The moment Lucen hit the tree line, movement flared, low, sharp creatures with hook-like limbs crawling from cracks in the earth. Their movement was jittery, like broken spiders.
Lucen reached for the sword. Drew it.
The steel hummed faintly. Not enchanted. Just eager.
He let the first one rush. Then cut low, flat across its body. The blade hit clean. The creature dropped in two pieces. No fanfare.
Lucen breathed once.
'Okay. That worked.'
The second one darted in faster. Lucen stepped in this time, angled the sword sideways to parry, then twisted and kicked it back into a tree.
Another rushed. He slashed again, missed.
Its limb caught his side, light contact, nothing critical, but enough to bruise.
He grunted.
Swung again, this time with a smaller motion. Less power. More control.
It died.
"Adjust your stance!" Gen yelled from a few meters away, launching a spell across the path.
Lucen rolled to the side, adjusted grip. Two more enemies lunged.
