The forest was silent—a silence so oppressive it made the soldiers' skin crawl. They trudged onward, their eyes scanning every shadow, every rustling leaf, for signs of the eldritch beast they sought.
The air seemed heavier now, laden with the faint hum of distant mana, and their breaths felt labored as if the atmosphere itself resisted their presence.
Lucas motioned for the group to stop, his hand raised in a silent command. He crouched low, his eyes narrowing as he peered through the dense underbrush. The soldiers followed suit, holding their breaths as they strained to listen.
Then they saw it.
It was enormous, far larger than anything they had encountered before. Its body glistened with an unnatural sheen, its surface appearing both solid and fluid as if it were a living mass of mercury. Its six legs ended in claws that seemed to carve into the earth with every step, leaving behind faintly glowing marks that pulsed with eldritch energy.
