I nocked an arrow.
The bowstring tightened as I pulled it back, my eyes fixed on the tree where the lizardman holding the axe and the one carrying the sword,injuired were hiding.
I kept my aim on them.
I only needed one of them to peek out.
I waited.
At the same time, I could sense the water lizards moving toward me, their riders searching the surrounding area.
The lizardmen continued looking for me, but the tree gave me excellent cover. Thick leaves and branches blocked most of their view.
I remained completely still.
Just one movement.
I waited for three minutes.
Then the lizardman carrying the sword slowly moved his head out from behind the cover.
He didn't expose his entire body.
Only his eyes appeared on the right side of the tree as he searched for me.
That was enough.
I released the arrow.
The arrow flew straight toward him.
It entered through his right eye and pierced through the back of his head.
His body dropped out of sight.
But the shot had revealed something else.
My position.
The angle of the arrow made it obvious that the attack had come from higher ground.
The lizardmen immediately stopped searching the ground.
They looked upward.
Some began searching the trees.
They figured it out quickly.
I nocked another arrow, but I didn't draw the string.
Even a small movement could reveal my position.
I held the bow close to my body and waited.
One of the lizardmen slowly approached the tree where I was hiding.
He stopped.
He looked up.
His eyes moved across the branches for several moments.
Then he walked away.
That was close.
I waited for another opportunity.
Just as I was about to target another lizardman, my Sensory Field picked up movement.
I immediately ducked.
Three more lizardmen had arrived.
But these three were different.
They were carrying bows and arrows.
I clicked my tongue.
Archers.
Now I had to be much more careful.
My body was still far from fully recovered, and I couldn't handle six enemies attacking me at once.
The three lizardman archers spread out.
They kept their distance while slowly advancing toward the trees.
They were using the surrounding cover just as I was.
They're hunting me now.
I kept my body still.
I waited.
One of the archers moved behind a tree and disappeared from my direct sight.
Another moved toward a different position.
I followed their movements through my Sensory Field.
Then one of them stepped forward.
His foot landed directly on one of my traps.
The vines tightened around his leg.
His body was suddenly yanked upward.
"What—?!"
He was hanging upside down from the tree, struggling as the vines wrapped around his leg.
The other lizardmen immediately turned toward him.
They stared at their companion hanging above them.
He wasn't shooting.
He couldn't even move properly.
Now.
I nocked an arrow.
I aimed at his throat.
I released it.
The arrow flew through the air and pierced his throat.
Black blood poured from the wound.
It dripped from his mouth and fell into the swamp water below, mixing with the muddy surface as his body hung motionless.
One of the axe-wielding lizardmen roared.
He rushed out from behind the trees.
He didn't care about cover anymore.
He charged toward the direction he believed the arrow had come from.
He figured out my position.
The lizardman raised his axe.
He moved through the trees, trying to reach me.
I could see his movement clearly.
He swung his axe in a wide X-shaped motion, cutting through branches as he advanced.
I didn't aim for his body.
Instead, I aimed for his foot.
I watched his movement.
Where will he step next?
I waited until he shifted his weight.
Then I released.
The arrow struck his foot.
He stumbled.
He fell forward.
But the attack had cost me something.
My position was completely exposed.
The remaining bow-wielding lizardmen had already figured out where I was.
I heard the sound of a bowstring being pulled.
I looked toward them.
An arrow was already flying toward my position.
I ducked.