The jungle fell silent once more. Only the heavy breaths of the group and the rustling of leaves accompanied the stillness. The Plumacrypt's body collapsed in a lifeless heap, its once-bright feathers now dulled and stained with its own dark blood.
Connor and Jacob exhaled sharply, the weight of the battle settling on both their shoulders. The small green snake around Jacob's wrist flicked its tongue, its grip loosening slightly as the danger passed.
Lyle lowered his bow, surveying the aftermath. "Good work," he muttered. "But we should move. That fight wasn't exactly quiet."
Aria knelt beside Ramsey, her hands glowing softly as she activated her healing skill. "That thing nearly crushed your arm," she murmured. "Try not to pick a fight with a dinosaur next time."
Ramsey, despite the pain he should have been feeling, seemed lost in thought. His eyes were unfocused, and when he tried to respond, his words slurred together. The only thing Aria could make out was, "Didn't see you rushing in, healer."
She simply smiled. "Because I like having all my limbs intact."
Connor, standing in sync with Jacob, nudged his twin gently. "Hey. You were acting weird back there. What was that about?"
Jacob hesitated, fingers brushing over the tiny serpent. "I… don't know. It felt like it was trying to tell me something."
The snake coiled tighter around his wrist.
Finn wiped his daggers clean and sheathed them. "Whatever it was, it saved your skin. Maybe keep it around."
Jacob met the snake's gaze, and it coiled a little tighter as if making its own decision.
"Yeah," Jacob said quietly. "I think I will."
Lyle signaled the group forward with a sharp nod."Let's move—before something worse shows up."
As they started through the trees, his eyes narrowed. Scattered across the trunks, barely visible in the dim light, were faint skull-shaped sigils carved into the bark.He froze.
He'd seen these before.
With one last glance at the fallen Plumacrypt, Markus grabbed the beast's body, and the group vanished into the jungle.
Connor and Jacob's thoughts lingered on the fight. One creature down, but there were more. A lot more. Connor must have been thinking the same thing.
"Lyle, do you really think it's a good idea to stop now?" Connor asked. "We've only taken down one, and it took us forever. Shouldn't we keep going? Get stronger? That thing with the horn… we can't keep avoiding it."
Lyle took a deep breath. "And what happens when we die because we went beyond what we can handle?"
"We handled this, didn't we?" Connor shot back. "If we keep pushing, we'll learn how to fight together. One Plumacrypt isn't enough. There are thousands out there."
Finn, in his usual calm tone, nodded. "Yeah, I think Connor's right. We need to get better. Not everyone we run into will be friendly."
Lyle sighed, rubbing his temple. "Alright. We rest first. Then we move deeper."
Connor smirked. "And one more thing—none of us leave unless we gain at least three levels."
Aria scoffed. "That's a little much, don't you think?"
"Maybe," Connor admitted. "But if we take down six or seven, we'll level up for sure."
No one disagreed. They rested, then pushed forward.
The second Plumacrypt fell faster. This time, Markus and Finn stayed unharmed. The group worked like a machine, each move sharper, each decision more refined.
Then, a sound. A notification.
Ding.
Jacob—Beast Tamer LVL (6)
Jacob grinned, glancing at Connor, who had also leveled up. But before he could say anything, his excitement got the better of him. His boasting grew too loud.
The jungle answered.
Slowly, they emerged from the shadows. Feathers shifting, claws scraping against the earth.
A group of Plumacrypts encircled them.
"Oh… crap." Jacob swallowed hard.
Lyle's voice was steady. "Aria, get behind me."
She didn't hesitate. The others moved instinctively, backing together into a defensive circle. Markus shot Connor and Jacob a glare. Aria trembled. Even Finn's usual composure cracked slightly.
Six. No—seven of them.
Connor tightened his jaw. Distance wouldn't win this fight. He summoned the Steel-Tipped Spear (Common) and tossed it to Jacob, their connected torso shifting with the movement. "If we get pinned, we need a way out. Make it count."
Jacob caught the spear, both their hands steadying it.
Lyle scanned the creatures, then spoke quickly. "We bait them in. We don't break formation. Aria and Ramsey stay inside the circle."
His gaze flicked toward Connor and Jacob. A silent warning.
This time, there was no room for mistakes.
Feeling responsible for getting them into this predicament, Jacob tightened his grip on the spear and focused.
Skill Activation: Fae Mirage.
Illusions flickered to life, surrounding the twins in a shifting veil of duplicates. The beasts hesitated, their many eyes darting between the illusions, uncertain of the true target.
One head lunged, snapping at what it thought was Jacob—only for its fangs to pass through empty air. Seizing the opportunity, Connor twisted their shared body, and Jacob drove the spear forward, striking true. The creature recoiled with a hiss, clearly frustrated by the deception.
Instead of lunging at another illusion, the creatures began circling, their movements slow and deliberate, searching for an opening. This was bad.
The group of adventurers stood tense—well, all except Ramsey, but that was only because he had no idea what was going on. Aria's breath was unsteady. Markus's hands trembled, anticipation coiling in his muscles like a spring wound too tight. Finn remained on edge, both daggers gripped tightly, ready for the inevitable clash.
Seconds stretched into eternity. This was no longer just a standoff; it was a war fought in the space between heartbeats.
Then, the worst thing that could have possibly happened... happened.
Skill Cooldown.
Jacob, after hearing it, felt a bitter taste linger in his mouth.
Connor's voice broke through his thoughts, low and steady.
"We're not done yet."
Together, they readied the spear for the next attack.