Chapter 10: 9. The Soul Harvesting Tower

9. The Soul Harvesting Tower

- Four Years Later -

- In the Soul Harvesting Tower (level 28) / District of Cordon -

Four years have passed since the group’s first encounter with a new terrain - level 20 - thriving with trees and plants, ground coated in rich soil, and rivers flowing with abundant water. This level, however, had no monsters present. As a result, the area was known to be a small break zone for venturers to rest before progressing deeper into the tower.

A level with plants nearly hundreds of meters below the ground - many thought - was impossible. Once encountering levels 20 and onwards, the group found that these levels seemed to behave the same way. Wherever they roamed, even in tunnels moving from one compartment to the other, there would always be some form of green life.

As time passed, Lucas and his group gained strength throughout their training, allowing them to delve deeper in search of valuable items. Levels 20 to 24 had over 100 compartments that seemed normal as numbers remained consistent with the gradual increase of difficulty with each progressing level. But from level 25 to 29, it was nothing but an open space filled with enormous trees and other various plants. Some of the green life was 10 meters tall, but most reached up to 50 meters.

The peak of this entire place was 140 meters from the ground, while the average length from one wall to the other was 638 meters long. It was like a miniature world living underground.

Trees in this enormous domain were only located on level 29. Platforms made of stone shaped like stairways spiraled around the edges, allowing the trees to grow in the center without any disturbance. They connected all levels from 25 to 29, enabling people to venture up and down without trouble.

These platforms extended nearly 18 meters from the walls. And on top of the entire domain were 30 doors evenly distributed across where the platforms plateau.

The level these doors were located on was established as level 25. It contained independent creatures that lurked in dark unlit spots, and from levels 26 to 28 (spiraling platforms), they were in packs. Level 26 mainly had flying monsters, while levels 27 and 28 had ground-type monsters. On level 29, the ground is covered with rich soil and creatures blend with the trees. Level 29 was classified as the most challenging level out of this entire domain by almost tenfold compared to the previous levels.

The ceiling of the massive compartment had one large transparent glass layer holding liquid. This liquid contains bioluminescent creatures emitting a bright orange color, which accounts for almost 80% of the area's light. The remaining light source resonated within bioluminescent plants on level 29.

Lucas and his group were not the only ones exploring down this 5-level domain. Others sprinted down before them, weaving and avoiding the creatures as they raced to the bottom of level 29.

Wit was the commander of Lucas’s party. He led the group of six members: Lucas, Mai, Ted, Morgan, Cassidy, and Remy. They ran down the platforms as quickly as possible in an organized formation while facing the monsters residing on level 28.

These two-legged monsters they were about to attack carried large wooden rods with tips carved into sharp piercing weapons, enabling them to impale flesh and even leather armors. They were as big as Ted but with a much more muscular build and higher mobility.

“Three Marclaws approaching on our front! Ted, keep the one in the middle at bay!” Wit commanded while withdrawing his sword.

“Roger that!” Ted replied enthusiastically. As he sprinted, he grabbed his axes firmly and charged straight at the Marclaw in the middle.

It lifted its wooden spear and aimed it toward the incoming Ted. It pushed its entire body forward, and the momentum of its arm launched the spear soaring into the air and straight at him at dangerous speeds. Ted stiffened his gaze and gripped his axes even more. While grunting, he jerked his arms and shielded himself with the flat surfaces of his axes, blocking the large spear once it came in contact. As the spear began rolling on the ground, Ted charged straight at the Marclaw with one of his arms raised.

“Take this!” Ted shouted as he chucked one of his enormous axes towards the weaponless Marclaw, spinning at high speeds, which emitted faint whipping noises in the air. Within a second, the axe struck the Marclaw’s shoulder, pushing its entire body back with force as it roared in agony.

Without stopping, Ted kept running until he was right in front of the Marclaw's face. He then grabbed onto his axe stuck in its shoulder and struck his other axe on its other shoulder. With his weapons firmly in hand, the Marclaw was kept at bay. While it desperately tried to break free, Ted and it were at a standstill.

And just a second later, the two remaining Marclaws continued running ahead, ignoring both of them and charging straight at the rest of the group.

