Soren pointed to himself, asking, "You want me to join your group?" Zereth, not one to back down, pressed him again about whether he'd ever consider working as an insurgent with them. Soren paused for a moment, then faced them, bowing slightly as he said, "I'm really sorry for the trouble I've caused. I'd love to join, but I have to apologize, I work alone." Zereth smiled and nodded, and soon after, the three of them depart. Anissa, gripping her staff tightly, turned to Zereth and mentioned that she sensed something ominous about Soren, something she just couldn't put her finger on. Zereth replied, "A man must be both gentle and terrifying to become the strongest."
At the guild, Soren was busy scanning the mission posters, hoping to spot something that piqued his interest. Vixra'al nudged him to look up, and as Soren shifted his gaze, the guild assistant warned him that the missions hanging above were the most dangerous ones. She cautioned him that, being new and not having worked in a group before, he could be putting his life on the line. But with a glimmer of determination in his eyes, Soren picked one and set his sights on his next adventure.
The map pointed to Mistral Forest, where he spotted a lush canopy in the distance, framed by ridges. The caravan driver warned him not to venture there, claiming it was home to a powerful Ecrea. The warrior guards accompanying the driver echoed his concerns, noting that no one had returned from beyond the forest. Soren simply replied, "Yes, this might be the right place then," and slid down the hill, taking that path as they watched him fade into the horizon, worry etched on their faces.
As a group of young children ventured into the Mistral Forest, the oldest, dressed in worn-out clothes, declared, "It's got to be around here somewhere, we need to keep searching." The youngest boy, clad in a tunic, had tears welling in his eyes, scared by even the faintest rustle. Meanwhile, a little girl, also in a tunic and carrying a small sling bag, was busy sifting through the underbrush. ""There!" exclaimed the eldest, spotting a corpse with a bag full of crystals, still clad in armor and holding a weapon. "We finally hit the jackpot!" he exclaimed, eagerly stuffing the fallen warrior's belongings into his own bag. Little did he know, two glowing red eyes were watching from the shadows, and with long, twisted hands, it snatched up his two siblings, dragging them into the darkness, their terrified screams echoing through the forest. The boy turned around, but there was nothing in sight. He called out for them, but only the echo of his own voice answered, desperately shouting their names in vain.
Soren gazed at the towering trees ahead, feeling a flutter of nerves as a rustle from the bushes caught him off guard. "You can turn back anytime, you know," Vixra'al said, but Soren summoned all his courage and stepped into the dense canopy, his movements feeling stiff and mechanical.
Inside, he heard a voice and instinctively spun around. "A ghost!" he exclaimed, but Vixra'al reassured him it was just a human. Taking her advice, Soren turned toward the sound and ventured deeper, where the voice became clearer. "A child?" he thought, and he dashed toward the noise, only to find a boy who was startled by his sudden appearance and tried to flee. Soren quickly grabbed his arm and asked what he was doing in such a perilous place.
The boy insisted he wasn't stealing anything. "Stealing?" Soren asked, noticing the boy struggling to break free. He then inquired who the boy was calling for. The boy turned and bowed before Soren, saying, "Forgive me, yes, I am taking from the remains, but please keep my brother and sister out of it." Soren knelt down and gently patted his head. "I'm no threat, don't worry. Now, please show me where you last saw them." With teary eyes, the boy introduced himself as Levar and mentioned his siblings, Migi and Tara. "We lived in the nearest town, protected by my father and his group. But when he fell ill, the townsfolk moved to Cardaltha for safety, leaving us behind. My father needs medical help, so I scavenge whatever I can to trade for medicine." Soren listened intently, captivated by the boy's story. "Today, though, Migi and Tara insisted on coming with me, and now they've either been taken or lost." Soren reassured him, "We'll find them."
As Soren delved deeper into the abyss, he fought the urge to run, determined to walk with confidence like a man, hoping to set a good example for Levar. But his thoughts were racing. The further they ventured, the more bodies he noticed scattered across the ground. It was a chilling sight, and things only seemed to worsen as they continued. Along the way, he came across some strange plants, a glowing mushrooms, wriggling vines, and towering purple trees, along with creatures he had never seen before. Vixra'al explained that the abundant mana in their world had transformed life itself, altering even their biological forms. Soren didn't completely grasp her words, but one thing was certain, the old world was lost forever.
As they reached a clearing, they were greeted by the sight of glowing crystals scattered across the grassy landscape. It was a breathtaking scene, with tiny creatures frolicking freely and wild crystalline flowers blooming all around. Soren was completely captivated by the beauty, but the boy tugged at him, shaking his head. He explained that the flowers released toxic spores that could cause permanent paralysis. Suddenly, Soren felt a wave of paranoia wash over him, making him extra cautious.
