Chapter 96: Scattered

The group had just finished their meal, but the tension from their earlier conversation still hung in the air like a thick fog. The quiet was heavy, pressing down on them as they packed up their few belongings.

“Alright,” Vell said, breaking the silence as he stood. “We are heading out soon. Stay sharp, I do not want to get ambushed by whatever is hiding in these trees.”

The others nodded, their movements economical as they prepared to leave. The mood shifted instantly when a low, guttural growl echoed from the depths of the forest. It was not the sound of any normal beast, it was something deeper, primal, and filled with a cold, unrelenting menace. The sound seemed to crawl up their spines, freezing them in place.

Vell’s hand was already on the hilt of his sword. “Get ready,” he said, his voice low and urgent. “Something is coming.”

The growling grew louder, closer, and the ground began to tremble beneath their feet. The trees groaned, their branches swaying without any wind, and the heavy air hummed with a palpable mana. It felt as if the forest itself had awakened, its intentions hostile.

“Stay close,” he ordered. “Do not let anything split us up—”

Before he could finish his sentence, the earth beneath them exploded. Massive, gnarled roots tore through the ground like angry serpents, twisting and snapping in every direction. The violent eruption scattered the group, shattering their formation in an instant.

“Vell!” Yenna’s panicked voice cried out as a thick root slammed into her, throwing her into the dense underbrush.

“Stay calm!” he shouted, but chaos had already descended. Roots surged up around them like a prison, cutting off paths and driving them apart as if they were pieces on a game board.

Kana hit the ground hard, her sword skittering away. She winced, snatching it back up just in time to hack at the roots lunging for her. “Damn it!” she hissed, her blade managing to bite through the thick vines. She carved out just enough space to get back on her feet.

Nearby, Jia ducked and weaved through a tangled mess of roots, her daggers flashing as she slashed them apart. But for every one she severed, two more shot up to take its place. “This is bad,” she muttered, her frustration growing. “I cannot keep this up forever.”

Wren, as nimble as ever, used the chaos to her advantage, leaping from one thrashing root to another, staying above the fray. Her sharp eyes scanned the forest, but the endless wave of roots made it impossible to see where the others had been thrown. ’This is not a natural attack,’ she thought, her tail flicking with agitation.

Jolly was not as lucky. She was pinned against a tree, thick roots coiling around her legs and arms, holding her fast. “Help!” she cried out, but the forest seemed intent on swallowing her plea.

Vell was at the center of the storm, carving through the roots with cold precision. His sword moved in a blur of deadly arcs. ’I have to find the others,’ he thought, pushing forward through the unrelenting tide of wood and earth. ’Tch, I need to find the source of this attack, and fast.’

The forest worked with a cruel intelligence, driving each member of the group further apart until they were completely isolated.

Kana stumbled into a small, silent clearing as the roots finally retreated. The air here was unnaturally still. She gripped her sword, her knuckles white. “Just what I needed,” she muttered sarcastically.

A low growl cut through the silence. She spun around to face a hulking, wolf-like creature emerging from the shadows. Its eyes glowed a malevolent red, and its black fur seemed to ripple like liquid night. Her stomach tightened. This was no mere beast, it was a predator, and it was watching her.

In another part of the forest, Jia moved cautiously through a dense thicket, her daggers held ready. A rustle behind her made her whirl around, but there was nothing there. “This place is playing games with me,” she muttered, her annoyance bubbling to the surface.

She turned back around and froze. A massive, serpent-like creature loomed before her, its scales shimmering in the dim light. Its slit-pupil eyes locked onto hers, and she felt her pulse hammer against her ribs.

High above the chaos, Wren perched in a tall tree, her sharp gaze darting across the now-still forest floor. There was no sign of the others. “Where did everyone go?” she whispered, her ears straining for any sound.

A calm voice suddenly spoke from a branch nearby, startling her. “Impressive agility, for a lesser beast.”

Wren turned, her claws instinctively extending. She saw a majestic, bird-like creature perched there, its feathers shining with the brilliance of a phoenix.

