Brog and Kuro pressed deeper into the Zone, the Hawks squad leading the way.
"Huff… huff…"
Brog glanced at Kuro, who was struggling to keep up. His breaths were laboured, his face pale with exhaustion. Brog stopped and placed a firm hand on his shoulder.
"Mr. Kuro, I know you're not used to running this much. Let's take a break. The Hawks will clear the path ahead of us."
Kuro halted, frustrated. "I'm slowing everyone down. Even the vice chairman, who's much older than me, isn't struggling like this." He thought bitterly as he gulped down water.
Suddenly—a snarl tore through the silence.
From the darkness, a withered one lunged at Kuro with terrifying speed. He barely had time to react before it closed the distance. His body refused to move—paralyzed by fear.
Then—wham!
An iron rod flew, piercing the creature's chest with brutal force. Kuro's wide eyes snapped toward Brog.
"It seems we've walked right into their trap," Brog muttered, his eyes glowing metallic,
A chorus of growls echoed from the shadows. Dozens of withered ones emerged, their lifeless gazes fixed on their prey.
"Shit… worst-case scenario," Kuro whispered, frozen in place.
Brog's voice cut through his fear. "Mr. Kuro, get up. And be careful."
With a flick of his hand, the scattered metallic debris around them rose into the air. In an instant, they shot forward, slicing through the creatures' vital points with deadly precision. The horde collapsed—lifeless.
Brog exhaled, the tension in his body easing. "You can drink your water safely now, Mr. Kuro," he chuckled.
Kuro stared at him, still in shock. "So strong… he killed them like they were nothing."
But Brog wasn't celebrating. His gaze darkened as he studied the bodies.
"This is bad. They're hiding… waiting for prey. They're getting smarter. I wonder how the other squads are holding up."
Ahead – The Hawks Squad
"Everyone, stop."
Captain Shin raised his hand, signalling his squad to halt. They had reached their target—the Withering Tree stood before them.
"We'll wait for Brog," Shin said, moving forward to scout the area.
As he peeked past the trees, his breath hitched. "What the hell…?"
Instead of a swarm of withered ones, there was only one—a single creature sitting eerily still at the base of the tree.
Shin's stomach churned. "If there's only one here, then the others…" His mind raced.
"No… if they're intelligent, they've spread out. The other squads are in danger!"
His eyes flickered toward the Withering Tree. Then, he saw something that made his blood run cold—a crack.
The tree's bark had split open, glowing with an unnatural purple light. But that shouldn't be possible. The tree regenerates instantly.
Sweat dripped down his forehead. "This isn't good."
Turning back to his squad, he barked, "Spread out! Find the other squads and assist them. The withered ones have gone in different directions!"
Without hesitation, his squad members dashed off into the darkness.
Left Flank – Firefly Squad
They never saw it coming.
Ambushed by forty withered ones, the Firefly Squad found themselves surrounded.
A man in white attire, his cap pulled low over his face, observed the chaos with an eerie calm.
"It seems Brog's calculations were wrong," he remarked emotionlessly.
He sighed and pulled back his sleeves, revealing crackling gauntlets.
"Don't move. Hold your ground. Kill anything that comes close," he ordered.
Then, in a blink—he vanished.
The next second, he reappeared mid-air, his fists crackling with electricity. Five withered ones collapsed to the ground, their chests torn open, bodies Burnt from the lightning strike.
"This should be a fun workout," he grinned.
Rear Flank – Squad Magnus
Arthur and his squad pressed deeper. No resistance. Not a single withered one in sight.
Arthur frowned. "Something's wrong."
He raised his hand, signalling a halt. "Where are the withered ones?"
Gilbert, his second-in-command, furrowed his brows. "Now that you mention it… this is strange."
Then, from the shadows, a figure emerged—a ranger.
Relief washed over Arthur's face. "Captain Shin's squad…"
"Captain Arthur!" the ranger called, sprinting toward them.
"What happened? Weren't you stationed ahead?" Arthur asked.
"We made it to the tree, but we didn't encounter any withered ones," the ranger explained. "Captain Shin sent us to assist the other squads."
Arthur's expression darkened. "No encounters…? Same with us. That means…"
He clenched his fists. "The left and right squads are fighting alone."
Right Flank – Squad Dragon
"Damn it! What do we do, Captain?"
Blood dripped from Captain Yeon's wounded leg as he reloaded his dual pistols. Around them, twenty-eight withered ones closed in.
His subordinate gritted his teeth. "Hana's down! We can't hold out much longer!"
Yeon clicked his tongue. "That bastard Brog said we'd only face a handful. There are nearly thirty, and they're coordinating!"
He inhaled sharply. "Listen up! I'll clear a path. The moment you see an opening, take Hana and run!"
"But what about you, Captain?!"
Yeon smirked, his brown eyes glowing. "Once you're gone, I can finally fight at full strength."
In a flash, he raised his guns—BANG. BANG. BANG.
Within ten seconds, six bodies dropped, each shot hitting their heads with pinpoint accuracy.
"GO!" he barked.
His two subordinates carried Hana and sprinted toward the exit.
Yeon exhaled, gripping his guns tighter. He glanced at the remaining creatures. "F*ck, still 22 left…"
A voice broke through the tension.
"Captain Yeon."
He turned, scowling. "What the hell are you doing here? Where's your captain?"
A young swordsman approached, explaining Shin's orders.
Yeon grinned. "Hah! Well then, kid, help me clear this mess."
"Yes, sir!" The swordsman unsheathed his blade.
Back at the Withering Tree
Brog and Kuro finally reached Captain Shin, who stood frozen, tension lining his face.
Brog narrowed his eyes. "Why are you alone?"
Shin exhaled. "I sent my squad to assist the others. We didn't encounter a single withered one… But Vice Chairman, something is wrong with the tree."
Brog's expression darkened. "What do you mean?"
Without hesitation, Brog leaped toward the tree. The lone withered one remained unmoving at its base.
Brog threw a punch—
THUD. The body fell over, lifeless. Already dead.
Then his gaze shifted. His breath caught.
The Withering Tree was cracked.
Like a hatching egg, its bark split open, glowing with a deep, unnatural purple light.
A cold dread settled in Brog's stomach.
"What the hell is going on?" he muttered.
BOOM!
The Withering Tree exploded, sending a shockwave across the Forbidden Zone. Brog was thrown back, skidding across the ground as debris rained down. The deafening blast echoed far and wide—every squad turned in alarm.
Arthur froze. "What was that?!"
His instincts screamed danger. "Move! Now!" he ordered, sprinting toward the source.
As the dust settled, a figure emerged from the wreckage.
A woman. Naked,
Shrouded in a tattered cloak, her face hidden beneath a hood, she stood amidst the destruction—unshaken.
Brog pushed himself up, eyes locked on her. "Who… are you?"
The woman remained silent. Then the silence broke,
"Bring the 'God of Mischief'" she muttered,