After an hour of walking, the boy marveled at Soren's strength as he single-handedly took down a few Ecrean. With each victory, his belief that they would find his brother and sister grew stronger. Vixra'al had warned him about the dangers ahead, and as they moved deeper into the woods, long shadows slithered between the trees. Soren lifted his lamp, illuminating an Ecrea that looked like a giant centipede, complete with massive mandibles and spiky legs.
He handed the lamp to Levar and drew his sword, leaping onto a branch. In mid-air, their attacks collided. Soren seized the Ecrea's mandibles and maneuvered behind it, plunging his sword into the creature's nape, but the blade merely bounced off. "Oh yeah? How about this!" he shouted as he jumped to avoid being pincered. A hole opened in his palm, shooting out a sharp needle that pierced through the Ecrea's armor.
Soren unleashed a barrage of needles as the Ecrea thrashed in agony, attempting to coil its body around him. He got ensnared, but Soren had a clever trick up his sleeve. Out of the boy's sight, he partially morphed his arms into Ecrea-like limbs, gaining the strength he needed to break free from the creature's grip. Once liberated, he infused his sword with intense heat and acid, causing it to emit a dark green glow, slicing through the Ecrea's body effortlessly. "Hya!" he shouted as the creature collapsed to the ground.
Seizing the opportunity, Soren leaped onto the branches and sprang toward the Ecrea's head, delivering the final strike. The boy watched in awe, exclaiming, "Whoa! He's even stronger than my dad!" Soren pulled his sword from the Ecrea's head, claiming his victory.
Levar asked Soren what made him so strong, and Soren humbly replied that it was all thanks to a friend. The boy, still puzzled, elaborated, "In this life, no one really makes it alone. You either find someone to help you in tough times or someone who will stand by you no matter what." Then he asked, "But mister, you're alone right now, aren't you?" Soren stumbled slightly as Vixra'al let out a chuckle. He forced a smile and explained, "Someday, you'll understand," as they ventured deeper into the heart of the forest.
In the strange part they wandered, unusual plants thrived, one in particular giving off a foul odor, its vein-like tendrils and twisted stem looking like fingers stretching toward the sky. Levar felt something unsettling beneath his foot, and to his horror, he discovered a skull with flowers blooming from its hollow eye sockets. It turned out that the entire field of flowers was a graveyard of various corpses.
Soren reassured him as Levar gazed ahead, spotting a dark cave entrance looming in the distance. "This must be it," Soren said, pulling out another unique weapon from his collection, a strange device with a cartridge attached. Levar crouched behind him, swallowing hard as they both gathered their courage to step inside. As Levar picked up Yuri's satchel, they realized they were indeed on the right path. The stagnant air enveloped them as they moved forward cautiously.
A low growl echoed through the cave, sending vibrations that shook their bodies. Levar clamped his hands over his ears and dropped to his knees, while Soren fought the urge to turn back. Just as suddenly as it began, the noise stopped. He reached out to Levar, who nodded in response.
They ventured deeper into a vast cavern, where Vixra'al examined their surroundings and noted that the shape and scale of the space felt unnatural, hinting it might be a crater formed not too long ago. Below them, a thick layer of mist obscured the view of the forest. Soren urged Levar to stay back while he went alone to find his brother and sister. Levar reluctantly agreed, handing Soren his dagger for protection.
With a daring leap into the unknown, Soren plunged into the depths of the Mistral Forest, honing his senses to catch any hint of movement as he touched down. His eyes glimmered a vibrant green, reminiscent of a reptile, primed to spot any lurking dangers. Out of nowhere, Vixra'al yelled, "Look out below!" as skeletal hands burst forth from the earth, their bony forms struggling to move. Soren swiftly dodged their grasp and focused on the source. "There!" he called out, racing toward his target as the creature scuttled away, its hands reaching back in a desperate attempt to grab him. Above, Levar watched in dread as the mist erupted repeatedly, offering fleeting glimpses of Soren before it settled once more. "Soren…" he murmured.
Soren realized that the monster had stopped running away just as he threw an igniting orb, which lit up the area around him. From above, he could see a wooden like structure that looked like a giant tree, and below it, a child in a tattered dress. "She must be the one controlling these hands," he thought. But Vixra'al had other ideas. "No, I think there's something more going on here." That's when Soren spotted two overlapping shadows behind the girl. She chuckled a bit as two crooked hands emerged, scooping her up. The wooden structure wasn't a tree at all, it was an Eldritch creature. "Just as I suspected, it's a Thalzarach, an Ecrea that feeds on the suffering of its victims. We need to take it down before it devours them both," Vixra'al warned.
