Chapter 14 (the fog forest and crimson-rot foxes)

Inside the fog forest, as its name implies,

the forest is perpetually shrouds in fog.

Low visibility makes it difficult to see, and

the sharp, creeping sound of birds can

be heard as they crush the falling leaves

and branches with their feet.

They can barely see each other through

the forest as they navigates. "Let's all

stick together, and none of you should

dissolve from the formation," Sam turns

back to them. "If any of you see anything

suspicious, bring it to our attention.

Don't act recklessly." They move forward

in circular formation.

After ten minutes of navigating through

the forest, Drake suddenly feels a slight

pain in his head, causing him to turn to

their right.

"I sense a presence over there." Drake

pointed towards their right. They all turn

in that direction, but everything appears

normal.

"Are you talking about the snake

between your feet?" Ben asked, pointing

to Drake's feet. Hearing this, Drake lifts

his leg high. "Haa, haa, huuu. Where is

it?" He exclaimed, flipping his leg up,

which causes him to fall on his butt.

Larry walks close to him, "I know that

you're scared, but you don't need to be;

we're strong enough for you to relay on."

Patting Drake's right shoulder.

"Jock aside, get back into position on the

formation. Let move on." Sam brow

furrows, teeth clenching at them.

Larry lowers his head down,

embarrassed, and returns to his position

on the formation. 

Drake's gaze remains locked in that

direction until he realizes that he's about

to be left behind. They continue to

navigate for the next hour.

This time, Drake's head hurts with a

sharp pain, warning him of danger

approaching. "Guys, I think they are

approaching from behind." They all turn

back, reacting to his words.

"Drake, no matter how smart you are,

you can't be joking with that here." Sam

said annoyingly.

"I'm really serious; I can tell that they're

coming from that direction." Drake

insisted, clenching his left hand and

pointing his right hand at the rear. As

they're about to turn away, two yellow

rounds of light appear behind them.They

all turn, facing them; a chill runs down

their spines. "Gagga, gagga, gagga."

Coming from the direction of thelight.

"Thiat sound, it's a Crimson Rot

fox." Lilly said, shivering, her teeth

chattering. "Don't worry, it's just one

crimson fox." Sam said, raising his axe

into the air.

"I can't tell, but I have an unease feeling

about this." Drake said, holding his chin

with his right index and thumb fingers.

"What did you mean?" They all turn to

him like a believer waiting for aether from

a fortune-teller.

They're waiting for his response when

Lilly points her hand in the same

direction as the crimson fox.

"Every one." She said, but fear prevents

her from finishing her words. They all turn

to where she's pointing and realize that

the two yellow lights have multiples of

forty.

"What twenty crimson rot fox (undead

fox)?

How can this place be capable of

harboring a such number of them?"

Ben rhetorically said.

"Is this what you mean by unease

feeling?" Sam turns to Drake. "Maybe.

Not sure." Drake replied, his palm facing

upward at his chest level, while raising

his shoulder.

"Watch out for them; don't let them

cleave your skin. Everyone into

position." Sam slightly turns his head, his

eyes fully swiveling to the right, gazing at

Drake behind him. "Drake, don't act

rashly but assist when the time calls for

it."

The crimson rot foxes form a pincer

movement around them with the fox king

behind them.

"Ggrooow." At the command of their

king, all the foxes leap into the air

towards Sam and his comrades.

Larry, the tanker moves forward and

raises his shield. " Water aura: Aqua

resonance tsunami pulse (3 circle). A

midsize mana circle appears under his

shield, materializing his aura. He

smashes the shield on the ground,

sending a rippling shockwave across the

ground, flinging the foxes back.

"Water aura: Aqua piercers, ocean's fang

(4 circle)." A midsize mana circle

appears behind his sword to solidify

Sam's aura at the tip of his sword,

increasing its sharpness. It slices

through the air, taking out three crimson

rot foxes in the midair.

Ben covers from behind, launching an

arrow as Binter amplifies their magic.

" Ggrooow." A crimson Fox rumbles.

Lilly turns to the sound behind her,

seeing a crimson rot fox about to strike

from their rear. "Yell, yell," her voice raw

and trembling.

Drake, Ben, and Binter, who are close to

her, turn towards her, seeing a crimson

Fox leap towards her. Ben doesn't have

time to cast a spell around his arrow; he

launches it without a spell. The arrow

only nicks through the crimson rot fox's

skin, which it heals. It's about to strike

Lily when "Water spell: Aqua dragon's

rora." a pressurized water flips it away.

They successfully take care of the

crimson rot foxes, leaving only the

crimson fox king. Their heavy breath is

audible, and their stamina is nearly

depleted.

They step backward as the crimson-rot

Fox King advances. Suddenly, "gruooow,

gruooow." The fox king cried out, and all

the dead crimson rot foxes transformed

into a dark, living fluid, flowing towards

the crimson fox king.

The weeds they move on darken and

decay. The dark fluid permeates through

the crimson Fox king body. "Gruooow,

gruooow, gruooow." It cried out as its

body underwent transformation.

Both Drake and the mercenary guides

are mesmerized by the scene.

After a few minutes of transformation,

the crimson Fox king, originally 42 cm in

size, doubled in size. An extra-red eye

appears on its forehead, and its mouth is

split into three segments, each with

sharp teeth.Their eyes widen, looking at

the corrosive saliva that drools down

from its teeth.