Kael moved swiftly through the forest, each step measured and deliberate. The sun had dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in fading shades of deep orange and indigo. Soon, full darkness would take over, and with it, the monsters would begin to stir. He needed to be in position before that happened.

  His body moved with practiced ease, weaving between the massive roots and thick undergrowth. Making full use of his attributes and keeping his movements refined—each step was lighter, every breath controlled. His stamina lasting longer than ever before. He had pushed himself beyond what once seemed possible, and now, moving through the dense wilderness felt almost instinctual.

  But speed wasn’t his only concern.

  He had to remain hidden. Kael knew better than to leave tracks, especially this close to Gloomkin territory. He altered his path frequently, ensuring his trail would be nearly impossible to follow. The goal being that if anything did come across his tracks, they wouldn’t be able to tell which direction he had come from and gone to.

  Despite his haste, he remained cautious, scanning his surroundings constantly. He had already encountered a few roaming squads of Gloomkin, small patrols moving through the forest, their guttural clicks and hissing voices carrying faintly through the night air. He had avoided them without issue, staying out of sight behind thick tree trunks and using the shadows to his advantage.

  As he moved, the forest around him began to change.

  The further he went, the thinner the trees became. The tangled undergrowth began to recede, replaced by more open stretches of land. Kael could feel it—he was nearing the edge of the forest. Beyond that was the grassland, and… the Gloomkin village.

  He slowed his pace, creeping toward the treeline with even greater caution. The wind carried new scents—smoke, cooked meat, the damp musk of the open field. He was close.

  Finding a suitable hiding spot behind the gnarled roots of a massive tree, Kael crouched low and waited. He wasn’t going to rush in blindly. Not yet.

  Time stretched as he remained still, listening.

  The sounds of the forest faded into the background, overtaken by the distant murmurs of the village. He stayed patient, waiting for the last slivers of sunlight to disappear completely.

  Then, full darkness fell.

  Kael exhaled slowly, shifting his position slightly. It was time to move.

  Staying within the cover of the trees, he began moving south along the treeline, keeping himself pressed close to the ground. The dark sky above was littered with clouds, blocking most of the light from the three moons. It worked in his favor, keeping the land shrouded in deeper shadows. Especially in a place with fewer covers, like the grasslands the clouds would be useful.

  He took careful, calculated steps, making no unnecessary noise. His ears were sharp, catching every distant sound, every rustle of wind through the tall grass, every flicker of movement in the distance. He kept moving.

  The village was still some distance away, but the closer he got, the more clearly he could hear the activity within it. The air carried the scent of charred wood, of cooked flesh. He could hear low, chittering voices, the occasional grunt of what sounded like larger creatures.

  Kael slowed as he neared the edge of the trees, just before the open grassland. He crouched low, using the tall grass as cover, his eyes scanning ahead.

  There it was.

  The Gloomkin village.

  This was the first time he had seen it this close since his initial encounter. Back then, he had only glimpsed it briefly before leaving. Now, he had a better view.

  The village was larger than before.

  There were more huts, crude structures of wood, and dried foliage scattered throughout the open field. Some were tents, held up by sharpened sticks and layered with stitched-together hides. Others were roughly built wooden shacks, looking barely sturdy enough to withstand a strong wind.

  Among them, fires burned, their flickering light illuminating figures that moved between them.

  Kael observed carefully, taking in the details.

  Some Gloomkin were gathered around the fires, tending to whatever creatures they had hunted during the day. Their cooking was rudimentary—large hunks of meat roasted over open flames, dripping grease onto the ground. Others, likely the dumber, lower-level, and more feral ones, simply tore into raw flesh, devouring their meals in a hunched, animalistic fashion.

  His gaze moved toward the center of the village.

  There, standing taller than the other huts, was a larger structure.

  It was different from the rest—its roof was made from bundled sticks and layered leaves, its walls sturdier than the others. This had to be the Chieftain’s dwelling.

  Kael squinted, his improved vision letting him pick up faint details in the dim light.

  By the entrance of the hut, two figures stood guard.

  They were bigger than the average Gloomkin—broader shoulders, more defined muscles, their posture more alert. Even from this distance, he could tell these weren’t ordinary Gloomkin. Kael stopped to think about it briefly. They looked like they were the Chieftain bodyguards. It seemed he would have to deal with them if he ever planned to take down the leader. He filed that information away for later. For now, his priority was gathering more intel.

  Stolen novel; please report.

  He scanned the village, noting the estimated number of inhabitants. By his rough count, this settlement could house a bit over two hundred Gloomkin. That was a lot—more than he had initially assumed. And, just as he suspected, they were active at night.

  Kael’s eyes flicked toward the edge of the village.

  Movement. His body tensed.

  A group of Gloomkin emerged from the forest, their hunched forms stepping out of the darkness and into the flickering firelight. A group of hunters returning from their patrols.

  Kael flattened himself against the ground, keeping his silhouette low.

  He watched as the returning Gloomkin entered the village, chattering among themselves. Some carried weapons, crude spears, and knives, while others had dead animals slung over their shoulders, the rest carrying whatever they had gathered or hunted.

  Kael kept watching, absorbing every detail he could.

  Then, he noticed the clouds above shift, letting small rays of light filter through resulting in him looking up. The thick cover that had concealed the moons began to move, revealing them more. If he stayed out in the open much longer, he risked being exposed. Keeping his movements controlled, he retreated.