He focused and noticed two bodies trapped inside the monster, their energy signatures flickering like faint flames about to go out. The Thalzarach let out a low, drowsy growl that made its targets fall asleep. Levar, who was perched on top, succumbed to the sound and dozed off. Soren felt his knees weaken too, but Vixra'al reassured him that it wouldn't affect him, he had built up a resistance to such ailments during his missions. Determined, Soren bit his hand, his eyes blaze with readiness for the real fight.
The little girl made another gesture, and hands surrounded Soren like a cage. He burst through the center and aimed his gun blade at the Thalzarach, but when he fired, the bullet vanished into the mist. "Behind you!" Vixra'al shouted. Soren was confused, he couldn't sense anything, not even a hint of danger. Vixra'al explained that the girl had the ability to create illusions that cloud their senses. "Ecrea can do that? Use a Crosent's ability?" Soren asked, and Vixra'al confirmed that some Ecrea were indeed parasitic in nature. He kept firing at where he thought the Ecrea would strike, but each shot hit nothing. The little girl continued to chuckle, her laughter echoing ominously.
Soren focused his energy into his torso, and suddenly, an exoskeleton enveloped his legs and feet. With this boost, he zipped through the mist, his pupils to dilate into a diamond shape greatly enhances his vision, allowing him to see right through the illusion. It wasn't that the bullets passed through the Thalzarach, rather, its massive hands moved the main body through the mist like feet. Soren fired at one of its arms, but as it broke, a new bony arm sprouted in its place. He realized he needed to land a solid hit on its main body to stop its movements, but multiple dark roots shielded it.
Vixra'al then suggested a different approach. "You mean that?" Soren exclaimed, revealing his new ability. His Gun Blade had been enhanced, sizzling as the bullet charged with heat and acid, propelled by the energy from an explosive channeling. "Here we go!" The gun recoiled, and the barrel shattered with a single shot, the Gun Blade crumbling after just one use, such was its power. The bullet struck the monster at point-blank range, piercing through the thick roots and hitting the ground with a thud. Soren landed and grabbed another Gun Blade, aiming it at the creature. "Make my day," he said as the roots cracked and crumbled, freeing the girl from their grasp.
The true monster finally revealed itself, a towering creature that was a bizarre blend of deer, bear, and ox. Its skull-like face and bony exoskeletal protrusions gave it a terrifying appearance, with smoke billowing from its mouth. The cracks in its skull were a clear sign of Soren's earlier attack as it growled and charged at him. "His attack patterns are so predictable!" Soren scoffed, but Vixra'al had warned him not to get too cocky. The Thalzarach opened its mouth, tendrils writhing menacingly, and Soren leapt back just in time to avoid its massive arms. He quickly repositioned himself, aiming the muzzle of his weapon inside the monster's mouth. A fiery blast erupted, causing the creature to writhe in agony, smoke pouring from its mouth as it collapsed to the ground. Soren moved in to finish it off, but something felt off, and he halted in his tracks. The monster's body suddenly contracted, its exoskeleton shrinking, and its bony protrusions becoming more pronounced. Its chest revealed a glowing red core, veins pulsating around it, and its form began to take on a more human-like appearance. "What's happening?" Soren asked, and Vixra'al replied, "It's undergoing an evolution.""Evolution?" Soren echoed, and Vixra'al explained that this Thalzarach was unique, it had survived long enough to absorb energy and gain experience.
Soren attempts to draw another gun blade, but he's down to just one. He gazes at it, filled with hope, and fires at the monster. The energy collides, resulting in a massive explosion. He shields his face, and to his astonishment, when the shockwave settles, the monster has vanished. But just then, two fiery red eyes appear beside him, and with a fierce swipe, he's hit hard, breaking his left arm as he tries to block. He crashes into a withered tree, coughing up blood. "Are you okay?" Vixra'al asks. Soren wants to respond, but before he can catch his breath, the monster looms over the tree, ready to strike again.
Just in the nick of time, Soren rolls out of the way as the creature reveals itself, its long arms, neck, and legs giving it a chilling resemblance to a mythical guardian of the forest. It vanishes into the mist, gearing up for another ambush, and Soren does his best to stay sharp. A relentless barrage of attacks keeps punishing him, leaving his body riddled with wounds. The creature's speed is overwhelming, and exposing himself would mean certain death, so he opts to stay on the defensive.
In the split second he senses the monster's aura growing even larger, he feels the pressure mounting. Running out of options, he recalls his training, focusing his mind. He closes his eyes and chants, "Base… form!"