“Mai, Lucas, keep on running until you reach Ted! Remy, Cassidy, Morgan, and I will help you get over the remaining two incoming Marclaws!”

“Gotcha!” Mai replied energetically.

The six members ran down together with Lucas and Mai at the front. Both of them wielded swords - Lucas held a silver double-edged sword while Mai held a darker silver single-edged sword. Both ran straight towards the two approaching monsters.

On the back of the formation, Remy and Cassidy cast enormous amounts of energy from their bodies to the tip of their staff holding a vibrant red orb. The orbs began to vibrate and gradually shake with high amounts of power, and with voices in unison, they commanded:

[Fire Cast: Detonation]

[Fire Cast: Detonation]

Remy and Cassidy yelled simultaneously, releasing the energy from the radiating orbs that became large balls of flames. Fire the size of a human body came hurling at the two Marclaws. The two massive flames soared high, crashing down on their bodies and exploding into a burst of orange light, with smoke covering their vision.

Immediately, Lucas and Mai passed over the hit Marclaws, diving into the pool of smoke and emerging on the other side. Both sprinted to Ted at full speed.

“Mai, you take the left and I'll take the right!” Lucas shouted.

Mai nodded while raising her gleaming sword close to her face, running her fingers along the side of her polished blade gently and meticulously.

Suddenly, she spun her hand, twisting the sword and jerking it as the blade sliced through her light skin. A small nick of blood spewed out from the wound, but then flames erupted right underneath her sliced skin.

The small blaze then enlarged and elongated, stretching from the wounded site and attaching itself to her sword. The flames surrounded the entire blade and crept up to the sword’s crossguard. The rapidly waving orange light escaped into the air while leaving small trails of smoke. Other strands of flame began to wrap around Mai until they formed a tail behind her. And her orange hair started to shine brightly and match the colors of the exciting flames.

Lucas charged at the Marclaw on the right as Mai came from the left. Upheaving his sword, Lucas swung his weapon down on the marclaw’s arm, cutting deep into its flesh. The creature screamed in agony, raising its tightened fist with its other arm and aiming it down on Ted, who kept pinning it in place.

Before the knuckles could hit him, Mai rushed in using her flaming sword and sliced through the other arm from below. Her sharpened blade cut deep into its flesh, amputating its entire arm and striking her sword on the side of the Marclaw’s neck until it came to a stop. The arm fell to the ground with blood pouring out uncontrollably, and it began to screech at the top of its lungs.

Due to the leverage provided by her stuck blade, she jumped and placed her feet on Marclaw's torso. Mai then leaped backward while using that momentum to cut through its neck, finishing the blow and popping its head onto the floor.

Blood gushed out as the headless body fell to the ground from Ted jerking his axes forward. Mai spun in the air multiple times before landing on the freezing floor, exhaling steadily with small bits of steam particles escaping her mouth. Lucas, on the other hand, pulled his sword back and swung it to remove the blood on his blade.

On the back line, Morgan and Wit ran at the two remaining Marclaws. Morgan held a silver single-edged sword while Wit held a double-edged sword of deep blue. Wit cut his hand with his blade similar to how Mai cut hers, sparking a flame and engulfing his sword in orange light.

Morgan and Wit struck the finishing blows on the same Marclaw. Trying to regain his balance from Morgan's aimless strikes, Wit swept the ball with one blow while exhaling steam. Cassidy and Remy, from the back, dealt with the other remaining Marclaw with their ongoing Detonations.

Cassidy was panting uncontrollably. Although her frail body began to give out from constant running, her lightweight outfit proved to be a boon to her stamina. Remy, however, ignored his own tiredness and noticed more creatures running straight at them.

“There’s four more coming from the right and another three ahead of us!” Remy shouted at the group. All eyes were immediately drawn to the directions.

“Keep going down!” Wit ordered without hesitation. “We can’t stop right now. Aim for the ones in front of us, and don’t turn around! Stay with the group!”

“Roger that!” Everyone responded without hesitation.

