The moving decoys marched down the main path with an almost regal presence. From a distance, anyone watching would think a real group of adventurers was heading straight for Hollow Veli.
Ethan's decoy took a step forward, looked up at the sky, and dramatically shouted, "I AM THE STRONGEST WARRIOR IN THE WORLD!"
The real Ethan, sneaking through the bushes on the hidden path, sighed and muttered, "Yeah… this might've been a bit too stupid."
Fayra, barely able to breathe from laughing, wiped a tear from her eye. "Relax! It's not that different from the real you."
Alice, still frowning, crossed her arms. "And what if someone figures it out? I mean… no way people are that gullible, right?"
Luna shrugged. "Trust me, people believe weird stuff way easier than you think. All it takes is for someone to see them talking and walking—no one's gonna bother checking if they're real or not."
Right on cue, voices echoed from the top of the hill.
"Hey! Look at them! They're heading to Hollow Veli! They must've found something important!"
"We gotta report this to the king immediately!"
From behind the trees, Ethan and the group watched as a couple of spies took one glance at the decoys, didn't question anything, and bolted toward the royal palace.
Ethan muttered under his breath, "…And just like that, their brain cells left the chat."
Fayra proudly placed her hands on her hips. "Told ya it would work! Alright, now it's our turn to move."
But before they could go, Selena's decoy suddenly floated into the air, spun around a few times, then crashed face-first into the dirt.
Selena raised an eyebrow. "Uhh… that one got issues or what?"
Fayra waved a hand dismissively. "Nah, nah, just a tiny glitch… probably something with, uh… gravity?"
The decoy suddenly lifted off the ground again, did a full spin, then landed on its head, standing completely upside down.
Ethan scowled. "Gravity? Gravity doesn't make people walk on their head!"
Selena smirked. "Oh, so it doesn't look like me, huh? Because I don't just fall over for no reason."
Right on cue, her decoy tipped over like a turtle, flopped onto its back, and didn't get up.
Fayra threw her hands up. "Okay, maaaybe a tiny bit of anti-gravity potion got mixed into the movement formula… but who cares! It still looks real from a distance!"
Luna took a deep breath. "Alright, no more excuses. Let's get moving."
Alice, still uneasy, tore her gaze away from the decoys and stared down the hidden path ahead. "I just hope this plan actually works and the king doesn't figure it out…"
But as they disappeared into the shadows of the forest, a figure shifted among the trees.
A pair of sharp eyes watched them from behind the bushes—someone who had already figured out that this group had no intention of going to Hollow Veli…
And now, it was time to report everything to the king.
The King's Counterattack – The Game Has Just Begun
As Ethan and his crew moved through the side path, a black horse galloped down the main road at full speed. The rider—none other than the mysterious informant—was racing toward the king's castle without stopping for even a second. His eyes gleamed with excitement. If he succeeded, the king would surely reward him handsomely.
Moments later, inside the grand hall of the castle, the informant dropped to his knees, gasping for breath. "Your Majesty! They… they tricked us! The real group isn't heading toward Hollow Veli at all!"
The king, who had been casually tapping his fingers on the massive wooden table, smirked. "Oh? So they finally figured out how to pull a trick on me?"
The informant nodded frantically. "Yes! But I saw through it! In fact, they're actually taking the side path that leads to—"
He suddenly froze. His eyes widened in fear.
The king slowly stood up and walked toward the tall window of the hall.
"I know."
The informant blinked in confusion. "W-What? You… already knew?"
The king gazed out at the cloudy sky. "I always know."
The informant swallowed hard. "Then… why did you let them go through with it?"
The king smiled faintly. "Because this is exactly what I wanted."
The informant took a step back. "What do you mean?"
"Their potions, their supplies… and most importantly, their little secrets… they've left all of it behind, completely unguarded."
He turned to his servants and gave a firm order. "Send a special squad. Make sure that by the time they return… they have no home to come back to."
At that very moment, five elite royal soldiers moved stealthily through the dark night toward Ethan's abandoned cabin.
The first soldier whispered, "We've been told no one is here. We just grab their stuff and get out."
The second soldier, already drawing his sword, carefully pushed open the door. Inside, an eerie silence filled the air. Dim candlelight flickered, casting long shadows across the wooden walls.
"Search everything."
They spread out. One soldier rummaged through the cabinets. Another scanned the shelves, where colorful potions glowed faintly inside glass bottles.
"So these are their weird potions, huh…"
Another soldier moved toward the table, where a note was left behind.
"To whoever's reading this: Please, before you loot our place, try this purple potion. You won't regret it! – Ethan"
The soldiers exchanged glances.
"…This a trap?"
The first soldier scoffed. "Why would it be? They had no idea we were coming."
The second soldier, now curious, picked up the bottle and sniffed it. "Smells like grapes."
"Actually smells kinda good…"
"Just a sip… for science…"
The first soldier shrugged. "If you die, not my problem."
The second soldier smirked, popped the cork, and took a small sip. A sweet, fruity taste spread over his tongue. "Oh damn, this is actually pretty good—"
And then, the world started spinning.
One of the soldiers panicked. "Whoa… why is everything… getting smaller?"
No. Everything wasn't getting smaller—they were getting bigger.
Their hands ballooned in size, their legs stretched out of the cabin, the ceiling pressed down on them, and within seconds, they had grown nearly ten times their normal height.
The first soldier screamed, "WHAT DID YOU GUYS DO?! WE'RE FREAKIN' GIANTS NOW!"
And that was just the beginning of the nightmare. The cabin's wooden roof suddenly collapsed, and the five confused, half-naked giant soldiers were left standing in the wreckage.
At that moment, owls fled from the trees, and the sound of snapping wood echoed through the forest.
And right at that moment, Ethan and his group heard a loud explosion in the distance.
BOOM!!!
Alice spun around. "Uh… what was that?"
Luna, barely holding in her laughter, wiped a tear from her eye. "I'm guessing… a bunch of idiots just fell into our trap!"
Ethan stared at the cabin in shock. "…But I never set up a giant-making potion! Where the hell did that come from?"
Selena smirked mischievously. "Oh, that purple potion? I may have… tweaked it a little. Needed to make things a bit more fun, don't you think?"
Fayra burst out laughing. "That's freaking amazing! Those soldiers are so screwed now!"
Alice, still uneasy, bit her lip. "Still… this means the king definitely knows we're still in the area."
Ethan grinned. "Then I guess it's time to take this game to the next level."
But at that very moment, the king was thinking the exact same thing.