Chapter 12:
The air still buzzed with leftover energy, like the world hadn't finished exhaling after the battle. It smelled strange—burnt wood, wet dirt, and something sharp and electric that stung Leo's nose.
He and Tarra moved slowly through the broken forest. The ground was soft with moss and fallen leaves, but every step made Leo flinch. Every crack of a branch, every flutter of wind through the trees felt like a warning. His eyes scanned constantly, but Tarra stayed slightly ahead—quiet, watchful, and alert.
The forest around them looked like it had been hit by something massive. Huge trees lay splintered, their roots torn out of the ground. Craters dotted the land—some still faintly smoking, others filled with weird, glowing puddles that shimmered with unnatural colors. This wasn't just storm damage. It looked like the forest itself had been punched by the gods.
They hadn't gone far when Tarra suddenly stopped.
Leo froze.
A low growl rumbled in Tarra's chest—deep and quiet.
Leo followed her gaze to a thick clump of brush on their left. He couldn't see anything, but something was there. Then he heard it—heavy, dragging footsteps and a soft snuffling sound. Something was moving just out of sight.
It was one of the creatures.
Leo held his breath, standing completely still. Tarra didn't move a muscle.
The creature came closer. It made a frustrated huffing noise, sniffing at the ground, searching. Leo imagined those weird monsters from earlier—huge beasts made of crystal, shadowy things flickering in and out of reality. Whatever this one was, it was hunting. Probably for titan remains.
The seconds crawled by.
Finally, the sound started to fade. The creature moved off into the distance, deeper into the wreckage.
Tarra waited a moment longer before relaxing. She turned to Leo and gave a slight nod. Tarra paused just long enough to glance back at Leo—a flicker of silent reassurance before returning to her watch.
"Too close," Leo mouthed, wiping his forehead.
They moved again—slower now, more cautious. That close call made it clear the forest was crawling with these things. And they were definitely looking for something.
Leo knew exactly what.
He glanced at his inventory, even though the item wasn't visible anymore. The antler fragment. The broken piece of that massive bear's antlers, still pulsing with residual energy. It wasn't just rare—it was dangerous to carry. Like a flare in the dark.
"They probably smell it," Leo muttered under his breath.
[System Notice: Certain entities have begun tracking your presence.]
This place wanted him to turn back. But he wouldn't.
His thoughts drifted to that term from earlier—Primordials. The bear had been one of them. A being tied to the creation of the Eldorian Forest itself. That kind of power… it was hard to wrap his head around. But this wasn't just some giant animal. It was a force of nature.
The antler looked like ancient wood, but it was heavier than steel. And the fruits growing on it still glowed softly, filled with some unknown energy. The appraisal had said "unknown uses." Could it be food? A weapon core? Something to craft with?
He didn't know. But he knew one thing: whatever it was, others wanted it too.
Somewhere deep in his inventory, the antler fragment pulsed once—faint, but steady. Like it was aware.
The further they traveled, the stranger the forest became. The ground twisted and buckled, the paths broken. Sometimes they had to climb over thick roots or duck under fallen trunks. The air grew colder, and a thin mist crept in—wrapping around trees like it was watching them.
Even the sounds of birds and bugs were gone. The forest had gone silent, like it was holding its breath.
Leo kept his hand close to his weapon—his Aetherpulse Rifle. The rifle hummed faintly with mana, steady and reliable. It helped to have something familiar in his grip.
Tarra moved beside him like a shadow—quiet, calm, focused.
He trusted her with his life.
Leo felt the pressure building again. Not from just being hunted. From everything. From how big this all was. Monsters, titans, ancient power—this was way beyond anything he was used to dealing with.
But he wasn't lost. Not really.
His main quest was still the same—reach the Nara Tree. That was the goal, buried somewhere deep in this broken forest. He didn't know what was waiting there. Answers? More danger? But it was a destination. A direction to move in.
[Main Quest: Labyrinth of the Inheritor]
Progress: 1/3 – Reach the Base of the Nara Tree
And that helped.
The mist thickened as they pressed forward. The shattered forest almost looked frozen in time. Leo saw glowing mushrooms crushed under collapsed trees, strange vines curling through cracks in the ground, and now and then, the flicker of energy lingering in the air like static.
This place wasn't just ancient.
It was alive.
And it felt like it was watching.
Leo's pace slowed a bit. His eyes flicked around constantly, watching for movement. The creatures were still out there. Maybe closer than he thought.
But something else was growing inside him too.
He wasn't just afraid anymore.
There was a part of him that was curious—wanting to understand what had happened here, what the bear had been, what those glowing fruits might do. Not just as a survivor, but as a craftsman. As a Golem Maker.
He looked at Tarra, who moved steadily beside him, always scanning, always ready. Her presence reminded him he wasn't alone in this.
"We're almost there," Leo whispered, though he had no idea how close they were.
They were still in danger. Still deep in unknown territory. But Leo felt something shift inside him.
He wasn't just running anymore.
He was chasing something.
And whatever waited at the center of this ruined forest—he would face it head on.