“Wah~,” Cassidy exhaled in exhaustion. “I knew I shouldn’t have bought the book! Otherwise, this wouldn’t be happening! How far do we have to go until we hit the bottom?! I’m starting to lose my breath-”

“Cas’, stop talking and keep running,” Remy slapped Cassidy on the back. She squealed in shock. “That book purchase was worth it, so don’t overthink.”

“Don’t worry fellas,” Ted ran in the front. “We will be down to the bottom in no time! A feast is waiting for us!”

“Keep your appetite out of this,” Lucas said while focusing on the incoming marclaws as he ran on the right of Ted.

“I’m hungry too, but I don’t think we should be making food jokes right now…” Morgan spoke worriedly in the center of the group.

“Haha! I am just warming up! Bring it on, filthy monsters!" Mai yelled with unshaken determination while running on Ted’s left.

========================================

Fire Ability:

[Fire Cast: Detonation]

When casting the ability upon command, the vessel will release energy, leaving the body and out into the open air. Upon coming into contact with air, the energy will transform into fire and ignite brightly with its size depending on how much energy was held in the hands. This transformation will happen all at once, and the fire produced will cast itself out of their palms, directing itself in the direction of the user’s command.

When the ball of fire loses structural stability from its prolonged movement in the air or coming into contact with a rough surface, the ability will detonate itself and explode.

Ability’s Catalic Scale - 34.4

========================================

- Sometime Later / Located on level 29 of the Soul Harvesting Tower -

The group journeyed into the dense forest with glowing plants lighting a path for them. Shrubs, flowers, and mushrooms reflected the blues and turquoises of the sky. The pool of light above beamed at the top of trees while some leaked over small branch openings and at the ground below. Many would describe the view as watching the night sky move back and forth as leaves rustle in the wind.

Half of the group looked up in awe of the picturesque scenery, while the other half looked around for monsters.

“Who knew that SHT had some good looking places,” Mai grinned while looking at the sparkling lights above.

“You really do like using the tower’s name at times like that,” Morgan said with a concerned smile. “But I do agree. This place has a lot of things that we’ve never seen before. Even if we've come down here a couple of times already, it’s still kinda cool.” I need to know who named this tower like that.

“I’m still wondering why this entire place is five levels instead of one,” Lucas said while wiping his sword.

“I don’t know either,” Morgan replied. “It could be the sheer size of this area. After all, it took us around half an hour to finally reach down to level 29. Also, the inn said it had to do with the types of monsters, but there should’ve been more than just monsters.”

“But it’s also the fact that since every level is usually divided by a door, levels 25 to 29 should be following the same rules. But they don't, which is weird.” Remy said in the back of the group.

"That too..." Morgan continued to scout the area by staring at the map in his hand. By now, this was their third time heading down to level 29, and he managed to sketch some of its layout.

“Do you think there’s food here?” Ted questioned while looking at the alluring mushrooms and monsters’ corpses on the ground.

“For the last time, are you trying to risk your life again by eating these things?” Lucas asked right beside him. “You got an upset stomach from eating a Norphang in level 22. Even if you cooked it all the way, it’s still not safe.”

Ted released a depressing exhale, slanting his back forward with an upsetting look. “Those fuzzy-looking creatures had so much… meat! Who leaves them unattended?!”

“If you want food, eat the packed food. You always have plenty.” Lucas patted Ted’s shoulders.

The hell is your definition of ‘unattend’? Morgan added.

“Guys, talking is nice, but remember to watch for your surroundings,” Wit said as he continued to look around the trees and large patches of shadows.

“Don’t worry too much. Lucas, Ted, and I have good thermal perceptions,” Mai reassured Wit. “And since we are down here, we can tell when a strong enemy is approaching.”

“If you say so. But just keep watching in case something happens.”

“Alright, alright.”

“But I gotta say,” Ted changed subjects. “Who knew spending one imperial gold on a book was worth it.”

Upon hearing him, the group turned to the back with a satisfying grin where Wit, Cassidy, and Remy stood in the respected order. The two men also looked down at Cassidy, who glared back with a confused look.

“You really… Think?” Cassidy doubtfully said.

Mai shouted with a sly laugh afterwards, "Without regrets!".

“B-But earning one imperial gold took me more than a year… To spend it all at one thing- that was way too much.”

“And how much money have you got after purchasing the book?” Lucas asked with confidence.

