Jacob squinted at the egg Connor had just placed back. "That was weird," he muttered, their shared chest rising and falling with his words. "You saw that glow, right?"
Connor, his voice steady but tense, replied, "Doesn't matter. It didn't hatch, and we're in the middle of a snake-infested jungle. Let's just—"
A low, rumbling hiss cut through the dense air.
The group tensed. Finn, already on edge, subtly palmed another dagger. Aria's fingers twitched near her coat pocket. Markus stepped in front of Ramsey, while Lyle pressed a finger to his lips, signaling for silence.
Jacob froze, his eyes drawn to the little green serpent curled around his wrist, its scales shimmering faintly. It stared back with unnervingly intelligent eyes.
"Uh…" Jacob raised his wrist carefully. "Guys?"
The hissing grew louder—surrounding them.
Connor stiffened, feeling the same tension ripple through their shared body. "This is bad," he murmured.
The earth moved. What they thought were vines began to slither.
"Tell me this is just a normal jungle thing," Aria whispered tightly.
"It's not," Markus muttered. "Stay close."
Jacob stared at the tiny snake on his wrist. It wasn't attacking him—it seemed… protective.
The hissing peaked. The ground trembled. From the tangled undergrowth, a massive, writhing form emerged—not one snake, but many, bodies coiling into a single grotesque mass. Too many eyes glinted in the dim light.
"Move!" Connor barked, their combined legs stumbling back as the serpent mass lashed forward.
Jacob staggered with him, the green snake tightening on his wrist but staying calm. Its tongue flicked, and for a heartbeat, the monster hesitated.
"They're waiting for something," Ramsey murmured, watching how the creature swayed, focused on Jacob.
Jacob swallowed hard, his voice barely a whisper. "What do you want?"
The jungle seemed to hold its breath.
The little snake blinked once and lifted its head.
The monstrous horde… stopped.
For now.
After hiding for a while, the distant horn they'd heard earlier faded. The jungle, once chaotic, settled into uneasy stillness. Slowly, birds began to chirp again, and leaves rustled.
Lyle listened intently, then nodded. "Alright. I think it's safe to head back."
They retraced their steps cautiously, moving toward the clearing where they first encountered the Stifelion.
As they walked, they stumbled upon an unfamiliar creature—a strange, feathered hybrid, pacing curiously in the undergrowth.
Jacob activated Skill: Identify.
Plumacrypt — Level 16
Strangely, it seemed less threatening than the snake monstrosity, despite the previous one only being Level 12.
Lyle glanced at the creature, eyes narrowing. "Attack!"
Markus and Finn surged forward. Lyle conjured his bow and loosed an arrow.
The Plumacrypt slashed the missile midair with a flick of its claws, knocking Markus and Finn aside with a swipe of its feathered tail. It lunged to finish them—
Skill Activation: Fae Mirage.
Jacob's power flooded the battlefield with illusions of the entire squad. The Plumacrypt hesitated, eyes darting between shifting doubles.
"Fall back, Aria!" Lyle shouted, arrows flying in rapid succession.
One struck true, piercing the creature's foot. It screeched, shaking its head at the illusions.
Then—
Skill Cooldown.
The mirages flickered and vanished.
Connor swore under his breath. "No more tricks."
Skill Activation: Metal Spear.
A metallic spear shot toward the Plumacrypt. The beast twisted, narrowly dodging the strike.
Skill Activation: Metal Shield.
A gleaming shield materialized, intercepting the creature's counterattack. Claws scraped, sparks flying, before the shield shattered into golden fragments.
Lyle fired two more arrows—but before they could hit—
A sudden crash.
It was Ramsey.
His fist, blazing with energy, swung wide and missed. The creature lunged, jaws clamping onto his arm, tossing him aside.
"Aria, heal Ramsey!" Lyle shouted, never slowing his barrage.
The Plumacrypt snarled, fixated on him now.
Jacob and Connor glanced at each other. An unspoken decision passed between them.
Skill Activation: Steel Bind.
The ground erupted with heavy steel chains, locking the beast's limbs. It thrashed, but the bindings held.
Lyle seized the opening, circling the immobilized creature, arrows striking true. The beast weakened, slower with each shot.
The Plumacrypt roared, shattering the bindings—but it was too late. Its HP was dangerously low.
Markus and Finn rejoined the fight. They moved in sync, exploiting the beast's sluggish movements.
Finn rolled left, slashing. The creature twisted after him—
Markus struck. A clean, brutal slice.
The Plumacrypt's neck split open.
Its head hit the ground.
Finn landed on top of it, breathing hard. "Got it."
Jacob and Connor exhaled as one, their pulse still pounding.
"Yeah," Jacob said softly. "We did."