4 hours had passed since Alois and the company had entered the forest for the training of new recruits. They had managed to cover a distance of only 6 kilometers. The reason for this short distance was the constant encounters with various monsters. The forest was teeming with these creatures, making progress slow and dangerous.
The majority of the monsters they encountered were Forest Wolves. Initially, they faced one or two at a time, but as they ventured deeper into the forest, they began encountering packs of Forest Wolves, which made things more difficult. These packs were small, consisting of seven to eight wolves, but still posed a significant challenge.
Aside from the Forest Wolves, they also encountered a variety of other monsters: Giant Spiders with venomous bites and thick webs, Goblin Scouts with their cunning and agility, and Dire Boars with their brute strength and tenacity. Each encounter tested the group's skills and coordination, forcing them to adapt quickly to survive.
Despite the relentless attacks, the group managed to kill all these monsters without any casualties among the recruits or veterans. Unfortunately, the same could not be said for the players, who served as bait in these encounters.
Lyra was impaled by a Giant Spider and fed to its young, providing a distraction long enough for the group to kill the spider and burn its offspring. Jason, tasked with luring a Goblin Scout, underestimated the creature's strength. The goblin crushed his arm with a club, rendering his right hand useless. Evan, responsible for luring a Dire Boar, managed to avoid injury by exploiting the boar's inability to change direction quickly. He emerged unscathed, his earlier disdain for Alois returning. Alois couldn't help but wonder, "Is this guy brain dead or what."
Alois, using his wits, successfully lured several monsters and escaped repeatedly. Overall, the group was in high spirits and continued to advance.
It had been nearly half an hour since their last encounter with a monster, making the veterans uneasy. This likely meant a powerful monster had claimed the area as its territory.
Suddenly, one of the recruits stepped on a thick rope trap. His leg was instantly snared, and he was hoisted into the air, screaming. Before the group could react, enormous jaws appeared and swallowed the recruit whole.
Carlos was the first to respond, attacking the huge snake with his sword while shouting, "It's a Vine Snake!" His sword met the snake's skin with a metallic clash, producing sparks. Elara used [Wind Strike], but it barely left a scratch.
The Vine Snake was a massive, constrictor-type predator that blended seamlessly with the forest's vines. Its scales were tough as metal, making it resistant to conventional attacks. It had a voracious appetite and was known to ambush its prey with traps, swallowing them whole.
After devouring the recruit, the snake swiped its tail toward the group. They managed to dodge it by backing away. Then, unexpectedly, the snake began to retreat.
Everyone was stunned, but the veterans quickly responded. "Follow it! If we kill it fast enough, there might be a chance to save the recruit."
The group gave chase. Despite having just eaten a human, the snake moved incredibly fast. Alois, Jason, and Evan had to run with all their might to keep up with the group, which was deliberately not running at full speed to avoid ambushes by other monsters.
Soon, they reached a clearing at the base of a small hill, surrounded by giant trees. The clearing was littered with stones, making it nearly impossible to notice from a distance. The snake slithered toward the hill, which was riddled with holes. It stopped at one of the holes, turned to face the group, and hissed loudly.
Hissing sounds began to echo all around them. When the group looked around, they saw enormous Vine Snakes emerging from the holes, surrounding them. Their blood ran cold. They couldn't believe they had been lured into a trap, one set by monsters!
Alois, incredulous, muttered, "Are monsters here so intelligent?" But no one answered. How could they? They were all focused on finding a way to survive.
At least a hundred snakes surrounded them, with more emerging from the hill's holes. The snakes near the group began attacking with their massive jaws and tails, or by spitting highly poisonous and corrosive acid.
The melee fighters did their best to keep the snakes at bay while the mages used fire and ice spells to kill them. Snakes died in droves, but more took their place. The situation looked bleak.
Alois was shocked by the dire circumstances. He couldn't help but smile ruefully, thinking, "Is this how I die the first time in Genesis Frontier?" Despite the grim outlook, he refused to give up hope. He had collected more than a hundred stones along the way and stored them in his inventory. He began throwing stones at the snakes, even if it seemed futile.
Carlos, having just killed a Vine Snake, commanded, "Everyone, we have to make a break for it. We will return the way we came. All three visitors will go in different directions to lure the snakes' attention so we can escape."
Jason, with his only usable arm, had already lost all hope and remained silent. Evan, completely fine, protested, "WHAT?! Aren't you just asking us to commit suicide? Why should I ?! You didn't even give me a chance to level up! All I get after this damn quest is 10 copper coins. NOOO!! I ..."
Carlos cut him off viciously, "SHUT UP! Either you do as I say or die right here, right now!" Alois felt a surge of anger but stayed silent. A dangerous glint appeared in his eyes as he thought, "You've tried to kill me time and again, even without any enmity. I will make sure you die, even if it's the last thing I do."
David and Elara opposed the plan, but Carlos and two other veterans were in the majority. While they argued, Alois's mind worked at full capacity. He quietly began storing the bodies of thin but long snakes in his inventory.
To end the discussion quickly, Carlos said righteously, "Don't worry. I'll be at the end of the group and cover everyone's retreat. If possible, I'll save the visitors."
David and Elara looked relieved. Alois, however, secretly watched Carlos with the eyes of a predator. A plan had already formed in his mind. Carlos, defending against a snake's tail sweep, said, "Okay, don't waste any more time. Get moving. Use spells to clear the way we came and run. Don't look back." He then addressed the players, "You three, start doing your thing."
Upon hearing this, Alois immediately ran toward the nearest tree.
( Author's Note : I've also published this novel on RoyalRoad. If you wish to donate then you can do it on RoyalRoad. Cheers !! )