Under the gray, cloudden sky, Lyerin''smand echoed as he and his unit of twenty formidable Pig Orcs fell into formation.


    Each one towered, muscle-bound, with thick hides that gleamed in patches where sparse, coarse hair covered their otherwise grayish-green skin.


    They wielded massive, cleaver-like des, rough and battle-worn from countless encounters, and their eyes were sharp with focus.


    Their breaths puffed into the cold air, a steady rhythm that mixed with the tense murmurs of the soldiers standing behind them.


    Lyerin, standing at the front, raised his hand and barked themand,


    "Formation! Brace for defense!"


    His words came with the weight of years ofmand, and the Pig Orcs shifted into a tight, protective wall with their des raised and feet nted firmly.


    Each step they took dug small trenches into the earth, grounding them as an immovable force.


    Behind them, the soldiers shuffled nervously, eyes flicking between the wall of Pig Orcs and the dense tree line ahead, where a barely perceptible movement hinted at a lurking danger.


    Lucas, standing just behind Lyerin, nced around uneasily but held his gun steady, waiting for the order he knew woulde soon.


    "Prepare to fire!" Lyerin''s voice cut through the silence.


    Then, as if on cue, an enormous shape slithered into view.


    The ground trembled under the weight of the beast—a massive boa constrictor, its scales gleaming like polished metal and eyes glowing an unnatural yellow.


    Its head, the size of a small boulder, swayed as it assessed the threat in front of it.


    Muscles rippled down the length of its body, and when it opened its maw, rows of dagger-like fangs gleamed, each one slick with venom that dripped and hissed upon hitting the earth.


    The soldiers'' fingers tensed on their triggers, beads of sweat forming despite the cold.


    The oppressive presence of the beast was nearly overwhelming, filling the air with a palpable sense of dread.


    "Hold your ground!" Lyerin''s voice rang out, steady and unwavering. He turned slightly to the soldiers, "When I give the signal, fire! And don''t hold back."


    The boa hissed, a sound that resonated like a guttural growl, before coiling back, readying itself to strike. Then, with a deafening roar, it lunged forward.


    "Fire!"


    Gunfire erupted, a cacophony of sharp, percussive sts that filled the clearing.


    Bullets pelted the boa''s scales, creating a metallic clinking sound as they ricocheted off its armored hide.


    The beast reared back, momentarily deterred by the assault, but it wasn''t enough to prate its natural defenses.


    With a swift, sinuous movement, itshed its tail, smashing a nearby tree into splinters and sending shockwaves through the earth that made the soldiers stagger.


    The Pig Orcs, however, held their formation, leaning into the force of the impact as though rooted to the ground itself.


    "Maintain defense! Redirect your focus on the joints!" Lyerinmanded, his voice cutting through the chaos with the same resolve as steel.


    A few soldiers adjusted their aim, directing their fire towards the softer areas where the boa''s scales met, exposing vulnerable joints.


    The bullets managed to pierce the thick hide there, and dark blood began to seep, staining the soil beneath.


    The boa hissed in agony, recoiling and thrashing wildly, its body swinging dangerously close to the line of soldiers.


    One swipe of its tail sent a group flying back, and anothersh crumpled a soldier''s shield like tin.


    Seeing an opportunity, Lyerin narrowed his gaze, taking in the entire battlefield in an instant. "Pig Orcs, brace yourselves!" he bellowed, then turned to the soldiers, "Keep firing! Push it back!"


    The soldiers didn''t hesitate, rallying as they poured a concentrated line of fire onto the creature''s exposed joints, aiming for the areas that were bleeding.


    It seemed as though the boa was losing momentum, its movements growing sluggish as more blood stained the earth.


    Suddenly, the creature gave a deafening hiss, raising its head high into the sky.


    Then, in one swift motion, it whipped down, jaws open wide and aiming for the heart of the formation.


    "Pig Orcs, intercept!"


    With a primal roar, the Pig Orcs stepped forward, raising their massive des.


    Their powerful bodies strained as they pushed back against the force of the descending snake.


    des sunk deep into its flesh, sending another spray of dark blood across the ground.


    One Pig Orc,rger and more battle-scarred than the others, charged forward with a guttural roar and plunged his de deep into the boa''s exposed side.