Vell finally pushed through the last of the roots and stepped into a vast, empty clearing. Before him stood a creature unlike any he had seen yet. It was a stag-like beast of immense size, with glowing antlers that radiated an ancient, powerful light. Its entire presence thrummed with raw, untamed mana.

“You are the one behind this,” he stated, his voice calm and cold. His hand rested on his sword, ready to be drawn at a moment’s notice.

The creature’s voice rumbled like distant thunder. “You have trespassed for long enough, human. Your journey ends here.”

Vell smirked. “We will see about that.”

The air between them felt alive, charged with a mana so dense it was almost hard to breathe.

“You are bold for one so small,” the beast rumbled, its voice a deep vibration that seemed to come from the earth itself. “You think yourself strong? Let me show you the true weight of the forest’s wrath.”

The creature lunged, its massive hooves shattering the ground as it charged. Vell leaped back, narrowly dodging the strike. The shockwave sent debris flying, and he skidded to a halt, his sword still sheathed.

The beast’s antlers glowed brighter, and thick roots shot up from the ground like spears, all aiming to skewer him. He did not just dodge them, he weaved between them, his movements fluid and deliberate. He ran up the side of one massive root, using it as a springboard to flip over another, his expression remaining calm, almost detached, as if he were merely studying the creature’s attack patterns.

’This is just like the queen’s attacks, but bigger. How boring.’ He let out a small yawn. “Is this all you have got?”

The stag growled, its pride clearly wounded. It reared up on its hind legs, then slammed its front hooves down with earth-shaking force. This time, a shockwave of pure mana rippled outwards. Vell jumped to evade the brunt of the attack, but a smaller root whipped out and caught his ankle, yanking him off balance. He tumbled to the ground with a grunt.

The creature’s red eyes gleamed with triumph. “Pathetic. You are no warrior, you are merely prey.”

Vell pushed himself up slowly, his movements looking strained. “Damn,” he said, shaking his head. “You are stronger than I thought.”

The beast stepped closer, its antlers glowing with power. “Struggle all you like. Your end is inevitable.”

It charged again, this time faster, more precise. Vell dodged, but just barely, clipping his shoulder on a tree. He gritted his teeth and rolled away from the follow-up stomp. To the beast, it looked like he was fighting desperately. It let out a deep, mocking laugh that echoed through the clearing.

“Is this how you defend your kind? Weak. Helpless.”

He coughed, staggering back to his feet. “You talk too much.” He held his sword loosely at his side, his stance uneven and open.

The stag saw its chance. It surged forward, its glowing antlers aimed directly at his chest, absolutely certain of its victory. But just as it closed the distance, Vell’s smirk returned, sharp and dangerous.

With a speed that the creature could not even perceive, Vell moved. He did not draw his sword. Instead, he met the beast’s charge head-on, catching both of its massive, glowing antlers in his bare hands. The creature’s eyes widened in terror as its unstoppable charge was brought to a dead halt.

“What is wrong? Scared?” he said, his voice low and cutting.

The stag thrashed wildly, trying to break free, but his grip was like iron. He used the beast’s own panicked momentum against it, twisting his body and flipping the massive creature over his shoulder. The stag, weighing several tons, was slammed into the ground with enough force to crack the earth beneath it.

It roared in pain and shock. ’One move… he beat my charge with just one move? We messed up, he is far stronger than we thought.’

It tried to scramble away, but Vell was already standing over it. “You think you are the forest’s wrath?” his voice was ice. “Let me show you what that really looks like.”

He raised his foot and brought it down with brutal, simple force, stomping directly onto the stag’s head. There was a sickening crunch as its skull and the core within it shattered instantly. For a moment, the forest was completely silent. Then, the beast’s massive body began to dissolve into motes of mana that drifted harmlessly into the air.

Vell kicked at the spot where the core had been, then brushed the dust off his shoulder. “Arrogant thing,” he muttered. He turned his gaze back to the forest, his eyes scanning for any sign of his team.

“Alright,” he said to himself. “Time to go clean up the rest of this mess.”

With that, he disappeared back into the trees, his pace calm but unrelenting, ready to regroup with his scattered companions.

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