“It’s… Um- What was it again…? Um…”

Cassidy wasn’t the type of person to deal with counting and finance. Although she was a quick learner, she couldn’t manage money. Remy usually helped her with these things, and one day, he made a small room underground to store her valuables which hid well from view. However, without a day passing by, she forgot where it was and cried to Remy about its whereabouts.

As a mage, she had the responsibility for being in the back and aiding when needed. Despite her weaker strength than Remy, she displayed more confidence and a significant enthusiasm for personal growth. Wit and Morgan decided to give a considerate sum of money to Cassidy. However, she usually gave her money to others out of generosity, which Wit thought was very kind of her to do. He knew how much money he offered Cassidy - by keeping a record of the amounts offered - which made it more warming to see.

“You earned half of the amount in three months, Cass," Wit said as he smiled at Cassidy. When she looked up to see his warm expression, she hastily looked away with a flushed face. When he saw their interaction, Remy turned his head away.

“Doesn't sound quite bad if you ask me,” Lucas nodded.

“The material inside the book was exactly what the title said. 'The Ways of the Fire - Book One' outlines many ways to improve fire strength at a beginner's level and even be able to confront opponents. That helped all of us improve in a week that would have taken us months without it!" Morgan looked at his map while holding a pen, smiling with satisfaction.

Still… Where was this book? It’s been 10 years since we first ventured inside the tower, and ‘now’ it’s showing up in the market? Maybe the sector closer to the city may have gotten the book earlier, but I dont' know. I still gotta find where these materials come from... What a dud… Anyway, at least the book is with Wit. That should secure its safety, though we planned to give it to Lucas because of Rosey’s large collection of books. But that sounds a little risky.

“Thank you, everyone,” Cassidy looked at the ground with embarrassment, holding her hands together with her staff in between. The group smiled in response while they continued going deeper into the dense forest.

 

---

 

Hundreds of creatures dwelled behind the shadows of trees and hid from groups of people. On level 29, there were some creatures whose strengths were so strong that they were thought to have escaped from levels beyond 30. But this wasn’t the case.

The level 25-28 domain had creatures residing in the dark that possessed strengths corresponding to their respective levels. But level 29 was more versatile, meaning some monsters exhibited level 35 threatening powers. Some of these creatures lived in trees, refusing to come to the ground for scavenging since their territory had enough resources for living.

Hence, it was recommended not to jump on the branches of trees from level 25, as this would trespass a creature's territory already marked. And those who did inevitably met their demise.

These tree dwellers living on branches rarely fought against people on level 29. However, it was never certain that they would stay up forever. And if one of those creatures decided to come down to snatch a new meal, it would require the strength of who-knows-how-many men who could handle level 29 quite manageably to kill it. Comparing the strength of ground dwellers to tree dwellers would be like comparing a child to an adult.

During the group’s course of exploring the large dense forest, they encountered dozens of various monsters. Some were obvious to discover due to their sheer size and strength. But others blended with the color of the trees and the ground, which blinded one’s sight of finding them.

Cassidy fell victim to one of these monsters. As they passed by a large open area with the ground covered in pebbles, a four-meter tall monster appeared from behind, snatched Cassidy off the ground, and into its mouth.

Because the creature was near-silent and Cassidy’s head was the first thing in its jaws, the group ahead didn’t realize she was being slowly eaten alive. Wit and Remy were behind the rest, but Wit was the only one who saw a glimpse of Cassidy disappearing in the corner of his eyes.

Cassidy was saved, but her injuries were moderate. The creature bit her with incredible force as its teeth dug into her chest and stomach. Blood leaked from the bite marks, and she gagged out a small amount of food eaten a while ago. Remy helped out with the healing. By placing his hands onto her wounded sites, his hands turned orange, and steadily, the bite marks closed. The body returned to its normal state, but her mental state quickly turned south.

Cassidy cried for a long time, and Remy’s attempt to calm her was futile. But he did walk behind her this time for "extra precautions."

Today, the group's objective was to search for a small plant, multiples of which were scattered throughout deep within the level. They were called Klertorimes, and most lived in an open area away from trees where they got exposed to incredible amounts of light. Klertorimes were currently selling for up to 5 silver coins per gram, and their plain-open locations may facilitate finding the plants to be quite noticeable.

