Forest Trouble (Part 2)

The ground trembled as dark tendrils, like living roots, erupted from beneath the earth. These twisted, serpentine shapes coiled upward with frightening speed, their surface slick with some kind of malevolent energy.

Kai's breath hitched as he watched them, unable to tear his eyes away. This wasn't like any dungeon they had faced before. These weren't just simple monsters; these were something else.

As the tendrils continued to writhe and stretch, they began to take shape.

The first few figures that materialized were humanoid — tall and imposing, almost as if they were forged from the very darkness that seeped out of the earth itself.

Their bodies were a blend of shadow, sinew and vines, glowing with a faint, eerie light that pulsed from within them.

They stood nearly at the same height as Kiara, their eyes crimson with malevolence, and the magic that radiated from their forms was palpable.