Low-Fantasy Occultist Isekai

Nick forced his breath into the Stalking Gait to keep his composure—it wouldn't do to let the fae frighten him into recklessness. His senses stretched outward, feeling for the slightest disturbance in the air, the faintest pulse of magic that might reveal the entity that had taken the sword.

Unfortunately, he found nothing. No matter how hard he forced himself to sift through the static created by the tiny particles of air in the ground, they disclosed nothing about where the creature had gone. It was as if it had never been there at all.

One major disadvantage of being the attackers this time is that they possess far better knowledge of the terrain. This is clearly fae magic, but I would find it difficult to track it even if it were a regular spell. I just don't know where to search.

The men around him remained tense, their eyes darting between the empty space where the sword had disappeared and the shadows at the edge of the clearing. Although they weren't novices, this was something they hadn't anticipated. There's a reason grandpa used to tell me to stay away from contract magic: fae can be incredibly difficult to handle, even when you have summoned them.

After every scout confirmed they could sense nothing, Eugene took control of the situation before it could devolve further, "Enough! Get back in formation. We're moving out."

The order snapped the strike group out of their hesitation. Armor clanked, bows creaked, and the men scrambled back into their ranks. The pause had already lasted too long. They weren't there to play guessing games.

Nick cast a final, wary glance at the ground before falling into step next to his father. He wasn't comfortable with this situation. It was becoming quite clear that they would keep encountering obstacles, and they had not yet reached the true territory of the dungeon.

Every step felt more burdensome now. Every rustling leaf and distant bird call sounded just a bit too loud.

Nick maintained [Wind God's Third Eye] active the whole time despite being unaccustomed to the overwhelming amount of information flooding his mind. He constantly scanned for anything that might be lurking in the brush.

Then, barely ten minutes into their resumed march, his entire body tensed. Something ripped open the air behind them.

The sensation was subtle but distinct—the same kind of disruption he'd felt when the Wraiths had attacked Arthur. A tear in space, something stepping through.

Nick didn't hesitate. "Halt!" he roared, already raising his wand. Without waiting for confirmation, he fired.

A barrage of [Wind Bursts] tore through the forest, howling as they blasted through foliage, bending branches and scattering loose dirt.

The entire strike group froze at his shout, weapons drawn, desperately searching for the enemy.

A low cry came from the rift's direction.

A large shape darted between the trees, moving with startling speed. Nick caught a flash of gray and brown, the shimmer of tough hide. He prepared to attack again, before his brain caught up with what his spell was telling him.

It wasn't a monster. It was a Rock Deer.

The creature emitted a disgruntled huff as it stopped a hundred feet away, showing that his magic barely marked its stone-like skin. It cast the group a long, unimpressed glance before darting off into the undergrowth, disappearing as swiftly as it had arrived.

Silence followed.

Nick's heart pounded. He clenched his wand tighter. That… wasn't right. Some of the men exhaled, shifting uneasily. One of the younger adventurers let out a bitter laugh. "You almost gave me a heart attack over a deer?"

Nick whipped his head toward him, scowling. "That deer wasn't there before."

The man scoffed, clearly unimpressed. "Maybe you just missed it. You're a good mage, I don't think anyone can deny that now, but you're not infallible." That his words rang with truth only made them more frustrating.

Before Nick could snap back, an older ranger interjected. "No. He's right."

Everyone turned. The veteran scout had his arms crossed, face grim. "Rock Deer don't appear out of nowhere like that. It wasn't here when we passed this way earlier. It was placed here—summoned, sent, whatever you want to call it."

A ripple of unease passed through the group. Eugene exhaled through his nose. "Fae trickery."

The other elder scout hummed from his position near the back. "They're testing us. Watching how we react. They won't commit to a real attack yet until they are sure they have us all figured out."

The younger ranger, who had been silent so far, finally joined the discussion. "They want to exhaust us like we would a prey animal." ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs, ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ ᴠɪsɪᴛ noⅴelfire.net

Nick frowned, the pieces clicking together. The Fae were wearing them down, making them react to small threats, chipping away at their focus. I have to wonder if they would have sent something else through the rift if I hadn't noticed.

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

That was a very real possibility. It would allow them to continue testing the strike group's defenses without wasting resources. They were waiting for them to get careless.

"No more stopping unless absolutely necessary. We need to keep moving if we don't want to be sitting ducks." Eugene grunted, and the march resumed.

The trees grew denser, their branches creating a nearly impenetrable canopy overhead, plunging the path into semi-twilight. The forest floor was damp, and the smell of moss and decay filled the air.

Then, a sound. The soft, familiar trickle of water.

Nick blinked as they approached a bubbling brook, the water clear and shimmering in the dim light.

Something about it immediately felt off. Nick focused his senses, stretching them outward.

The brook was real. The water was moving, rippling, carrying tiny leaves downstream. It wasn't an illusion. But something else was wrong.

Nick glanced at the men around him—and his stomach dropped.

They were walking straight toward it, as if they couldn't see it. None of them hesitated, not even Eugene. Their expressions were blank, and their eyes unfocused.

A ding echoed in his mind.