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From where they came (where Cassidy almost got eaten alive) was an open area that may contain a few colonies of these miniature plants. However, seeing that human footprints were present, the group knew it was too late to find any remaining.

They weren’t the only ones who walked around the forest as other groups - smaller or larger - were present in all places. Lucas and the rest heard explosions echoing and the ground rumbling like an earthquake. They heard bangs coming from every corner. Luckily, trees were in the way to keep them from knowing what exactly was happening.

Lucas and the group walked on a path made of pebbles surrounded by dirt for roughly half an hour while trying to avoid scenes happening around them. As of now, they have found five open areas, but none had Klertorimes. During their previous explorations, Morgan mapped out a lot, and based on its layout, there was another circular area up ahead. At their pace, it will take less than a minute for them to arrive.

As they surveyed the view, they came across a group of people from another set of paths that connect to theirs. The group, which were complete strangers, had ten members of diverse ages. The two groups didn’t realize their roads were connected - eventually understanding their situation once vegetation and trees were out of the way. After staring blankly in each other's eyes for quite a while, the two groups diverged from one another as some held their weapons.

“Hey now,” one of the men in the other group spoke, holding a blood-stained sword and pointing it at Lucas and his group. He looked like he was in his late teens, wearing light metal armor that twinkled over the light shining from above, presumably their leader. “This place is off-limits. We’ve got some things to get, so why not go back to where you came from?”

Mai, out of anger, stepped up with her sword resting over her shoulders. “Excuse me?” She snapped. “Get the hell out of my sight before I hurt you.”

“Woah, scary,” the man replied as his group began to laugh in mockery. Mai began to lose temper and walked at them while grabbing onto the handle of her unwithdrawn sword; however, Ted pulled her shoulders back. When she looked up at him, he shook his head and implored her not to make the situation worse.

“Are you people looking for that Klerto- stuff as well?” An older woman in their group said with a smirk, wearing glamorous clothes and armor that seemed to provide no protection. “Well, too bad. We will be taking them, so leave, please.”

Morgan answered in a neutral tone. “Why not just split the share? Both of us are going to the same place for Klertorimes, so it should be better if we just-”

“Who the fuck do you think you are?” The woman blustered, cutting off Morgan’s words and silencing him instantly. “Do you think we take that lame crap for our good? You must be dreaming.”

Lucas and his group looked back with disgusted expressions. Wit saw Morgan’s defeated state covered with discouragement and walked up to the front as their leader and confronted them with no hesitation.

“Alright, what is your problem?” Wit asked sternly. “There is no need to speak with such an attitude when we’re deep underground.”

“Oh,” the teenage leader said with amusement. “Are you their boss?”

Wit refused to respond.

“If you are, then tell them to stay here until we are finished, if you guys are so desperate,” despite speaking over them with confidence, the leader felt something strange among their group. Three people, in particular, caught his attention: Lucas, Morgan, and Ted.

Those guys… I’ve seen them somewhere. Weren’t they the guys who wiped out the entire… Maybe I’m just imagining things.

The group proceeded to walk ahead while laughing with satisfaction. Lucas and his group watched them trudge along where they could see the open area revealing itself right over a small layer of trees.

“Those piece of sh-”

“Mai, don’t,” Wit ordered Mai, who was about to take a step forward. “Let them go first. We aren’t here to fight other people. Remember the reason why we came here.”

“Pathetic,” Remy sighed bitterly.

“It is what it is,” Lucas followed. “I doubt they will even leave some for us."

“Man, I’ve lost my appetite,” Ted grunted.

They heard a girl screaming in joy up ahead, shouting to see the view they were looking at. “Guys, look at all of these things! They’re everywhere!”

As they looked at the group, they saw a short girl with a staff running until she entered the large area which was supposedly filled with many Klertorimes. A boy, about the same age as their leader, followed after her while yelling with joy. “Just look at them! We can make a fortune!”

The remaining group members walked at a slow pace. Seeing their patient walking, Mai bit her lips and shouted, “Hey, pick up the pace and get it over with! How long do you think we have to wait for?!”

