It’s time. They finally spotted an enemy. It was alone, too. 

Both of them went out of the room with one thing in mind. It was information on how to survive for Jason. Ezekiel wanted to have a good story to tell for his future girlfriend. Somehow, he really believed that he was going to have one as soon as they got back. The only thing that shut him up from talking about his bucket list of the stuff he wanted to do before he got married is the prospect of enemies getting the jump on them.

Ezekiel leaned on one of the trees and readied his bow. The enemy was, indeed, alone. Luckily, they didn’t have trouble finding cover. Both of them wandered into a forest of giant mangroves; their roots were tall and long enough to make archways and elevate the road. With luminous moss hugging their trunks, this forest seemed to be more of a building filled with pillars of light holding the stone ceiling above. They can save up on the torch too.

“Dagger.”

Jason’s weapon materialized in his hand. It was definitely a godsend that Ezekiel played the same games. It was such a relief that Jason did not need to explain why they must not approach this carelessly. Despite the danger, though. There’s a bit of fun in it. What they have right now is a scary-looking bipedal tree.

“It is definitely humanoid. Taking out its arms and legs is an option, but not with our given weapons,” Ezekiel whispered and flashed a smug smile at his short dagger. “It does not seem to have a goal in mind. It is not resting or hunting something. It just bumps into trees and spreads its pollen around. There should be no poison, but I would not want to risk it. Although, I don’t think a mob would just walk around hoping to get killed. For the name… I think… Oakwalker.”

The monster also seemed not to be too wary of its surroundings. It does not have eyes or nose. Jason also doubted that there would be nerves on those bark skin. Touch may be its way to go. As for its ability to call for help, there should be a low chance for it. It does not have ears, either. So, the monster screaming does not make sense.

Ezekiel readied his bow. “I’m ready when you are. Are you ready to see a work of art?”

Jason nodded and took his stance. Fun. There was a clear chance that both of them could die, but it seems that the thought slipped their mind. For once, his mind was in total silence. For once, he could face what was ahead of him without getting dragged backward.

“Get them.”

“This arrow shall pierce the heavens,” Ezekiel let go of the bowstring. “Power shot.”

The attack itself was graceful. The arrow screamed as it ripped through the air. He could only imagine the amount of damage it can deal. Jason opened his mouth in awe. The arrow landed on a nearby tree.

“What…”

The Oakwalker turned its head and rushed at the arrow at full speed, breaking a handful of branches and arrows on its way. Its unstoppable force created a luminous path, a clear message for the both of them to not even think about messing with it. Even more so when it punched the arrow and took a chunk of the tree off with its fist alone.

Maybe they could run and rethink this strategy. But Ezekiel, determined to redeem himself, shot the monster again. The monster reacted once again. This time, it kicked the arrow and snapped the tree instead. The tree fell, naturally, but things haven’t gone wrong yet. There are no enemies around. That being said, Ezekiel shot another arrow and missed again.

The man, the myth, and the legend himself that promised to pierce the heavens with his arrow clicked his tongue. “This guy is good.”

Jason did not want to scream at his newfound friend. He really wanted to. Ezekiel was having fun, he must be because he was smiling wide even though he was missing by a kilometer. They’re relatively safe for now as well. Maybe he can give Ezekiel another day and he will hit this monster, but that was not the way to go. Jason tightened his grasp on his trusty dagger. He wants to have some fun, too.

“Back me up. If you see any monster, scream. Also,” Jason picked up three pebbles. “Please don’t shoot me in the back.”

Ezekiel chuckled and readied his bow. “I only promise to try.”

“Equip. Pebble, slot three. Again, if you see any monsters, let me know.”

He saluted to Ezekiel and ran. There are three things that he had observed. One, this monster does not depend on its senses other than its long-ranged sense of touch. Two, this monster will immediately, relentlessly, attack whatever triggered it. Three, this monster is dumb but strong.

Surprisingly, this did not faze him.

Jason did not have much stamina. His body was way heavier than what he remembered, but it felt nice to finally have the wind at his back. He weaved through the bars of roots and branches that came his way. Then, he let the first pebble go. About fifteen meters, no reaction. The second pebble was next. About ten meters, no reaction as well. Then, as he gained more speed, he threw the last pebble and ran in the opposite direction.

Six to seven meters. The pebble landed. The monster rushed in and dropped an elbow to the ground. It broke its arm in the process. But it did not stop it from slamming its other fist into the ground again and again.

There was no way that he could cross the distance between them. So, Jason jumped into the nearby tree and bounced himself off. This monster will attack indiscriminately the moment his feet land. And he was right. As soon his feet touched the ground, the monster turned and delivered a haymaker of a punch that he fortunately dodged. The monster was set to deliver another punch that could drive his face into the ground but by that time, an arrow landed nearby and caught its attention.

“I was aiming for his head… fuck.”

Believing that its earlier attack caught nothing but air, the monster twisted its body towards the arrow and showed its back to Jason. Now, everything was his prime target. Jason just had to choose. This was a monster that could break its arm and keep fighting, so it might not be able to feel pain. It does not seem to be undead, either, so cutting off its head will not work. By then, his choice was clear.

“Dumbass.”

Jason smiled at the prospect of Ezekiel shooting him in the head as he drove the knife into the middle of the Oakwalker’s back. A satisfying crack. Its skin was tough to cut but rather easy to pry. Instead of hitting on solid wood, the tip of his knife slid into a ball of flesh that popped into a wet cloud of pollen. Most of it was liquid, so he was spared from soiling his clothes with a suspicious splash of what smelled like liquid detergent.

The monster fell immediately. And it felt... nice.