Dahlia Orleth
The sun hung high in the sky, its heat swiftly tempered by the cold autumn breeze that heralded the cruel arrival of winter.
"Quick, hurry up! We don't have all day," I barked, my impatience rising.
The warriors hurriedly prepared their gear, readying themselves for the journey to provide reinforcements to the other clans. We should have left by now; it had already been two days since the meeting. After the decision of the other two clan leaders to join us, our numbers had swelled, necessitating a complete readjustment of our rules, hierarchy, and fighting styles to accommodate everyone.
I had been named an officer, with the generals above me and the non-commissioned officers below, while the soldiers without rank—whom the master called legionnaires—fell beneath them.
Each warrior had seen their essence stones strengthened after absorbing mana gems, granting them more mana than the average soldier. Their physical abilities had increased significantly, and all they needed to do was saturate their essence stones to awaken their true potential.
This was the first time in the history of the cursed forest that such an army had been assembled. We numbered around seven hundred souls at present, and the master had organized us into three cohorts: "Fangs," "Claws," and "Talons." I had been assigned to the Talons, under the command of Lord Rakahn for this operation.
Truth be told, I didn't want to go; I longed to stay close to the master—to be useful to him. But Lord Rakahn had insisted that my participation in this operation would serve our cause well.
With a deep sigh, I maneuvered through the soldiers gathered in front of a large rock where the master stood.
It was always a pleasure to watch him. Although he looked somewhat awkward in the long, black tunic with wide short sleeves, it somehow accentuated his charisma.
I wanted to let my emotions sweep me away, but I held back; in that moment, I was merely a soldier. I had to respect the hierarchy and set an example for the others.
Standing atop the rock, the master was surrounded by the clan chiefs, who appeared to be engaged in a heated discussion. I moved closer, catching snippets of Sir Cain's complaints about the elders of his clan, who had opposed his decisions. However, after witnessing the power of the essence stones fortified by the mana gems, they had quickly changed their minds, tired of being seen as weak.
"That's true," I thought to myself.
The elven clan had long been considered non-combatants, perceived as physically weaker. They often found themselves overwhelmed after casting more than two spells, especially when their spirits were summoned.
"Dead weight, what!" I sneered internally.
As I silently scoffed, someone cleared their throat, drawing my attention back to the master, who was preparing to speak.
The moment he commanded attention, silence enveloped the crowd. A satisfied smile crossed his face as he took a deep breath.
"When I arrived in this world, I awoke in that same treacherous forest, and I fought—both physically and mentally," he began.
He paused, allowing his words to settle before continuing. "In this forest, I discovered that we were prey—victims of our weaknesses. We have suffered far too much; we have borne too much pain. But it must not end like this; we shall no longer allow it to happen.
From today, we swear to become the predators of this forest. We will feast on the flesh of our enemies and absorb their essence stones. Never again will we hide from them; never again will we be weak. We are human, and we must lead. Together, we will change the ecosystem of this forest; we will reshape the very world we inhabit.
No longer shall you be divided by the barriers erected by our clans in the past. You are comrades now—predator comrades. Together, we will show these vile creatures what it truly feels like to be prey."
A cacophony of war cries erupted from the crowd of elves, lycanthropes, and half-ogres. Their howls echoed through the forest, shaking the clearing and sending a shiver down my spine.
In that moment, I felt a fierce pain in my chest; I, too, wanted to scream. I wanted my voice to resonate through the forest, a thunderous roar that would reverberate in the ears of our enemies.
It was not just a warning; it was a declaration of war.
Today, their worst nightmares were born—the nightmare that would end their reign, the one that would transform them into prey, springboards for our evolution.
Today, the legion of predators was born.