A heavy silence hung over the camp.
Isaac's words echoed in their ears.
"We go to the forest."
But not everyone agreed.
"Are you mad?" barked a man, his scarred arm trembling with barely concealed anger. "You're asking us to trade one death for another! The deeper parts of Dudael Forest are filled with monsters!"
A woman clutched her child closer. "At least we know how to fight soldiers! We don't even know what lurks in that cursed place!"
Murmurs of agreement spread. Fear. Doubt. These people weren't warriors. They had spent their lives working the land, not fighting creatures that could tear them apart.
Isaac stood motionless, his piercing brown eyes scanning the crowd. Then, in a calm, measured voice, he spoke.
"You have two choices. Face the monsters of the forest and carve out a place to live… or stay here and face the monsters chasing you. Humans, but monsters inside."
A chill ran through them.
They knew what he meant.
Even so, hesitation lingered.
Then, a single figure stepped forward.
Ben, a boy around 15 years old.
His face was unreadable, but his voice was firm. "I'll go with you."
Gasps spread through the group. "Ben, you can't be serious."
"I am." Ben met Isaac's gaze. "We saw what he did. What he can do. If anyone can help us survive, it's him."
A second voice followed.
Elder Peter. "I will go as well." His wise eyes swept over the refugees. "We have no home to return to. Whether we like it or not, we must move forward."
Then, Aiah, along with Didi, stepped forward to join Isaac. "Us too."
One by one, those who had seen Isaac's power stepped forward.
Slowly, the tide shifted. Fear remained, but something else began to stir... hope.
Isaac watched them, his expression unreadable. Then, he turned toward the dark treeline.
"Then let's move."
And with that, they stepped into the unknown.
No one spoke as they entered the forest, but the tension hung thick in the air. Some dragged their feet, hesitant, still uncertain.
The man with a high hairline lingered at the edge of the camp with his bow. His hands tightened on the grip, torn between fear and resolve.
Then he took a breath and stepped forward.
Others saw and followed.
Slowly, the last of the refugees left the camp behind.
--------
As the group marched forward, the one-armed man finally spoke.
"So… do we even have a plan?" His voice carried a sharp edge of doubt. "Or are we just marching into the forest and hoping for the best?"
The murmurs of uncertainty returned. Even those who had chosen to follow Isaac hesitated.
Isaac didn't stop walking. His answer was calm but firm.
"We'll establish a camp in the Fourth Core."
Some glanced at each other, confused. The one-armed man frowned. "The Fourth Core?"
Isaac nodded. "Yes. That's where the weaker monsters are, right? We'll clear it out and make it our base. Once it's secure, I'll clear the Third Core and expand our territory. When the time comes, we'll move deeper."
A tense silence followed.
A woman gripping her husband's arm hesitated before asking, "And if the soldiers follow us?"
Isaac's eyes flickered. "Then we keep moving. If they come into the forest, we'll retreat quickly into the Third Core."
A hush fell over them.
Everyone knew what that meant. The deeper they went, the more dangerous it would become. The Third Core wasn't just dangerous, it was deadly.
Isaac thought that the general would no longer be willing to gamble the lives of his soldiers.
The woman swallowed hard. "How will we know if they're coming?"
Isaac stopped walking. Turning to the group, he met their uncertain gazes with cold confidence.
"I already have an eye on them."
Confusion rippled through the crowd.
"What does that mean?" someone muttered.
Isaac didn't explain. He simply turned back toward the forest.
Suddenly, the notification system flashed again in his vision.
[Swarm Authority Level: 5% points.]
He ignored it, but a thought crossed his mind, had the locusts already completed their mission?
--------
Smoke curled into the sky, mixing with the scent of burnt chitin. The fires had done their job. The last of the locusts had scattered, their buzzing fading into the distance.
General Broner exhaled sharply, loosening his grip on his sword. The cursed insects were gone, but the fight wasn't over.
"Status report," he barked.
A nearby officer, still brushing ash from his armor, straightened. "Minimal casualties, General. Some men suffered bites, a few horses panicked, but we're still fit to fight."
Broner nodded. "Good." His gaze turned toward the horizon. "Then we move."
The soldiers shifted, awaiting orders. The swarm had bought Isaac and the refugees time, but not enough.
He turned to the scouts. "Find their trail. We follow immediately."
The scouts moved quickly, scanning the ground. It didn't take long, footprints, broken branches, wheel tracks.
"They went north," one scout reported. "They're trying to run deeper into the land."
Broner smirked. "Then we give chase."
Mounting his horse, he raised his sword high.
"Move out!"
The command echoed across the battlefield. Soldiers gripped their weapons tighter. Hooves pounded against the dirt. The hunt resumed.
But high above, unseen by all, a single locust clung to the leaves of a towering tree.
Its tiny eyes gleamed, watching the general's every move.
--------
Meanwhile, as Isaac and the refugees made their way deeper into the forest, the air grew heavy with every step.
The towering trees blocked the sun, casting long, creeping shadows. Every step forward was met with rustling leaves, distant growls, the sound of something unseen.
Then, a feeling sank in.
Something was there, a presence that felt heavy and unsettling.
A shriek pierced the air, followed by the snap of branches.
Panic rippled through the group. Some stumbled back, clutching loved ones.
"Get ready!" Isaac's voice cut through the fear like a blade.
His eyes swept over the frightened people, women shielding children, elders gripping walking sticks, men holding swords and spears with unsteady hands.
Isaac took a breath. 'I had lost my home once—my family, my villagers. I would not let it happen again.'
"Women, children, and elders to the center! Men, form a protective circle! Weapons up!"
They hesitated only a moment before obeying.
Isaac exhaled slowly, stepping ahead of them all.
Power stirred inside him.
The air grew heavy, pressing down on everything around him. A suffocating presence rolled off his body.
Then, the monsters sensed them.
Snarls and screeches erupted from the shadows. The creatures charged, crashing through the bushes with terrifying speed.
Isaac tightened his grip on his axe.
"Come."
---------
By the time the soldiers reached the camp, it was empty. The fires still smoldered. Broken carts, scattered tools, and the faint footprints of hurried steps told the story of a desperate escape.
General Broner sat atop his horse, scanning the abandoned site. His soldiers moved around him, searching for any stragglers, but there were none. The refugees were gone.
A sharp cry pierced the silence as a flock of birds flew from the treetops. The ground shuddered slightly, followed by a low rumble, as if the forest itself was waking up.
Broner narrowed his eyes. "They went into the forest," he said quietly.
He had lost men to that forest before.
An officer stepped forward, his face tense. "Shall we go after them, General?"
Broner didn't answer immediately. He watched as the trembling treetops swayed, the distant sounds of battle reaching his ears. A slow smirk formed on his lips.
"No," he said. "They've already chosen their death."
The officer glanced nervously at the woods. Through the trees, the eerie howls and sounds of tearing flesh reached their ears.
Broner turned his horse around. "Leave them. The forest will finish what we started."
Without another word, the soldiers followed him, marching away as the faint cries of unseen beasts lingered behind them.