Back to the Village

Ethan stood at the edge of the forest, staring at the village once again. The village had been deserted the first time he'd arrived here, no signs of life, no villagers, just a hollow silence that had weighed heavily on him. That unsettling emptiness still gnawed at him, but now he had a plan.

"I'll find them," he muttered to himself as he scanned the abandoned buildings. The thought of what had happened to the villagers burned in the back of his mind. The Illagers must have taken them somewhere, and today, Ethan intended to find their base and put an end to it.

He stepped carefully into the village, his eyes darting around for any signs of movement. Nothing. Just like before. His breath caught in his throat as the wind whistled through the broken windows of the village huts. The memory of the last time he'd been here rushed back, the eerie silence, the overturned carts, the broken doors. It was as though the village had been wiped clean of life in an instant.

This time, though, he wasn't leaving without answers.

Ethan combed through the village, checking each house again, just in case there was something he missed. His hand gripped the hilt of his iron sword tightly. Every creak of wood or shuffle of leaves made him tense, expecting to run into trouble at any moment.

Near one of the homes, he spotted something different, a slight indentation in the ground near the village outskirts. Kneeling down, he examined the tracks. They were old, but clearly made by several sets of feet. It was a lead.

Ethan's pulse quickened. "This has to be from them," he whispered, glancing up toward the forest. The tracks disappeared into the dense trees, but there was no doubt in his mind where they led. "The Illagers... they must have come from somewhere close."

He straightened up, clutching his sword tighter. He couldn't afford to hesitate. The village was abandoned, but he could still do something about it.

The forest canopy loomed above, thick and shadowy. Ethan followed the faint trail of footsteps, keeping a watchful eye on his surroundings. His breathing was steady, but his nerves were tense. The Illagers were brutal, and while he felt stronger from the experience he'd gained from previous fights, he knew better than to underestimate them.

After what felt like hours of trekking through the woods, Ethan came upon something. There, hidden among the trees, was a large stone structure. Its jagged walls rose above the treeline, dark and imposing. He had found it, the Illagers' base.

Ethan crouched behind a thick bush, peeking out at the base. A group of Illagers, some with crossbows and others with axes, patrolled the perimeter. He counted at least ten of them.

He swallowed hard. There was no way he could take them all in a head-on fight. He needed to be smarter about this. If he could take them out one by one without drawing attention, he might stand a chance.

Ethan waited for his opportunity. One of the Illagers began to move away from the others, heading around the side of the stone structure. This was his chance.

Moving quickly and silently, Ethan crept through the underbrush, his heart pounding in his chest. He approached the lone Illager from behind, his sword ready. 

With a swift motion, he struck. The iron blade cut through the Illager's back, dropping him to the ground with barely a sound. Ethan froze for a moment, staring down at the body. His stomach turned.

"This is real," he whispered, taking a deep breath to steady himself. It was different than fighting zombies or skeletons. He had just killed something that wasn't a mindless mob. An Illager was a living creature, someone who had thoughts, even if they were cruel ones.

The nausea hit him hard, but Ethan forced it down. He couldn't afford to feel guilty now. The villagers were counting on him, even if he hadn't found them yet. 

Ethan continued his slow, careful approach, taking out a few more Illagers one by one. Each kill felt heavier than the last, but his resolve hardened with each step. He had to keep going. His muscles ached from staying crouched, and his nerves were on edge, but he couldn't stop now.

He kept his distance, staying hidden whenever possible. But he knew that the longer he stayed, the more likely it was that he'd be noticed. His mind raced as he moved around the base, trying to find a way inside.

That's when he saw it, a narrow path leading to a small gap in the base's wall. It wasn't much, but it would be enough to get him inside.

Ethan slipped through the gap in the wall, landing inside the Illager base. He crouched low, keeping his movements slow and deliberate. The base was eerily quiet, save for the occasional grunt of an Illager from the upper levels.

The feeling of tension was thick, his breath shallow as he moved through the dark corridors of the base. He couldn't shake the feeling of being watched. His senses were heightened, every sound amplified in the stillness.

"I just need to find something… anything," he muttered under his breath, as he rounded a corner.

And then, just as he thought he might have found another route, he heard it—the sharp clang of metal. He froze.

The Illagers had noticed him.

Before Ethan could react, an Illager rounded the corner ahead of him, brandishing a crossbow. The bolt flew toward him, and he ducked just in time, the arrow grazing the top of his head and embedding itself in the stone wall behind him.

He lunged forward, closing the distance between him and the Illager before the crossbow could be reloaded. His sword flashed in the dim light, cutting down the Illager with a swift strike.

More footsteps. Ethan looked up and saw a group of Illagers rushing toward him. He gritted his teeth, tightening his grip on his sword.

"I won't let you stop me," he muttered, charging into the fray.

The first Illager swung an axe at him, but Ethan dodged to the side, countering with a quick slash to the chest. The Illager staggered back, giving Ethan just enough time to strike again, finishing him off.

But the others were closing in fast.

Ethan found himself surrounded, Illagers closing in from all sides. His heart raced, adrenaline surging through his veins as he parried blow after blow. The clash of iron echoed in the air as his sword met their weapons.

One Illager swung a heavy axe, aiming for Ethan's head. He ducked, feeling the whoosh of the axe as it passed just inches above him. He retaliated with a powerful thrust, driving his sword into the Illager's side.

Another Illager charged at him with a crossbow, firing bolts rapidly. Ethan moved fast, dodging the arrow, but one of them grazed his arm, drawing blood. He winced but didn't slow down. With a burst of energy, he lunged forward, disarming the Illager and taking him down with a single slash.

Breathing heavily, Ethan wiped the sweat from his brow. His muscles ached, and his arm throbbed where the bolt had grazed him. 

The remaining Illagers hesitated, clearly unnerved by how easily Ethan had dispatched their comrades. 

Just as they started to regroup for another attack, Ethan made his move. He bolted toward the gap in the wall, his heart pounding as he sprinted through the base's narrow corridors. He could hear the Illagers shouting behind him, their footsteps echoing off the stone walls.

He was almost there, almost free. He could see the opening in the wall ahead of him. But then, just as he was about to reach it, one of the Illagers blocked his path, swinging a massive axe down at him.

Ethan reacted instinctively, raising his sword to block the blow. The force of the strike rattled his bones, but he held his ground. With a grunt of effort, he pushed back, shoving the Illager away and delivering a powerful slash across his chest.

The Illager collapsed, and Ethan wasted no time. He slipped through the gap in the wall, his heart racing as he sprinted into the forest.

Ethan didn't stop running until he was sure he had lost them. His lungs burned, his legs screamed in protest, but he kept going. The trees blurred around him as he sprinted through the forest, ducking and weaving between the thick trunks.

After what felt like an eternity, Ethan slowed down, his breath coming in ragged gasps. He glanced over his shoulder, but there was no sign of the Illagers. He had shaken them off.

He collapsed against a tree, breathing heavily as the adrenaline began to wear off. His body ached, his arm throbbed where the crossbow bolt had grazed him, but he was alive.