Murim Recurve

"Be safe, master." The disciple uttered his farewell as he began to run, accompanied by two other scouts.

"That's the life of a scout," The leader shook his head, watching the back of his disciple as he brushed the water once, creating a strange ripple that had more than 10 crests, spreading radially.

The disciple stopped, confused for a moment as he stared back, "The Ul Clan?"

Noticing the leader remain unmoving after that, he was confused before starting to run as he was urged by the two scouts. Only when his disciple's back disappeared from view did the leader look at the scouts, signalling them to begin.

They pulled out their weapons, ranging from curved to whip blades, ready to summon their Pranic Avatars at a moment's notice. The scout that had already summoned his Pranic Avatar stood at the front, facing the entrance. He was positioned behind his Pranic Avatar, making it face the brunt of whatever may appear from within.

A Pranic Avatar wouldn't die as long as its respective Harmoniser remains alive. All it needed was enough Qi to be summoned once again. The fear-induced screams of Re'Kha resounded for some time before slowly dying down, the voice lacking the strength to carry on any longer.

They had already identified the lever needed to operate the granary's entrance the moment they had opened their eyes, so they didn't waste any time with it. The scout pulled the lever, while the two behind his back lit up a lantern using the materials they had on them.

They were prepared for all situations. For normal scouting procedures, the lack of light didn't hinder them, for they relied on a variety of means to prod around. But, it was a different matter altogether when it came to a fight. They had to primarily rely on their sight and Water Qi perception to target their enemies. So, they wished to create enough light to support their sight.

The scout pulled the lever, watching the granary's entrance open with a rumble. The moment it opened, a dense scent wafted out, followed by a cacophony of noises, like the whistling of a flute. The figures of numerous Kalhas, forming an eye cluster registered in their eyes.

The enemy they faced was different than the one they planned to fight against. The four scouts and one Nerou stood blankly, their faces morphing into one of fear. The Nerou crumbled into Water Qi and disappeared, transferring all the Fear Qi it generated into its respective scout. He was the first to fall apart, his hands moving towards his eyes before digging them out.

His two eyeballs plopped to the water-covered floor, causing a tiny splash while two Kalhas slowly floated towards him, their optic nerves brushing a droplet of his blood aside before inserting themselves into the sockets.

The moment they inserted themselves, the tear glands produced tears, the scout was crying in despair. The three scouts behind him were no different, having made eye contact with the Kalhas, not one, not two, but an entire cluster.

The Kalhas flew out in a flurry, making a lot of sounds. The scouts in the kitchen numbered 4, the ones in the living room numbered 8 and the ones outside the breach in the kitchen walls numbered 5. The moment the sounds were generated by the Kalhas, all the scouts in the living room were affected.

They had long since opened the door to the exit, just in case things turned amiss. But, before they could move, their bodies were affected. The two scouts positioned right next to the exit maintained enough clarity of mind to take a couple of steps forward and tumble into the rain, alleviating part of the effects that bound them.

Of the six remaining, two had been facing the kitchen and had glanced at the Kalhas when they exited the granary, instantly falling under their control. The four scouts in the middle leaped towards the exit, aligning their bodies in the air so that they would continue to roll towards the exit after their fall.

Of them, three made their exit, with the final one hitting the door frame and stopping. Before he could move into the open, a pair of hands dragged him back. They belonged to the scout that fell under the control of the Kalhas.

The five that escaped weren't well off, screaming in pain as their hands scratched their cheeks, ripping out the skin while trying to crawl into their eyes. Thanks to the rain, they were slowly regaining their senses, only needing a bit more time before they would be back to normal.

The two scouts that had exited first hadn't been affected much, quickly covering themselves with their masks before dragging their three teammates, unable to spot a flying table that flew their way. For, they were only relying on their Water Qi perception now.

"Aah!" A scout screamed in pain; the table had smashed his legs, cracking his bones. He was unable to move, the extent of damage unable to be determined on such short notice. The heavy table constricted him, knocking him unconscious.

Even though they weren't injured by the table throw, the other two among the three screaming scouts were sent flying by the impact. Followed by it was a variety of items from the house, attacking the two healthy scouts.

On the other side, the four scouts led by the leader fell to the ground the moment they heard the shouts of the Kalhas, instinctively rolling through the rain towards safety. They crossed the line of sight, grunting as the pain overwhelmed them, their hands slowly moving towards their eyes.

The leader opened his mouth, swallowing the rain while keeping his eyes open. Droplets of rain slammed on his eyes, annihilating the Fear Qi in them. They were right next to the kitchen, peering through the large gap they had made in the walls. So, the moment the Kalhas emerged, they made eye contact.

"No…No…No!" The leader shouted, watching his hands move towards his eyes while his body turned numb, paralysed from fear. They inched past his chest, moving above his neck, soon crossing his chin, heading towards his eyes, with the index finger on his right coming in contact with the eyelid on his right. His thumb and index finger spread, widening in action.