The sun rose over Larkspur, but the tension from the night before still lingered. No one spoke about it openly, yet everyone understood. Inside a small wooden house near the edge of the village, Lucius lay motionless.
Then
His eyes slowly opened.
Not long after Lucius finally woke from the strange unconscious state that had held him captive for several hours, he noticed preparations for another expedition had already begun within the uneasy quiet of Larkspur Village.
The calm that had briefly settled over the settlement during the early morning did little to erase the tension left behind by the frightening news delivered during the night.
Although the villagers attempted to continue their daily routines, a lingering sense of dread hung over every road and field because everyone understood that the curse threatening their lives had not truly disappeared.
The discovery of monsters born from that same corruption meant the danger had merely changed shape.
The royal mages had already come to a decision.
Remaining inside the village while those creatures roamed freely through the nearby forest would only invite disaster.
The scouts had confirmed that the monsters had been seen roughly five miles north of the settlement, beyond the village, where the forest rose like a wall of dark green shadows against the horizon.
That distance offered the villagers a small measure of comfort, but it also meant that the heroes and mages would soon walk directly toward whatever threat had been waiting in that forest.
The head royal mage stood near the northern road as the soldiers finished preparing their equipment and gathering supplies for the journey.
"We move immediately," he announced firmly, his voice calm yet authoritative as it carried across the assembled group.
"If those creatures are truly manifestations created by the curse itself, then allowing them to remain in the forest any longer would only increase the danger to every settlement in this region."
The soldiers nodded without hesitation.
The heroes checked their weapons.
And soon, the group began moving north.
Lucius followed behind the others as the party stepped away from the village and onto the narrow dirt road that stretched across the northern farmland.
His body still felt strangely weak after the long hours he had spent unconscious.
Although he forced himself to walk normally so that no one would question him further, the lingering exhaustion in his limbs made each step feel heavier than it should have.
Yet the discomfort in his body was not what occupied his thoughts.
The shadow remained at the center of his mind.
The voice that had spoken to him while he was unconscious continued to echo faintly in his memory.
The creatures they fear… are only the beginning.
Lucius frowned slightly as he walked.
The words carried an unsettling certainty.
Yet the shadow had vanished before he could ask any questions.
No matter how much he focused his thoughts, there was nothing waiting for him there.
The shadow spoke only when it wished.
And now it had gone silent.
"Well, look who finally woke up."
Liam slowed his pace slightly and glanced back over his shoulder with a mocking grin.
"I was starting to think we'd have to carry you through the entire forest."
"If you keep passing out every time something interesting happens, you're probably going to get kicked out of missions like this sooner or later."
A few soldiers chuckled softly at the remark.
Lucius did not respond.
Clara stepped slightly closer.
"Are you alright?" she asked quietly.
"You looked extremely pale when you collapsed earlier. You were unconscious for hours."
She hesitated before adding,
"If you want, we could leave you back at the village. You don't have to come with us if you're still recovering."
Lucius shook his head slowly.
"Don't worry," he replied calmly. "I'm fine."
Clara studied him for a moment longer, clearly unconvinced, but she chose not to argue further.
The journey continued.
The group moved steadily through the farmland.
Rows of grain swayed gently beneath the wind.
Abandoned farming tools lay scattered across the soil where villagers had left them during panic.
Under normal circumstances, the countryside might have appeared peaceful.
Today, it felt heavy.
Everyone's attention remained fixed on the forest slowly growing larger ahead of them. As the group continued northward, the surroundings gradually changed. The farmland gave way to rougher ground. Scattered stones and patches of dry grass replaced the cultivated fields. The dirt road slowly faded until it disappeared entirely.
The forest stood ahead.
Dark, still and unnatural.
Tall trees rose high above them.
Their branches wove together, blocking most of the sunlight.
Even from the outside
It felt strange.
The head mage slowed his pace.
The information from the capital had confirmed that these creatures existed.
But it offered no clear way to defeat them.
They were walking toward something they barely understood.
"Tracks."
A soldier crouched near the ground.
Deep claw marks carved through the soil.
Far larger than any natural animal.
A faint smell of decay lingered.
"They're close."
The head mage tightened his grip on his staff.
"Stay alert."
The group entered the forest.
The air grew colder.
The shadows deepened.
The ground was covered with twisted roots and fallen branches.
For several minutes, only footsteps could be heard.
Then
A low growl echoed through the trees.
Everyone froze.
Branches shifted somewhere ahead.
The monsters stepped from the shadows.
Wolf-like in shape
Dark veins pulsed beneath their surface.
Corruption drifted from their limbs.
Their eyes glowed violet.
Each one stood nearly the size of a horse.
There were five.
"Into formation!" the head mage shouted.
Clara stepped forward.
She drew her sword, ready to attack, as a crimson aura surged around her at the start of the battle.
"Crimson Edge"
Her blade ignited in red flames as she dashed forward, slicing deep into the monster's shoulder.