  He carefully crawled backward, keeping low until he reached the cover of the trees once more. Only once he was safely concealed did he allow himself to relax. Now, he would wait. There was still more to observe—more to learn. Kael settled in, preparing for a night of watching and observing.

  Observation required patience, and patience was something he had learned in abundance. He slowed his breathing, letting his body relax despite his mind remaining razor-sharp. The Gloomkin village sprawled before him, the flickering firelight casting shadows across the crude huts and tents. He kept his focus on patterns, movements, and behaviors. Anything that could tell him more about their routine.

  Time stretched on.

  Some of the Gloomkin were still eating, their low grunts and wet chewing sounds carrying through the night air. Others were moving between huts, carrying weapons or crude baskets filled with whatever they had. But Kael was looking for something more specific. How many guarded the village? How often did they rotate?

  He continued watching. The bigger Gloomkin still stood near the Chieftain’s hut, their post unwavering. They hadn’t moved since he first saw them. Aside from them, he spotted a handful of others patrolling the village’s outskirts, their movements slow and methodical. They were clearly less disciplined than the bodyguards, but still watchful. Then, there were the stragglers.

  Some of the Gloomkin seemed to be completely uninterested in any kind of structure. These were the lower-leveled, dim-witted ones, the kind that just wandered around aimlessly, gnawing on whatever food scraps they could find, or fight among themselvs. They were unorganized, unpredictable, and possibly the easiest to take out if a fight broke out.

  Kael noted it all.

  But he wasn’t just watching the village. He needed to see if they had any specific habits or weaknesses. His gaze shifted beyond the huts, to the outskirts. That’s where he saw another important detail. There were a few Gloomkin outside of the village, loitering near the tree line, their forms half-hidden in the darkness. They weren’t patrolling, at least not in the basic structured way some of the other would. Instead, they seemed to be scavenging, picking at things on the ground, occasionally crouching near fallen logs or inspecting the earth.

  Kael narrowed his eyes. What were they looking for? He shifted slightly, moving his head just enough to see better without exposing himself. Then, after a while, he noticed something else. Some of them were setting up rudimentary traps. They weren’t complex—mostly sharpened sticks wedged into the ground, some of them tied together with crude rope made from vines. But they weren’t just laying them around randomly. They were placing them in very specific spots—likely along paths, they expected something to walk through.

  Kael frowned.

  Were they hunting something other than him? Or were they fortifying the area around the village from predators? He pushed down the frustration creeping into his chest. He didn’t know the answer, and right now, it didn’t matter. What mattered was that they were actively trying to catch something or fortifying the village. That… complicated things. Kael couldn't leave them alone for too long he needed to deal with the village before it became impossible for him to do so alone.

  Kael exhaled through his nose. He filed the information away, mentally marking where he had seen the traps being set. If he needed to move around this area again, he would need to avoid them. His focus returned to the village.

  More time passed.

  Some of the Gloomkin continued wandering, some finishing their meals, others finding places to sleep either in the huts or outside. It was then that Kael got the answer to his other question, whether they slept or not. The answer being both yes and no.

  Some of them did. In the farthest part of the village, Kael could see groups of them curling up near the fire pits, their bodies sprawled lazily across the ground. They weren’t dead—he could see the slow rise and fall of their chests.

  But not all of them slept.

  Some stayed awake, either standing guard or simply wandering aimlessly around the village.

  Kael watched one in particular—a Gloomkin that circled the same hut three times, looking around each time before moving on without purpose. It wasn’t guarding anything. It wasn’t looking for food. It was just… restless.

  That was interesting. Not all of them were under orders. Not all of them had a sense of duty. Some of them simply… did whatever they felt like doing. That was a weakness.

  Chaotic, undisciplined creatures weren’t nearly as dangerous as ones with clear leadership and coordination. If they weren’t all working together in a structured way, that meant there were gaps in their defenses. And Kael could exploit gaps. His mind turned, forming possibilities.

  How could he use this? There was the obvious approach.

  If he started picking them off at night, taking out the roaming ones first, he could slowly reduce their numbers. They were weak individually. If he fought them alone, away from the others, he could avoid the risk of the village getting alerted and an all-out battle.

  But what about the Chieftain? That was the real question. If he remembered right the quest said the reward was based on the amount killed as well as the Chieftain. That meant he didn't necessarily need to kill it. But Kael was interested in the crystal giving off essence on the Chieftain's staff, and well he was never one to leave things unfinished.

  Kael’s gaze shifted back to the largest hut. The guards were still standing there, still unmoving. He wasn’t sure what level they were, but they were definitely stronger than the average Gloomkin. If he fought them directly, it wouldn’t be as simple as taking out the ones wandering aimlessly.

  He needed to know their strength. How strong were they individually? What weapons did they use? How loyal were they to the Chieftain? That last one was important.

  If they were blindly obedient, they would fight to the death. If they were like the rest of their kin, there was a chance they would abandon their leader and run if they got scared or if things got bad enough. Kael needed answers. This wasn’t just about revenge for his treehouse, it wasn’t just about running in and killing them all in a single night. That wasn’t possible. Not yet atleast. If he was going to eliminate the Gloomkin village, he needed to do it efficiently. Just because you were stronger than a teenager did not mean you could fight 200 of them. Eventually, you would get tired, your stamina would run out long before you beat them all, and you would then be at their mercy.

  This was about attrition. Strategy. Weakening them piece by piece. A methodical hunt. And just as he was thinking this, he noted movement in the shrubbery a distance away from him, and so too did one of the patroling Gloomkin it started heading in that direction its interest peaked.