Mikhail walked towards the military men with a smile on his face.
"Hello."
The young man looked up and smiled at him. "Welcome back."
He extended his hand and Mikhail gave him both his and Kevin's ID cards.
"I haven't seen you in a week." He said, writing down their names. "While your mate was regular."
"I had an accident." Mikhail said, showing him his index finger. "I'm fine now."
The young man nodded his head. Kevin walked by Mikhail's side, holding Methew in his hand.
"How are things going, bud?" Kevin asked. "I heard you don't get enough sex in the military."
Mikhail slowly turned his head to look at him like he had seen a ghost.
'Mother….the fuck is wrong with him?'
"It's not like that." The young man chuckled. "Actually, my wife lives in the city so I am getting plenty."
Kevin clicked his tongue while gently rubbing Methew, making him purr. "Tch, must be nice."
The man smiled and returned their IDs. "Same rules as before." He said. "And once again be careful, we still haven't found the newbie killer."
Mikhail nodded his head and walked past the gate along with Kevin. Methew returned to Mikhail's shoulder with an alert look on his face.
"Isn't the military a bit incompetent." Kevin said, placing the flat of his broadsword over his shoulder. "How can they still not find a single killer?"
"We don't know that." Mikhail replied, shrugging. "And there are people with all sorts of skills. You can't just capture anyone without any proof."
"Why don't you find him." Kevin said. "Mr. Detective?"
Mikhail just flipped his finger at his face which he responded to with his own.
Both of them kept walking, passing the zombie infested area and then into the swamps.
Mikhail grew silent as he looked around for any sign of life in the place.
The muddy ground made it hard to move while the small plants with green thin vines didn't help much.
Mikhail walked slowly, making sure not to get entangled and fall.
'Is it just me or is something keeping an eye on us?'
Mikhail couldn't help but feel a little anxious at the sensation he was feeling.
He had been getting this feeling since the moment they entered the forest.
"I am getting an offer to join the church." Kevin said suddenly, making Mikhail freeze in place.
He turned around and looked at him. "What?"
Kevin nodded his head. "A priest visited me as a spokesperson." He said. "They're asking me to join the church as one of their Saints."
A Saint was the second most important position in a church after the Pope himself.
They had all the privileges to live like a king and access to information on everything in the human world.
"So, have you decided anything?" Mikhail asked, resuming his walk. "If you do become one, you would be set for life."
"Yeah." He agreed. "They rarely send the Saints into the rifts and you can learn from the best humanity has to offer."
"So, you are joining?"
"No." Kevin said, his voice firm.
Mikhail gave him a glance. "Why?"
Kevin lowered his head, looking at the muddy ground before he said with a sigh.
"I love my freedom more than anything, Mikhail. The church will provide everything but take that away from me and I don't think I would like that."
Mikhail nodded his head in response. "You would much rather live in a jungle."
"Wait, are you calling me a monkey?" Kevin spat, his eyes narrowing dangerously.
Mikhail replied with a shrug.
"You act like one—."
A sudden sense of dread made Mikhail stop in his tracks as his hand reached for his spear in the holster.
He quickly looked around but didn't find anything, and just as he looked up at the tree—.
A mouth agape like a bottomless pit tried to swallow his head.
Mikhail quickly stepped back and Kevin swung his broadsword to parry the attack.
They both immediately got their footing and looked at the beast that had attacked them.
It was a green snake, enormous in size, thirty feet in length and almost two feet wide. Half its body was coiled on the tree branches while a significant part dangled below.
Its slit eyes looked at both of them coldly while its tongue flickered silently.
Taking in a deep breath, Mikhail glanced at Kevin who nodded his head.
They flanked it from either side, trying to split its attention. The snake focused more on Kevin, which worked in their favour.
Kevin quickly pulled his sword up and swung it recklessly, trying to hack the beast to pieces.
Mikhail on the other hand used [Enhancement] on the short spear and waited for the right moment.
Methew also jumped up on the tree and ran over the body of the snake.
Kevin finally cut the side of the beast, making it hiss in pain. The snake tried to pull its body up to gain distance but—.
"Meowtherfucker!!"
A bolt of thunderous electricity hit it like a boulder, making its body spasm and lose control.
Mikhail immediately pulled his hand back, held his breath, flexed his muscles and hurled the spear at it.
It hit the mark, the spear lodging itself deep in the jaw of the beast.
Kevin quickly moved, grabbed the spear and put all his weight into it, making the spear tear open its jaw.
The beast fell from the tree and Kevin didn't waste a second to grab his sword and cut off its head.
Mikhail let out a deep breath and walked towards the snake and Kevin.
They both immediately let their guard down and checked the snake.
"Good job." Mikhail said, patting his back. "This thing was really tingling my sensations."
Kevin gave him a surprised look. "Really?"
Mikhail replied. "Real—."
His words halted when he felt the same sensation once again.
'No way.'
Mikhail immediately turned his head around, looking for anything abnormal, and at the very instant….
…A dagger cut through the air, aimed straight at Kevin.