The hissing grew louder, surrounding Skorn and Talos as more Orempisuns emerged from the shadows. Their scales gleamed under the dim light, and their sharp, unblinking eyes fixed on the intruders.
"I've got a plan," Talos said, his voice steady but his eyes calculating.
Skorn glanced at him, wary but hopeful. "Well, don't keep me in suspense! What is it?"
Talos smirked, his feathers ruffling slightly in excitement. "Remember the traps Ren set around our base?"
Skorn's eyes widened as the idea clicked. "Oh, that's genius! Let's lead these oversized snakes right into his little surprises."
Talos nodded, already scanning the terrain for a clear path. "It's risky, but it'll even the odds. We just need to hold their attention."
Skorn cracked his knuckles, a hint of his usual humor returning. "I think we can manage that. They seem pretty invested in making us dinner."
With that, the two began to slowly back away, carefully baiting the swarm to follow. The Orempisuns hissed louder, slithering after them with terrifying speed. Talos muttered under his breath, "Ren better have set those traps properly, or we're in for a long night."
Skorn grinned despite the tension. "If this works, remind me to tell Ren his paranoia finally paid off."
Together, they moved toward their only hope, a line of deadly traps lying just ahead in the forest.
------
The silence around the pond felt heavy, almost unnatural. Ren and Olivia crouched low behind a thick bush, their breaths shallow as they scanned the sparkling water before them. The tranquility, once serene, now carried an eerie edge.
"Doesn't this place feel... off?" Ren whispered, his voice barely audible. His sharp eyes darted around the clearing, searching for any signs of movement. "It's way too quiet. You can't even hear crickets anymore."
Olivia frowned, her gaze shifting from the water to the surrounding trees. "Now that you mention it, yes. It's... unnatural. Something's definitely not right."
Ren tightened his grip on his staff, the hair on the back of his neck standing on end. "Quiet usually means one thing: a predator's nearby." He glanced at Olivia. "Stay sharp. This could get ugly fast."
The faint ripple in the pond grew, the surface distorting as if something massive was stirring beneath. The silence stretched, and Ren felt the weight of the moment pressing down on them.
"Well," Ren muttered, flashing a tense grin. "Guess we found what we were waiting for—or it found us."
Ren and Olivia took their positions, ready to strike, a massive form leaped out of the pond, water spraying everywhere. The creature landed with a heavy thud, sending ripples across the clearing.
"What is that?" Olivia asked, her tone a mix of awe and concern as she instinctively raised her hands, water swirling faintly at her fingertips.
"In times like this, we need Talos," Ren muttered under his breath, his grip tightening on his staff. The creature resembled a frog, but its proportions were monstrous. Its slimy, mottled green skin shimmered under the moonlight, and its wide mouth revealed rows of jagged teeth.
"That's definitely a beast," Ren confirmed, his voice calm but his stance tense. "But this isn't going to be easy."
Olivia's gaze shifted nervously to the pond as more ripples appeared on the surface. "Ren… it's not just one, is it?" she said, her voice dropping.
Ren shook his head, his sharp eyes catching faint glows dotting the water's surface. "Nope. Look at that pond, and tell me you don't see those glowing eyes."
"Now you know why there is no beast coming here to drink the water"
Olivia's face paled as she spotted them—dozens of faint, eerie lights breaking through the water surface. The pond wasn't just home to one beast. They have a whole family"
"Well, this just got a whole lot more interesting," Ren said, a flicker of sarcasm in his voice as he crouched lower, electricity sparking faintly around him. "Get ready, Olivia. Things are about to get messy."
Ren turned to Olivia, his voice calm but firm. "Just a heads-up—when we attack, we're going to wake up the entire pond. So, brace yourself."
Olivia nodded, her hands already swirling with water as she readied her spell. "Understood. Let's do this."
Ren smirked and gave a quick signal before leaping out of the bushes. Electricity crackled at his fingertips, building up in an instant. With a swift motion, the lightning shot forward like a bullet, striking the largest beast in its bulbous belly.
The creature let out a growl, its glowing eyes narrowing in pain before its massive body slumped to the ground. Unconscious—but it had done enough. Ripples spread across the water, and the sound of low croaks and splashes filled the air.
One by one, the frog-like beasts began emerging from the pond, their eyes glowing eerily in the moonlight. The sheer number of them was overwhelming as they lined up along the water's edge, their slick skin glinting as they prepared to strike.
Ren glanced at Olivia with a grin. "Looks like we've got ourselves a little point farming session," already charging forward toward the oncoming wave. "Stay sharp, Olivia! Let's see who bags the most."
With that, he launched another bolt of lightning, taking down the first beast that lunged at him, while Olivia steadied herself, ready to cover him.
Ren fought with unrelenting energy, bolts of lightning arcing from his fingertips in rapid succession. Each strike hit its mark, sending the frog-like beasts tumbling back into the water with pained croaks.
Olivia, standing a few steps behind him, swirled her hands in precise movements, summoning waves of water to splash over the beasts. The water enhanced Ren's lightning, amplifying its effects as the electricity surged through the soaked creatures, leaving them stunned or unconscious.
"This," Ren murmured with a grin as he dodged another leaping beast, "this is what I call an otherworldly experience." His voice was barely audible under the crackling of his magic and the chaos of the fight.
Beside him, Olivia's face remained calm and focused as she continuously worked to assist. She glanced at Ren's over-the-top movements and chuckled softly. "I think you're enjoying this way too much."
The battle didn't last long; it was almost too easy. Ren's lightning combined with Olivia's water was a deadly combination. The beasts seemed utterly unprepared for such an onslaught, as though they'd stumbled across their natural predators.
Wave after wave of the frog-like creatures came at them, but Ren's relentless attacks and Olivia's ability to heal and refresh him kept their energy levels high. Not a single beast managed to land a significant hit. Instead, the once-serene pond had turned into a battleground of rippling water and scorched ground.
What Ren and Olivia didn't know was that, someone was watching them from a distance, hidden in the shadows. Their observer's sharp eyes never wavered as the two adventurers fought off the frog-like beasts with ease, the battle unfolding just as they had anticipated.
Ren, lost in the thrill of the fight, didn't notice the figure in the distance. However, his instincts were on high alert. After everything that had happened with Olivia's incident, he had learned to trust every small doubt, every odd feeling that crept into his mind. It was a lesson hard-earned from the chaos they'd already faced.
He didn't tell Olivia, but in the back of his mind, he knew what was coming next. He could feel it—the calm before the storm. "I mean, that's how it usually unfolds," Ren muttered under his breath, a wry smile crossing his face as he prepared himself.
—let's see who gets the last laugh.'"