The tension among the group thickened as they trudged through the dense, ominous forest.


    The air carried a peculiar weight, a subtle hum of energy that prickled at their skin, reminding them that this ce was far from ordinary.


    Lyerin walked ahead of the group, his imposing figure unshaken by the strange environment. Suddenly, he stopped, his voice breaking the uneasy silence.


    "We''re close now," he said, his tone firm yet tinged with an uncharacteristic seriousness. "This will be your final task. Hunt the stronger eldritch beasts—ones with mana cores. Anything less will be useless."


    The soldiers exchanged uneasy nces. They had faced horrors under Lyerin''smand, but the idea of hunting eldritch beasts with mana cores sounded far more daunting than anything they had encountered so far.


    "Stronger than the ones we''ve seen before?" Lucas asked, his voice low.


    Lyerin nodded. "Much stronger. These beasts are the reason this region isn''t overrun with life. Their power consumes everything around them. But their mana cores—those are what I need. So, don''t return empty-handed."


    The group fanned out reluctantly, weapons drawn and nerves frayed. The forest seemed alive, the trees groaning softly as if in response to their intrusion. Strange, bioluminescent nts lined the ground, pulsing faintly as they walked past.


    "Why do we always get the insane jobs?" one soldier muttered, earning a weakugh from hispanion.


    "It''s because we''re still alive to do them," another replied grimly.


    "Quiet," Lucas snapped. "Focus on the task. If these beasts are as strong as Lyerin says, we can''t afford to mess this up."


    Hours passed as the soldiersbed through the forest. Their boots sank into mossy undergrowth, and every step seemed to stir the air with a faint, eerie whisper. asionally, they would catch glimpses of movement—a sh of eyes in the shadows, a rustle of leaves overhead. But when they pursued these signs, they only found small, unimpressive creatures.


    One soldier crouched down to inspect a strange, spindly beast that scurried past. It was norger than a dog, with translucent skin that revealed its glowing veins of eldritch energy.


    "Is this one of them?" the soldier asked, poking at it cautiously.


    "No mana core," Lucas said, shaking his head after a brief examination. "It''s useless."


    "Figures," the soldier muttered, letting the creature scamper away.


    Their frustration grew as the search continued. The forest teemed with life, but none of it matched Lyerin''s description. They encountered grotesque, malformed creatures with too many limbs or eyes, and some with features so bizarre they defied exnation. Yet none of them had the distinct energy signature of a mana core.


    "How hard is it to find a beast with a mana core?" one soldier grumbled, kicking at a tree in frustration.


    "Maybe they''re avoiding us," another suggested nervously. "These things must be smart if they''re that powerful."


    "Or maybe Lyerin sent us on a wild goose chase," a third added bitterly.


    At one point, the group stumbled upon a pack of wolf-like creatures with shimmering fur that seemed to reflect the forest around them. Their eyes glowed with an unnatural light, and they moved with eerie silence.


    "These look strong," one soldier whispered, raising his weapon.


    "Hold," Lucas said, narrowing his eyes. He studied the creatures for a moment before sighing. "No mana cores. Just regr eldritch energy."


    The wolves growled softly before disappearing into the shadows, leaving the group on edge.


    "I swear, if I have to look at one more glowing dog, I''m going to lose it," another soldier muttered, eliciting a few weak chuckles.


    The pattern continued—strange, unsettling creatures appeared at every turn, but none possessed the power Lyerin demanded. There were floating jellyfish-like organisms that emitted a soothing hum, snake-like beasts with metallic scales, and even massive, insectoid creatures that scuttled across the treetops. But all of themcked mana cores.


    "This ce is crawling with freaks, but none of them are what we need," a soldier said, wiping sweat from his brow.


    "Keep searching," Lucas said firmly. "Lyerin wouldn''t send us here if there wasn''t something to find."


    "Or he''s testing us again," another soldier muttered under his breath.


    The hours dragged on, and the soldiers'' frustration grew. Every new encounter felt like a cruel joke—a test of their patience and endurance. The weaker beasts seemed to mock them, darting in and out of sight as if to taunt their inability to find what they were truly hunting.


    One soldier sat down on a fallen log, his head in his hands. "This is pointless," he said, his voice filled with despair. "We''ve scoured this forest, and there''s nothing here."


    "Get up," Lucas said sharply. "We''re not done yet."


    "And if we don''t find anything?" the soldier shot back.


    Lucas hesitated, ncing back in the direction they hade. "Then we don''t go back," he said finally. "Not until we have what Lyerin wants.


    As the sun dipped lower, casting the forest in a deep, unnatural twilight, the group''s anxiety reached its peak. The forest seemed to grow darker, the shadows deeper and more oppressive. Strange sounds echoed through the trees—whispers, clicks, and the asional guttural growl.


