Chapter 20: The First Mutation Encounter
As they moved through the misty forests, everything was quieter than it should have been. No birdsong. No wind. Only footsteps... and tension. Zeyna was walking ahead—fast, agile, and careful, as if she could smell danger instinctively.
Fade trailed slightly behind. With each step, he scanned his surroundings, trying to suppress the echoes in his mind. The crystal in his pocket kept vibrating softly.
"This silence isn’t a good sign," Kaela whispered. "Nothing in nature stays this quiet."
At that moment, Fade stopped. Something caught his eye, stuck in the roots of a tree. He bent down, squinting.
A squirrel... but nearly a meter long. Its body was covered in bristle-like fur, its eye sockets empty, mouth frozen open. Its teeth were sharp and protruding.
[??? Mutant Form – Unidentifiable]
"This... isn’t evolution," Fade muttered. "This is... corruption."
Just then, the ground trembled. As Fade loosened his chain, Zeyna turned her head to the left and smiled.
"Get ready," she said. "This is like the scent of perfume... just a warning before it hits."
The ground cracked. Five massive creatures burst out beneath them—chunky, frog-like but toothed monsters, moving with leaps. They had no eyes. No ears. But their noses twitched, locking onto targets by scent.
[Detected Entity: Mutant Howlbeast]