บท 30: Chapter 30: Ratogore
The thick trees of the forest seemed to close in on the trio, their shadows casting a chilling atmosphere. The air was damp and thick with the scent of earth and decay, a stark contrast to the bright sunlight filtering through the canopy above. Their footsteps were light but cautious, each of them watching the surroundings for any signs of danger.
Suddenly, a rustle in the underbrush snapped their attention to the side. Kaden's eyes narrowed as he motioned for the group to halt.
"Stay alert," he whispered, scanning the area.
Jace stepped forward, his eyes darting around nervously. "What is it? A beast?"
Before anyone could respond, the ground trembled slightly, and from the shadows emerged a creature that seemed like something out of a nightmare. It was a grotesque mix between a rat and a large dog—its body was covered in patchy fur, and its elongated, sharp teeth gleamed in the low light. Its tail flicked like a whip, and its beady eyes locked onto them with a hunger that sent a shiver down Kaden's spine.
"That's a tier-one beast," Lira said, her voice low but steady. "We need to be careful."
Without hesitation, the beast charged forward, growling fiercely.
"Jace!" Kaden shouted. "Transform!"
Jace nodded, his face filled with a mix of fear and determination. He tossed the cards into the air, quickly grabbing one. The card flashed brightly, and within seconds, he transformed into a massive bull. His form bulged with muscle, and his hooves thudded against the ground as he charged directly at the beast, diverting its attention.
"Over here!" Jace bellowed, drawing the creature's focus.
The beast hesitated for a moment, its eyes flashing between Jace's imposing bull form and the two remaining humans. With a screech, it lunged at the bull, snapping its jaws.
Lira stepped forward, eyes glowing with a pale light. "Get back!" she shouted.
Tears welled up in her eyes, shimmering with a fiery hue. She released the tears, and with a fierce motion, directed them toward the beast. A jet of flames erupted from her hands, hitting the creature squarely in the side. The beast howled in agony, its fur scorched and burning.
Kaden didn't hesitate. With the beast distracted by the fire, he sprinted forward, his muscles tensing. His fists clenched as dark veins began to appear along his arms, spreading up to his hands. The veins throbbed as a surge of power coursed through him.
"Die!" Kaden roared.
He leaped forward, delivering a devastating punch directly into the beast's skull. The sound of bones cracking echoed through the forest as the beast let out a final, pitiful screech before collapsing to the ground, lifeless.
The dark veins on Kaden's hands slowly faded, leaving behind a dull ache in his arms. He stood over the beast, breathing heavily.
The system's voice suddenly rang out in his mind.
"Congratulations! You have killed 'Ratogore,' a tier-one beast. Reward: 50 EXP."
Kaden blinked, surprised. "Ratogore…" he murmured, his mind racing. Although this beast was a tier-one, the same as the one he fought in the outskirts, it had been weaker. He could tell that this one wasn't as tough, and for a brief moment, confidence surged within him. He could handle this. He could take on beasts like this on his own.
"Nice work, Kaden!" Jace called out, returning to his human form. "That was amazing."
Lira nodded, a small, approving smile on her face. "You did well."
Kaden knelt down, pulling a sharp blade from his belt to carve the soul crystal from the creature's body. The process was messy, but after a few minutes, he managed to extract the glowing crystal from the beast's chest.
As they stood and prepared to rest, Kaden's mind lingered on the strange events of the day. He handed the soul crystal to Lira and Jace, then leaned against a tree, taking a deep breath.
"Lira," Kaden began, breaking the silence. "Is it possible for a beast to not retreat into a portal when the portal closes?"
Lira looked at him, a puzzled expression crossing her face. "No," she replied after a moment. "That's impossible. When a portal closes, the beasts are sucked back in, no exceptions. Why do you ask?"
Kaden shrugged, though the question lingered in his mind. "Just curious."
But as he spoke, his thoughts drifted back to the beast that had attacked him in the outskirts. That creature hadn't retreated into a portal when the portal closed. The portal had closed, yet the beast remained—still on Earth.
"Why hadn't the beast retreated?"
The questions hung heavy in the air, unanswered.
"Let's take a break," Kaden said finally, trying to push the unsettling thought to the back of his mind. The others agreed, and the three of them settled down, keeping watch as the eerie silence of the forest surrounded them.
As the trio sat down to catch their breath, the forest around them seemed unnervingly quiet. The faint sounds of wildlife, the rustling of leaves, and distant bird calls were the only things that broke the eerie stillness.
Just as Kaden began to relax, a familiar rustling from deeper in the forest caught his attention. His hand instinctively went to his belt as he stood up, his senses immediately alert.
"Another one," Kaden muttered under his breath.
The others stood quickly, eyes scanning the trees, waiting for whatever was coming their way. From the shadows emerged yet another grotesque creature—another beast, similar to the previous ones. The same twisted combination of a rat and a large dog, its fur matted and eyes glowing with hunger.
"Damn it," Jace cursed under his breath. "These things just won't quit."
Lira's expression hardened as she readied herself. "We don't have a choice. We deal with it like before."
Without further warning, the beast snarled and lunged at them, its sharp claws slashing through the air. Jace quickly shifted into his bull form again, charging forward to intercept the beast. He slammed his massive body into the creature, knocking it back with a force that made the ground shake.
The beast snarled in fury, attempting to bite at Jace with its razor-sharp teeth, but Jace used his size and strength to keep it at bay, bellowing as he kept the creature distracted.
Lira stepped forward, her eyes flashing with determination. Once again, her tears flowed. She hurled the tears at the beast, creating a blast of flames that scorched the creature's side, causing it to howl in pain.
The beast staggered, disoriented from the flames, and Kaden wasted no time. His hands crackled with dark energy as the black veins surged back up his arms. With a focused roar, he sprinted toward the creature, delivering another powerful punch directly to its skull, the sound of bones snapping as the beast's life ended in an instant.
Once again, the creature collapsed, its form twitching before it went still.
Kaden stepped back, panting. "That's the third beast…"
Lira and Jace stood beside him, their expressions grim but relieved. They had done it, but the thought of another fight so soon left a lingering unease in the air.
Kaden looked down at the beast's carcass, already pulling out his blade to carve out the soul crystal. The process was familiar now—messy, but necessary.
As he worked, he couldn't help but think back to the rapid pace of the encounters. It hadn't even been two hours since they'd first come across the beasts, and now they had killed three of them.
"These beasts just keep coming," Kaden thought, his mind racing. "It's almost like they're… attracted to us."
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