As we made our way up from the cave, I couldn't shake the nagging feeling in the back of my mind. Sure, we had won our last fight, but something about it didn't sit right with me. It almost felt too easy.
The other team had been fighting the Terra Devourer for a while, and judging by the condition of the beast, they had significantly weakened it before we showed up. Their movements were sluggish, their coordination sloppy—hardly the marks of a team that had come prepared for this test. They weren't expecting an ambush, let alone one that used something as simple yet effective as a flash grenade. In just a few moments, two of their members were incapacitated, and even though the last one had managed to shield himself with earth magic, they stood no chance once all four of us attacked.
I mulled over the fight, my mind retracing each step. The Terra Devourer had been tough, but with its strength sapped from a prolonged battle, Ren's sneak attack sealed its fate. The opposing team had been outmatched, not because of our overwhelming strength, but because they lacked the foresight to prepare for the unexpected.
They weren't ready, I thought to myself. And they paid the price.
Shaking off my thoughts, we continued moving upwards, through the labyrinth of tunnels and towards the open ground. Along the way, we hunted smaller nests of low-rank beasts—nothing too challenging, just enough to gather more points and stay on the move. After about an hour of hunting, we had collected a respectable 113 points. It was a solid score for this stage of the test, though we knew there were stronger teams out there who had likely accumulated more.
Eryndor, ever the tactician, kept us cautious as we approached the surface. He warned us to stick to the trees, using the dense forest as cover. "Move carefully," he instructed, his voice low but firm. "Keep your presence hidden. It'll reduce the chances of getting picked off by an archer or sniper."
I nodded in agreement. While his strategy wouldn't guarantee our safety, it would at least make us harder targets. The test was still in its early stages, and there was no point in wasting energy or losing a member to something as simple as an ambush.
We moved quietly, the only sounds being the soft rustle of leaves under our feet and the occasional distant call of a beast. The air around us felt tense—like the forest itself was watching, waiting for someone to slip up.
After some time, we came across a clearing. At first glance, it seemed like another nest, but as we got closer, the scene became clearer. The nest had been utterly destroyed. Trees were snapped in half, and the ground was splattered with dark, dried blood. There was a distinct metallic tang in the air, sharp and bitter, mixed with the stench of death.
Ren, who was always quick to crack a joke, fell silent as we examined the area. His usual light-hearted expression darkened. "Blood magic," he muttered, crouching beside a mangled tree. Hardened spikes of crimson blood jutted out from the ground and the surrounding trees, like grotesque statues of death.
Eryndor's eyes narrowed as he studied the scene. "A vampire," he said, his tone thoughtful. "And a strong one at that. Whoever they are, they've been through here recently."
I could feel the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. The remnants of blood magic hung in the air, a palpable presence that made the area feel oppressive. Whoever had done this wasn't just powerful—they were ruthless.
In the center of the carnage lay the carcass of a massive beast—a Golden Mane Lion, its once-majestic fur matted with blood. Its eyes were glazed over, its body riddled with hardened blood spikes that had pierced through its flesh, pinning it to the ground. The lion must have been a rank 6 beast, its golden mane now dull and lifeless.
I stepped closer, examining the wounds. "It didn't stand a chance," I murmured. The spikes were precise, each one aimed at a vital point. This wasn't a random attack. The vampire had known exactly how to bring the beast down swiftly.
Peter knelt beside the lion's body, his expression serious. "This was brutal," he said. "Whoever did this... they're not here to play around."
I nodded, my gaze lingering on the blood spikes. It was a chilling display of power—one that served as a stark reminder that we weren't the only dangerous ones in this test. There were others out here, stronger, more experienced, and just as determined to win.
Eryndor stood, his eyes scanning the area. "We should keep moving," he said. "There's no point in sticking around. Whoever did this is probably long gone, but we need to stay on our guard."
We all agreed, though the image of the Golden Mane Lion's mutilated body stayed with me as we continued onward. The smell of blood and death lingered in the air as we made our way through the forest, our senses heightened by the knowledge that there were opponents out here capable of such destruction.
We moved quietly, sticking to Eryndor's plan of using the trees for cover. Every rustle of leaves, every snap of a twig, put us on edge, but we pressed forward. The deeper we went into the forest, the more we realized how dangerous this test truly was. It wasn't just the beasts we had to worry about—it was the other teams, the unknowns, and the powers lurking in the shadows.
After what felt like hours, we stopped to take a rest. We had been on the move for a long time, and even though we hadn't encountered any major threats since the destroyed nest, the tension in the air was thick. Eryndor, ever vigilant, kept his eyes on our surroundings as we settled down for a brief break.
"We've done well so far," Ren said, leaning back against a tree. "But we're not the only ones hunting out here."
Eryndor gave a small nod. "We need to stay smart. There's no telling what other teams are capable of, and after seeing that nest... we're not the only ones playing this game."
We rested for about thirty minutes, catching our breath and replenishing our energy. The points we had collected so far were solid, but we all knew that this was just the beginning. There were still many powerful beasts—and teams—out there, and we would need to be at our best if we wanted to come out on top.
After our break, Eryndor gave the signal to move again. But this time, there was a shift in our focus. We weren't just hunting beasts anymore.
We were ready to hunt other teams.