    The creature howled, the pain reverberating through the air, before it recoiled, coiling and uncoiling in an attempt to shake off its attackers.


    "Get that crystal!" Lyerin shouted, eyeing the spot near the boa''s head where the telltale shimmer of a mana crystal was embedded. He turned to Lucas and the soldiers, "Cover them!"


    Lucas nodded, lifting his gun to provide a suppressive line of fire as one of the Pig Orcs charged, climbing up the massive body of the wounded creature.


    The boa thrashed, nearly shaking him off, but the Orc held firm, using his de to keep a grip as he climbed toward the head.


    When he reached the crystal, he gave a final, defiant yell and brought his weapon down, shattering the crystal free from its flesh.


    The boa''s eyes dimmed, and its massive form went ck, copsing to the ground with a thunderous thud that shook the earth.


    Lyerin smirked, the gleam of victory in his eyes. He motioned for the Pig Orcs to regroup, giving Lucas a nod of approval as he surveyed the battlefield. "Take that crystal," hemanded, "We''ll need every bit of power it holds."


    The Orc holding the crystal held it up high, a symbol of their triumph, before securing it.


    Then, without missing a beat, Lyerin turned and gave the order that echoed through the clearing.


    "March!"


    Now, after traveling for a little while, the group froze at the sight of the new beast ahead: a wolf-like creature, yet so twisted by eldritch energy it barely resembled the animal.


    Its fur was midnight ck, matted with shadows that rippled as though they were alive.


    Massive, gleaming eyes, like pools of liquid onyx, studied them with an almost unsettling intelligence, calcting their every step, their every breath.


    It radiated an oppressive aura, one that made the air dense and heavy around them.


    The helicopter des slowed behind them, the sound fading into an uneasy silence, all eyes locked onto the monstrous form ahead.


    The soldiers, sturdy and well-armed as they were, instinctively tightened their grips on their weapons, but Lyerin knew better than to provoke such a creature.


    He raised his hand slowly, signaling everyone to hold their ground.


    "Stay calm," he murmured, his voice barely more than a whisper, yet it carried enough authority to halt even Lucas in his tracks. "Don''t provoke it."


    Lucas shot him a cautious nce, eyebrows raised. "Are you saying sir Lyerin it''s stronger than the Boa?"


    Lyerin smirked but shook his head slightly, eyes still locked on the creature.


    "Far stronger. Wolves like this don''t travel in packs because they don''t need to. They''re powerful enough alone that they don''t rely on others. This one… if it''s like the others I''ve encountered, it could level half of this city if it wanted to."


    The soldiers shifted uneasily, exchanging nces, and the air grew more tense.


    This wasn''t just another beast to be subdued with the firepower they''d brought along; it was something else entirely—an intelligent predator that picked its targets with care and cunning.


    The wolf lifted its nose to the wind, inhaling deeply.


    The muscles beneath its thick, shadowed pelt flexed, as if it was savoring their scents, deciding whether or not they were worth its effort.


    Its gaze flitted to Lyerin, lingering as though it recognized him—almost a dare in those cold, glistening eyes.


    "Why isn''t it attacking?" one of the soldiers muttered, his voice betraying a faint tremor.


    "Because," Lyerin replied, barely moving, "it''s waiting to see if we''re foolish enough to challenge it…


    "Although I am quite confident with my group of Pig Orcs, I don''t really know about you all. Not all of you are strong, and some of you are just even normal humans…"


    Lucas''s gaze snapped back to Lyerin, the edge of fear creeping into his voice. "And if we don''t?"


    "Just keep moving. Slowly. As long as we don''t disturb it or provoke it, it won''t bite…" Lyerin''s eyes shifted, his gaze slicing across the faces of his tribe members and the soldiers alike. "Everyone, march. No sudden movements."


    The eldritch wolf''s head lowered, watching them with a piercing intensity as they began to edge forward.


    Each step was calcted, measured, and deliberate.


    Boots barely scraped against the pavement.


    No one dared to break the rhythm, but the tension in the air was like a taut wire, ready to snap.


    The wolf''s lips curled ever so slightly, a low rumble vibrating from its chest, like a warning—an acknowledgment that it was letting them pass… for now.