Kael and Tessa heard that the eastern forest was a maze of shadows, a place where danger lurked behind every twisted tree and within every silent glade.
Kael, with his medic's satchel slung over his shoulder, moved swiftly, thanks to his Rare Shoes. His eyes scanned the underbrush for threats and confirmed that nothing was there before they continued.
Beside him, Tessa's nimble form moved swiftly, her Night Assassin talent rendering her nearly invisible in the dim light.
They were bound for Shane's estate, guided only by a map that could only point to Shane's location.
"We should be there in two more hours. We're doing fine." Tessa suddenly said, seeing that Kael was a bit nervous. Kael actually took a lot of time in his task to get Spectral Berries, so they weren't able to visit Shane's estate immediately.
"That's good. But you have to remember that we still have to rest. We can't move tirelessly for the next two hours." Kael reminded.
The urgency of their mission lent speed to their steps. They were in a hurry since they needed to get to Shane's estate before the start of the Zombie Wave.
However, the forest had its own agenda.
"Halt," Tessa hissed, her hand shooting out to stop Kael in his tracks.
Before them stood three hulking figures—Spitter Zombies, their skin an unnatural shade of green, bloated bodies swaying slightly as they sensed fresh prey.
"Eeeww… These creatures are nasty… Should we avoid it or fight?" Tessa asked. Since they could outrun such fatty zombies, they have an option to escape. However, getting attacked by an acid spit from behind could be a problem.
"I think it's better to kill them right now… If they dropped an Acid Pouch, we will be rich…" Kael replied…
This time, his Healing Hands glowed faintly, ready to mend wounds yet to be inflicted.
Tessa drew her twin daggers, the blades whispering death as she prepared to strike.
"Alright…" Tessa replied as she also realized that they were already surrounded by the Spitter Zombies.
The first Spitter lurched forward, its mouth gaping wide as it launched a stream of acid towards them.
Tessa rolled to the side, her movements were swift even within such a rugged terrain, while Kael raised a barrier of healing energy that sizzled as the acid splashed against it.
This was the reason why Kael was brave enough to face them. His talent allowed him to defend such attacks!
"Now!" Tessa called out, darting behind the creatures with supernatural speed. Her daggers found their mark in the soft flesh of the nearest zombie's neck, dark blood oozing from the wound.
Kael followed suit, his hands glowing brighter as he channeled his talent into a burst of healing light that seared the undead flesh like sunlight.
The Spitter shrieked, its acidic saliva dripping harmlessly to the ground as it turned to face its assailants.
The second Spitter joined the fray, its aim more precise as it spat a glob of acid towards Tessa. She twisted away, but not before the corrosive liquid grazed her arm, leaving a searing wound in its wake.
Kael was at her side in an instant, his hands enveloping her injury in a cocoon of healing warmth. The pain receded under his touch, but there was no time for relief as the third Spitter advanced.
Together, they fought—a combination of blade and healing light against rotting flesh and venomous spit.
Each strike from Tessa was deadly against humans, but she had to double her efforts against the Zombies
The battle continued and each moment felt like an eternity as they parried and struck. They realized that these Spitter Zombies were stronger than the ones they had encountered in the city ruins!
Kael's barrier flickered as he sustained a hit to his side, acid burning through cloth and skin alike. But his resolve did not waver; he healed himself just enough to keep fighting.
Tessa moved like a wraith, her injuries fueling her fury as she dispatched the second Spitter with a swift cut across its bloated belly.
Luckily, the acid wasn't infectious and could not turn them into Zombies… Nonetheless, it hurt a lot when they were hit.
Soon, the creature collapsed with a gurgled moan, its acidic blood pooling on the forest floor.
The final Spitter loomed large before them, its eyes gleaming with malice. But Kael and Tessa worked together to defeat them…
With a final combined effort—a slash from Tessa's dagger and a blast from Kael's healing hands—the last Spitter fell, its body felt like it was dissolving into a puddle of green sludge.
"At least your Healing Hands can still stop these things from exploding." Tessa muttered as she confirmed that none of the "healed" Spitter Zombies exploded.
"Hehe… That's why I'm confident when facing them." Kael replied.
The two rested for a while before looting the Spitter Zombies…
"Oh! They provided more experience points here!" Kael commented after realizing that she got 20 Experience Points from it!
Tessa also looted the other one and got similar Experience Points! They didn't get the acid pouch, but they were still happy about it.
"You can loot the last one, Kael…" Tessa said as she knew that Kael needed to level up faster so that his healing abilities could get stronger.
After looting the last one, the two continue on their way to Shane's estate.
However, before they could even get far, they were soon surrounded by several Jumper Zombies and Spitter Zombies as if they were waiting for them!
Kael's mind raced, calculating their slim chances of survival, while Tessa's grip on her daggers tightened, her resolve hardening against the fear that threatened to take hold.
"Looks is it," Kael muttered, his hands already glowing in preparation for what seemed like their final stand.
He hadn't fully recovered his Spirit Points yet, so he knew that he could only have his Healing Hands four more times. That was obviously not enough for this battle!
Tessa's eyes narrowed, her voice barely above a whisper, "Not today. Not without a fight."
The two exchanged glances and nodded with the same determination in their eyes.