[Congratulations, You have crossed the second threshold.]
[Qualifying objective: Slay 5 Tyrants in a one on one confrontation to prove your worth. The reward is the Key to the Castle of the Dark Emperor Cassius.]
A system ssage rang out in their ears, its cold, chanical tone reverberating through their minds as if etched directly into their consciousness. For a brief mont, no one spoke. They simply looked at one another, the weight of the words settling heavily in the air between them.
Every single step they had taken toward the looming castle had co with an increase in difficulty. The beasts had grown more nurous, their strength rising with each passing mile. What had once been manageable skirmishes had turned into desperate struggles for survival. And now, the system had escalated things to an entirely different level.
An impossible task.
Killing five Tyrants was no joke. Even bringing down one had required coordination, careful planning, and the combined strength of multiple people working in perfect harmony. The idea of each of them facing such monsters alone was nothing short of absurd.
Or suicidal.
"We might need so divine-grade treasures to achieve this…" Enzo said after a pause, his voice low and thoughtful. His gaze drifted subtly toward the others, watching their reactions from the corner of his eyes rather than looking directly at them.
He was calculating.
Zeke had a being backing him that stood dangerously close to the level of a High God. Leon's father was a Divine being, a fact that alone elevated his standing far beyond most. And Raven…
Raven was sothing else entirely.
She was directly related to a High God.
In a group like this, there was no shortage of divine-grade artifacts or hidden trump cards. If there was any team that could even attempt such a task, it was this one.
"Even then, it will be hard," Leon said with a frown, crossing his arms as unease crept into his expression.
His concern was not unfounded.
Divine beings were explicitly not allowed within this space. The rules of this place were clear, almost oppressive in their enforcent. What were the chances that using divine-grade treasures, objects infused with that sa forbidden power, would not trigger so form of retaliation?
What if the forest itself turned against them?
What if the very ground they stood on rejected them?
"From what I observed earlier," Raven began calmly, her voice steady and composed, "the force field only reacted to the source of divine energy in the case of that burning man."
She paused briefly, ensuring they were following.
"For divine beings, that energy is their very essence. It is inseparable from their existence, which is why the reaction was so violent. However, for us, divine power is external. It is contained within tools, artifacts, or treasures. At worst, the items might sustain minor damage."
Her explanation was precise, almost clinical.
She had seen countless defensive formations before. There were systems not unlike this one that protected Windhelm from the overwhelming presence of High God-tier energy. Drawing from that experience, she was able to make a fairly confident assessnt.
"Heh… easy for you to say," Leon muttered under his breath, though not quietly enough to go unnoticed.
He quickly shut his mouth afterward, but the thought had already slipped out.
Raven was the leader of the Freedom Party. It would not be surprising if she carried multiple divine-grade treasures on her person at any given ti. Five, maybe more.
Leon, on the other hand, had only one.
And that single treasure was ant for his survival.
He had no intention of letting it be damaged if he could help it.
"You complain a lot for soone who tries so hard to look tough. It doesn't suit you," Zeke said with a sudden laugh, stepping forward and smacking Leon on the shoulder with enough force to jolt him slightly.
They had traveled together long enough to understand each other's quirks.
Leon complained about everything. It was almost a reflex at this point. But when it truly mattered, when things reached a breaking point, he never backed down.
As long as he was allowed to complain first.
"Sigh…" Leon shot Zeke an annoyed look, but there was no real heat behind it. Instead, there was a sense of resignation. His carefully constructed tough-guy persona had long since been dismantled by this group.
There was no point pretending anymore.
"I trust everyone here is capable," Enzo said, stepping forward slightly as he brought the conversation back on track. "We will et back here in forty-eight hours to discuss our progress."
As he spoke, he adjusted his watch, calibrating it precisely to mark the forty-eight-hour period. The faint glow of the device reflected in his eyes as he ensured everything was set.
One by one, the others mimicked his actions, syncing their own tirs.
There were no further words.
No dramatic declarations.
Just a silent agreent.
Then, without hesitation, they dispersed, each heading in a different direction as they ventured into the forest to hunt their respective prey.
…
The first to encounter a Tyrant-class beast was Raven.
The mont she sensed its presence, the polar orbs above her head materialized instantly, spinning at an increasing speed as they humd with restrained power. The air around her seed to distort slightly, bending under the influence of her abilities.
Without wasting a single second, she launched herself into the air.
Her body cut through the atmosphere like a streak of light as she surged toward the Tyrant with overwhelming force.
In the next instant, gravity around the beast shifted violently.
It compressed.
The invisible force pressed down on the creature from all directions, targeting its joints, its limbs, every point of articulation in its massive body. The ground beneath it cracked under the sudden pressure, forming shallow craters as the weight intensified.
But it was a Tyrant.
"ROAR!!!"
The beast bellowed, its voice shaking the surrounding forest as it resisted the crushing force. Muscles bulged beneath its hide as it forced itself forward, defying the oppressive gravity.
With a surge of power, it lashed out, its claws tearing through the air as it charged toward Raven without hesitation.
…
Sowhere else, in stark contrast to the explosive confrontation unfolding in Raven's battlefield, a far quieter scene was taking place.
Enzo moved through the shadows like a ghost.
There was no wasted motion, no unnecessary sound. Every step he took was deliberate, calculated to avoid detection. The dense foliage and towering trees worked in his favor, masking his presence as he tracked his target.
Ahead of him, partially obscured by the thick undergrowth, was a Tyrant-class beast.
Unlike Raven, Enzo did not rush.
He observed.
Studied.
Waited.
Hidden behind the trunk of a massive tree, he slowly raised the crossbow in his hand, aligning it carefully with his target. His breathing was steady, controlled, almost nonexistent.
"This will work…" he muttered softly to himself.
His free hand moved to the dallion resting against his chest.
The mont his fingers made contact, it began to pulse with a faint, poisonous green glow. The light was subtle, but the energy it emitted was anything but.
Sothing toxic.
Sothing deadly.
The kind of power that did not rely on brute force, but on inevitability.
Enzo's lips curled slightly as he pressed the dallion, activating
the effect it possessed.
Then, without hesitation—
He took aim.
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