Chapter 7: Danger in the forest
When morning’s first light filtered through the dense canopy above, Mitch finally succumbed to exhaustion.
His bloodshot eyes, kept vigilant throughout the endless night, could no longer resist the pull of sleep.
The memory of the spider’s crimson gaze haunted his dreams, but his body demanded rest after hours of fearful alertness.
Upon awakening, the sun hung high overhead, casting dappled shadows through the ancient trees.
Mitch ventured deeper into the forest’s heart, his newly enhanced senses as a tier 2 mage picking up the subtle vibrations of life around him.
The wilderness seemed to pulse with opportunity and danger in equal measure.
The first creatures to challenge him were laughably overconfident.
A pack of horned rabbits burst from the underbrush, their ivory horns gleaming as they bounded toward him with reckless abandon.
Their erratic movements made them frustrating opponents, leaping unpredictably from tree to tree, darting between his legs, their small forms difficult to track. But their courage far exceeded their capabilities.
[4 x Tier 1 Horned rabbit core converted into 10 xp]
Crows descended next, their harsh cries echoing through the forest as they dive-bombed him with wild fury.
Their beady eyes held an unsettling intelligence, but their fragile bones snapped easily under the force of his mana-enhanced strikes. Black feathers drifted to the forest floor like dark snow.