Rain marched on with Group Three, barely getting a moment to rest. Any pain felt secondary under Diego's gaze—especially if you started falling behind.
As the group marched on, a loud yell rang out—an order.
"Enemy! Get in formation!"
The shout came from the right, its fierce tone unmistakably Bryan's.
While the rest of the group grew uneasy, slowing their pace, Diego paid the command no heed. He didn't even glance in the direction of the voice.
His gaze remained fixed on the group, but fear of the monsters lurking in the forest now outweighed the fear of his menacing stare.
Diego sighed, hesitated for only a moment, then spoke. "Keep up if you want to make it out of here in one piece. If you fall behind, you're on your own. Remember that."
A heavy silence followed Diego's words. The group stiffened, and for a brief moment, no one dared to move sluggishly. Then, as if shaken awake, they picked up their pace, forcing their aching bodies forward. Fear of the unknown still gripped them, but Diego's warning left no room for hesitation.
The march continued, tense and quiet, until the sky darkened, and exhaustion could no longer be ignored. When Diego finally signaled for a stop, relief rippled through the group. They wasted no time setting up camp—some gathering firewood, others securing a perimeter. Their movements were hurried, hands trembling from both fatigue and lingering fear.
The fire crackled to life, casting flickering shadows on weary faces. The group huddled close, not just for warmth, but for the small comfort of being together. Yet even as they rested, their eyes flicked toward the forest's edge, wary of what lurked beyond.
Rain sat near the fire, absently watching the flames dance. His body ached, but his mind was elsewhere—already past this camp, past this forest, past all of it.
'I'm not dying here.'
These people? Most of them wouldn't make it. He could see it in their eyes—the fear, the hesitation. That kind of weakness got you killed. Diego wouldn't wait for them, and neither would he.
'I just need to keep moving. Get through this damn forest, and I'm gone.'
The thought settled like stone in his chest. No matter what lurked out there, no matter who fell behind—he wasn't staying to find out.
The fire crackled softly, casting flickering shadows on the weary group. The night was eerily still—too still. No wind, no rustling leaves, not even the distant chirp of insects. Just silence.
Diego, sitting slightly apart from the others, suddenly tensed. His hand went to his weapon as his sharp eyes scanned the darkness beyond the firelight. He didn't need to see them to know.
They were being watched.
Slowly, he rose to his feet. His voice, low and steady, cut through the silence.
"Quiet."
The murmurs around the fire died instantly. Every head turned toward him, sensing the change in the air.
"Prepare your weapons."
The tension became suffocating as hands scrambled for swords, bows, and whatever they could use.
Then, from the trees, pairs of glowing red eyes flickered to life—one, two, then dozens.
Diego's grip tightened around his weapon. His voice remained calm, but his next words sent a chill through the group.
"We're surrounded."
The camp was deathly silent, the fire's weak crackling the only sound. Shadows stretched between the trees, but the real terror lay in the glowing red eyes—watching, waiting.
Diego's voice came low and firm.
"Everyone, stay calm."
The group barely breathed, gripping their weapons tighter.
Without another word, Diego raised his blade. A sudden gust of wind whipped through the air as he slashed forward, sending a crescent of cutting wind into the darkness.
A split second later—
SHRIEEEK!
A tiny, sharp screech rang out, followed by the heavy crash of wood hitting the ground. Whatever it was, it had been cut down instantly.
For a moment, there was only silence again.
Then, as if a signal had been given, the forest erupted.
Wood-like humanoid monsters lunged from the darkness, their limbs stretching unnaturally as they closed in from all sides. The air filled with the sound of snapping wood, rustling leaves, and the unnatural creaks of their bodies twisting toward their prey.
The fight had begun.
Rain didn't hesitate. In one swift motion, he grabbed a spear and moved toward Diego. He wasn't stupid—sticking close to the strongest fighter was the best chance of surviving this.
Diego's voice rang out over the chaos, sharp and commanding.
"These are Forsakened! Cutting them up won't work—they'll just regenerate! Aim for the core!"
The warning barely left his lips before one of the creatures lunged at Rain, its elongated wooden arms stretching unnaturally fast, jagged fingers aiming to skewer him.