The group of ten members, where two ran ahead to collect the Klertorimes, turned around to face Lucas and his group with arms crossed. They were about ten meters away from where his group was.

“We can take as much time as we want,” their leader said. “It’s not like we are short on time. So get comfortable.”

He, once again, looked at the three men, the same guys that brought chills down his back. Lucas, Morgan, and Ted, something about them triggered a wave of worry inside of him.

Who the hell are these guys? Why am I feeling like this? I’ve been told that they’ve wiped out an entire fleet of men. They were on boards for years just because they were said to be threatening. But now that I look at them in person, they look otherwise. It doesn’t look like they can even handle level 30, but still, why is my body acting like this?

“Idiot,” Mai growled.

Wit couldn't decide what to do. The only paths around them were the ones his group and the other group came down. Assuming the people had already scavenged their area, their road was out of the picture when looking for Klertorimes. Based on Morgan’s map, if they go back, there was a path almost twenty minutes away which hadn't been explored yet. He believed the long walk would be unnecessary, as they could keep moving forward. But knowing the group ahead, it may not be as hopeful as he wanted.

Without a concrete solution, he asked his group to come together to make a plan. As they formed a circle, Cassidy, who was at the back of their formation, kept looking ahead to the wide field before her while ignoring the other group looking back.

“We have two options,” Wit said. “We can either wait for them to finish, find some remains, and move ahead of them. Or we can go back and find another route.”

“Or we can just beat their asses," Mai commented.

“That’s not necessary.”

Morgan looked at his map with worry. “There won’t be enough time to go back. At this rate, people will find all of the Klertorimes before we could get even a little. We can’t waste more time. We have to keep on going regardless of the situation.”

“How about just going off-path until we find a spot?” Remy asked.

“Think about this, Remy,” Wit said. “This entire place is nothing but a home of hundreds of creatures, and we are trespassing. If we go any further from the path, it will be a confrontation and a trigger for them to attack us. We need to stay on the path for safety.”

“How about this?” Lucas said.

As the group continued to make a plan for their next moves, Cassidy kept looking ahead at the two people picking up the Klertorimes hastily. Without looking away, her mind seemed to blank out. A slight hushing wind began to fill her ears, and seeing the open area, she started to fall into a daze.

What a big open area. A vast open area. Isn’t this how I almost got eaten by a monster? And with so many Klertorimes around the place, what a perfect bait it resembles.

The girl and the boy kept picking the Klertorimes and placing them in baskets held around their arms. The two laughed joyously without taking a break, leaning their bodies forward and facing the ground defenselessly. Cassidy’s head tilted sideways as her empty consciousness began to wonder about the outcomes that may unfold.

Look how distracted they are. I wonder how long it will take for them to notice. Well, not that it matters. If they just get moving, nothing will really happen. Besides, they have ten members on their side, so everything should be-

But as she said those words, in a fraction of a second, something snatched the two bodies off the ground from above and lifted them instantly. And just like that, the boy and girl picking the Klertorimes vanished without a trace. There were no screams and no sounds of wind gusts. Everything was still as if nothing had happened.

“U-Um…” Cassidy, as she tried to refocus herself, began to shake uncontrollably. When clarifying what she saw, she slowly backed off with utmost fear. The group faced Cassidy, who looked as if she saw a ghost.

“What’s the matter,” Wit questioned.

“A-Ah… T-The,” Cassidy could not speak properly as her voice gave up entirely. She looked up at her group, who seemed bewildered about her current state. Everything happened so quickly that no one noticed what had just taken place. She fell to the ground, sitting there with her hands in her mouth as if she was about to puke. Affected by her fear, the group walked closer to her, especially Remy.

“Woah, hey, Cass’!” Remy shouted. “Hey! What’s wrong! Did something happen?!”

“Those people,” Cassidy, with her weak and shaking hands, lifted one of them and pointed ahead to the group and over them to the open field behind. “Those people… They’re dead.”

In confusion, they looked in the pointed direction to see what she was talking about.

“Dead? I don’t see anything wrong,” Remy answered, seeing men and women looking back. Cassidy began to tear up with hopelessness.

