The creature stepped into the clearing, its massive silhouette warping the glowing mist around it. Four luminous eyes blinked out of sync, scanning the area. Its body resembled a wolf, but stretched wrong—too tall, limbs too long, muscles bulging unevenly beneath its skin as if forced to evolve faster than nature intended.
Violet mana leaked from cracks along its spine.
Kyle whispered, "Nick… that thing is Tier above us. I can feel it."
Nick didn't need the System to confirm it; his bones vibrated with the creature's presence. Its aura pressed down like a weight on his chest.
But behind the monster, Nick saw something.
By the roots of a glowing tree…
A faint smear of dark red.
Fresh.
And beside it—Tyler's other sock, the one she always mismatched on purpose.
Nick's stomach knotted.
"She was dragged past this clearing," he said quietly.
Kyle's grip on his metal bottle tightened. "Then we get through this thing."
The creature growled, a deep vibrating sound that made the forest tremble. It lowered its head and kicked off the ground, charging with terrifying speed.
"Move!" Nick shouted.
Both dived apart as the beast slammed into the earth where they stood. The ground cracked, sending a wave of dust and glowing spores into the air.
Nick rolled to his feet, branch in hand. Kyle scrambled beside him.
"It's fast," Kyle said, breathing hard. "Way faster than that deer you fought."
Nick didn't answer. His instincts screamed warnings, his blood burning hotter than before. The monster turned toward him again, saliva dripping in glowing streams.
Nick felt his pulse synchronize with the forest's hum.
The Warborn part of him stirred.
Not a full awakening…
But something deeper than last time.
[Bloodline Resonance: 5% → 8%]
Instinct surge detected.
Reflexes and strength increasing.
Nick exhaled sharply as the world sharpened. Leaves fluttered slower. Movements became clearer. Sound vibrated with new layers.
"Nick?" Kyle called. "You okay?"
Nick steadied his breath. "Yeah. Just… aware."
The monster lunged again.
Nick sidestepped with near-inhuman timing and slammed his branch into one of its forelegs. The impact jolted up his arm, but it forced the creature to stumble.
Kyle moved in immediately, swinging his bottle like a club. It struck the beast's jaw, not doing much damage but drawing its attention.
The monster snarled and swiped.
"Kyle!" Nick shouted.
Kyle ducked, the claws grazing the top of his hair. A single strand floated down.
"That was too close," Kyle muttered.
Nick didn't respond. He was already moving.
He sprinted forward, using a fallen log as a step, launching himself onto the creature's back. His instincts guided every motion. He clenched tight and slammed his branch repeatedly into the creature's neck, searching for anything vulnerable.
The monster bucked violently, throwing Nick off. He landed hard, pain flaring in his ribs.
[Damage Taken: -6 HP]
Nick forced himself up.
Kyle, breathing heavily, called out, "Nick, behind you!"
The creature lunged again. Nick barely managed to roll aside. The beast's claws tore deep gouges into the soil where he had been.
"Okay," Nick said under his breath. "Then I have to be faster."
He steadied his breath.
And let the instinct rise.
Heat surged in his veins. The Warborn pulse matched his heartbeat. His vision narrowed to the creature alone.
[Warborn Instinct: Partial Activation]
Strength +1
Agility +2
Focus heightened.
Nick dashed forward with speed that surprised even him. He grabbed a jagged stone from the ground and hurled it with all his strength.
The stone struck the beast's eye. The monster howled, thrashing.
Kyle didn't waste the opening. He ran behind the creature and smashed the back of its knee, making it drop lower.
Nick rushed in, grabbed a broken spear-like root sticking out of the ground, and drove it deep into the creature's side.
The beast convulsed violently.
Nick held on, teeth clenched.
"Go down!" he shouted.
The creature turned, jaws snapping, but Kyle jumped onto its back and wrapped his arms around its neck.
"Do it!" Kyle yelled.
Nick shifted his grip, putting everything he had into one final strike.
He slammed the root through the beast's throat.
The creature spasmed.
Then collapsed.
Silence filled the clearing except for their ragged breathing.
Nick stepped back, shaking. His hands smeared with violet blood.
Kyle slid off the creature's back, panting hard. "That… was insane."
Nick didn't disagree.
His body felt drained, but his instincts still buzzed beneath the surface, wanting more.
The System appeared to break the tension.
[You have defeated: Forest Ravager (Tier 1 Mutant)]
EXP Gained: 62
Shared EXP Bonus: +6
Nick Warborn: Level 3 → Level 4
Kyle Powell: Level 1 → Level 2
Stat Points Awarded: +3
Kyle looked at his own faint System window. "I actually leveled up… that's crazy."
Nick wiped his forehead. "Good. We're going to need it."
He walked to the tree roots where Tyler's sock lay. Kyle joined him, kneeling and brushing his fingers gently over the fabric.
"She was here," Kyle whispered. "She's close, Nick. She has to be."
Nick scanned the surrounding area.
More drag marks.
Broken branches.
A trail leading deeper into the anomaly.
"Let's keep moving," he said. "She's ahead of us."
Kyle nodded, eyes set with renewed determination.
Nick's instincts pulsed again, this time calmer. Guiding.
They stepped deeper into the glowing forest.
The air trembled.
The mist thickened.
The anomaly wasn't done with them yet.
And Tyler was still in its grasp.