Into the Hunt

Jacob squinted at the egg Connor had just put back. "That was weird," he muttered. "You saw that glow, right?"

Connor crossed his arms. "Doesn't matter. It didn't hatch, and we're in the middle of a snake-infested jungle. Let's just—"

A low, rumbling hiss cut through the dense air.

The group tensed. Finn, already on edge, subtly palmed another dagger. Aria's fingers twitched near her coat pocket. Markus positioned himself in front of Ramsey, who remained as loose as ever, with Lyle pressing his finger against his lips, signaling the group to be quiet.

But Jacob's response was different. He gazed at the little green serpent curled about his wrist, its shiny scales gently glinting. Its intelligent, brilliant eyes looked up at him.

"Uh…" Jacob raised his wrist carefully. "Guys?"

The hissing grew louder, not from a single location, but from all directions.

The earth moved. They were more than just vines—they were in motion.

With a muttered curse, Connor took an involuntary step back as the vines slithered in strange waves. Finn gripped his blade tighter, his eyes searching for a way out.

Aria whispered tightly, "Tell me this is just a normal jungle thing."

"It's not," Markus muttered. "Stay close."

Jacob remained frozen, watching as the tiny green snake coiled tighter around his wrist, its forked tongue flicking out. He wasn't being attacked. It seemed protective, if anything.

The hissing reached a deafening peak. Then the earth trembled. Out of the tangle of scales and writhing tendrils, a huge form emerged. Not a single snake was present—it was many, their bodies intertwining into a grotesque mass. Eyes, too many to count, gleamed in the dim light.

"Move!" Connor barked, shoving Jacob aside as the serpent mass lashed forward.

Jacob stumbled, but the green snake on his wrist didn't let go. Instead, it flicked its tongue, and for a fraction of a second, the monstrous snakes hesitated.

"They're waiting for something," Ramsey muttered, watching the way the creature swayed, its attention locked onto Jacob.

Jacob swallowed hard. He glanced at the small snake on his wrist. Then, without fully understanding why, he asked softly, "What do you want?"

The jungle held its breath.

The green snake blinked once, then lifted its head. And the monstrous serpent horde… stopped.

For now, at least.

After staying hidden for a while, the distant horn they had heard earlier finally faded, and the forest fell into an eerie silence. The once-chaotic forest had settled into stillness, the scattered creatures nowhere in sight. Gradually, the natural sounds returned—birds chirping, leaves rustling, and the distant calls of unseen animals weaving back into the rhythm of the wild.

Lyle listened intently, then gave a firm nod. "Alright, I think it's safe to head back now."

Moving cautiously, the group retraced their steps to where they had first encountered the snake. Certain the danger had passed, they continued toward the clearing where they had originally met the Stifelion.

As they pressed on, they stumbled upon an unfamiliar creature—a strange, feathered hybrid of a dinosaur, pacing through the undergrowth with an air of quiet curiosity. Jacob activated Skill: Identify.

Plumacrypt - Level 16

Strangely, this creature seemed far less dangerous than the one they had encountered earlier, despite the previous one being only Level 12. How odd… Jacob thought. The rest of the group examined the beast, and without hesitation, Lyle gave the command.

"Attack!"

While Lyle conjured his bow out of thin air and launched an arrow, Markus and Finn raced forward. With lightning-fast reflexes, the Plumacrypt slashed the missile in midair with its razor-sharp claws. It knocked Markus and Finn to the ground with a strong swipe of its feathered tail, then lunged in to kill them—Skill Activation: Fae Mirage.

When Jacob used his power, the battlefield was immediately flooded with doubles of every member of the squad. As it attempted to identify its true targets, the Plumacrypt paused, bewildered by the illusions, its eyes darting between the shifting shapes.

"Fall back, Aria!" Lyle yelled, continuing his volley of arrows while the diversion was brief.

One arrow struck true, piercing the creature's foot. The Plumacrypt let out a sharp, dinosaur-like screech, shaking its head in frustration at the illusions.

Then—

Skill Cooldown.

The mirages flickered and one by one vanished.

Now they were no longer covered by the veil of illusion.

Connor, realizing they were in danger, reacted without hesitation.

Skill Activation: Metal Spear.

A gleaming spear of metal shot toward the Plumacrypt. The beast twisted just in time, barely dodging the fatal strike. Its counterattack was immediate—a vicious swipe aimed at Connor.

Skill Activation: Metal Shield.

A shield materialized, absorbing the impact of the beast's claws, which slowly screeched before shattering entirely into metallic fragments that evaporated into golden dust.

Lyle fired two more arrows, but before they could find their mark—

A sudden presence crashed into the battlefield.

It was Ramsey.

With a blazing fist, he swung at the Plumacrypt—but missed, not because the beast had moved, but because he had somehow telegraphed the move, entirely missing the beast.

The creature lunged, its powerful jaws clamping down on Ramsey's arm before hurling him aside like a useless ragdoll.

"Aria, now go heal Ramsey and the others!" Lyle shouted to Aria, not slowing his assault in the slightest, keeping his eyes on all the creature's movements. He continued firing projectiles at the beast while weaving through the battlefield, drawing its attention toward himself.

The Plumacrypt fell for the bait, and the plan was successful. With growing annoyance, it slashed at the approaching arrows as it focused on Lyle. It changed direction slightly each time he moved, intent on stopping him.

Connor and Jacob, noticing that the creature had completely tuned them out, saw an opportunity.

With just a thought—

Skill Activation: Steel Bind.

The earth exploded with heavy steel shackles that locked around the creature's limbs. Despite the Plumacrypt's frantic thrashing, the restraints remained in place.

Lyle made the most of it, circling the paralyzed beast and continuing his unrelenting attack. It was gradually drained by his accurate blows, each arrow eroding its strength.

Then—

The beast finally broke free.

But it was already too late. Its HP was critically low.

Finn and Markus, now fully recovered, reentered the fight. They sprang at the beast as it was starting to regain its strength, moving in perfect unison.

Finn was the first to move, rolling to the left and slashing quickly and accurately. The Plumacrypt let out a yell, twisted to follow him, and snapped its jaws, but it was never able to do so.

Markus attacked as its head swung in Finn's direction, giving him the perfect opening for a strike.

The creature's neck was ripped open by a single, vicious slice.

Finn was directly on top of the severed head as it struck the ground.