Lily frowned. "Let's call it Ravager for short. Do you know if it has any other abilities?"
Sam shook his head. "I'm fairly sure it doesn't. Still, be careful."
The creature's head snapped in their direction, its glowing eyes locking onto the group. It let out a low, guttural hiss, its tail lashing back and forth as it prepared to strike.
Victor immediately took charge. "Ethan, you're on the front. Lily, flank it from the side. Sam, Walter, support from a distance. AJ, sneak around it."
The group moved into position, their movements quick and precise. The Ravager hissed again, its metallic scales glinting in the sunlight as it coiled its body.
Ethan stood at the front, his massive frame towering over the others. In his hands was a sturdy stone axe, its head chipped and weathered from use but still deadly.
His clothes, like the rest of the group's, were starting to look ragged, the fabric frayed at the edges and stained with dirt and sweat. His boots were scuffed, and his sleeves were rolled up to reveal muscular arms crisscrossed with faint scars.
Victor stood slightly behind Ethan, his posture calm but ready. In his hand was a sharp stone knife, its edge honed to a fine point. His clothes were in no better shape than Ethan's—despite his dishevelled appearance, his eyes were sharp, focused on the creature as he calculated their next move.
To the side, Lily held her spear, its wooden shaft smooth from use and its tip sharpened to a deadly point. Her hair was tied back in a loose braid, strands of it escaping to frame her face as she shifted into a fighting stance.
Sam stood nearby, his own spear held firmly in his hands. His clothes were similarly ragged, the fabric of his shirt torn at the shoulder and his trousers frayed at the knees. Despite his calm demeanour, he gripped the spear tightly, his eyes locked on the Ravager as he prepared to strike.
Walter stood a few paces back, his makeshift cane in hand. It wasn't much of a weapon—just a sturdy branch he had carved into a rough shape—but he held it confidently. His expression was calm, his eyes sharp as he observed the creature, ready to support the others in whatever way he could.
AJ was making his way around. He had no weapon, relying solely on his slimy body to adapt to the needs of the situation. His form rippled slightly, shifting and flowing as he prepared to strike. His body shimmered, blending seamlessly with his surroundings.
---
The Ravager lunged forward with terrifying speed, its claws slashing through the air as it targeted Ethan. He raised his makeshift axe just in time, the creature's claws screeching against the stone head as he deflected the blow.
The impact sent a jolt through Ethan's arms, but he just about held his ground. He gritted his teeth, bracing himself for the next attack.
"Stay focused!" Victor shouted, his voice cutting through the chaos. He gripped his knife tightly, his muscles tense as he prepared to strike. "Lily, now!"
Lily darted in from the side, her spear aimed at the creature's flank. The Ravager twisted its body with unnatural agility, its tail whipping around to block her strike. The spear clashed against the metallic scales, but failed to penetrate. Lily cursed under her breath, instinctively leaping back to avoid a retaliatory swipe from the creature's claws.
"Its scales are too tough!" she called out.
Sam, standing further back with Walter, narrowed his eyes as he watched the creature's movements. "The underbelly!" he shouted. "Its defences are thinner there! Aim for the stomach!"
Ethan nodded, his grip tightening on his axe. "Easier said than done," he muttered, dodging another swipe from the Ravager.
The creature was fast and its movements were unpredictable. Every time Ethan thought he had an opening, the Ravager would dart out of reach, its glowing eyes locked onto him.
Walter stepped forward, his cane held firmly in both hands. "I'll try to distract it." With a swift motion, he swung the cane at the creature's legs, aiming to trip it up.
The Ravager hissed, its tail lashing out and knocking the cane aside, but the momentary distraction gave Ethan an opening.
Ethan charged forward, his axe swinging in a wide arc aimed at the creature's exposed underbelly. The Ravager twisted at the last second, the blade grazing its side but failing to land a decisive blow. The creature retaliated with a vicious swipe of its claws, forcing Ethan to move back to avoid being gutted.
"AJ, where are you?" Lily called out, her eyes scanning the battlefield. The slime had been tasked with sneaking around behind the creature, but there was no sign of him. "We could use some help here!"
As if in response, a shadowy tendril shot out from the undergrowth, wrapping around the creature's hind leg. The creature let out a startled hiss, its movements momentarily restricted as AJ emerged from the shadows, his form shifting and rippling as he tightened his grip.
AJ's body rippled, as if he was trying to say "Got it!" The ripples turned into vibrations that were just about audible, though it didn't sound like anything intelligible.
