**Chapter 38 - Battle Of Muscle **

The atmosphere around us was heavy.

no one was speaking much.

we all gathered around one of the big tables at the corner of the guild hall, away from the noise.

saimon was sitting with her head down, tracing patterns on the wooden table. alexander was leaning against the wall, arms crossed.

each one of us lost deep in our own thoughts.

kathleen's weak figure in that dark room was still burned into our minds.

i clenched my fists.

"we have to move fast," barren finally broke the silence, his voice low. "we can't waste any more time."

"but rushing in blindly will only get us killed," eddy added, looking at barren. "we need a plan."

pia looked up, her face serious.

"the village where kathleen is being held..." she said slowly, "it's abandoned for a reason. large monsters roam that forest."

"so it's not just the kidnapper we have to worry about," simon muttered. "perfect."

alexander opened his eyes and pushed off the wall. "i'll lead you to the outskirts, but from there, you're on your own. we can't meddle with this world much more than this."

pia stood up, her staff in hand. "i can provide support magic, up until we reach the village."

barren nodded. "that's enough. just get us close."

"we'll save her," i said, my voice louder than i expected.

everyone looked at me. that made me embarrassed.

but i didn't back down.

"no matter what it takes... we'll save kathleen."

pia smiled faintly. "good. because if you fail..."

she didn't finish the sentence.

she didn't need to.

we all understood.

"......"

after the plan was set, we didn't waste any more time.

the sun had already started to set outside the guild hall. the sky was deep orange and purple.

pia stood at the center of the group, her staff glowing faintly. alexander walked ahead, leading us toward the main gates.

i tightened the straps on my sword. barren checked the sharpness of his blade. eddy and simon adjusted the bags they were carrying — potions, food, basic supplies.

none of us spoke much.

there was no need.

we all knew the weight of this mission.

we exited the guild hall and headed through the cobbled streets of luminous city.

nothing much happened on the way to the gate.

as we reached the southern gate, pia turned to us.

"once we leave the city's barrier, the monsters will be stronger," she said quietly. "stay close. don't let your guard down."

we nodded.

and with that, we left the main gate.

a gust of cold wind blew in from the forest beyond.

the forest in front of us felt

dense. heavy.

as if it was swallowing the last light of the day.

i took a deep breath.

kathleen is waiting for us.

we entered the forest.

the moment we stepped past the barrier of the city, the air changed.

it felt heavier. colder. suffocating.

every breath i took felt like damp earth and old decay.

the trees were tall and twisted, their branches—

the sun was almost gone now. only faint streaks of orange light bled through the thick canopy above us.

"stay close," barren said without turning around. his voice was calm.

pia was right behind him, her staff glowing faintly, casting just enough light for us to see each other's faces.

"this place is creepy..." simon muttered under his breath.

"quiet," barren said. "we're not alone here."

what does he mean by we are not alone? did the kidnappers already catch onto us?

something is watching us.

from the shadows. from between the trees.

small sounds echoed around us. twigs snapping. leaves rustling. something is coming toward us which we can't see for now.

we moved in silence. every step was careful. measured.

the deeper we went, the darker it got.

soon, even pia's magic light seemed swallowed by the darkness.

"how far?" eddy asked, keeping his hand on the hilt of his sword.

"not far," pia replied. "just beyond the river bed."

my heart skipped.

crossing a riverbed at night… in a monster-infested forest...

great. just great.

but i didn't complain. none of us did.

for her—

we would go through anything.

"stop," alexander suddenly said, raising a hand.

we all froze.

i strained my ears.

at first, i heard nothing. just the soft wind passing through the trees and the usual leaves crackling and twigs snapping.

but then—

thud

a heavy, slow thud from deeper in the forest.

then another.

then another.

getting closer.

something big is moving toward us.

pia tightened her grip on her staff. barren unsheathed his sword without a sound.

my heart pounded.

whatever it was—

it wasn't friendly.

and it wasn't alone.

crash!

the trees ahead of us snapped like twigs.

before any of us could react, something burst through the foliage—

a giant bear.

its fur was matted with dirt and blood, its eyes burning with wild rage.

"raoooooooooo!"

it was massive. at least twice the size of any normal bear. and behind it—

more smaller bears, snarling and growling, their teeth bared.

"scatter!" alexander shouted.

we jumped to the sides just as the large bear roared and charged straight for where we had been standing.

the ground shook under its weight.

pia raised her staff, ready to cast a spell, but barren moved first.

shhhink

his great sword gleamed in the fading light as he stepped forward without hesitation.

"i'll handle the big one!" barren shouted over his shoulder. "you guys deal with the others!"

before anyone could protest, barren dashed straight at the giant bear.

bam!

their clash sent a shockwave through the clearing.

barren's sword met the bear's massive claw.

i barely had time to process it before the smaller bears lunged at us.

"focus!" eddy yelled, drawing his sword.

pia unleashed a quick burst of magic, a blast of compressed air, knocking one of the smaller bears off balance.

simon moved to protect pia, slashing at the other one that tried to flank her.

but my eyes—

they stayed locked on barren.

he was moving like a storm.

dodging. weaving. striking.

his sword flashing against the bear's claws again and again.

but the bear was no ordinary monster.

it moved with shocking speed for its size, swiping its massive paws with enough force to break the trees if needed.

wham!

barren blocked a strike but was thrown back several meters, rolling across the ground before getting up to his feet again.

blood dripped from a cut on his forehead.

but he grinned like he was enjoying this fight.

"you're not bad," barren muttered, wiping the blood away with the back of his hand. "but i'm not losing here."

the bear roared, furious.

"roooooooooo!"

and barren charged.

the ground cracked under his feet as he pushed forward, sword raised high.

this wasn't just an ordinary fight.

this was a battle of muscle.

To be Continued…