Chapter 23 : The Hunt Part Two

Chapter 23 : The Hunt Part Two

Alan was in his Ghostfreak form, a spectral entity of pale white, with dark lines running across his body and a single eye glowing in the center of his head. He floated silently into the leader's room, becoming intangible and invisible as he passed through the walls.

The leader's room was luxurious, a stark contrast to the rest of the bandit camp. The centerpiece was a big wooden desk, intricately engraved with detailed patterns and symbols. Shelves lined the walls, filled with various trinkets and valuables looted from countless raids. A large map of the region was pinned to one wall, with various locations marked with red pins.

The bandit leader, a hulking brute of a man, sat behind the desk. He had a thick beard and mustache, his face a mask of cruel authority. His red armor, adorned with similar engravings to the desk, shone in the dim light of the room. Alan observed him silently, gathering as much information as he could about the bandits' operations and layout of their camp.

Satisfied, Alan floated back out of the room and camp, deactivating his Omnitrix and returning to his human form. He waited for nightfall, his eyes scanning the camp from his perch in a tree, watching the bandits as they moved about their routines. His Omnitrix needed time to recharge, and Alan used this waiting period to his advantage.

Alan perched silently atop a tree, his eyes locked onto the bandit camp below. The Omnitrix on his wrist was slowly recharging, its familiar green light pulsing softly. He had been watching the camp for hours, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. His patience was soon rewarded as a group of bandits emerged from the camp, moving in a loose formation.

"Oh, there comes some…" Alan said to himself.

There were thirteen of them in total, a mix of archers, swordsmen, and mages. They were heading out on a scouting mission, likely to ensure no threats were lurking nearby. Alan's eyes narrowed as he tracked their movements. This was his chance to whittle down their numbers before launching his main assault.

He quietly descended from the tree and began to follow them, keeping a safe distance. The forest provided ample cover, allowing him to move unnoticed. The bandits were talking among themselves, laughing and joking, unaware of the danger that stalked them.

'Let's not step on anything and alert them in a cliché move Alan.' He thought to himself.

Once they were a good distance from the camp, Alan decided it was time to strike. He drew his long sword, its blade gleaming in the moonlight. He took a deep breath, steeling himself for the battle ahead.

'I should buy a new sword maybe custom build one…' He thought while looking at his old sword.

Alan slowly approached them. The first bandit to fall was an archer who had lagged slightly behind the rest of the group. Alan moved like a shadow, closing the distance in a heartbeat. With a swift, precise strike, he slit the archer's throat before the man could utter a sound. The bandit collapsed to the ground, his bow clattering beside him.

"Shh no sound, we don't want to disturb any of your friends do we." Alan whispered in the dead bandits ears.

Alan quickly hid the body behind a bush, he searched his body to find if there is any valuable but sadly he only had some gold coin with him.

"Shhesshh what the hell is this guy didn't even have a potion on him.

Alan then moved on to his next target, a swordsman who was engaged in conversation with a mage. Alan's approach was silent, his footsteps barely disturbing the fallen leaves. He raised his sword and, with a powerful downward stroke, drove it into the swordsman's back. The man let out a strangled cry and crumpled to the ground.

The mage turned, eyes wide with shock, but Alan was already upon him. He swung his sword in a wide arc, the blade slicing through the air with deadly precision. The mage tried to cast a spell, but Alan's sword cleaved through his staff and into his chest, ending his life in an instant.

"F#CKKKK… I could have sold that staff. Damit…." Alan looked at the broken Staff with sadness.

Suddenly Alan felt a large amount of essence enter his body. "What the hell…"

He stood there for a few second. 'WOW so mages have large amount of essence in them, that's a new information. Good to know…' Alan thought to himself with a grin.

The other bandits were now aware of the attack. Shouts of bandits echoed through the forest as they drew their weapons and prepared to fight. Alan stood his ground, his sword at the ready, as the remaining bandits closed in around him.

"Well lets hope there will be more mages with them…."

