Andrew sat cross-legged near the glowing edge of the sanctuary, his eyes locked with the nearest Sylvan. The creature still hadn't moved. Its bark-like skin shimmered slightly under the filtered sunlight, green and brown patterns almost blending with the trees behind it.
It blinked once.
Then again.
Watching. Its gaze not escaping Andrew.
'No curiosity. No confusion. Just patience' Andrew realized.
[Time Remaining in Sanctuary: 18:29]
He rose slowly and moved toward the opposite side of the circle. The Sylvans didn't follow his motion. They stayed where they were, like sentries. Or scouts marking a kill zone.
He reached the far boundary and knelt beside one of the glowing stones. It pulsed faintly, like a heartbeat. He extended a hand toward it, but didn't cross.
Beyond it, the trees grew denser, sloping downward. Less visibility. More places to hide, but also more places to be ambushed.
The terrain on this side looked untouched. Unwatched.
He traced a new line in the dirt map with his finger.
"They want me to move downhill. That's where the pressure will come from." He scratched an "X" at the bottom of the slope. "Too easy. So I won't go where they expect."
A groan echoed again, distant but deliberate. Another Treant, maybe the same one, moving westward. Toward the Sylvans.
He squinted at the branches above him. The trees here were tall. Interlocked. Climbable.
He turned his dagger over in his hand. The blade shimmered, pixelated faintly around the edges. Not much use in a forest full of creatures that fought in packs. But maybe it didn't have to be a weapon right now.
[Time Remaining in Sanctuary: 15:12]
Andrew began gathering.
Not weapons.
Tools.
Long branches with forked ends. Twisting vines. Stones with sharp edges. He worked methodically, quickly but without panic, looping the vines into crude snares, stacking stones beneath angled branches.
Not traps for kills. Just distractions. He had no intention of killing in this level.
He scattered a few across the route downhill. Others near the denser brush. All simple, all quiet. Just enough to make noise or draw attention when triggered.
When he returned to the sanctuary, he was sweating again.
[Time Remaining in Sanctuary: 10:04]
The Sylvans were still there.
Unmoving.
He sat, panting, wiping the back of his hand across his brow.
Then he looked up.
'The trees.' he muttered.
He backed to the largest tree within the sanctuary and placed a hand on its trunk. Rough bark. Steady footholds. Wide branches above.
He began climbing.
[Time Remaining in Sanctuary: 07:39]
Each movement was careful, deliberate. No jerks. No noise. Just smooth upward progress, inch by inch.
The canopy welcomed him with filtered gold light and crisp air. From this height, he could see the layout of the forest more clearly. Pockets of movement below, Sylvans weaving through the trees in shifting formations.
And there, lumbering along the edge of a ridge, a Treant. Slow, but getting closer.
He crouched along the thick branch, breathing shallowly.
Once the sanctuary drops, they'll rush in. But they'll look down. Not up.
His eyes moved back to the countdown.
[Time Remaining in Sanctuary: 05:22]
[Time Remaining in Sanctuary: 04:44]
He narrowed his eyes. This was no longer about surviving twelve hours.
It was about learning the rules before they changed again.
[Time Remaining in Sanctuary: 02:01]
The countdown glowed faintly in the corner of Andrew's vision, a reminder that peace had an expiration date. He crouched along the thick branch, every muscle coiled.
The Sylvans hadn't moved. But he could feel it now, the pressure. The forest had a pulse, and it was quickening.
Even the air had changed.
More electric. Less forgiving.
[00:44]
A low creak rolled through the woods. The Treant was much closer now, its silhouette massive through the trees below. It moved slowly, as always, but with purpose. Each step was measured. And worse, it was headed straight for the sanctuary!
[00:17]
"Hmm" Andrew held his breath.
Below, the glowing stones pulsed faster. Brighter.
The Sylvans stirred. Their heads lifted. Shoulders tensed. Not moving yet,but poised. Assuming a running stance or more of a lunging stance. Waiting for the shield to fall.
[00:03]
[00:02]
[00:01]
The glow vanished.
Silence.
No sound cue. No visual flare.
Just stillness.
The sanctuary was gone.
The Sylvans moved first, silent blurs darting toward the spring like shadows cast by lightning. Andrew didn't move. Not even a twitch.
Below, they scoured the area. Circling. Scanning. One of them passed directly beneath him, its clawed hand brushing the tree trunk he rested on.
Then, one of the vine snares snapped.
THHHWIP!
The Sylvans flinched.
A stone tumbled. Another snapped. Leaves rustled violently.
They scattered, moving low and wide, chasing the distraction.
"Good."
Andrew shifted his weight and crept along the branch. His goal wasn't escape,not yet. He needed to stay ahead. To stay invisible.
He leapt silently to the next tree, landing low on the branch. The bark bit into his hands, but he didn't slow. From above, the forest was a different world, more open, less claustrophobic. But still dangerous.
He kept moving from tree to tree, shadow to shadow.
Then the Treant reached the spring.
It stopped. Not confused. Not hesitant.
It looked up.
Andrew froze mid-step.
The Treant's glowing eyes, deep pools of greenish amber, scanned the trees. They swept the canopy like searchlights. Slowly.
'Did it see me?'
He pressed flat to the branch, breath caught in his throat. His chest pounding heavily.
The Treant didn't move again. But its gaze stayed fixed on the higher branches. Watching. Waiting.
Andrew understood now.
'It wasn't a brute. It was a sentinel.'
And the moment he made a sound any sound, it would act.
He turned his head just slightly.
[Time Remaining: 10 hours 49 minutes]
So much time left.
And now the rules were different.
The Sylvans hunted the ground.
The Treant guarded the trees.
Nowhere is safe. Not really.
Andrew shifted his grip on the branch, inching along, keeping every move slow, calculated. He wasn't out to win anymore.
He was out to adapt.
"Tchhk"