The trees broke, opening the way for various Beats and Monsters.
Common Forest Wolves, Ayenas, Great Falcons, and others.
A disgusted expression was on Mark's face as he stared at them.
"This..." Elisa looked around rapidly, scanning the environment in a second. "Can't be good."
With a hand, Mark cracked his neck while the Beasts and Monsters growled and screeched.
"Think it's controlling them?" Mark asked.
His left foot, just like her right foot, drew a half circle.
They stood with their backs inches apart.
"Maybe not controlling but-"
"It led them here. Just like it led us."
"Yeah. That's probably what she's doing."
Mark nodded.
"We're the intruder. Which means..." He scratched his neck. "It wants to take us out by using the Forest's inhabitants."
"Maybe..."
"Still think this Nature Spirit is friendly?"
"Well..." Elisa chuckled nervously as she took out her Timeworn Elven Daggers. "Most usually are. More Spirits of the Forest."
Mark extended his claws at the approaching Monsters and Beasts.
"Guess that depends on the Forest."
Elisa's eyes widened.
"What did you-"
The Monster growled and ran forward, joining the rest of its kind in a deathmatch.
"Depends on the Forest..." Elisa whispered. "I'm so dumb-"
She hurriedly lowered her body, leaving space for the leaping Common Forest Wolf to pass above.
'It depends on the Forest. Duh. Of course, it does. This isn't just any Spirit. It isn't any normal Forest. It's...'
Her Timeworn Elven Daggers spun in her wrists and repeatedly cut the Common Forest Wolf's hide at multiple spots.
'A Forest inside...'
Elisa mainly targeted its joints and neck.
'The Monster Realm.'
Mark roared at the different Beasts and Monsters in front of him.
The weaker Monsters team up against the stronger ones.
Once the stronger ones are defeated, the weak fight amongst themselves.
The way it was inside the Dungeon.
The way of Monsters.
'Just have to kill them all.'
Mark's monstrous face as he roared disguised his disgust as anger.
He leaped at the closest enemy.
'Forest's Spirit... Whatever that means. In the end...'
He dodged.
'This is the same as a Dungeon.'
He attacked.
'Just have to kill them all...'
And dodged again.
'To make it out.'
Anger started rising within Mark as he moved from enemy to enemy.
'That Spirit is the same...'
At the three enemies that approached at once, he spread his wings.
Wind Blast-
'As a Dungeon Master.'
The Ayenas screeched, but they couldn't do much more than that.
They attacked with the sharp ends of their tails capable of lengthening.
Due to being unable to build up enough velocity to utilize their spinning attack, which was their specialty, the Ayenas weren't as much of a threat as they could've been.
Mark took a leap.
And as his feet hit the ground, the Moonlit Feline on his shoulder took the opportunity to jump and spin 180 degrees.
With her claws gently but firmly resting on and grasping Mark's scales, Krista watched his back.
Elisa's Timeworn Elven Daggers spun and drew lines of blood as she danced amidst the Monsters.
Mark didn't worry about her.
And she didn't worry about him.
Krista supported both by using Magic Attacks to damage or inhibit the enemies' movements that approached either Mark or Elisa from behind.
It didn't take long for the Monsters to be dealt with.
With a Destructive Tail Flick, Mark launched an Ayena's body towards the wall of trees.
The ground below him broke, as he leaped.
Before the Ayena could hit that wall of trees, Mark's sharp claws pierced its unprotected stomach.
Thump-
As he had expected, the tree didn't break, crack, or even shake.
'That's the last of-'
Mark's body froze.
With his hand going through the dead Ayena's body, he froze.
"You..."
Out of nowhere, she had appeared.
Her face was inches away from his.
She stared with her green eyes.
The color of her eyes made him feel incredibly uneasy. No doubt because they reminded him of someone else's eyes.
She had suddenly appeared.
It was as if she was emerging from the tree's trunk.
Only her upper body had emerged, parallel to the ground, and at eye-level with him.
No.
She wasn't emerging.
Her appearance was too sudden for that.
"You..."
Dizziness.
A ringing noise resonated inside Mark's head.
Her voice. Something about it made him feel like his skull was going to explode.
"What are you?" The Spirit of the Forest, Yarnha, asked.
A drop of blood went down Mark's nose.
[The Title "Devourer" roars!]
[The Title "Evolving Monster" screeches!]
He suddenly jumped back.
"You won't answer me?"
Mark grimaced.
"Listen to me..."
Her voice wasn't unpleasant though.
"Listen to my voice, and nothing else."
In truth, it was the opposite.
A sweet sweet voice.
The kind that made you feel safe.
The kind that made you feel like everything was going to be alright. That everything was going the way it was supposed.
The kind of voice, so sweet, that it could ease your pain and worries.
The kind that made you made your concerns and doubts melt away.
The kind that could put you to sleep.
Peacefully, and gently.
"Tell me..."
Lightly, and delicately.
"What are you?"
Mark clenched his fist without retracting his claws, piercing his palm.
He jerked himself awake and his eyes which were about to close opened wide.
"Tell me..."
Mark shook his head.
For some reason, he couldn't see much.
"I want to know..."
For some reason, he couldn't hear a thing.
"What you are."
He couldn't hear a thing but her voice.
"I said tell me!"
A shiver went down his spine.
He wanted to look away, but couldn't.
He wanted to call out to Elisa, but couldn't.
Why couldn't he hear her?
Why couldn't he hear Krista?
Were they alright?
Were they-
"Now, now... Will you me one favor? I haven't asked much of you ever, have I? Why don't you tell me?"
"I... I..."
Mark's lips parted before he had realized it.
"Yes? Tell me everything. I'm here..."
"Krista... Elisa... Where-"
"Don't worry about them. I'm taking good care of them." Yarnha said gently as she smiled.
"G..."
"G...?"
"Good... That's... Good..."
The Spirit's smile widened.
"Now, tell me. What are you?"
"What... I am...?"
"That's right. I'm curious. You'll tell me, right?"
None of them had realized it yet, but the trees' roots had already taken over the area they stood on.
"Why... Should I...?"
From the ground below the half-asleep group, firm roots were rising.
Slowly but surely, those roots wrapped themselves around their bodies.
"Huh? Isn't it obvious?" Yarnha's smile showed a smile oh so warm, oh so gentle. "You can tell me..."
The green mist that had covered the area, Mark, Elisa, Krista. None had noticed it slowly filling the air.
"We'll soon be one after all."
