The trees were unnaturally dense, their trunks so close together that they blocked out the light, and their intertwined branches stretched above our heads like a suffocating net, allowing only faint shafts of sunlight to barely touch the ground.
The ground beneath our feet was damp and slippery, covered with a thick layer of algae and decayed leaves.
"Everyone stay alert. We've now entered Irval Valley, so watch every movement around you. I don't want any creatures to catch us off guard… We're not here to walk into a trap, right?"
He finished his sentence with a faint smile on his face, a smile that seemed reassuring on the surface, and it actually helped ease the atmosphere a little. I felt the tension that had gripped us loosen slightly, and some of the others regained their breath.
Then he continued in a calmer tone,
"We want to avoid confronting the creatures as much as possible. Our goal is clear and limited… just to verify the information. Nothing more than that."
Avoid fighting…
I repeated the phrase in my mind without saying it aloud. It sounded good, logical, like the perfect plan for any reconnaissance mission. But I knew the truth well.
This was impossible.
Not because of the creatures… but because of the person standing in front of us now.
It was Fry himself who had planned all of this.
He was the one who spread the false information about the presence of the Atran organization in Irval Valley…
The reason was simple…
To eliminate the Empire's talents.
I clenched my jaw slightly without realizing it. I looked at Fry's back as he continued forward, his smile still in place as if nothing had happened…
We delved further into the forest, step by step, until the darkness around us began to thicken, yet… we hadn't encountered a single creature.
…
Minutes passed, then stretched longer, and with each meter we moved away from the entry point, doubt began to creep in.
Finally, one of the team members broke the silence, looking around cautiously,
"Have you noticed something? We've been inside the forest for quite some time, yet we haven't faced a single creature. I don't know if this is a good sign or worrying."
Another person paused, then spoke in a low voice
"Really strange… Even in less polluted areas, we would have run into something by now. Here?
Nothing. It's like the place is empty."
I heard someone whisper hesitantly:
"You're right… We haven't even felt the presence of any creatures. No trace, no hostile intent,
nothing detectable. As if they've completely vanished."
I was lost in my thoughts, reviewing everything that had happened since we entered the forest…
It wasn't a clear sound, just that faint sensation that comes seconds before danger…
Almost everyone froze at the same time.
One of them said in a low, tense voice:
"Did you feel that…?"
Before anyone could answer, a faint rustling came from ahead, followed by the shaking of branches, then irregular movement between the trees.
Fry raised his hand immediately, his tone calm ,
"Get ready. Something is ahead of us."
Everyone gripped their weapons, some stepping back slightly, while all eyes focused on the dense darkness between the trunks.
Then… they came out.
The creatures burst from the trees all at once. They were deformed in appearance; their uneven limbs moved at odd angles, making each motion uncomfortable to watch. Their dark, cracked skin revealed bones here and there…
Their heads were tilted forward, mouths partially open, filled with broken, irregular teeth that sent shivers at a mere glance. Their eyes… were devoid of real life, staring at us as if we were merely movements in empty space, not living beings worthy of attention.
One of them muttered behind me in a trembling voice,
"Damn… they're not few."
Zion and Lina gave them no chance.
The moment the creatures fully emerged into the clearing, the two of them moved simultaneously,
without any signal or prior agreement, as if they had been waiting for this moment all along.
One of the team shouted in astonishment
"Wait—!"
But it was too late.
Zion lunged forward with quick, decisive steps, his body slightly lowered, eyes fixed on the nearest creature. In a single clean motion, he drew his weapon from its sheath and struck directly at the creature's neck.
The creature fell before it could even let out a full sound.
On the other side, Lina moved with frightening agility, pivoting around a creature as if she knew its path beforehand, dodging its claws, then driving her blade into its side, following up with a swift motion that ended its life instantly.
One of them stepped back, astonished:
"They're… so fast."
Zion didn't stop.
He moved from one target to another, every strike calculated, every motion short and decisive, without shouting or reckless rushing. He fought as if performing a routine, nothing more.
Lina, meanwhile, moved in a completely different style, yet just as effective. Her motions were flexible, evasive, exploiting any small mistake by the creatures, almost like she was dancing among them, but it was a deadly dance.
Within a few seconds, the ground was littered with fallen creatures.
A heavy silence fell again.
Everyone stared at the scene, some still gripping their weapons, others forgetting they had even prepared for combat.
Finally, one of them muttered without realizing,
"They're… truly monsters."
He wasn't referring to the fallen creatures.
He was looking at Zion and Lina.
When Zion and Lina finished the fight, I stood watching them exchange a brief glance, as if each were assessing the other before returning to their respective teams. The motion was subtle, but it carried undeniable meaning: mutual respect for each other's skill, a quiet appreciation for a performance no one had seen before.
The team gathered around them, all eyes fixed on the scene, trying to comprehend what had just happened…
Some were visibly stunned, as if they hadn't expected such a level of skill, while others remained completely silent, only staring, processing what their eyes had witnessed.
As expected from main characters…
I stood there, watching them, trying to make sense of it. The fight had ended swiftly, almost as if it hadn't happened, yet their movements were natural and fluid. I lifted my gaze toward them once more.
They're much stronger than me…
It wasn't a passing thought, but a real sense of the enormous gap between their level and mine. The road ahead of me was long, very long. If I had faced those creatures myself earlier, I wouldn't have emerged unscathed. I might even be lying on the ground now, struggling just to breathe.
I shook my head lightly, trying to stop the spiral of thoughts.
Stop overthinking…
I said it quietly to myself, as if scolding my own mind. Thinking now wouldn't help, it wouldn't change anything.
I lifted my eyes, and they fell on Fry.
He was laughing. A short, low laugh, but strange enough to make my heart beat faster…
Before I could even process what was happening, the ground suddenly shook beneath our feet.
A strong, violent tremor forced us to regain our balance for a moment. It was followed by the sounds of cracking and the echo of heavy footsteps coming from all directions.
A large group of creatures burst from the trees, more numerous and louder than anything we had seen before…
I knew this would happen, yet when I looked at the number of creatures before us, I couldn't stop myself from trembling.