and around the carriage.

● Reward:

- Rank upgrade.]

The System's aid arrived timely, reminding the blood-thirsty Felix that there existed something like rank too. Which he could upgrade by infecting seven more humans.

Reminded of that, he groaned and shook his head dejectedly.

"Wait!" Suddenly, the lean built whiskered man–the physical support– supporting a bow and a quiver upon his shoulder, raised his hand.

"What's up, Jerry?" Homand, the party leader and an attacker, moreover the level 17, packing jammed muscles in his tanned skin and a tall stature, questioned.

"I... hear something." The frown on Jerry's face deepened, he turned toward Luxal, the magic support and asked, "Can you do a search?"

Luxal scratched his chubby tummy and looked around, before, under the stern gaze of Homand and blooming smile of the healer– Bea– relented and nodded.

Raising his trendy, magician, long-pointed hat, he bowed toward Bea, "This one for your charm, Bea." And tried his best to give a handsome grin, which, influenced by his stout nose and chubby features, looked more cute than his delusional handsome.

Bea giggled, and covering her small face behind her slender hands, sheepishly looked away.

As Luxal rested his eyes and raised his staff while focusing, the second attacker, Belle, suddenly met eye to eye with Felix.

The air between them... froze.

She was a young girl, also the weakest in the group being a recent member, and had managed to spot the... statue... by complete chance.

'H-He's so... life like.' She squinted her eyes while gazing at Felix leaning against the tree with his arms crossed.

But as she focused further, she realised that there was also somebody beside him, he also looked like a statue– being completely unmoving.

She called out to Homand and pointed into the forest, "Homand... there are sta–"

"Enemies!" Luxal's eyes shot wide, his pupils trembling, "We have been pincered!"

The calm air instantly changed. The coachman, the only one dressed sensibly, looked back into the small opening, his quacky eyes met with the woman's inside. And suddenly, the child, wrapped secure in a wrapping sheet, burst into shrill cries.

Luxal slammed his staff, sending forward translucent waves and buffing up his party members with augmentations.

"One group is hiding behind, while the other," His eyes shifted into the forest, his vision swerved past the trees and rested upon Felix, "Are there!"

Just as all the eyes fell upon Felix, the latter's stoic face broke... into a grin.

"UGH!" Belle yelped back in fright, making Gurmand, the beefy shielder, to press down at her shoulder with his large hand and mutter next to her ears, "Prepare to engage."

Felix snapped his fingers, his voice clear to Seth despite the whooshing sounds of their weapons being readied, "Now this will be fun!"

Felix and Seth abruptly vanished from the group's eyes, while the two Zombie Orcs staggered forward.

Seeing their dark skin tone and strange, bloodied appearances, Luxal voiced, "I suspect them to be undeads!"

"Not suspect," Jerry aimed the arrow and making sure it aligned, let loose. The arrow drifted forward and pierced through Phuck's cheek, but the latter didn't even winch, "They are undead!" His voice was low, but still powerful enough to reach everyone's ears.

"INDEED!"

The hair on Jerry's neck stood on edge, goosebumps pumped down his spine as his head turned back.

In a low and dazed voice, he muttered in his last moments, "They have assassin class skills?"

But before Felix's sword could cleave apart Jerry's neck, Homand, letting loose a fierce cry, stomped forward and his blade swung down, blocking Felix's attack.

"Oh!" Felix, feeling himself being pushed back, marvelled and stared into the latter's eyes. All his power erupting to counter and still failing terribly.

"Why are you doing this?" Homand bared his teeth, veins bulging out of his sockets as he resisted with all his power.

He had taken Felix to be human. Why? Because he looked the sort! He had odd features, too, with his luster-less eyes and neither dry nor moist skin. And especially an odd scent... not of somebody dead... and neither of somebody alive. Of course, if he didn't introduce himself.. or the latter lacked the capabilities to see through his guise. He would be taken as a human!

"Why are you doing this?" Felix posed a question in return?

"What am I doing?" Homand, taking the chance Felix gave him for a breather and stepping back with Jerry, asked.

A smile appeared on Felix's face, "Resisting me!"

Seeing his eerie grin, a shiver ran down his spine, he brandished his sword and prepared to charge forward, "SHUT UP AND DI–"

"Shuu!" Seth pressed his finger against Homand's lips and withdrew his dagger.

Allowing his warm blood raging out of his neck to bathe him.

As his time passed as an undead, he was starting to like it too... killing the ones blessed by life! A smile flickered past his expression as Felix stomped his foot petulantly and reprimanded Seth, "How dare you steal my kill? How dare you ruin my quest? Did I tell you to kill?"

Seth, about to flicker away into the shadows, tilted his head while flicking instinctively flicking the blood off his dagger, "Did you... tell me... to not kill?"

Saying so, he truly vanished away from everyone's eyes. Making Felix realise that he truly didn't forbid him from that.

Even as the Orcs started charging over and Felix kept mulling over his mistake.

The group of five were too observed in Homand's lifelessly body collapsing to the ground to stir into action.

His life was slipping away, his bodily warmth seeping out of his dying breaths, 'How? Did I get too engrossed in a single opponent? No! A normal assassin would never go for a melee combatant, not at the very start of the battle... The abnormality,' His eyes turned to stare at the dusk sky, slowly giving up and allowing it to invade him, 'Laid in my opponent.'

Meanwhile, a group of interesting notifications flashed past Felix's eyes.

[Congratulations! Your loyal Seth has killed a formidable opponent. Rewarded by 1500 EXP! He has reached level 10!]

[Congratulations! You have received 750 EXP!]

[Congratulations! Your loyal Seth has reached the condition for evolution.]

'Huh?' Felix's eyes fluttered, 'He's... catching up to me!'