Chapter 8: The Shortcut to Trouble

The journey to Solcrest was supposed to take three days.

Ren, naturally, planned to cut that time in half. Preferably while napping.

Aria and Garth, however, weren't exactly cooperating with his vision.

"Can we slow down for a second?" Aria panted, leaning against a tree.

Garth groaned, dragging his feet. "Yeah… pretty sure I'm dying."

Ren, who hadn't broken a sweat, sighed. "You're both so dramatic. It's just walking."

Aria shot him a glare. "We've been hiking nonstop for six hours."

"Correction: You've been hiking. I've been strolling."

Garth groaned louder. "I hate this guy."

Ren ignored him, focusing on the path ahead.

[New Area Discovered: Grimhollow Woods]

[Warning: High-level monsters detected. Average level: 25-35]

Ren blinked. "Oh, neat."

Aria stared at the notification, pale. "Neat?! We're level 12 at best. This is a death zone!"

Ren shrugged. "You say 'death zone,' I say 'shortcut.'"

Garth stared, slack-jawed. "Shortcut? Through that?" He gestured at the gnarled, mist-covered forest that looked like it wanted to eat them.

Ren tilted his head. "Looks cozy to me."

[New Passive Unlocked: Unreasonable Confidence]

Increases charisma and likelihood of convincing others to follow your terrible ideas.

Ren chuckled. "Well, that tracks."

Aria groaned. "You're serious about this, aren't you?"

"Completely," Ren said, strolling forward without waiting.

The forest swallowed him whole.

"...We're gonna die," Garth muttered.

"Probably," Aria agreed, sighing as she followed.

---

The deeper they walked, the heavier the air got. Mist coiled around their legs like snakes, and distant howls echoed through the trees.

[Environmental Effect: Grimhollow's Gloom]

[Vision reduced by 40%]

[Movement Speed reduced by 20%]

[Fear Resistance required: 15+]

Ren stared at the notification, then squinted at his stats.

[Fear Resistance: 0]

"Huh."

[New Skill Unlocked: Too Tired to Care]

Immune to fear while mildly annoyed or sleepy.

Ren grinned. "That's convenient."

Garth, meanwhile, was trembling. "M-maybe we should turn back."

Ren glanced at him. "Sure. The long way around should only take… six more days."

Garth paled. "Oh god. Let's keep going."

They didn't make it far before something rustled ahead.

[Elite Enemy Detected: Grimhollow Stalker]

[Level: 28]

A low growl vibrated through the air. Yellow eyes gleamed from the darkness. A massive, wolf-like creature padded into view. Its fur was shadowy and almost translucent, flickering like smoke.

Aria drew her sword, voice low. "Ren… we can't beat that thing."

Ren tilted his head. "Sure we can. You just gotta believe."

The wolf lunged, faster than lightning.

[Hostile Intent Detected]

[Danger Level: Fatal]

Ren stepped aside. Casually.

[Lazy Dodge Activated]

[Agility +5]

The wolf sailed past him, landing with a snarl.

It blinked at him, confused.

"Yeah, I get that a lot," Ren muttered.

The beast lunged again — this time faster, claws aimed at his throat.

[Incoming Attack: Savage Rend]

Ren sighed. "Alright, enough of that."

[Skill Activated: Tactical Procrastination]

The wolf staggered mid-leap, skidding awkwardly into a tree.

[Stunned for 1.5 seconds]

Ren grinned. "Still funny."

Aria stared. "That's… not normal."

Ren shrugged. "Neither am I."

The wolf shook off the stun, snarling louder. Its shadowy form rippled — splitting into three.

[Warning: Grimhollow Stalker has activated Shadow Clone]

Ren blinked. "Oh, come on."

The three wolves circled them, growling in unison.

"Okay, new plan," Ren said calmly. "I'll handle these guys. You two… stand there and look supportive."

Aria blinked. "That's your plan?!"

Ren grinned lazily. "Trust the process."

The wolves lunged together.

[New Skill Unlocked: Multi-Slack]

Allows dodging multiple attacks at once with minimal effort. Bonus style points included.

Ren leaned to the side. All three wolves missed — crashing into each other instead.

[Triple Dodge Achieved!]

[Agility +15]

Ren yawned. "Man, this is exhausting."

The lead wolf snarled, lunging again — fangs bared.

[Passive Aggressive Strike Activated]

The wave of force exploded outward. The lead wolf was launched into the air, spinning wildly before crashing into the underbrush with a thud.

[Critical Hit!]

[Elite Enemy Defeated: Grimhollow Stalker]

[EXP Gained: +10,200]

[Level Up!]

[Level Up!]

The other two wolves froze.

They looked at Ren.

Then at their fallen leader.

Then back at Ren.

Ren smiled. "Boo."

The wolves bolted, tails between their legs.

[Enemies Fled: +5 Bonus EXP]

Aria stared, slack-jawed. "That was… insane."

Ren stretched. "Eh. I'm getting used to it."

Garth groaned from the ground. "I hate this guy."

Ren smirked. "Yeah, yeah. Join the club."

The mist began to thin ahead, revealing a faint light in the distance.

[Path to Solcrest Unlocked: Shortcut Achieved]

[Optional Bonus Achieved: New Party Members Acquired]

[Reward: ???]

Ren blinked at the last part. "Huh. Wonder what that is."

Aria sighed. "Let me guess. We'll find out when it's 'plot convenient'?"

Ren grinned. "You're catching on."

They walked on, leaving the misty forest behind. Solcrest was finally within reach.

"Still think this was a terrible idea?" Ren asked.

Aria groaned. "Yes."

Ren chuckled. "Good. That means it worked."

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