James stood inside the small tent, the canvas walls worn but holding, lanterns casting flickering shadows across a wooden table cluttered with crumpled maps and a few scattered knives. His fists stayed clenched, the weight of the dead soldier from the forest still heavy on his mind. He'd taken down the plant, shielded Mara's team, but couldn't save everyone. His essence drained too fast, his skills too slow. He needed to be stronger if he wanted to rescue his ally. The system timer read [Time left]: 13:24:11 hours, and "Level of Success" nagged at him. The plant was just a step, not the trial's end. Mara's team had a bigger target, and he needed to know what.
Mara, the party leader, leaned against the table, her broadsword resting nearby. The burly axeman and wiry spearwoman stood by the tent flap, cleaning their weapons. "Alright, James," Mara said, folding her arms. "You did solid out there, but that plant wasn't the real problem. We're chasing an Echo. It's infecting the plants, spreading the gas and corruption through the forest."
Echo. The Drowning Specter was called an Echo. I thought that was just a special name for my nightmare challenges.
James frowned, gripping his shortsword tighter. "An Echo? What's that?"
Mara's eyes widened, and the axeman stopped wiping his blade, staring. The spearwoman let out a short laugh. "You don't know what Echoes are?" Mara asked, her tone a mix of surprise and disbelief. "You're in the Domain and haven't even heard of one?"
"I fought one once. It just seemed like a monster." James said, his voice sharp. The way Mara and her team reacted made his skin prickle. Why was it such a big deal he didn't know?
The axeman snorted. "Monsters would be putting it lightly. Echoes are what's left of the Domain's losers. Twisted, bound to this place, causing havoc. This one's mature, though. It's smart, moving through the forest, poisoning everything."
James's stomach twisted. Losers turned into monsters. Could that be the consequence for Astor if he didn't place in the top 4? "So, this Echo's making the plants do that? The gas, the vines?"
Mara nodded. "Exactly. It's why the infections keep spreading. We've been tracking it for days, but it's slippery. Every time we get close, it slips away, leaving more corrupted plants."
Before James could ask more, the tent flap swung open, and a lean man with sharp eyes and a scarred leather vest stepped in. He carried a curved dagger, his movements quick, like a predator. "Who's this?" he snapped, glaring at James. His voice was rough, confrontational, and his hand rested on the dagger's hilt.
Mara held up a hand. "Easy, Kael. This is James, the healer who shielded us against the plant. He's with us now."
Kael's eyes narrowed, sizing James up. "Healer, huh? Doesn't look like much. You sure he's not dead weight?"
James bristled, his grip tightening on the shortsword. He didn't trust this guy. Something about Kael's stare, the way he moved, felt off, slippery in a way. "I held my own out there," James said, keeping his voice steady. "What's your deal? You weren't at the fight."
Kael frowned. "I've been the one tracking this thing. Tirelessly. I'm the best in the forest, sniffing out this Echo while you're in the back playing with glowy hands," his spat, voice laced with anger.
"Enough," Mara cut in, her tone firm. "James, Kael's our tracker, an assassin. He's been following the Echo's trail. Broken vines, dead patches, weird energy. We need him to pin it down. The Echo's our real target, and we've got less than thirteen hours to find it before it moves on."
James nodded, but his eyes stayed on Kael, unease settling in his gut. The tracker's attitude and his smug edge, it didn't sit right. Still, if Kael could lead them to the Echo, James needed to stick with it. He'd learned Barrier could block gas and vines, Mend could heal infections, but an Echo sounded like a whole new challenge. He had to be ready, to push his essence further, to not fail again.
Mara spread a map on the table, pointing to a marked area. "This is where we've tracked it last. Deep in the forest, near a ravine. We move out soon. James, we'd appreciate it if you could come with us. Your protection could make the difference."
James exhaled, his fists unclenching slightly. He didn't trust Kael, but Mara's team seemed like his best shot at understanding the Echo and finishing the trial. James exhaled, looking at the timer again. An idea sparked. "Wait," he said, meeting Mara's gaze. "That plant dropped an essence shard, right? I need it. It'll help me keep up. More essence, stronger shields. I'm not here to beg, but I earned a piece of that fight."
The spearwoman scoffed, stepping forward. "No chance, you can't ju—"
Mara raised a hand, cutting her off. Looking at James for a moment, she said "Fair point. You held those shields." Mara reached into her belt pouch, pulling out a faintly glowing crystal, its edges shimmering green. She was about to toss it before she hesitated. "Don't do anything stupid. This means you're with us." James nodded and caught it, the warmth familiar in his palm as he watched it disappear.
[Essence Shard (E) Acquired]
Mara clapped her hands, her voice cutting through the tent's dim air. "Alright, everyone, grab your stuff. We're packing up." She slung her broadsword over her shoulder, while her team gathered their gear, axes and spears clinking. Kael slipped his dagger into its sheath, his sharp eyes flicking to James before turning away. James stepped outside, the forest's damp chill hitting him, the mist curling around gnarled trees in the fading light.
He glanced at his shortsword, picturing it vanishing into his inventory like the shard. With a thought, the blade shimmered and disappeared, leaving his hand empty. Curious, he focused on the Oracle's Key, and it materialized in his palm. "Cool," he muttered, a small grin breaking through his tension. The key was heavy, its surface a dull gold etched with faint, swirling runes that pulsed softly under his fingers. Tiny grooves crisscrossed its shaft, catching the weak light, and a small, jagged tooth at the tip gleamed like it could cut through more than locks. Where had it come from?
There was definitely a figure that vanished. It's something odd. But the Overseer didn't mention it and he was definitely watching us.
He rubbed his thumb over the runes, wondering what else it could do. It opened that locked door, but that can't be the only thing it does. It's a Divine grade which isn't even a letter. That has to mean something.
It felt alive, like it had its own gravity in an inexplicable way.
His thoughts shifted to the Essence Shard, now in his inventory. Its green glow promised power. But as he stared into the forest, a faint hum stirred the air, sharper than before, like a warning. The Echo was out there, and something told him it was closer than Kael's trail suggested. A shadow flickered between the trees, gone before he could focus, leaving his skin prickling with unease.