The spawn-hounds circled Jace, their forms changing between flesh and smoke and their eyes gleaming with evil.
He panicked, but he was able to calm down in time for the first attack when he blocked a lunging hound's claws with his sword. Left, duck, riposte, his instincts whispered, his body obeying as he turned a deadly strike into a glancing blow.
Around him, his colleagues fought fiercely.
Jace's new unarmed combat skill kicked in as a hound got too close. He grabbed its spiked neck, hurling it back with surprising strength, then struck with a clean thrust, his sword finding its core. The beast dissolved into dust, hissing like steam. A second followed, felled by a precise strike of his sword.
"Where'd that come from?" Zara called, her own foes dissipating into dust.
"Practice," Jace grinned.
Tor's laugh boomed as his last hound fell. "Holding out on us, Wart?"
Elliot stepped forward, wiping ichor from his daggers. "Nice show, until you realize these were illusions."
"Phantoms," jaced realized, heart sinking. "Meant to wear us down."
The real threat struck like a landslide. Tor was able to prevent its charge by digging his boots into the ground, but the force drove him back. "Real threat, 12 o'clock!"Elliot yelled, looking for weak spots with his daggers.
Zara sprang into action immediately.
The dire hound displayed a vicious and cunning nature as it fought, using its size and sprays of toxic sap to disperse its opponents.
Jace danced on the edge of its reach, his improved abilities allowing him to stay alive by the skin of his teeth.
"It's learning us!" Tor grunted, dodging a decapitating swipe.
Jace recognized a pattern: the hound's breathing indicated a new poison attack.
"Tor, drop and roll left on my mark!" he yelled.
"That's insane!" Zara snapped.
"Trust me!" Jace circled the beast, heart pounding.
"Now!" he shouted. Tor rolled, the hound's strike missing as its head extended, exhaling toxic mist. Jace leaped, landing on its snout, and drove his sword through its open mouth, piercing its brain. The beast howled, thrashing, but Zara and Elliot's blades found its gaps, and Tor's final strike ended it. The dire hound collapsed, its corruption fading.
Jace rolled clear, panting. "Brilliant or crazy?" Elliot asked, smirking.
"Both," Zara said.
Tor clapped Jace's shoulder, nearly toppling him. "Where'd you learn to read a fight like that?"
The Charm System pinged, blue text flashing:
[Enemy Defeated: Corrupted Dire Hound]
[Experience Gained: 1500 Charm Points]
[RARE SKILL UNLOCKED: Battle Instinct Lv. 1]
"We need to figure out what powered this thing." Jace told them.
The team nodded, their respect clear. As they moved deeper into the corrupted zone.
The air grew heavier and thicker as they moved further. The silence was absolute, they couldn't even hear the sounds of their breath. The forest felt like it was holding its breath, waiting.
Then they saw it.
In a clearing stood a massive tree, its trunk wider than a house, stretching into the twisted canopy like a dark tower. Its black bark oozed purple sap, pooling at its base in a glowing, oily mess.
At the tree's heart, ten feet up, a crystal core glowed with the same purple light, beating like a sick heart. Each pulse made their skin crawl.
"That's it," Elliot whispered, pointing at the core. "The corruption's source. Smash it, and we're done."
Zara nodded, her face grim. "Cut that off, and the forest should heal."
Tor sized up the tree, his big sword ready. "How do we get to it? That sap looks like it'd burn right through us."
Before anyone could answer, Tor took charge. With a loud grunt, he swung his massive sword and threw it hard, aiming straight for the core.
"Tor, hold on!" Jace shouted, but it was too late.
The blade hit the crystal dead-on, shattering it with a loud crack. Purple light exploded, blinding them. A shockwave slammed into the group, tossing them back like leaves in a storm. Jace crashed into a tree, his head spinning, vision blurry.
When he could see again, the forest was back to normal. The purple sap was gone, leaving dry dirt. The twisted tree looked normal now, just an old oak. All around, blackened bark turned brown, gnarled branches straightened, and the heavy air lightened, like a curse lifting.
"Job's done," Tor said, grabbing his sword from the tree. Without another word, he started walking back to camp.
The others followed, stunned by the sudden victory. What seemed like a tough fight had ended with one bold move from their no-nonsense warrior.
Jace grinned as they trekked through the healing forest. Sometimes, the simplest plans worked best.
They approached the camp to find Dren lounging against a wagon wheel, his golden hair catching the filtered sunlight. "Took you long enough," he said with his usual smirk. "Hope Wart didn't slow you down out there."
Elliot wiped dirt from her daggers, her voice matter-of-fact. "Actually, he was rather impressive. Key to our mission success, if I'm being honest."
Dren's smirk faltered, his perfect features shifting into undisguised disappointment. The casual dismissal he'd expected had become genuine praise, and it clearly rankled him.
Jace walked past them both, acting as though he hadn't heard the conversation. Sometimes the best response was no response at all.
"Everyone pack up," Tor's booming voice cut through the camp's afternoon quiet. "We're moving out now."