“Wait,” Morgan said with focus. “Their group had ten members. Where did the two go?”

“Aren’t they back there picking those damn plants? We may not see them since the trees are in the way, as well as those people.”

“I guess. Though I remembered them shouting for a moment, then their voices disappeared. When did this happen?” Or am I overthinking again?

Morgan looked back at Cassidy, who looked drained with a pale face. No, I’m definitely not overthinking. She saw something that we didn’t. “Cassidy, what did you see?”

“I- I saw two large hooks- two sharp hooks. And they… They stabbed the two people and brought them up to the trees. It was so fast… Very fast- t-that they couldn’t scream for help.”

Mai saw Cassidy’s condition and turned to the group, and shouted. “Hey! It appears that your people died! Ever thought of watching your members instead of us, jerkhead?”

The group ahead looked at each other with confusion. As a couple turned around to the open field behind them, their group leader remained in place and spoke. “What are you talking about? Are you trying to scare us? Don’t worry about it. We will leave some for you guys, so there is no need to be so threatening. Just stay there and remain-”

Suddenly, he felt a tug from one of the members from behind, shaking him violently while breathing disturbingly fast.

“Sir… Um,” the man said as the rest of the group started turning to see what he was talking about. “They're gone... Only their baskets are left.”

When the entire group faced the open area just a meter away, they saw no traces of their members. There were just spots showing noticeable plucking of Klertorimes, two tilted baskets, and bright rays of orange light beaming from above.

They remained there for a good half a minute to process what they were looking at. Some questioned where they'd gone with a small lurk of fear that what Lucas’s group had said about their members was true. However, a couple still hadn’t accepted what they were getting into.

“Huh?” The woman who previously shut Morgan spoke with disbelief. “Do you think we’d fall for that? Come on, they just wandered off somewhere, maybe they caught something worthwhile. Don’t you guys agree?”

As the woman looked down at the other members, including their leader, she only saw faces of terror and doubt. Instantly, her smirking face turned into frustration. She walked ahead into the open area where the baskets lay.

“Fine, if you people are so scared, then I’ll just call out to them. They’ll come back.”

“W-Wait!” The leader said as he reached out his arms to grab onto her, but it was too late. She was too far to take hold, and he had no strength to walk forward. By now, everyone knew their two members had vanished for a strong reason.

“Hey, you two!” the woman shouted with a careless tone. “Come out. There is no need to wander off."

There was no response. She shouted once more, "Just what are you guys doing? We're running out of time here, so hurry up and continue collecting these Klerto…”

But as she began to look up, a large shadow was cast on the ground, filling the entire area with a dark enveloping shadow. The woman stood there like a statue, remaining still while looking up in speechlessness.

“That shadow,” Lucas said with shock. Imagining what created that glimmer of orange light as the bright open area was obscured by darkness, he pondered what had caused this.

“It’s way too big,” Morgan followed. Something that large that could cover the entire circle… It can’t be.

“Hey!” Wit shouted at the top of his lungs, flailing his arms to grab all of the group's attention. “Get out of there! Move it!” There is only one monster that could cast a shadow 18 meters across the ground.

But without making a single step, loud rumblings were heard everywhere - from the front, the right, the left, and behind. The trees near the circular area swayed back and forth, shaking violently to the point where the leaves rained down and branches snapped in bits. The rumbling gradually became a small earthquake, causing everyone around to lose their balance and rock back and forth.

Morgan looked to the sides to see where the trees were. He heard the rattling and screeching of monsters nearby scuttle away in fear. Numerous monsters, whose presence had not been noticed, ran away until their terrified screams were no longer heard.

How many monsters were looking at us just now? Did they run away? Did they all? What is going on here?

Lucas and his group tried to back off, but from the amount of shaking that made them lose balance, no one could. Some from the man’s group fell from their given-up legs.

“Mara!” The group leader said with hopelessness, continuing to reach his arms out, hoping the woman would grab onto him.

She, who was in the circle covered in the large shadow, fell to the ground with barely the strength to move or speak a word.

