Days passed as everyone trained at the camp. The forest near the third core was full of sound. Twigs snapped. Leaves rustled. Something moved.
Isaac held his axe low and moved quietly through the brush. Beside him, Aiah stepped lightly, her eyes scanning the trees.
"You sure there are monsters here?" she asked in a low voice.
Isaac didn't answer right away. He tapped the side of his head.
"The swarm said so."
Aiah gave him a strange look. "The swarm talks now?"
"They don't need to," Isaac said. "I just… feel them."
Before she could respond, a loud shriek echoed through the forest. A huge boar-like beast burst from the trees. Its tusks sparked with lightning, and its long tail bristled with spikes.
"One hit from those tusks and you'll turn to ash," Isaac said quickly.
Aiah lit her palm with fire and hurled a flame at the beast. Isaac rolled to the side, dodged the tail, and charged in with his axe. Fire and steel moved in sync. They fought fast and hard.
The beast let out one last cry before collapsing, its body twitching.
Isaac stepped forward.
"Swarm Devour."
From the tall trees, the locusts rushed in. They tore into the corpse with sharp hunger. Aiah stepped back, frowning.
"Still creepy," she muttered.
A system notification flashed in Isaac's vision.
[Swarm Authority +1%]
[Swarm Authority Level: 52%]
His system was changing. Now he could see how many points he earned from each fight.
[New Passive Skill Unlocked: Swarm Instinct]
You can now sense and analyze nearby lifeforms through swarm consciousness. Accuracy increases with Authority Level.
Isaac blinked.
'Really?'
He turned to Aiah.
Suddenly, lines appeared in his vision:
[Name: Aiah Aretha
Type: Fire Mage
Rank: Class C
Status: Alert - Slightly Annoyed
Potential: High
Abilities: Unknown - Authority too low
Hidden Trait: Unknown - Authority too low
Notes: Subject possesses unawakened traits. Further observation recommended.]
Isaac's lips twitched. "Interesting."
"What is?" Aiah asked, wiping sweat from her forehead.
"Nothing," he said. "Let's keep moving."
She frowned. "You're acting weird."
Isaac remained silent, keeping his focus forward.
The forest grew quieter as they moved deeper. But Isaac stopped.
His eyes narrowed. The swarm inside him buzzed, not in panic, but in warning.
"It's close," he said.
A deep rumble shook the ground. Birds scattered from the treetops.
Then, with slow, thunderous steps, it emerged from behind the trees.
A massive, turtle-like monster stomped into the clearing. Moss covered its thick shell. Vines hung from its sides. Mushrooms and fungi grew along its back. Its eyes glowed a sickly green.
[Name: Mossback Behemoth
Type: Beast - Plant
Rank: D
Status: Aggressive
Abilities: Unknown - Authority too low
Weakness: Unknown - Authority too low]
Isaac's grip tightened on his axe. "It's a Mossback Behemoth."
"That thing is huge," Aiah said. She raised both hands, fire already building in her palms. "You ready?"
"Let's find out."
The ground shook as the creature reared up and slammed its body into the earth.
Shell slam.
A shockwave burst from the impact. The trees trembled.
Isaac barely managed to jump aside, while Aiah leaped onto a nearby boulder.
"Don't breathe it in!" Isaac shouted.
The behemoth exhaled a thick green mist.
Spores burst.
The spore spread fast, clouding the air. Isaac covered his mouth with his sleeve and dashed forward, his swarm guiding him.
Aiah lit a fire circle around herself, burning the spores away.
Flames shot toward the beast. It hissed and backed away, smoke rising from the moss on its shell.
"Fire hurts it!" Aiah called.
Isaac charged in. He struck its leg, but the axe bounced off its shell-like skin. Too thick.
"Aim for the joints!" he yelled.
They fought together, Aiah throwing waves of fire, Isaac striking with precision.
The beast slammed the ground again, but they dodged.
More fire. More strikes.
Finally, with a loud screech, the monster collapsed. Its body shook once… then went still.
Isaac panted and wiped his forehead.
"Swarm Devour," he muttered.
The locusts rushed forward again, swarming the giant corpse.
The system flashed again.
[Swarm Authority +1%]
[Swarm Authority Level: 53%]
Isaac frowned.
'All that, still for just one percent?'
He looked over at Aiah. Her fire still flickered around her hands. Her eyes were sharp. She didn't look tired. In fact, she looked stronger.
He could feel it, her power was growing.
Isaac turned back to the dissolving corpse. His grip on the axe tightened.
"I need stronger prey," he said under his breath.
Aiah shut down her fire, "That thing wasn't even Class C. Just a tough D."
"I know."
"You think the next area has Class C?"
Isaac didn't answer. He was already walking ahead.
They moved deeper into the forest. The trees thickened. The light dimmed.
Aiah kept glancing at Isaac. He looked calm. Too calm.
"Don't you think we should rest first?" she asked.
"We're close."
Suddenly, the bushes ahead exploded.
A creature shot out, a blur of dark green and yellow. Its eyes glowed, and its mouth dripped with black saliva licking its claws.
Isaac's eyes lit up.
[Name: Liger Lurker
Type: Beast - Predatory
Rank: C
Status: Aggressive/Hunting
Abilities: Unknown - Authority too low
Weakness: Unknown - Authority too low]
Before they could react, the monster struck.
Aiah jumped back, flames rising around her. "It's fast, too fast!"
Isaac didn't move.
"Fight it," he said, standing still.
"What?"
"You need this. I'll step in if it gets bad."
Aiah glared at him. "Now's not the time to test me!"
But Isaac just nodded at the beast. "Go."
Aiah gritted her teeth and charged.
She fought hard. Fire whirled around her hands, blasting at the beast as it zigzagged through the trees.
But it was quick. Almost impossible to track. It lashed out, cutting through the air like lightning.
She was almost hit, but in the last second, Isaac moved.
Slash.
The monster's claw hit Isaac in the side. Blood spilled.
"Isaac!"
He didn't flinch. He swung his axe hard, knocking the monster back.
"I'm fine," he said. "Keep going. End it."
She hesitated.
"Now!"
Aiah spun, eyes blazing. Flames roared from her hands, surrounding the monster. The creature tried to run, but Aiah forced the fire to explode underneath it.
Boom!
The creature let out a sharp cry and dropped. It twitched once, then died.
Isaac dropped to one knee. His breathing slowed. Aiah rushed to him.
"You said you were fine," she said.
"I am… sort of."
Then the system flashed in Isaac's vision:
[Warning: You have been poisoned]
[Dark Regeneration slowed by 87%]
[Estimated recovery time: 15 hours]
[Warning: Vital signs unstable if pushed]
Isaac's jaw tightened. "So that's what it was."
"What?" Aiah asked.
"Poison."
Aiah looked worried. "Should we go back?"
"No," Isaac said. He looked at her, serious.
"In case something happens to me… promise me something."
"What is it?"
"Stay with me. Just for fifteen hours. Don't leave me."
Aiah blinked. "What? Are you hitting on me now?"
He gave a weak grin. "Maybe."
Before she could say more, his eyes rolled back, and he collapsed.
"Isaac!"