The creature's talons dug deep into the earth, carving trenches as it prowled forward, its slit-pupil eyes locked onto the group. A guttural growl rumbled from its chest, sending a shudder through the trees.
Jacob's triumphant expression evaporated.
"Uh… so… about that beast-taming thing…" he muttered.
"Shut. Up." Connor hissed, tugging Jacob — though the effort was mostly symbolic, given they were stuck together.
Markus tightened his stance, hands clenched as he studied the creature's every movement. Aria's fingers hovered near her coat pocket, ready to summon a weapon if needed. Finn, daggers in hand, had already shifted slightly to the side, positioning himself for a counterattack if the creature lunged.
The massive beast exhaled, releasing a blast of heat that shimmered in the air between them. It was watching them, waiting, assessing.
Then, the system chimed in Jacob's head.
Crimson Strifelion {variant}—Level 12 Status: Agitated
Jacob paled. "Oh, that's bad. That's really bad."
Lyle exhaled through his nose, staying calm. "We have two at level five, three, six, and me at seven." He glanced at the twins. "And you guys are… level one."
"We can take it." Jacob forced a grin.
Connor shot him a murderous glare. "We're running."
The Strifelion let out another earth-shaking roar, its wings flaring outward. The glowing veins along its body pulsed, and the air around it began to distort from the sheer heat.
Then it lunged.
"MOVE!" Markus barked.
The group scattered. The creature's massive claws slammed into the ground where they had just been standing, sending dirt and debris flying.
Jacob and Connor barely dodged, moving awkwardly in sync. Jacob grabbed Connor's arm to pull one way, but Connor yanked the other.
"Left!" Jacob shouted.
"Right!" Connor snapped.
They stumbled in the middle.
Jacob's mind raced. He had just tamed the faequill — maybe it had a skill?
"Come on, little guy," he muttered. "Do something useful."
The faequill, still perched on his shoulder, let out a melodic hum. The air shimmered, and space around Jacob and Connor bent slightly. The Strifelion's next strike slowed just a fraction — a single heartbeat of hesitation — but it was enough for them to lurch awkwardly out of the way again.
Jacob's eyes widened. Illusion effect?
The others were weaving between the trees, trying to split up and regroup. Finn was already scaling a nearby rock formation, eyes scanning for an opening. Lyle had taken a defensive position behind thick brush, while Markus — ever the tactician — was guiding Aria toward higher ground.
Then Jacob's system chimed again.
Beast Ability Unlocked — "Fae Mirage"
Jacob grinned through the panic. "Now we're talking."
With a quick mental command, the faequill released another hum, its body glowing faintly. Multiple shimmering copies of Jacob and Connor flickered into existence around the battlefield — conjoined and all.
The Strifelion snarled, momentarily confused by the mirages. It swiped at one, but its claws met nothing but air.
Connor panted. "Tell me you can do that again."
Jacob smirked. "I can do that again."
But the Strifelion was learning. Its slitted eyes darted between the illusions, then snapped back to the real twins. It knew.
With a furious snarl, it raised its wings and —
A flash of silver.
Finn.
His dagger, thrown with pinpoint precision, embedded itself just behind the creature's eye. It wasn't enough to kill, but it was enough to hurt.
The Strifelion howled in rage, flailing as it tried to shake off the pain.
"RUN!" Finn shouted.
Nobody argued.
The group bolted through the trees, ducking branches and leaping over roots, their breath ragged and desperate.
Jacob risked a glance back. The Strifelion was still thrashing, disoriented but furious.
They had seconds.
Then —
A deep, resounding horn echoed through the forest.
Everything stopped.
The Strifelion froze, its wings slowly lowering. Its ears flicked toward the sound. Then, without another growl, it turned, spread its wings, and disappeared into the sky.
Silence.
Heavy, stunned silence.
Jacob, panting, turned to Connor. "…Okay. What the hell was that?"
No one had an answer.
But whatever had sounded that horn — whoever had tamed the wilderness enough to make a monster like that retreat — was out there.
Aria was scanning the area when she noticed Ramsey hadn't moved — he was still lying on the floor. Without hesitation, she went over and grabbed him.
The group, still breathless, stumbled into a new area: a dense, humid jungle teeming with life, where the thick canopy overhead let through only slivers of sunlight. The air was thick with moisture, the ground soft and spongy underfoot, covered in layers of fallen leaves, vines, and rotting vegetation. The trees were tall and twisted, their bark rough and gnarled.
As they moved deeper into the forest, a sharp crack echoed behind them, followed by a low, lingering hum—like space folding in on itself.
The air grew tense.
Beneath their feet, the ground writhed. Dozens—no, hundreds—of snakes slithered through the underbrush, their scales catching the dim light in flashes of green, gold, and obsidian. They moved like a living tide, weaving between roots and rocks, drawn by something unseen.
Soft hisses punctuated the air. Some snakes were small, their vibrant patterns blending into the jungle floor, while others were massive, their long bodies winding through the undergrowth like living ropes.
The group instinctively fell silent.
Jacob didn't.
He spotted an egg nearby and couldn't resist. He grabbed it.
Ding!
Imprint: Skill ActivatedYou have successfully tamed Basilisk lvl-1.
Connor stared in horror. "Did you seriously just—"
In his attempt to stop Jacob, Connor accidentally grabbed another egg — a red one, unlike the rest.
Jacob's egg vanished into tiny golden particles. Connor stared down at his own as it pulsed with a greenish hue.
A sharp ding cut through the air.
Skill Activation: Soul Flame Eternal Link.
But nothing else happened.
"See?" Connor said, shaking his head.
Jacob sighed. "Bummer."
Connor placed the egg back, but as he did, the faint green hue flickered once more… and then disappeared entirely.
Jacob leaned in with a mischievous grin.
"Your turn."