The six traversed the woods. Along the way, Jake and Sara explained what they knew about the massacre, including the strange elf-like people and the mystic beast that attacked them.
Raven, Helga, and Tiana all wore surprised expressions, as if hearing the story for the first time. But Wolfton knew better, their reactions were an act.
Raven must have filled them in on what he'd heard last night and devised a plan to make their meeting seem like a coincidence.
What stunned Wolfton even more was that Tiana agreed to go along with it.
"Shouldn't we tell the higher-ups about them?" Helga suggested.
"We can, after I deal with them accordingly," Jake replied, his tone serious.
...
"Gerald, what are we going to do? How much longer are we staying here? It's been almost two weeks, if not more, and we still haven't found a beacon!"
Illyana, a blonde woman in a pink outfit with high hip slits, complained in frustration.
"Yeah, and if not for this doofus, I see no reason why you'd attack those people who look like they came straight out of a stickman game," Gad said, annoyed. The brown-haired man rested his long sword on his shoulder.
"They were monsters! Why else would they be here, in the middle of nowhere?" Gerald barked. His voice was loud and boisterous.
"They clearly showed intelligence on par with humans. How are you even our leader if you can't see that?" Gad snapped, irritation clear in his tone.
"They might be intelligent monsters for all we know. There's a reason the vampires warned us not to come here."
"Yeah, it's because of greedy idiots like you who don't know the difference between hostility and hospitality. And to make it worse, they were injured!" Gad shot back.
"You wanna repeat that, Gad?" Gerald growled, veins bulging on his forehead as he unstrapped his weapon.
"Wanna hear more dissing? Sure, I'll go on," Gad responded with equal heat, unsheathing his long sword.
Aura surged from both men as the ground beneath them cracked and splintered. They glared at each other, weapons glowing in sync with their anger.
"Enough, you two!" Illyana snapped, stepping between them. "We can't afford to fight among ourselves. What's done is done, we need to find a solution!"
Lii-Chen, the ninja woman, and Aone, the load bearer, stood by silently, watching the drama unfold without comment.
Suddenly, Lii-Chen jerked, she sensed something. Without a word, she leapt gracefully onto a nearby tree, moving with silent precision.
Aone remained unbothered. The other three followed her gaze as she perched on a branch, scanning the distance.
"Did you notice something, Lii-Chen?" Illyana asked.
Lii-Chen gestured with her hands, and while the others tried to interpret her signs mentally, Gerald said it aloud.
"Six people are heading this way. The big blue stickman and the cat person are with them..."
"So, he went to call for backup? Interesting." Gerald smirked.
"Tch," Gad clicked his tongue.
...
Meanwhile, the six had also sensed the five humans. Jake's face tightened.
"It's them," he muttered, clenching his fists.
Before anyone could react, he crouched low and launched himself upward with tremendous force, leaping ahead like a blue comet. The impact when he landed sent cracks spiderwebbing across the ground.
He glared at the five humans, his aura radiating pure hostility.
"You'll pay for what you did!" he roared.
Though the humans couldn't understand his words, they definitely understood his intent. His murderous bloodlust was suffocating.
Without warning, Jake shot forward again. The ground split beneath him as he charged straight for Gerald, his fist raised.
Gerald crossed his arms defensively, summoning an earthen wall between them but it shattered instantly under Jake's punch. The blow struck Gerald head-on, sending him flying backward.
Illyana reacted fast, whipping out her staff.
"Octopus Tentaclus!" she chanted.
Black tentacles burst from the ground beneath Jake, wrapping tightly around his limbs and torso. The more he struggled, the tighter they constricted, refusing to let go. He growled, muscles bulging in resistance.
Raven and the others finally caught up and froze at the sight of the "new race" before them. But they didn't have the luxury of awe, Jake needed help.
Sara teleported in an instant, reappearing beside Illyana. With a flick of her two tails, she smacked the mage clear across the woods. Illyana yelped in pain as she crashed into a tree.
[Ding!
Quest Completed: Find the perpetrators behind the mounting monster deaths.
Rewards: +50 XP, +50 Shadow Essence, +1 Dexterity, +2 Vitality...]
Raven heard the familiar chime in his mind but ignored it. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Wolfton charging forward, stomach wobbling. The sight might've been funny on any other day, but not now.
Drawing his sword, Wolfton clashed with Gad. Their blades met with a spark; Gad slid back, teeth gritted under the force of Wolfton's blow.
Raven turned his focus. Among the "new race," one stood out, Lii-Chen. Her movements were silent and precise, every strike aimed at Jake's vital points. She threw a barrage of kunai.
Raven intercepted, deflecting the blades mid-air with his glowing blue sword.
Lii-Chen's eyes widened, she hadn't sensed him until the very last moment. She narrowed her gaze, reassessing him.
Helga, meanwhile, faced Aone. The man simply raised his hands in surrender, utterly unbothered by the chaos around him. Helga blinked, confused.
His comrades were fighting for their lives, yet he didn't even flinch.
She opened her mouth to speak, but—
"AAARGH!" Tiana screamed in pain.
"Tiana! What is it?" Helga rushed to her side.
"She's coming! She's coming fast!" Tiana cried, clutching her head, her connection with her familiar overwhelming her senses.
"Rhodes? She—" Helga began, but didn't finish.
The ground quaked violently.
In the next instant, a humongous canid creature tore through the forest, its body covered in glowing purple tattoos, its steps shaking the earth.
RAAAWWWR!
It unleashed a deafening roar that sent shockwaves through the trees, bending trunks and snapping branches.
Mid-fight, all three groups froze, eyes locked on the monstrous beast that had just arrived, its massive arm raised high.
...
Pan away from the chaos, moving deep into the forest.
On a high branch stood a gray-haired man, his cloak fluttering in the wind. His cold eyes watched the battle from afar, his expression blank.
Emotions, unreadable.
Observing.