Chapter 206 - That Won't Work

The group paused, catching their breath, though Sonder did not. She stood stiffly, her focus split between the witches, who glared at Vell with barely concealed fury, and Vell himself, whose calm demeanor remained intact. 

"Why?" the green witch demanded, stepping forward, her voice thick with frustration. "Why now? Don't tell me you couldn't fight the weowen. I don't believe you." 

"Because I'm done coddling you," he said, his voice low and deliberate, every word brimming with authority. He stepped closer, his towering presence making the green witch instinctively take a step back. "You walked into this forest thinking you were strong enough, that your magic was strong enough. Thinking you could somehow face the Witch of Targe while you're this weak and walk away alive. But look at yourselves." He gestured sharply toward the group, his staff emitting a faint, accusatory glow. "Your magic is weak, and so are you. You've been relying on blind hope rather than skill, and that won't save you. Not here. Not against her." 

The green witch's hands clenched into fists, her anger simmered, ready to boil over. "You're stronger than us! We don't have the years of training that you've clearly had. How can you expect us to measure up to someone like you?" 

"I don't," Vell replied coolly, his voice like ice. "But I expect you to measure up to the challenge in front of you. The challenge you chose when you stepped into this accursed forest." 

The witches bristled, muttering among themselves, but Vell silenced them with a single glance. He turned his gaze to the green witch, then to the others. "I've seen enough of your magic to know where you stand. None of you are capable. Now, I want to see if you're capable of anything." 

Sonder stepped in then, her voice firm, trying to defend the witches. "I think you're being too harsh. They're trying—" 

"Trying isn't enough," Vell interrupted, as if it was a command for her to be silent. "Not here. This forest doesn't reward effort. It rewards strength, skill, and resolve. If they don't have those, they shouldn't be here." 

Vell raised his staff, the faint glow intensifying as he muttered an incantation under his breath. The air around them grew heavy, and the ground trembled as dark tendrils began to rise from the earth. They twisted and coiled, forming man-like figures made of shadows, with glowing eyes and razor-sharp claws. 

The witches froze in fear, their earlier defiance evaporating. 

"What are you doing?!" the green witch cried.

"Testing you," Vell said flatly. "These constructs are drawn from the forest's magic. They won't stop unless you destroy them. And I won't lift a finger to help." 

The shadowy figures began to advance, their movements deliberate and predatory. The witches scrambled, hastily forming a defensive circle as their chanting started up again. But their voices wavered, betraying their fear. 

Sonder's jaw tightened, and her stomach churned again, but she couldn't speak out.

"They need to learn their limits," Vell replied, knowing what she was thinking, though his eyes remained fixed on the witches. "And if they can't push past this, they'll fail when it matters most." 

The witches' combined magic formed a barrier of pale light, holding the shadowy constructs at bay. But the creatures clawed at the barrier, cracks splintering through it like fractured glass. 

Vell crossed his arms, his expression unimpressed. "No. This is the third time you've fallen back on barriers you can't sustain. You've seen that they fail under pressure. Why are you making the same mistake?" 

The green witch's face twisted in frustration, her voice rising over the others. "We're doing the best we can!" she shouted, sweat dripped from her temples as she poured her dwindling energy into the barrier. 

His arms stayed crossed as he watched the constructs press harder, their claws digging deeper into the barrier. "Adapt. Find another way. Or fall." 

The barrier shattered with a quiet but powerful crack, sending the witches stumbling backward. One of the shadowy figures lunged at the youngest witch, its claws reaching for her throat. Her scream tore through the clearing, cutting through the chaos.