Black blood spilled out.
But it barely staggered.
Liam moved beside her.
"Blade Rush."
Liam surged forward, his body blurring as his sword flashed repeatedly.
One strike.
Two.
Five.
Ten.
Each strike was carved into the creature in rapid succession.
But it didn't fall.
The monster roared.
Its claws tore through the air
Clara intercepted, attacking again.
"Inferno Break"
She charges her sword, releasing a large fire slash wave.
That travels forward like a shockwave.
A sharp impact burst outward, forcing her back several steps as her boots dug into the ground.
"Clara, I've got this," Collen said.
He raised his hands as magic surged around him.
"Static Bind"
It paralyses the monster briefly
The creature crashed to the ground, making a pit in the ground under the force.
But before it could rise again.
Shira chanted a spell, and light chains bound the monsters to the ground.
She also chanted a Revital spell that restored stamina and reduced fatigue in the soldiers.
The golden light spread across the battlefield as Shira raised her staff.
Warm energy flowed through the soldiers and heroes, strengthening their bodies.
"Forward!" a captain shouted.
The soldiers rushed in.
Spears thrust forward.
Blades struck
But the monster reacted instantly.
Its massive claws swept across them, knocking several soldiers aside as their formation broke.
Chaos erupted.
The monsters advanced with overwhelming force.
"They're regenerating!" Collen shouted.
Their wounds began closing before their eyes.
The corruption pulled their bodies back together.
"Stay together!" Shira called.
Clara stepped in again.
Her breathing had grown heavier.
Still, she attacked.
Her blade cut low.
One of the creatures dropped to its knee.
"Now!" Liam shouted.
Using the Piercing Flash skill
He leapt into the air with a surging golden aura, with a fast-forward thrust, his blade came down hard on the monsters
The wounds split open, and dark energy burst out of the monsters
But it closed.
"Why won't they die?!" Liam growled.
"The corruption is sustaining them!" Collen replied.
Another monster lunged from the side.
Clara turned quickly and blocked it using her sword as a shield
But the impact forced her back again, she stumbled back with heavy breaths and injuries all over her body, but stood up once again to continue fighting
A soldiers screamed as another creature slammed into them.
They were thrown across the ground, barely conscious.
"Hold the line!" the captain shouted.
Collen raised both hands again.
"Storm Lance!" he shouted.
Lightning gathered in Collen's hands before shooting forward in a concentrated beam.
It struck the monster directly, sending it crashing into a nearby tree.
Clara stepped forward once more. Despite her bleeding arm, she forced herself to overlook it and continued fighting.
"Inferno Break!"
Charging her sword and releasing a large fire slash wave.
Her blade burned brighter than before as the crimson aura shone brighter
Attacking.
The creature staggered due to the injuries, so Liam saw the opening, and before it could recover.
He rushed forward recklessly.
His blade flashed with surging aura.
"Piercing Flash!" once again.
With one extremely fast forward thrust, his blade struck the monster.
The creatures stumbled.
Collen didn't miss the chance to attack as well.
"Water Bind!"
Streams of water coiled around the creature, restricting its movement.
Clara moved once again before it could have any time to move, and with one final strike, the blade cut through.
Has she entered the "Ember State"]
Flames cover her body
Boosting her speed and strength
The creature collapsed.
Its body dissolved into dark mist.
But the battle was not over.
Another monster charged.
Faster and more violent.
It slammed into the soldiers, killing a few and injuring a few.
Noticing that if the battle dragged on any longer, they would lose the fight. Shira healed those still standing, and so with her strongest spell.
The golden purification light strikes the monsters, dealing extra damage to corrupted monsters.
"Finish it!" she shouted.
Liam rushed forward.
Clara followed beside him.
Their movements synchronised.
The monster attacked.
Clara slipped past.
Liam struck.
The impact shook the ground.
Clara followed using "Inferno Break"
Her blade cuts deep
The creature roared
Then it collapsed.
Silence fell.
"Is it over?" one soldier asked.
"Looks like it," Liam replied.
At the edge of the battlefield
Lucius stood still, watching the battle.
Then he noticed movement.
One of the fallen creatures twitched.
Its eyes snapped open.
It lunged at Lucius.
Lucius stepped back before the attack could hit him.
Then he grabbed a fallen spear
And drove it forward.
The creature recoiled, its body is twisting violently.
Then.
It collapsed due to its corrupted energy being sucked by Lucius.
Silence returned.
But the forest remained uneasy, like the fight was not over.
The head mage slowly lifted his gaze toward the deeper forest.
"If these creatures are coming from the same place…"
His voice lowered.
"…then something inside this forest is hosting them."
His words settled heavily.
Because deep within the forest
That same figure was watching them.
A faint smile formed on its lips.
As if it already knew…
What they were about to face.
Then
It turned and disappeared into the deeper darkness.