The night had barely passed when the first light of dawn brought not peace, but chaos. A massive explosion rattled the entire area, shaking me awake. I scrambled out of the tent, heart pounding. "WHAT HAPPENED?! What was that huge blast?" I shouted, rushing to where Amaii was crouched, healing a heavily injured Scarlet.
"We're under attack," Amaii panted, her hands glowing as healing magic poured into Scarlet's wounds. "It's—"
Before she could finish, a system notification appeared before my eyes, the familiar blue screen blinking in front of me. (The team is in the path of wyverns during their breeding season.)
My blood ran cold. "WYVERNS?! You guys saw the notification too, right?" I asked, looking at Amaii and Scarlet.
They both nodded grimly. "Yeah, Scarlet took a hit protecting me," Amaii said, her voice tight.
In seconds, another notification appeared, this time in bold red letters, as if the system itself was screaming at us. (WARNING: HOST'S LIFE IN DANGER.)
Panic flared in my chest, but I forced myself to stay calm. "EVERYONE, BE CAREFUL!" I shouted, scanning the system description for more information. "We're in the pathway of wyverns! Their breeding ground is nearby, and they burn anything that crosses their path."
Aki came stumbling out of his tent, looking frantic. "I got the system warning too. We need to get out of here—now."
Everyone started moving, packing up what little we could carry. The tension in the air was suffocating. "Alright, let's move out," I said, assigning positions quickly. Aki and Zouno took the lead, Rick, Sara, and Amaii covered the middle for support, and Scarlet and I brought up the rear, watching for any signs of the wyverns.
We hadn't been walking for long when another red notification appeared, flashing ominously across my vision. (WARNING: HOST'S LIFE IN DANGER.)
Amaii gasped, her eyes wide with terror. "What?! We've moved far enough! Why is the warning still active?"
I grabbed her, covering her mouth. "Shh! We're not in the clear yet."
She nodded, and I let go, my mind racing. "Maybe we're moving in the same direction as them, or their path is wider than we thought," Sara speculated, looking worried.
"Rick, go west. Use your Swift Feet skill and check if the warning disappears," I ordered.
Rick nodded, taking off at lightning speed. He returned a few minutes later, out of breath. "The warning didn't go away," he gasped.
A heavy silence fell over the group. "That means... the wyverns' path is massive," Sara muttered, panic creeping into her voice. "We're in serious trouble."
Zouno shook his head, his voice laced with defeat. "There's no caves or hiding places around here. We explored the area before."
As we continued to talk, a terrifying sight came into view—a massive swarm of wyverns was approaching from the distance, fire pouring from their mouths as they scorched everything in their path.
"HOLY! WE NEED TO RUN!" I shouted, fear clawing at my chest. But thanks to my passive skill Unshakeable Resolve, I pushed the terror aside, keeping my mind clear.
The ground shook as the wyverns drew closer, their roars filling the air. One wyvern shot a fireball in our direction. "Everyone, WATCH OUT!" Scarlet screamed.
I raised my shield just in time, the fireball slamming into it with a deafening crash. The impact sent me flying, and I smashed into a tree, pain ripping through my body. Coughing up blood, I forced myself to stand, using the tree for support.
"Guys, there's no way we can survive this," I wheezed, spitting out more blood. My shield was intact, but my arms were trembling from the force of the hit.
In desperation, I opened the system shop and purchased a high-level healing potion, quickly downing it. The warmth of healing magic spread through me, easing the pain in my body. "There's one way we might survive, but it's risky."
"Tell us!" Aki shouted. "We trust you."
I steadied my breathing. "Remember the Guardian Beast?"
Rick and Zouno exchanged a glance. "Yeah, the giant crocodile-like creature," Zouno said.
"There's bound to be a dungeon or an ancient ruin near it. We can hide there."
Aki didn't hesitate. "Then let's do it! We don't have any other options."
Everyone nodded, determined. We began moving toward the Guardian Beast's territory, pushing ourselves to the limit. Sara kept glancing behind us. "The wyverns are closing in!" she warned.
"FOUND IT!" Zouno suddenly called out, his voice shaky. "But... it's near the Guardian!"
I clenched my fists. "You trust me, right? Just run towards the Guardian."
Everyone gasped, unsure. But Aki and Rick didn't wait—they sprinted forward. "TRUST HIM!" Aki yelled back at the group.
The rest of the team followed, though hesitation still lingered in their steps. I knelt down beside Snowy, my heart pounding. "You know what to do, Snowy."
The ancient wolf howled, and I felt the Blessing of the Ancient Wolf wash over me, a surge of power and speed coursing through my veins. With my speed now tripled, I dashed after the group, moving so fast that I overtook them within seconds.
As I neared the Guardian Beast, I knew I had to act fast. My body moved on instinct. "SHIELD RUSH!" I called out, channeling all my momentum into a single strike. I rammed my shield into the Guardian, sending the massive creature crashing into a tree.
The force of the impact shattered my arm, but I ignored the pain, shouting at the top of my lungs, "EVERYONE, ENTER THE DUNGEON NOW!"
The team rushed into the dungeon, and as I staggered in behind them, the massive doors slammed shut just as the wyverns reached the entrance. We were safe—for now.
"We made it!" Sara cried out, her voice filled with relief.
"YEAH! WE SURVIVED!" the others echoed, their faces bright with exhaustion and relief.
I leaned against the wall, my face pale from the pain in my arm and the overwhelming exhaustion. "We're safe... for now," I whispered before my legs gave out beneath me, and I fell into unconsciousness.
Amaii rushed to my side, quickly casting a healing spell over my broken arm. "He's going to be okay," she assured the others, her voice soft but steady.
The group, though tired, moved quickly. They set up camp within the dungeon, using the system shop to buy the resources we needed. Snowy stood watch, along with Aki and Zouno, keeping an eye out for any dangers lurking in the shadows of the dungeon.
I drifted deeper into unconsciousness, comforted by the knowledge that, for now, we were safe, and my friends were capable of surviving on their own.