    "I don''t like this," one soldier said, gripping his weapon tightly.


    "None of us do," Lucas replied, his tone grim. "But we''re not leaving without those mana cores."


    The group pressed on, their movements more cautious now. Every rustle of leaves or snap of a twig set their nerves on edge.


    By the time they regrouped near the edge of the forest, exhaustion was etched into every soldier''s face. They had nothing to show for their efforts except cuts, bruises, and a growing sense of futility.


    "We''ve covered miles," one soldier said, leaning heavily against a tree. "And still nothing. Maybe there aren''t any mana core beasts here."


    "There are," Lucas said firmly, though his voice betrayed his doubt. "We just haven''t found them yet."


    Chapter Find:


    Lyerin''s words echoed in their minds, a reminder of the stakes. They couldn''t return empty-handed—not to him.


    The forest around them seemed to hum softly, as if mocking their failure.


    After what felt like an eternity of scouring the forest, the soldiers finally stumbled upon something that stopped them in their tracks. It wasn''t like the other creatures they had encountered. This one radiated a sense of power, an oppressive aura that made the air around it feel heavier.


    The beast was massive, standing on four legs with a sinewy, almost reptilian body. Its skin shimmered like liquid metal, and its eyes glowed faintly with an otherworldly light. A series of jagged spikes lined its back, each one pulsating faintly with a dim, eerie glow.


    Lucas raised a hand, signaling the group to stop. "Hold," he whispered, his voice barely audible.


    The soldiers froze, their breaths caught in their throats. The beast hadn''t noticed them yet—it was too preupied with gnawing on the remains of something unfortunate that had crossed its path.


    "Is this it?" one soldier whispered, his voice trembling.


    Lucas studied the creature carefully, his eyes narrowing as he tried to sense any trace of the elusive mana core Lyerin had described. He shook his head slowly. "I''m not sure. We need Lyerin to confirm it."


    "But if we''re wrong and it attacks—"


    "We''re not engaging," Lucas cut in firmly. "We''ll retreat and bring Lyerin here."


    The group moved as silently as possible, retreating through the dense forest. Every step felt agonizingly loud, every rustle of leaves like a warning bell to the powerful beast they had just discovered.


    "Do you think it saw us?" one soldier asked nervously, ncing over his shoulder.


    "If it did, we wouldn''t be here," another muttered grimly.


    By the time they reached Lyerin, exhaustion and tension weighed heavily on them. He was standing near the edge of the camp, his arms crossed as if he had been waiting for them. His expression was unreadable, but the sharp glint in his eyes told them he expected results.


    "We found something," Lucas said without preamble.


    Lyerin''s eyes narrowed. "You''re certain?"


    "It''s... different," Lucas admitted. "Strong. It has an aura, but we didn''t engage. We thought you should see it first."


    Without a word, Lyerin motioned for them to lead the way.


    When they arrived back at the spot where the creature had been, the soldiers hung back, letting Lyerin take the lead. He moved with a confidence that belied the tension in the air, his gaze fixed on the beast.


    The creature was still there, now pacing slowly around the clearing as if guarding something. Its metallic skin gleamed in the dim light, and the faint hum of its aura seemed to vibrate through the ground.


    Lyerin studied it for a long moment, his expression unreadable. Finally, he spoke. "It''s almost one."


    The soldiers exchanged confused nces.


    "Almost?" Lucas asked cautiously.


    Lyerin nodded, his tone sharp. "It''s powerful, yes. And it carries eldritch energy, but it doesn''t have what we need. No mana core."


    A collective groan of frustration rippled through the group.


    "You''ve got to be kidding me," one soldier muttered under his breath.


    "Silence," Lyerin snapped, his voice cutting through the air like a whip. "You''ve done well to find this, but it''s not enough. Keep looking."


    "But we''ve been searching for hours—"


    "And you''ll search for as long as it takes," Lyerin interrupted, his tone brooking no argument. "This isn''t about yourfort. It''s about survival. If you want to live, you''ll keep hunting."


    The soldiers fell silent, their frustration simmering beneath the surface.


    As they made their way back to the camp, the weight of their failure hung heavily over them. The forest felt even more oppressive than before, the faint hum of eldritch energy a constant reminder of the dangers lurking just out of sight.


    Lyerin walked ahead, his stride purposeful and unyielding. Lucas fell in step beside him, his brow furrowed.


    "Do you really think we''ll find one?" he asked quietly.


    Lyerin''s expression didn''t waver. "We have to."


    The conversation ended there, the unspoken tension between them heavier than the air around them.