The deeper Nick and Kyle went, the stranger the anomaly became.
The trees twisted inward at impossible angles, forming archways of glowing wood. The mist thickened until it clung to their clothes like wet cloth. The air vibrated—not with sound, but with pressure, as if the entire forest were holding its breath.
The trail Tyler left was clearer now.
Small footprints.
Scraped soil where she had stumbled.
A broken branch smeared with blood, but not enough to be life-threatening.
Kyle crouched and touched the branch with trembling fingers.
"She was here recently," he whispered. "Maybe minutes ago."
Nick scanned the warped landscape. "Then we're close. Stay sharp."
A faint chime entered the edges of Nick's hearing. Not the System—something else. A hum, almost a whisper, threading through the anomaly.
It wasn't threatening.
It felt… guiding.
His Warborn bloodline pulsed in reply.
"Nick," Kyle said quietly, "your eyes."
Nick blinked. "What about them?"
"They're glowing. Just a little."
Nick wasn't sure if that was good or bad, but they couldn't stop now.
They pushed forward. The mist parted to reveal a clearing unlike anything they had seen. The ground dipped into a shallow, crater-like basin lined with glowing fungi. The light shimmered in rhythmic pulses—almost breathing.
And in the center was Tyler.
She was collapsed against a tree trunk, breathing shallowly, one leg tangled in a thick vine-like root. Her hoodie was shredded, hair messy, skin bruised but alive.
Kyle choked, "Tyler!"
He sprinted forward.
Nick grabbed his arm. "Wait!"
Something moved in the basin.
A low rumble vibrated through the ground.
Kyle froze as a shadow rose from the far side of the clearing. A massive creature uncurled from behind a cluster of glowing mushrooms.
Nick's breath caught.
This thing was no Ravager.
It was larger—twice their height—with two massive forelimbs ending in hooked claws. Its body was covered in bark-like armor fused with pulsing mana veins. Its jaw hung too wide, lined with rows of crystalline teeth.
The System confirmed Nick's worst fear.
[Boss-Class Mutant Detected]
Forest Guardian
Tier: 1 (Anomaly-Enhanced)
Behavior: Territorial. Aggressive. Protective of mana blooms.
Recommendation: Flee unless prepared.
Kyle whispered, voice cracking, "We can't run. She's right there."
Nick swallowed hard. "I know."
The Guardian roared, the sound bending the air and rattling their bones. Tyler stirred weakly, eyes half-opening.
"N…Nick?" she whispered.
The sound of her voice triggered something deep in Nick's chest.
Fear.
Anger.
Determination.
And something older.
The Warborn pulse surged through him like fire.
He stepped forward, body trembling with raw strength he didn't fully control.
"Kyle," Nick said quietly, "I need you to get her free."
Kyle stared at the creature. "I can't get past that thing alone."
"You won't." Nick tightened his grip on the broken root he carried like a spear. "I'll distract it. You move when I say."
Kyle hesitated. "Nick… don't die."
Nick gave a shaky smile. "Not planning to."
The Guardian roared again and charged. The ground shook under its weight.
Nick sprinted head-on.
For a moment, he felt insane.
Then the Warborn inside him woke more fully.
[Bloodline Resonance: 8% → 12%]
Enhancements:
• Strength increased
• Agility increased
• Pain tolerance enhanced
• Instinct sharpened
The world slowed.
Nick ducked beneath a massive claw swipe, the air parting above him. He rolled to the side, using a fallen log as leverage to spring upward and jab his makeshift spear into one of the creature's mana veins.
The beast shrieked as violet blood spurted out in a glowing arc.
Kyle took his cue and sprinted toward Tyler.
The monster spun toward Kyle.
Nick yelled, "HEY!"
He slammed a rock into the Guardian's flank, drawing its attention.
The beast lunged at him instead, jaws wide.
Nick grabbed a thick vine hanging from the trees and swung upward, barely dodging the snapping jaws below.
Kyle reached Tyler, collapsing beside her.
"It's okay, Ty. We're here," he whispered, voice shaking.
Tyler blinked rapidly, breath uneven. "I… I couldn't stop running. The forest was whispering. I thought I heard Nick screaming… everything felt wrong…"
Kyle's voice softened. "You're safe. I promise."
Nick dropped from the vine, hitting the ground hard but landing on his feet. The Guardian swiped again; Nick rolled under it and stabbed upward, driving his makeshift spear into the creature's armpit.
The Guardian screeched and slammed its massive arm down.
Nick couldn't dodge fully.
The impact crushed into his side and sent him flying across the clearing. He hit the ground and skidded through glowing moss.
Pain exploded across his ribs.
[Damage Taken: -18 HP]
Rib fracture likely.
Vitality mitigating 40% damage.
Nick groaned but pushed himself up.
He couldn't stop.
Not now.
Not with Tyler crying softly as Kyle freed her leg.
Not with the Guardian charging toward them both.
Nick staggered to his feet, chest burning, instincts screaming.
"Kyle! Move!"
Kyle scooped Tyler up with both arms and stumbled aside just as the Guardian crashed down where they'd been.
Tyler whimpered, clinging to Kyle's shirt. "I… I heard things. Voices. They told me to run. I thought the forest would swallow me…"
Nick breathed hard. "It almost did."
The Guardian turned toward Nick again.
Nick took a shaky step.
Then another.
Every instinct in him burned like molten metal.
He didn't just want to fight.
He needed to fight.
[Warborn Instinct: Semi-Awakening]
New Passive Effect:
Predator Focus — When defending allies, strength and speed increase.
Effect: +2 Strength, +2 Agility, +1 Endurance.
Nick felt the shift immediately.
His vision sharpened.
His muscles tightened.
His fear turned into a controlled furnace.
He sprinted straight at the Guardian.
For the first time, the monster hesitated.
Nick leaped, grabbed one of its crystalline teeth, and used the momentum to swing himself onto its back. He clung to a ridge of bark-like armor and drove his spear down into the glowing vein at the creature's spine.
The Guardian convulsed violently.
Kyle shielded Tyler as the shockwave rippled outward.
Nick held on with everything he had.
"Fall!" he roared.
One more thrust.
One more scream from the beast.
The Guardian collapsed with a heavy thud, sending dust and glowing spores into the air.
Nick slid off, chest heaving, limbs trembling from exhaustion and adrenaline.
Silence enveloped the clearing.
Then the System sang its chime.
[Boss Defeated: Forest Guardian — Tier 1.5]
EXP: 140
Shared Bonus: +14
Level Up:
• Nick Warborn: Level 4 → Level 6
• Kyle Parris: Level 2 → Level 3
Loot Dropped:
• Unstable Skill Fragment (Common)
• Lesser Vitality Seed
• Mana-Infused Bark (Rare Material)
Kyle approached with Tyler leaning on him.
She looked up at Nick with wide, frightened eyes.
"I… I knew you'd come," she whispered.
Her voice cracked.
"I kept thinking… what if the forest ate me, and no one ever found me…"
Nick stepped forward and gently put his hand on her shoulder.
"You're safe now. We're here. And we're not leaving you."
Tyler's eyes filled with tears, and she buried her face in Kyle's chest.
Nick exhaled shakily.
They'd rescued her.
They'd survived.
But the anomaly pulsed ominously around them.
They still had to get out.
And now, the dungeon wanted to collapse.