The Ravager thrashed violently, its claws slashing at the tendril binding its leg. AJ's form wavered under the assault, but he held firm, buying the group precious seconds.
"This is our chance!" Victor shouted.
Lily darted in again, this time aiming lower. Her spear struck true, sinking into the softer scales of the creature's stomach. The beast let out a guttural roar, its tail lashing out and catching Lily in the side. She was pushed back, the breath knocked out of her lungs, but she managed to stay on her feet, as she clutched at her ribs.
Ethan didn't waste the opening. With a roar of his own, he brought his axe down with all his strength, the blade biting deep into the Ravager's flesh. The creature let out an ear-piercing screech, its body convulsing as dark, viscous blood spilled onto the forest floor. With one last shudder, it collapsed, its eyes dimming as life left its body.
The group stood in silence for a moment, their breaths heavy and hearts pounding. The fight had been short but intense. They had made it through by relying on their improved instincts.
If it wasn't for Maria's wish giving them basic survival instincts, they might have killed it, but they definitely would've suffered a lot more injuries. The realisation of how close they'd come to disaster was written on their faces.
"Is everyone okay?" Victor asked with concern. He moved to check on Lily, who was still clutching her side.
"I'll live," she muttered, wincing as she straightened up. "That thing hits harder than I thought."
Ethan leaned on his axe, his chest heaving as he stared down at the dead creature. "That was… tougher than I expected. If AJ hadn't held it, we might not have made it."
AJ rippled slightly as he moved towards everyone.
Sam stepped forward, his eyes scanning the Ravager's body. "Its scales are still intact," he said thoughtfully. "We should harvest them. They could be useful for crafting armour or weapons."
Victor nodded, his expression grim. "Do it quickly. We don't know what else is out here, and we've already made enough noise to attract attention."
As Sam and Walter began working on the creature, the rest of the group kept watch, their eyes scanning the shadows of the forest. The fight had been a sobering reminder of the dangers they faced in this new world—and the price of underestimating them.
Lily knelt beside the creature's body, her eyes scanning for anything of value. Her hand brushed against something hard and smooth near the creature's chest. She frowned, leaning closer to inspect it. "There's something here."
The group gathered around as Lily carefully pried the object free from the creature's flesh. Her stomach churned as her fingers brushed against the cold, slimy flesh of the creature.
She wasn't used to this—digging through the remains of something they had just killed. She pushed the nausea down, reminding herself that every resource could mean the difference between life and death.
It was a small, translucent crystal, about the size of a walnut, with a faint, pulsating glow. The crystal seemed to hum with energy, and as they held it, they could feel the faint thrum of mana radiating from it.
"What is that?" Ethan asked, his brow furrowed as he stared at the crystal.
Sam took the crystal from Lily, turning it over in his hands. "It's a mana core," he said with awe. "They're concentrated sources of mana, they very rarely take shape within creatures. This could be incredibly valuable."
Victor's eyes narrowed as he studied the crystal. "We'll need to figure out how to use it later. For now, let's finish harvesting what we can and get moving. We've already spent too much time here."
The group nodded, returning to their tasks. Sam and Walter continued to carefully remove the creature's metallic scales, whilst Ethan and Lily cut off chunks of meat from the less damaged parts of the body. The meat was tough and sinewy, but it should be edible.
Once they had finished gathering what was deemed worth keeping AJ's slimy form slid up to the remains of the Ravager. His body rippled and shifted, tendrils extending to wrap around the creature's carcass.
The group paused, watching as AJ began to absorb parts of the lizard, his form shimmering and pulsating as he consumed the creature's flesh and bones.
"What's he doing?" Lily asked, her voice a mix of curiosity and unease.
Sam watched AJ closely. "He's… consuming it," he said slowly. "Absorbing the creature's energy, its mana. This could be an incredible boon for him—the concentration of mana in the lizard's body is almost certainly higher than anything else we've come across."
Ethan muttered, "I don't know if I'll ever get used to seeing him do that," as he watched AJ's form ripple and shift.
The group waited as AJ continued to consume the Ravager, his form growing slightly larger and more defined as he absorbed the creature.
Just as he was nearing the end of the process, a rustling sound echoed through the forest, followed by the snap of twigs and the low growl of something large moving through the underbrush.
The group froze, their eyes darting towards the source of the noise. Victor was the first to react. "We need to go. Now."
AJ's form rippled, as if protesting the interruption, but he quickly detached from the remains of the Ravager and rejoined the group.
The rustling grew louder, accompanied by the deep, guttural growl of something massive. The trees shook as whatever was out there drew closer, its presence looming like a shadow.