The shadow of the unknown grew heavier with each passing second. The rustling in the bushes intensified, as if the creatures were on the lookout, waiting for the right moment to strike. A cold shiver ran down my spine, and I closed my eyes for a moment, trying to calm the turmoil in my mind.
"Stay calm. Stay calm." This mantra played on a loop in my mind, like a reflex, a necessity. I could feel the rising panic around me, the others freezing, their gazes briefly meeting before looking away, searching for the source of the noise.
Romain, with a reassuring gesture, raised his hand. His shield gleamed faintly, a flicker of determination shining in his eyes. He knew he had to take the lead, but his nervousness showed in the tension of his shoulders. He took a few steps forward, his gaze scanning the surroundings with almost palpable intensity.
"Stay behind me," he said, his voice deep but weak. "Everyone, stay on guard. I have my shield, you have your skills. We can handle this."
Marie moved discreetly toward him, placing a hand on his shoulder in a gesture that seemed both comforting and protective. She cast a worried glance at the group.
"What can we do if… if it attacks?" Fear was evident in her voice.
Jules, the archer, rested a hand on his bow, ready to draw the string, but he did not yet dare to aim. The slightest movement could be decisive.
"We have an advantage, don't worry." His gaze drifted in my direction, piercing the shadow where I stood. Despite my stealth ability being active, he had sensed me. I shivered. He must have allocated all his free points into perception— a wise choice for an archer.
I cast a quick glance at my companions, my thoughts racing. The situation was growing more and more tense, but a survival instinct urged me to observe. Romain, though impressive, was not alone in bearing a burden. Each member of the group seemed to struggle with their own weight, their own fears.
The tension escalated when one of the figures in the bushes made a sudden movement. It was no longer just rustling. It was movement. A being that had shifted with unnatural speed.
And then, all at once, a form burst from the shadows.
A shrill, animalistic scream tore through the night. The group flinched as a grotesque silhouette emerged from the vegetation— a creature that looked like a fusion of several mutilated animals. It stood on three legs, as if its very existence were an aberration. Its limbs were twisted, its eyes gleamed with malice. Its claws were long, deformed, and its skin oozed a viscous substance. Multiple mouths opened and closed across its body, emitting a chorus of growls that, when truly listened to, all came from within. It was not multiple monsters; it was a single nightmarish being, a mass of muscle and pure rage.
It lunged at the group with inhuman speed, its limbs twisting at impossible angles, the ground trembling under the force of its charge. The wind howled around it as if the creature itself were tearing through the air, and the stench of decay seeped into the air, spreading slowly and suffocating the space around them. The group, still frozen by the creature's grotesque and terrifying appearance, failed to react in time.
What followed sent an icy terror through the group. Leonard collapsed to the ground, his body convulsing in unbearable pain. A broken cry escaped his throat as blood splattered into the air around him. The creature, relentless, seized his arm in one of its deformed limbs, crushing it with superhuman strength. One of its hideous mouths, shredding Leonard's flesh with monstrous greed, opened with a sinister snap. The scene was indescribably horrific, each moment suspended in a waking nightmare. The group, paralyzed by the atrocity of the spectacle, could only watch, terror consuming their insides. The creature's stench mixed with the blood, a nauseating odor rising in their throats, while suffocating anguish took hold of them, immobilizing them in total helplessness.
The first to react was Romain. He lunged forward, shield raised, and pierced through the air in a lightning-fast charge. The creature, though pushed back by the impact's force, violently clawed the ground beneath its deformed limbs, tearing up chunks of earth, clinging desperately to the surface to avoid being knocked too far away. Its claws dug deep into the ground, emitting a shrill noise that sent chills down the group's spines, but it still stepped back a few paces, letting out a muffled growl. Romain then placed himself between the beast and Leonard, who was still writhing in pain on the ground, his shrill whimpers cutting through the air. Romain's face, tense with concentration and fear, briefly turned toward Marie. With a cry of desperation, he shouted:
"MARIE, QUICK! HEAL LEONARD!"
His words echoed in the oppressive atmosphere, a desperate plea for a last chance, but all around him, madness seemed to overflow. The creature, frustrated, let out a roar of rage, its body twisting in uncontrollable violence. One of its mouths, deformed and malevolent, stretched into a perverse grin, its lips curling around the remains of Leonard's arm, which it devoured with sadistic pleasure. Other mouths, equally grotesque, contorted across its body, wailing and moaning in chaotic cacophony. One, in particular, shrieked in insane fury, thrashing the air in a murderous frenzy. Every movement of the creature seemed driven by irrational madness, as if Leonard's suffering was a feast it savored with demonic joy. The group, paralyzed by horror, watched the scene in total helplessness as the atrocity unfolded before them. The creature seemed to feed not only on flesh but on terror itself, its entire body trembling with a demonic excitement, ready to strike again.
My heart clenched at the sight of Leonard, screaming in agony, but there was no time to waste. My rationality, likely bolstered by my enhanced stats, helped me maintain a minimum of mental strength, allowing me to stay calm and think. From the beginning of this carnage, I had been searching for the best solution. Fleeing had crossed my mind, but it was an unrealistic option. What if other creatures like this— or worse— appeared? I could never survive alone. I resigned myself to accepting a cruel truth: there was only one thing to do for now. I had to awaken the minds dulled by fear while guiding the battle to where I wanted it.
