In the centre of the night-shrouded forest, a terrifying cold gripped every mercenary of the Mercenary Group. It wasn't just the night air; it was a dread that seeped into their bones, making them shiver uncontrollably.
"Fuck," a man stammered, his voice tight with fear, "can anyone explain why Giant Golems, creatures of legend, are standing right here?"
"Ten... ten of them!" another choked out, eyes wide like saucers. "And they're all peak Circle 9!"
"And those... those flying things... what are they? More elves?"
"Elves don't have wings!" someone else insisted frantically.
"We walked right into it... we're trapped!"
Panic erupted. The faces of hardened knights and veteran mages alike turned ghostly white. Seeing a dozen stone titans, each towering over twenty meters, had completely broken their nerve.
Even the knowledge that their leader was a famed Dragon Slayer offered no shred of comfort against such impossible odds.
