The sky was dim, almost indistinguishable from night despite it still being evening.
Huff...
Dusky purple clouds crept across the horizon, casting eerie shadows over the dense, looming forest that surrounded Eclipse.
Huff... shit...
Branches stretched out like skeletal fingers in the half-light, clawing at him as he ran, stumbling over roots and dodging low-hanging limbs.
The forest floor was damp and soft, muffling his steps, but that comfort did little to ease his nerves.
His heart hammered as he skidded to a halt behind a thick trunk, huffing for breath, his hands shaking.
This can't be happening, he thought, fighting the rising panic. I've run so far, and yet it still feels so close.
He'd headed south, putting as much distance as possible between himself and the incident that had been stirring in the north.
A slight tremor had shaken the ground earlier, but he'd ignored it, thinking it was too far to concern him.
Now, though, the tremors had intensified, a persistent quake that pulsed through the forest floor like the beat of a war drum.
Eclipse glanced over his shoulder, dreading what he might see.
And there it was—a hulking mass of dark purple slime slithering through the trees, swallowing everything in its path.
Trees, bushes, rocks—nothing escaped as it rolled forward, leaving a barren trail of destruction.
A thick, dark mist followed it, pooling around the slime like a deadly aura, staining the air itself a sickly, unnatural hue.
The creature looked like something conjured for a nightmare. It even seemed to have a Halloween vibe, the kind you'd expect to see in haunted woods, not real life.
Monster Identified: Forest Queen Slime (Corrupted) – Level 30
[Description: Once a gentle guardian of the forest, now twisted by dark mana. Known for consuming everything in its path, leaving desolation behind.]
[Traits: Devourer's Aura, Endless Consumption, Split Spawn]
[Attributes: High defense, slow movement, massive appetite for organic matter.]
[Weakness: Dark]
The sight of it alone sent a chill racing down his spine. Why is it following me? I've been as quiet as a mouse!
Then he heard something—footsteps.
Frantic, uneven footsteps, closing in behind him.
He looked down, and his eyes locked onto a red-haired girl running in his direction.
She was clutching a bag to her chest, her ponytail whipping behind her as she sprinted.
She looked wild, her wide eyes darting between Eclipse and the approaching slime monster.
"Hey, hey!" she yelled, waving one hand as she ran toward him.
Nope. Eclipse decided to ignore her and veered right, hoping that if he changed direction, the monster would follow her instead.
But no matter how he zigzagged, both the girl and the monster remained hot on his trail.
"Hey! Don't ignore me!" the girl shouted, her voice reaching him over the sound of his own frantic breathing.
"Why are you following me?!" Eclipse finally yelled back, exasperated.
"Aren't you a hero?" she retorted, gesturing wildly at the academy badge on his chest. "Isn't it your job to deal with monsters like that?"
"I'm not a hero!" Eclipse protested, grinding his teeth in frustration.
The girl pointed directly at his academy badge, glaring at him with an intensity that rivaled the monster's. "Don't lie! I'm not an idiot!"
Eclipse scowled, his mind racing. "So why are you bringing that thing to me?!"
"Because you're a hero!" she snapped back, exasperation clear in her voice. "Do something about it! I've been running for hours!"
"Wait, you came from the north?"
"I don't know!" she cried, looking close to tears and utterly furious at the same time.
Eclipse's mind reeled. So she's the reason that thing is here? She's dragged this chaos right to my peaceful hideaway!
He felt a pang of despair as he watched the slimy beast devouring another tree, the ground shuddering beneath its mass.
The monster let out a low, bone-rattling roar, snapping both of them out of their argument.
The girl sprinted closer to him, her face pale, her crimson-red eyes gleaming in the dim light.
She's fast, Eclipse thought, Almost as fast as an A tier character... but how come I've never seen her before.
"Kill it!" she shouted, pointing toward the beast.
Eclipse's dignity+ stung at being ordered around by this stranger. "Shut up, lady! You're the reason I'm in this mess!"
The girl's face turned a deep shade of red, and she practically vibrated with indignation. "And you call yourself a hero! What a disgrace! I thought heroes were supposed to protect people, not run away!"
They continued bickering, both raising their voices over the creature's rumbling approach.
"Fine! If you're such an expert on heroism, why don't you go fight it?" Eclipse sneered.
The girl glared at him, cheeks flushed. "I did, my magic didn't work on that slime! Unlike you, a coward!"
"Coward?!" Eclipse was about to launch into another retort when a loud crunching noise reminded them both of the real problem.
They glanced back simultaneously, watching in horror as the creature plowed through a grove of trees, getting far too close for comfort.
They both turned to sprint again, but the ground beneath them suddenly gave way.
In a flash, they plummeted, tumbling down into darkness.
The world spun around Eclipse as he felt himself falling, the air rushing past him before he landed with a painful thud on cold, wet stone.
_____
Eclipse groaned, sitting up slowly, wincing as he felt the ache in his limbs.
It was pitch dark around him, the faint sound of dripping water echoing off unseen walls.
Great, just great, he thought, rubbing his sore elbow.
He fumbled around, his hand brushing over something warm and solid. He quickly pulled back, only to hear a muffled.
"Ow!" echo through the darkness.
The girl's voice piped up. "Watch where you're touching!"
"I wasn't trying to touch you! What are you doing down there, anyway?"
"I was trying to light a torch!" she snapped back, fumbling around herself.
While she tried to do that, Eclipse called out the blue screen to analyze the girl.
A small spark flared to life in her hands, illuminating their surroundings just enough for Eclipse to see her scowling at him.
The faint light cast long shadows over the walls, revealing they were in a cramped, damp cave, the air thick and musty.
They looked around, their expressions of horror mirroring each other as they took in their situation.
Jagged rocks surrounded them, and the only exit seemed to be a small tunnel that looked like it led even further underground.
They both sighed in unison. "Great…"
Eclipse tried to brush some mud off his coat, muttering under his breath, "And to think this is one person fault."
The girl rolled her eyes. "Yeah, well, you're not making a great case for yourself."
Eclipse bit back retort, realizing it was pointless.
They were trapped in a dark, slimy cave, arguing wouldn't solve anything. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself.
Focus on survival, he thought.
The girl, now visibly more composed, adjusted her bag, and peered into the darkness. "Fine. While we're down here now, how about make a truce until we find a way out?"
Valeria stepped closer, extending her hand with a determined look. "Well, if we're going to survive this, we'd better start off right. My name's Valeria."
Eclipse glanced at her hand, but let his pride get the better of him. Instead of shaking it, he placed his small bag on top of her outstretched palm, raising an eyebrow. "Master Eclipse."
Valeria blinked, flustered, her hand still awkwardly holding the bag. "Wh–What? Why on earth would I call you Master?"
Eclipse smirked, tilting his head towards her bag. "Do you have food in there?"
She hesitated, her face betraying her lack of supplies. "N...no."
He gave a self-satisfied shrug. "I do."