Rain reacted on instinct. He twisted to the side, narrowly avoiding the attack, and without wasting a second, drove his spear forward. The tip struck true, piercing the Forsakened's glowing red core.
The creature let out a warped, ear-splitting shriek before its body convulsed and collapsed into a lifeless pile of wood.
One down. But more were coming.
Diego moved like a force of nature, cutting down Forsakened one after another, his blade a blur in the firelight. But Rain could see it—he was slowing down. His breath was heavier, his swings a little less sharp.
The group was falling apart. One by one, the Forsakened overwhelmed them, their relentless assault giving no time to recover. A body dropped near Rain with a sickening thud—a fallen comrade, lifeless eyes staring up at nothing.
No time to think.
Rain grabbed the heavy corpse and hoisted it up just as a Forsakened lunged. Its elongated arms shot forward, piercing straight through the body—but Rain was already moving.
Before the creature could retract its arms, he drove his spear forward—straight through the corpse. The blade punched through flesh and bone, then struck true, impaling the Forsakened's glowing core.
The creature let out an ear-piercing shriek as its red light flickered and died. Its body gave out all at once, collapsing into a pile of lifeless wood.
Then his eyes snapped to Diego.
Two Forsakened were closing in from behind, their cores pulsing with eerie red light. Diego saw them but was too exhausted to react in time.
Rain didn't hesitate.
With a sharp inhale, he tightened his grip on his spear and hurled it with all his strength. The weapon flew through the air, its tip finding its mark—piercing one Forsakened straight through its glowing core. The creature let out a shriek before crumbling into lifeless wood.
But Rain didn't stop to retrieve his weapon.
Instead, as he sprinted forward, his eyes locked onto a fallen soldier. Without slowing, he ripped a sword from the corpse's grip.
Just as the second Forsakened's attack came down toward Diego, Rain raised the blade, intercepting the blow at the last second.
Sparks flew as steel met sturdy wood, his arms trembling from the impact, but he held firm.
Diego saw the opening Rain had created and reacted instantly.
With a swift step forward, he gripped his sword tightly and drove it straight into the Forsakened's glowing core. The creature let out a warped, ear-splitting shriek, its elongated limbs thrashing wildly before its body stiffened, collapsing into a pile of wood.
Diego exhaled sharply, pulling his blade free. His grip tightened as he scanned the battlefield. More were coming.
Rain took a deep breath, his chest rising and falling heavily as he tried to steady himself. His thoughts raced.
'Tch. We're falling one by one. If this keeps up, we'll be wiped out before the night is over. This is insane.'
His grip tightened around his weapon as he scanned the battlefield. Bodies littered the ground—both human and Forsakened. Their numbers were dwindling, and the creatures weren't slowing down.
Then Diego's voice cut through the chaos.
"Hey, you. Protect me for a while—I'll end this in an instant. I need to charge up and focus."
Rain snapped out of his thoughts and glanced at Diego. His tone left no room for argument. With a sharp nod, Rain adjusted his stance, bracing himself as more Forsakened closed in.
They lunged, twisted limbs stretching toward Diego, but Rain intercepted them, parrying and dodging as best he could. Others caught on to Diego's plan, stepping in to shield him as well.
It felt like an eternity, but then—
Diego shifted. He brought his weapon to the side, his stance firm, his sword glowing an intense green. Power surged around him, the air growing heavy with energy.
Then came the command.
"Everyone, get down!"
No one hesitated. Instinct took over as they all dropped to the ground, not a single person was foolish enough to stay standing.
In the next instant, Diego swung his sword in a wide arc. A powerful green slash tore through the battlefield, cutting down every Forsakened in its path.
Silence followed, broken only by the sound of wood crashing to the ground.
Rain stared in awe, the sheer power Diego had just unleashed was overwhelming, cutting through the Forsakened as if they were nothing.
'So this is the power of an Essence Whisperer.'
As the dust settled, Diego dropped to his knees, gasping for air. His grip tightened around his sword, which was stabbed into the ground for support.
After a moment, he steadied himself and spoke, his voice firm despite his exhaustion.
"Everyone, clean this place up. Prepare those who will keep watch while the rest sleep—we need to get some rest for tomorrow."