The small earthquake suddenly ceased, disappearing like a snap of a finger. Silence filled the air, trees stopped rattling, and no winds flew past. Everything slowed down, as if time had stopped. It was so quiet that it felt abnormal for everyone - Lucas, Mai, Ted, Morgan, Wit, Remy, Cassidy, and the other group members.

And slowly and steadily, the only person who moved was the woman in the circle, turning her head ever so slightly behind her. She faced her group with constricted eyes and a pale expression. Gritting her teeth, she looked at her leader while reaching her arms back at him.

“Save…” The woman muttered in fear which could be heard meters away due to the absolute quietness. “H- Help me-”

Suddenly, the ground shook with incredible force. The trees surrounding the circular area began tilting, snapping a dozen times over, and falling to the ground. Hundreds of trees rained down like waves, flowing in one direction and plummeting to the ground. And as the trees started to collapse, the bright orange light from above shined luminously, revealing a large body of mass falling to the central area.

“Move!” Mai shouted at her group as a 30 meter tall tree fell right on top of them. Immediately, the group stepped aside - Remy grabbing onto Cassidy - and dodged the collapsing tree. Like a barrage of explosions, trees landed on the ground with immense force, rocking the floor with strength that no one had felt. Branches fell in all directions while leaves snowed within a hundred-meter radius.

Morgan and Ted reacted late when leaping to the side. And as a result, the lower half of their legs got stuck below the heavy tree. The two grunted in pain as they tried to nudge themselves out with futile efforts.

“Morg, Ted!” Lucas and Wit quickly ran up to them and pulled on their bodies. However, no matter how hard they tried, they wouldn’t move.

“Aargh…” Morgan squealed and hissed from the immense pain he was feeling. “This isn’t good… Wit… How do I get out…?”

“Goddamnit!” Ted followed with his growling noises. “Wit, sir, get Morg off first… This wasn’t the first time a tree fell on top of me. I can take it…”

Shit! Wit snapped. “Cassidy, Remy!” He turned to look at the two, who were too occupied with something else. “What are you guys looking at?! Hurry and help! One of you, cast your spells on them and heal their legs! The other, use your fire and break the tree into two!”

But without any response, Remy and Cassidy continued to look ahead without any thoughts of helping. It’s as if their entire body refused to work.

“Wit…” Remy said as he pointed his fingers in front of him. Hastily, Wit faced the specific direction to see what he was talking about. But within a second, Wit’s face became pale with sweat dripping down his face. What he saw in front of him caused everyone else to look and react the same way.

Through the vast rain of leaves, they saw the woman, who previously stood in the open area, being lifted from the ground meters high. A large white hook, stained with blood, pierced her chest. She stood there motionless, eyes opened with no life in them, and legs dangling like weak fabrics.

Behind the woman and the large hook was a large insect-like body nearly 15 meters tall and stretching 20 meters across. It had eight large bent legs, green in color with red lumps arranged in lines up to its body and spikes that were sharp as needles. It had a large bulging abdomen pulsing like a rapid-beating heart. It possessed a body with yellow and green patterns, four arms - two of which were 4-meter hooks, and a head with oval green eyes and a mouth with many snapping jaws.

It screeched with death-sounding volumes, reigning its dominance and supremacy over everyone around it. Lucas and his group covered their ears, hoping their eardrums wouldn't burst from the loud screeching. It shrieked with its saliva dripping out of its crackling mouth.

“That’s…” Mai stared at it with defeat.

“A Thornial Hunter,” Wit said in weakness. “One of the strongest tree dwellers in level 29.” They are almost as strong as one of the monsters in level 36.

Looking ahead, he saw the other group alive, standing and watching the monster unveil its two massive scythes. However, three members got crushed from the same tree that Morgan and Ted were stuck in, leaving a puddle of blood leaking from where the bodies got mangled. Four people remained in their team while Wit had all his members. Everyone either stood or sat on the ground as they looked at the towering monster. No one could move from the sight of a tree dweller in front of them.

But without a moment to waste, Wit quickly gained his composure and faced Morgan and Ted, who sweated profusely from the pain they were experiencing.

"We have no time to waste!" He shouted at the group members who hadn't fully composed themselves. "Hurry before it begins to make a move! Give me a hand! We have to free Morg and Ted! Move it!”

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