An archer nocked an arrow and took aim, but Alan was faster. He darted to the side, avoiding the arrow by a hair's breadth, and closed the distance in a flash. His sword arced through the air, slicing through the bow and the archer's arm in a single, fluid motion. The bandit screamed in pain, clutching the stump of his arm, before Alan ended his suffering with a swift thrust to the heart.

Another archer aimed at him and shot an arrow, it hit him on his chest but because of his armour the arrow just got stuck in there without causing any damages. "Ahhh.. I need to focus…"

Alan took a rock which was a size of fist and threw at the archer with his full strength the archer was caught off guard and was too late to make an escape it hit his head and the archer fell from the tree and Alan saw his lifeless body on the ground. He got the confirmation when he received a chunk of life essence in him.

Two swordsmen charged at Alan from either side, their blades gleaming in the moonlight. Alan parried the first strike, his sword ringing as it clashed with the bandit's weapon. He spun on his heel, using the momentum to deliver a powerful kick to the second swordsman, sending him sprawling to the ground. With a swift follow-up strike, he decapitated the first swordsman, then plunged his sword into the second's chest as he tried to rise.

"Stay down Bi#ch." He shouted.

Two mages stood at the back of the group, chanting incantations as they prepared to unleash their spells. Alan knew he had to take them out quickly before they could turn the tide of battle. He sheathed his sword and sprinted towards them, dodging fireballs and bolts of lightning that exploded around him.

"Ohh man that's so cool" he exclaimed as he watched the fireball and lightning bolt passing besides him.

One of the mages finished his spell, a glowing orb of energy forming between his hands. He hurled it at Alan, but the warrior was ready. He dived to the side, rolling to his feet, and threw a dagger at the mage. The blade struck true, embedding itself in the mage's throat. The man's spell fizzled out as he fell to the ground, choking on his own blood.

"Choke on that sucker….."

The second mage watched in horror as his comrade fell. He tried to cast another spell, but Alan was already upon him. The bandit mage raised his hands in a futile attempt to shield himself, but Alan's sword cut through them with ease. The mage screamed, blood spraying from his severed limbs, before Alan silenced him with a brutal thrust to the chest.

Only a few bandits remained, their faces pale with fear. Alan stood among the bodies of their fallen comrades, his sword dripping with blood. He fixed his gaze on the remaining archers and swordsmen, daring them to make a move.

"What …" He asked the still bandits.

One of the archers, his hands shaking, tried to draw an arrow. Alan moved with blinding speed, closing the distance in a heartbeat. He grabbed the archer's arm, twisting it painfully until the bow fell from his grasp. With a savage twist, Alan broke the bandit's neck and let him fall to the ground.

The last two swordsmen charged at Alan together, their blades flashing in the moonlight. Alan met their attack head-on, parrying their strikes with ease. He disarmed one of them with a quick flick of his wrist, sending the bandit's sword spinning into the air. The disarmed bandit tried to tackle Alan, but he sidestepped the clumsy attack and drove his sword into the man's back.

The final bandit stood alone, his sword trembling in his hand. Alan approached him slowly, his eyes cold and merciless. The bandit took a step back, fear written all over his face. He tried to raise his sword, but Alan was already upon him. With a single, powerful stroke, he cleaved the bandit's head from his shoulders.

"Ahh man if this was a battle royal I would see a golden statue of mine in the field with a victory song playing in the background." Alan said to himself while thinking about that one time when he won a match while playing in Solo mode in PUBG. "Sigh Good Times".

Alan then proceeded to search the bodies of the dead bandits for any valuables. He found some gold coins, three healing potions, a spell book and a freaking storage ring from the mages body.

Alan was satisfied with the loot he got, he soon transferred the loot into 'his' storage ring.

Hey Guys I hope you like the story.

I saw on the news that there was heavy rain and storm in Mumbai. I was there in Mumbai last week attending the HGH exhibition. I hope you guys are safe and healthy.

If you have any recommendations or ideas for the story please comment.