The stress was paralyzing me, each heartbeat pounding like a deafening drum in my ears. The situation was disastrous, and we were running out of time. I knew there was only one viable solution: awaken our trump card, Lucas. The entire group's hope now rested on him, and we had to act fast.
I moved, my mind focused on one thing: reaching Lucas. My steps were swift, my movements filled with determination. Speed was my priority because I knew every second counted, and the slightest delay could be fatal.
Jules, with his keen perception, had already noticed my movements despite the prevailing tension. His eyes briefly locked onto mine, a glimmer of clarity in his gaze. He had regained some composure, his calm and focus returning. He was competent. I was more than grateful for his presence. Our eyes met for a moment, and without a word, I subtly signaled toward Marie. He understood immediately, his body reacting with the precision of a well-oiled mechanism. He moved accordingly, ready to support the group.
I reached Lucas, deactivating my stealth ability at the same time, and shouted, nerves on edge:
"LUCAS, LISTEN TO ME!"
But nothing. He didn't respond. His eyes remained fixed on the creature, still devouring Leonard's arm— a horrifying and disturbing sight that seemed to hypnotize him.
With a swift motion, I raised my hand and slapped him violently.
SLAP!
The sharp sound echoed through the tension-filled air. Lucas flinched, instinctively bringing his hand to his face, his eyes wide with shock. Finally, his gaze broke away from the carnage and met mine.
"LUCAS, YOU HAVE FREE STAT POINTS, DON'T YOU? PUT THEM ALL INTO MANA!"
He still didn't understand, his bewildered eyes staring at me like I was a stranger. His breath was short, erratic, and his hands trembled slightly. He was still trapped in that frozen terror, that visceral fear that kept him from moving.
The situation was critical, and I had to do something to bring him back to reality. I had no time left to think.
In a swift and desperate move, I grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him violently.
"LUCAS, SNAP OUT OF IT! LOOK AT ME!"
My heart was pounding wildly, my muscles tensed under the effort, lifting him almost off the ground. I could hear my own ragged breathing, feel the sweat beading on my forehead under the unbearable pressure. But him… he was still absent.
His eyes fluttered open and shut rapidly, his mind desperately trying to reconnect with reality. He was on the verge of a complete mental collapse, caught between shock and pure panic.
I shook him again, harder this time, trying to tear his mind away from that paralyzing lethargy.
"HURRY UP, WE DON'T HAVE TIME! YOU'RE OUR ONLY HOPE, LUCAS!"
The sound of my voice, the physical pressure, and the absolute urgency finally reached him. I saw a glimmer of understanding pierce through the haze in his gaze. His frantic breathing steadied slightly, his hands stopped trembling. He blinked several times, then took a deep breath.
At last, I saw him hesitate… then slowly nod.
He was back.
I didn't give him a second to recover. He wasn't fully out of his stupor yet, and I had to keep him moving, stop him from slipping back into that paralyzing state of shock.
"LUCAS, HURRY! PUT ALL YOUR POINTS INTO MANA, NOW!"
He flinched slightly at my command, his trembling fingers clenching. His gaze, though more present, was still lost, as if he was still struggling to reconnect his mind to reality.
"Now, damn it!" I shook him one last time, hard enough to make him understand he no longer had the luxury of hesitation.
Lucas swallowed with difficulty. His hands rose, shaky, hesitant. He opened the interface in front of him, and I saw his pupils tremble as he scanned the menus, sweat streaming down his temples. His fingers wavered, his jerky movements betraying his still fragile state.
"Do it! Now!" I insisted, my throat tight with urgency.
Finally, after a second that felt like an eternity, he confirmed the allocation of his points.
A shiver ran through his body. His breathing quickened, a slight tremor shaking him as if his body was struggling to absorb the sudden surge of energy. His gaze faltered for another moment, but I saw him stiffen slightly, clenching his fists.
He had done it.
But he was still too fragile. I saw him sway on his feet, his breath still short, and his face marked by terror. He was back, yes, but his mind was still in shambles, fighting against the absolute horror that had nearly consumed him.
Now, I had only one thing left to do. Force him to act.
"CAST, LUCAS! CAST THE MOST POWERFUL SPELL YOU HAVE! USE ALL YOUR MANA!"
I didn't give him time to doubt. I shook him again, my fingers almost digging into his shoulders, my words snapping like a whip.
"MOVE, NOW!"
Lucas jolted, his breath short, his terrified gaze searching for an escape. But there was none. Behind me, the creature roared in frustration, momentarily pushed back by the group's attacks. The ground trembled under its heavy steps as it struggled to regain control, ready to strike again. It was now or never.
Something clicked inside him. I saw him clench his teeth, his trembling pupils locking onto a single objective: survival.
He raised his hands, his erratic breathing suddenly stabilizing.
And then, the air around him changed abruptly.
An invisible force seemed to draw in everything around him. A current rose, making his cape ripple, lifting dust and dead leaves.
The mana itself responded to his call.
The ambient energy was pulled toward him in an unseen whirlwind. The atmosphere grew heavier, almost oppressive, as if the world itself was holding its breath.
His eyes rolled back, turning completely white. A chill ran down my spine. He was doing something. Something powerful.
His book, still strapped to his belt, flew open on its own, emitting a blinding light.
Ancient runes, a deep blue, began to glow on the pages, which turned frantically as if searching for the right incantation.
Then, in a voice that was rough, almost inhuman, Lucas spoke the words.
He was finally casting.