Rive stood on the ridge, a silhouette of pure vengeance against the setting sun. The four mercenaries he'd hired fanned out beside him, their high-level gear a stark contrast to Lucas's simple, worn equipment.
"Nowhere left to run, ghost," Rive's voice echoed in the clearing, laced with a triumphant hatred. "You thought you were so clever, hiding out here. But all you did was build your own tomb."
He pointed his sword at Lucas. "Jax, suppress the wolf. The rest of you, with me. The Tamer is mine."
With a roar, the four mercenaries charged down the incline. At their lead was a hulking warrior in full plate armor, his shield raised. He took three powerful strides before the ground simply vanished beneath his feet. With a cry of shock, he plunged into a deep, camouflaged pit trap, landing with a heavy, metallic thud. He wasn't dead, but he was out of the fight.
One down.
The remaining three slowed instantly, their charge broken. Jax, the Ranger, immediately began firing arrows from the ridge, his shots intended to pin Kael down. The other two, a mage and a healer, advanced more cautiously. The mage, seeing a clear path through a patch of thick moss, took it.
It was a mistake.
The moment his boot touched the moss, it erupted in a silent, glittering cloud of iridescent spores. The magical dust settled on his robes, making him glow like a beacon in the dimming light.
Lucas, hidden behind a large oak, smiled coldly. His alarm system had worked. He cast [Designate Target] on the now-glowing mage.
"Kael, go," he commanded.
The wolf, who had been expertly dodging Jax's arrows, burst from cover. He ignored the arrows, absorbing one in his flank with a pained yelp, and charged the mage. [Vicious Bite] landed with a guaranteed critical hit, and the mage screamed as his health bar plummeted. The party's healer, who had been preparing an offensive spell, was immediately forced to switch to frantic, desperate healing.
The attack was now completely stalled. One mercenary was in a pit, one was fighting for his life, and the healer was locked into supporting him. Only Jax, the Ranger, was still a threat, his arrows now aimed at Lucas himself.
Lucas wasn't there. He was already moving, a ghost in his own forest, using the terrain as his primary weapon. He darted between trees, his staff triggering pre-set snares that sprang up from the leaves, forcing the advancing mercenaries to halt and deal with them. He was a phantom, harassing and delaying, turning his garden into a confusing, trap-filled maze.
Rive watched from the ridge, his face contorted in pure fury. His elite, high-level mercenary team was being dismantled by a lone, low-level Tamer's cheap tricks.
"Enough of this!" he roared, his patience shattering. He activated a skill, his body glowing with a red aura. [Berserker's Charge]. He became a blur of motion, his speed doubling as he ignored the traps and charged directly down the hill, his eyes locked on a single target: Lucas.
Kael, seeing the direct threat to his master, abandoned the mage and lunged to intercept Rive. The wolf was fast and powerful, but Rive was a man possessed by vengeance. He didn't even try to dodge; he simply swung his massive sword in a brutal arc, catching Kael in the side and sending the wolf tumbling away with a pained howl.
Lucas was now alone, his back against the small clearing where the Sunpetal pulsed with its golden, life-giving light. His traps were spent. His companion was injured. Rive was closing in, his face a mask of triumphant hatred, his sword raised for the final blow.
Lucas glanced at the timer in his vision.
[Sunpetal Growth: 00:10:54]
Ten minutes. He just needed to survive for ten more minutes.
"This is for my guild, ghost," Rive snarled, his sword beginning to descend.