Bab 13: Chapter 13: Unearthing the Truth(MODIFIED)
Chapter 13: Unearthing the Truth
Adam's heart raced as the sound of cocking guns echoed through the dense forest clearing. He froze, holding up a hand to signal Caroline to stay low.
"I told you this was a bad idea," Caroline whispered, her tone equal parts annoyance and concern.
"Relax," Adam muttered back, his eyes scanning the area. "We've got this. Probably."
"Probably?" she hissed. "That's not exactly reassuring."
Adam smirked. "Would it help if I said, 'Trust me'?"
Caroline opened her mouth, then snapped it shut as the crunch of boots on gravel grew louder. The voices were clearer now—gruff, no-nonsense tones that screamed "hired muscle."
"Boss said no one comes near this place," one man said. "You see anything, shoot first, ask later."
"Copy that," another replied.
Adam leaned closer to Caroline. "Okay, Plan A: sneak in, find clues, sneak out. Plan B: run like hell."
"Great," Caroline muttered. "Love the confidence."
Without waiting for her retort, Adam motioned for her to follow as he crept around the edge of the clearing. The guards seemed focused on patrolling near the trailer, giving them a narrow window to circle around to the machinery.
As they crouched behind a massive logging truck, Caroline whispered, "What exactly are we looking for?"
"Anything out of place," Adam replied. "Documents, weird artifacts, glowing runes—typical supernatural red flags."
Caroline rolled her eyes. "Of course. Because nothing says 'logging company' like glowing runes."
Inside the trailer, the situation was anything but normal. Adam peeked through a crack in the blinds and felt his stomach drop. The interior was a mess of blueprints, maps, and strange jars filled with what looked like powdered bark. At the center of it all was a man in a tailored suit, speaking into a phone.
"Tell the investors we'll have results soon," the man said, his voice clipped. "The dryad is only the beginning. If this works, we'll have access to resources beyond imagination."
Adam exchanged a wide-eyed glance with Caroline. "That guy's definitely not here for the trees."
"You think?" she whispered back. "What do we do?"
Before Adam could respond, his system chimed again.
<SYSTEM ALERT>
<New Objective: Identify the man inside the trailer and his connection to supernatural activity.>
<Reward: Enhanced Appraisal Skill (Level 2)>
<Warning: High risk of detection. Proceed with caution.>
<END ALERT>
Caroline noticed the faint glow of Adam's system notification and narrowed her eyes. "What's the system saying now?"
"Just the usual," Adam replied, feigning nonchalance. "You know, 'high risk of death, but also shiny rewards.'"
Caroline sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Why do I let you drag me into these things?"
"Because you secretly love the adrenaline," Adam quipped. "Now come on, let's get a closer look."
Meanwhile, back in town, Stiles was juggling a coffee cup and a laptop, his expression a mixture of frustration and focus.
The ruined chapel was suffocatingly silent, its walls crawling with black vines that oozed dark energy. Davina stepped forward first, her hands glowing faintly as she muttered incantations under her breath. "There's something alive beneath us... bound to the leyline."
The ground trembled. A low, thunderous roar echoed from below as the floor cracked open. From the depths emerged a monstrous guardian—a towering beast of roots, stone, and corrupted magic. Its eyes glowed an unnatural red, locking onto the team with murderous intent.
"Form up!" Adam shouted.
Josh was the first to charge, his Stone Skin activated. The beast swung a massive root arm down at him, the impact shaking the entire room. Josh staggered but held firm, grinning as flames erupted across his fists with Flame Infusion. He delivered a heavy punch that set the root ablaze. "You like fire, big guy?"
Stefan darted into the chaos, using Enhanced Reflexes to dodge the flailing roots with inhuman precision. Seeing a weak spot near the creature's chest, he grabbed a jagged stone, infused it with Energy Manipulation, and hurled it like a missile. The projectile struck, sending cracks spiderwebbing across the beast's torso.
Elijah moved with calculated grace, extending his hand to catch one of the creature's roots with Telekinetic Force. He pulled it taut, holding it in place, then struck with an energy-charged palm strike that split the root apart. "You're vulnerable at the core," Elijah called out, voice steady.
Stiles cloaked the battlefield in darkness, the air rippling with his Shadow Armor. The guardian flailed blindly as shadowy copies of the team flickered across its vision. "Time for a little chaos," Stiles muttered, sweat trickling down his face as he held the illusion.
Adam copied Flame Infusion mid-fight, combining it with Wind Burst. "Clear a path!" he yelled. Flames twisted into a blazing whirlwind as he unleashed the attack at full force. The fiery gust struck the creature's exposed core, flames spreading across its body.
Davina stepped into the center of the chaos, her magic flaring. She raised both hands, summoning fire and pure energy into a singular burst. "This ends now!" she cried. The combined power struck the guardian's core with a thunderous crack, and the beast let out a final roar before collapsing into ash and stone.
Silence followed. The black veins receded, and the corrupted energy around the chapel began to fade. Davina staggered but steadied herself, wiping sweat from her brow.
Adam exhaled deeply, his system glowing faintly as it processed the aftermath. "They did it. We did it."
"Okay, so," he muttered, scrolling through his search results, "logging companies, dryads, mysterious men in suits—what do we got?"
Josh, lounging nearby with his feet propped on a table, yawned. "If you're expecting me to help, don't hold your breath."
"You're such a team player," Stiles shot back, rolling his eyes.
"Hey, I'm moral support," Josh replied with a grin.
Before Stiles could retort, Stefan and Elijah walked in, their expressions serious. "We've got trouble," Stefan announced.
"Wow, shocking," Stiles deadpanned. "What now?"
Elijah laid a file on the table. "The men asking questions around town? They're mercenaries hired by a shell company. Their trail leads directly to the logging site."
"Which means Adam and Caroline are in the thick of it," Stefan added.
Josh sat up straighter. "So, what's the plan? Go in guns blazing?"
Elijah raised an eyebrow. "We prefer a more...strategic approach."
"Speak for yourself," Stiles muttered under his breath.
Back at the logging site, Adam and Caroline were eavesdropping outside the trailer when the man inside abruptly ended his call.
"Time's up," the man said to someone out of view. "Begin the extraction."
The sound of machinery roaring to life made Adam's stomach churn. Whatever they were about to extract, it wasn't going to be good.
"Change of plans," Adam whispered to Caroline. "We need to stop them."
"Great," Caroline muttered. "What happened to Plan A?"
"Improvising is part of the job," Adam said with a grin.
Caroline sighed. "Fine. But if we die, I'm haunting you."
"Deal," Adam replied. "Let's go."
Exciting News!
You can now enjoy reading 22+ chapters of my webnovel on my Patreon account! For just $5, you'll get access to all these extra chapters and much more. This is a great way to get ahead in the story and support the continued development of the series.
Thank you for your support and happy reading!
patreon.com/TheFinex5
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone