As the fire illuminated the area, it caught the attention of other creatures in the forest. Their glowing eyes emerged from the darkness and surrounded the camp.
Stark jumped to his feet and grabbed the claymore. He stood in front of Matteo with a defensive stance. "Stay back, Matteo. I'll protect you," he declared.
The creatures stepped into the light. They were small, squirrel-like monsters with large, innocent-looking eyes. They trembled and whimpered.
Stark lowered his weapon and blinked in surprise. "What are these things," he asked.
Matteo beckoned them with a wave. "It's okay. Come closer. You must be cold, too," he comforted.
Hesitantly, the small monsters crept closer to the fire. They settled around it and looked at Matteo with gratitude.
Stark, confounded, stood away from them and queried, "Matteo, what are you doing?" He looked at the small monsters with a suspicious glare.
"They're just trying to survive the cold, just like us. They must be hungry, as well," Matteo explained as he offered them some of the blueberries he collected.
The small monsters chirped happily and nibbled on the berries.
"Not everything in this forest is our friend," Stark cautioned and kept an eye on them.
Matteo shook his head and murmured, "I don't believe that. There can be good in monsters. If I recall, you had a monster friend back in the day, too."
"That was before I knew of their threat, and... He was more of a rival," Stark retorted. He looked over at the small monsters and slowly relented.
A rustle in the bushes nearby made everyone flinch.
Stark readied the claymore again, and he scanned the area. "I told you so, Matteo," he grumbled.
Matteo, holding the rapier, also got up. "We're not looking for trouble. If you want warmth, we're going to share it," he called out.
From the bushes, a singular, red, and beady eye glistened in the moonlight. A monstrous shape emerged from the darkness.
It was the spider from earlier. It staggered weakly, with a deep, gouging wound where Matteo's rapier had pierced its eye. Venom dripped from its half-closed pincer.
The small monsters shrieked in terror and scattered behind Matteo and the logs.
Stark gritted his teeth and asserted, "I'll handle this."
As Stark moved to strike, Matteo stepped in front of him. "Wait. Look at it," he insisted. His gaze did not express fear but a strange sense of pity.
The spider shuddered. It reluctantly stepped forward. The fire's warmth solely drew it to them. Its many legs trembled with exhaustion.
"It's injured. It's just trying to survive, too," Matteo pointed out.
"Matteo, it's a spider. They're dangerous," Stark reminded with a harsh tone.
"I know, but it's suffering now," Matteo countered. He cautiously approached the spider and held out a handful of blueberries. "Here. Eat. You'll feel better," he reassured.
The spider lowered its head and sniffed. Fully grateful, it collapsed on the ground and slowly nibbled on the food.
"See? It's not a threat anymore," Matteo chuckled and crouched down. He placed the blueberries in front of its pincers.
The spider ate. A deep hum rumbled from its throat.
Matteo applied a paste with a slap to its injured eye.
The spider squealed and slowly relaxed.
Stark, after seeing this, lowered his claymore. He couldn't believe what he was witnessing. Keeping a safe distance and a careful eye, he shook his head and sighed. "We're going to need more food if you're going to feed every monster we meet," he jested.
"I don't mind gathering more. Let's go," Matteo suggested.
"I'll go. Your leg is still hurt," Stark asserted with a frown.
"I can walk fine now, and now, I think it's better if we stay together. We don't know what else is out there," Matteo refuted.
"Don't run off then. Stay close," Stark obliged.
Matteo nodded with a smile.
In search of more food, Stark and Matteo have traversed deeper into the forest. The campfire remained lit, and its warmth kept the small monsters and the injured spider from leaving. Where was Hafen? What challenge will he face? Can he survive the night? What will Stark and Matteo encounter deeper in the forest?
A short while ago, Hafen steadily searched for Matteo and Stark in the forest's darkness. He tripped on a root but regained his balance. "It's too dark. I can't see," he remarked. He closed his eyes, and he focused on the sounds of the forest. He tried to filter out the noise and listen for a familiar sound.
A soft click, followed by a faint engine's growl, piqued his interest. It was the sound of a machination.
Hafen scanned the area with his eyes, finally dilating to see. He spotted a contraption or a trap inside a dead tree.
A series of tripwires, almost invisible in the darkness, connected to multiple hidden spinning blades.
Hafen traced the wires with his gaze and found the concealed engine behind them. He narrowed his eyes and unsheathed the katana.
The katana's blade reflected the faint moonlight.
Hafen took a deep breath and murmured, "If I strike the engine, the whole thing should stop." He ran forward and jumped over tripwires. He swung and sliced cleanly through the tree and the engine inside.
The engine sputtered and died with a final, pathetic gasp. The spinning blades slowed to a halt. Pieces of rotted wood flung into the air.
Hafen landed gracefully and sheathed the katana. "These traps are deadly. I hope my brothers know to avoid them," he commented, and a worried frown framed his face. His stomach growled as he paced. "I need to find them, but we need nutrition, too. We need a source of water to survive," he asserted.
A deep pit surrounded by dead leaves and branches suddenly caught his attention.
Hafen examined the pitfall trap. "Someone must have activated it," he assumed. He thought of Matteo and Stark, and he peered down.
A broken boulder had dispersed around the large spikes at the bottom.
"One of them was here," Hafen affirmed with a gasp. He stood tall and warily pursued in the direction of Matteo's scream. His mind swirled with hundreds of possibilities.
Suddenly, a figure leaped out from a tree and landed in front of him.
It was a masked boy in a dark uniform. He held a black pistol.
"You're intruding. What are you doing here," the masked boy demanded to know in a cold, emotionless tone.
Hafen instinctively unsheathed the katana and stepped back. He accused, "I could ask you the same thing. Are you the one who set these traps?"
The masked boy ignored his questions. He pointed the pistol at Hafen. "This area is restricted. Leave now, or I will be forced to eliminate you," he warned.
Hafen tightened his grip on the katana. "I'm not going anywhere," he asserted.
The masked boy's finger tightened on the trigger. "So be it," he declared and fired.
A flash of light revealed his green eyes.
In a blur, Hafen sidestepped, and the bullet whizzed past his ear. He charged forward and lunged at the masked boy.
The masked boy fired again.
Hafen ducked under the shot and closed the distance between them. He swung the katana for a massive strike.
The masked boy parried Hafen's strike with the barrel of his pistol.
Sparks flew as metal scraped against metal.
"Not bad," the masked boy commended, and a flicker of surprise could be seen through his mask. He kicked Hafen in the stomach and backed away.
Hafen grunted and stumbled back.
The masked boy fired a third shot.
This time, Hafen deflected the bullet with the flat of his katana.
The ricochet pinged off a nearby tree.
The masked boy's eyes widened in shock. He had never seen anyone react with such precision.
"Those green eyes, that voice, and that gun. Pepe, is that you," Hafen alleged, noticing the similarities. He lowered his katana, and a look of disbelief crossed his face.
The masked boy froze, and he slightly lowered the pistol. He seemed hesitant to answer.
"Pepe, it's me, Hafen," Hafen insisted. He frowned and pointed to the uniform. He questioned, "What's with the getup? Why are you attacking me?"
"Pepe? I don't know who he is, but he sounds like a strong guy," the masked boy, switching his voice, denied with a stammer. He pointed the pistol back at Hafen. "Don't take another step closer," he threatened and jumped back. He retreated into the darkness.
Hafen pondered the disguised Pepe while raising an eyebrow.
On a high branch, Pepe sighed in relief and lowered his pistol. He pulled down his mask and wiped the sweat from his brow. "That was close. He did well, but the trial's not over, yet," he divulged with a soft murmur.
What was Pepe up to? Will Hafen find Stark and Matteo? What other challenges will they face in Old Man Marcus' Trial of Survival?