The adventurers stood clustered together, but at the same time spread out in a makeshift formation. Ranged fighters were positioned at the back, arrows and affinities ready to spring in at any moment, while those that were more proficient in melee combat stood at the front. All looked to be in their early to mid twenties.
A man stood in front of them, middle-aged, with no flashy armour, but it was clear that he was definitely the most experienced among them. He gripped his mace tightly. His eyes showed fatigue over days of solving logistical matters, but in the presence of a potential threat they became sharp.
"Marcus, we've been standing for nearly five minutes. Should we approach?" One of the adventurers beside him said in a hushed tone.
"No, we stick to formation." He replied in an equally quiet whisper. He knew that advancing would greatly reduce their visual advantage, so they would let the beast come to them.
So far nothing had stepped forward. The surrounding forest that would usually be crowded with the sound of crickets and nocturnal creatures was eerily silent. Like nature itself anticipated whatever would step out into the light.
And moments later, something did.
A greenish paw about the size of an elephant's foot emerged from the darkness and stepped into their illuminated surroundings. Nothing came after, just a paw.
The adventurers who stood in formation immediately became puzzled. Why wasn't the beast advancing? Some joked that maybe it had noticed that it was outnumbered and the shock had left it paralysed. The more boastful said that their strength had caused its stupor.
"What do you think, Marcus?" One of them asked in between a small laugh. But Marcus didn't answer. His usual simple but strict tone didn't resound in their ears. Marcus in question didn't answer them because currently, he couldn't. From the moment that green paw had stepped out of the darkness, his face had grown ashen.
Cold sweat broke across his forehead, the mace in his hand felt heavier than usual, and his spine had grown rigid. Breathing, as easy as it sounded, currently felt like a battle to him.
"Why are they laughing?" He thought to himself. Was he the only one that was currently plagued by dread?
"Couldn't they feel its threat level? Scared of them!" The thought alone almost made him let out a laugh of misery. Every second they remained alive was a miracle in itself because he knew that whichever beast that paw belonged to wasn't a foe they could fight.
Suppressing the fear in his heart, Marcus snapped his head back and barked orders.
"Run, run back into the town. Find the Sword Saint. Archers and mages, attack whatever abomination that paw belongs to. The rest of you, get ready to engage."
The orders came like thunder, loud and disruptive. The adventurers who had been joking mere moments ago couldn't understand the reason for Marcus's sudden outburst. Even the people he had instructed to run hesitated. There was no imminent danger for them to run from.
Aster didn't hesitate. Marcus's shout was what he needed to snap back into reality. He turned, calves ready to bolt forward in a sprint. But in the few moments in which he had been struck by fear and lost track of his surroundings, Thorne had gotten close. Silver flashed from his peripheral vision, the blade aimed for his side.
Aster attempted to dodge, but it was too late. The timing and strike couldn't be disrupted at point-blank range. The cold metal plunged deep into his flesh. He hissed from the pain but used the moment to turn around and see his attacker.
The murderous gaze of Thorne stared right back at him. The greedy adventurer twisted his dagger and pulled it out.
Aster felt the sharp pain crash into him like a physical blow. A muffled groan escaped his lips as his body staggered backwards, his hand instinctively moving towards the wound. His blood flowing through the dirty rags, unrestrained.
Marcus turned his head back. No attack had been sent forward. But he was very sure they had heard him.
The adventurer beside him placed a hand on his shoulder and asked, "Marcus, are you good? You sure you're not just tired?"
Hearing it, the question felt more like a blow and less like a kind gesture of concern.
Were they questioning his sanity?
He had tried to warn them of the approaching danger, and yet, they hesitated, they doubted.
Their minds weren't skeptical enough. Rather than question the reality of why the beast didn't advance further, they joked around.
He didn't answer the question, but turned back to face the dark forest. Their time had run out. Countless vine-like tendrils rushed forward from it, each one nearly as wide as a full-grown human. Their speed was frightening, covering half of the distance between them and the adventurers in a split second. The archers and mages that had been docile so far sent flaming arrows, water balls, and every form of ranged elemental attack towards it frantically.
Their attacks struck the vines, but they took no damage, rushing forward with the same intensity they had emerged with. The melee combatants braced themselves for impact as the countless vines were just meters away from them. In a fraction of a second, the vines struck. The physical power behind them felt like a thunderclap to their bodies.
Blood painted Marcus's armour, the force of a single vine bursting through the adventurers beside him. He blocked the one that approached him with his mace, but the force alone shattered the bones in his hands. The countless screams that resounded around him showed that their attacker hadn't stuck to the adventurers alone.
He could hear the silent pleas of his colleagues. Two vines wrapped around a mage and split his body in half, blood and organs raining from the sky like an apocalypse.
If only they had listened to him, attacked when he said so. The fire element might have set the dark forest ablaze, revealing their enemy and giving them the advantage since plants didn't like fire, and one of that scale would surely disrupt it.
But the thought 'if' was a speculation. It couldn't be predetermined that things wouldn't still turn out like this. The only truth there was in their current predicament was they hesitated... and now they pay the price.