The Reaper Forest remained eerily silent as Darin's company regrouped, preparing to continue their march northward. The monstrous corpse behind them still oozed black ichor, but the excitement from the battle was already fading, replaced by a sense of unease.
Darin, still gripping the monster core in his pocket, exhaled slowly. His mind was a mess of conflicting thoughts.
He let out a frustrated sigh. One problem at a time, Darin. Just get through the damn forest first.
"Alright, everyone," he called out, standing from the rock. "We're moving forward. I want scouts ahead and rear guards alert. No distractions. We don't know what else is lurking in this cursed place."
A chorus of "Yes, Overlord!" rang through the air.
Darin winced. Still not used to that…
As the company moved, the trees seemed to close in tighter, their twisted, gnarled limbs stretching overhead like skeletal fingers. The deeper they ventured, the more unnatural the air became.
