NOVEL NEXT Chapter 5: First Blood
We sat by the river, watching the fire crackle as the boar meat sizzled over the flames. The aroma was intoxicating, a cruel tease after two days of nothing but gnawing hunger.
"Wiktor," I said, breaking the silence, "why don't we try storing some of the cooked boar in your subspace? Let's see if it keeps things in the same state they were before."
He nodded, poking at the fire. "That's a good idea. Once we eat, I'll give it a shot."
When the meat was finally ready, we didn't waste a second. The first bite was pure bliss—a warm, smoky relief that melted the exhaustion of the past days. I couldn't tell if the boar was genuinely delicious or if we were just that hungry, but it didn't matter. For those few moments, the world felt right.
After our meal, Wiktor carefully placed a portion of the cooked meat into his subspace. We watched as it vanished, curious to see if the magic would preserve it.
With full stomachs and renewed energy, we rose, brushed off the dirt, and prepared to continue our hunt. The forest awaited, and so did the unknown.
As we were walking, I said to Wiktor, "Do you think we'll find more boars or something else?"
"I'm not sure," he replied, his tone thoughtful. "We don't know the rarity of anything here, so it's hard to make those assumptions."
Whilst we were walking, we heard voices farther away. I grabbed Wiktor's arm and whispered, "Keep your voice down. I hear a group of people in the distance."
Wiktor nodded and leaned closer to me. "Why do you think people are this far out?"
"Maybe they're hunting like us," I whispered back. "But we should keep our guard up, just in case."
We inched closer to the voices, careful to stay hidden. Soon, we spotted a cave with guards stationed on either side of the entrance.
"Wiktor, get down," I whispered urgently, pulling him into the cover of the bushes. We crouched low as a group of men emerged from the trees, heading toward the cave. They were carrying a young woman, bound and unconscious.
Wiktor's eyes narrowed. "I think these guys are bandits," he muttered, his voice a mix of anger and caution.
"You can take those two guards easily with your magic, but we don't want to alert the others," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. My hands clenched into fists as I watched the scene unfold.
Wiktor responded, "You sure you want to do this, Joshua? This is risky, and unlike me, you don't have any powers—at least not yet."
I looked at him, my voice trembling with a mix of fury and resolve. "I hate people like this. Uncivilized beasts who only care about themselves. They're pathetic and deserve nothing but death." My breath hitched as the image of the unconscious woman flashed in my mind. "Based on what I've seen, they're enslaving women—to do God knows what. It's disgusting, Wiktor. If we just walk away, what kind of people does that make us?"
"Okay, fine, we'll do it. I'll kill the two in front," Wiktor said with a fierce determination in his voice.
"Make it stealthy. We don't want to alert anyone," I whispered, my heart pounding in my chest.
"That won't be a problem," Wiktor exclaimed. Without hesitation, he raised his hand and formed a finger gun. The tip of his finger glowed briefly, and then a faint burst of light shot out, striking one of the guards in the skull. The guard's body slumped to the ground with a soft thud.
The other guard barely had time to react before another light shot out, killing him instantly. His body collapsed beside his fallen comrade, silent and final.
We walked out to check the bodies. I could see that Wiktor was not feeling well; that was the first time he'd ever killed a human.
"Wiktor, are you alright?"
"I-I am... these human filth deserved it," Wiktor said, his face twisted with hatred. "Alright, let's g—"
Suddenly, a sharp sound split the air. "WIKTOR, WATCH OUT!" I shouted, instinctively leaping in front of him.
An arrow was heading straight toward Wiktor. I threw myself in its path, bracing for impact.