{Chain Lightning}
As soon as the skill was cast, the top of the staff flared with a brilliant blue glow.
A sharp crackling sound filled the air as a bolt of lightning, no thicker than a human's smallest finger, burst forth and streaked toward its target—the unsuspecting leafwing monkey.
The creature didn't even have time to turn its head before death struck.
The bolt hit just below the back of its neck, instantly searing the fur and sending a surge of energy coursing through its body. Its heart stopped before it could even twitch twice.
Then, the lightning jumped.
Weakened but still deadly, it split into two equal tendrils, arcing toward the nearest pair of monkeys.
By now, the troop had realized the danger. Instinct screamed at them to scatter, to put distance between themselves and their stricken comrades before the blue light claimed them too.
But Jane was a veteran adventurer.
She poured enough mana into the skill to ensure the lightning would chain within a ten-meter radius.
Not all would die like the first victims—the spell had an inherent flaw. With each jump, its lethality diminished.
But killing them all was never her goal.
They just needed to fall.
And fall they did. The paralyzed creatures twitched on the ground, their fading vision catching a glimpse of a fast-approaching figure—Larry.
{Haste}, {Wind Blessing (Blade)}
The surviving monkeys let out startled screeches, instinctively warning of the incoming threat. Disoriented and momentarily defenseless, they stood no chance.
Larry moved with practiced precision.
His sword flashed in the dappled sunlight as he lunged, cutting through the stunned creatures with fluid, decisive strikes. Not a single one had the chance to recover before his blade found its mark.
Together, Larry and Jane made a formidable team, their skills complementing each other perfectly as they cleared the forest of its leafwing menace.
As the last of the creatures collapsed to the forest floor, they shared a brief moment of triumph.
"Let's collect the mana stones quickly before moving on," Larry said, turning toward the approaching figures of the two women.
"The villagers might not be able to afford them, but we can sell them in the nearby town on our way back."
Liz, having just witnessed their martial prowess up close, had no objections. Even if the battle had lasted less than three minutes, its efficiency left no room for doubt.
…
As they pushed through the dense undergrowth, Jane took the lead, her sharp intuition guiding their path.
With every shift in direction, she carefully assessed the terrain, her eyes scanning for any sign of their elusive target.
Every few minutes, they would halt as Jane entered a state of intense concentration. The red hue in her left eye deepened—a tell-tale sign that she was tapping into her unique abilities.
With practiced ease, her vision shifted, allowing her to perceive the subtle fluctuations of mana in the air.
Each trace painted a vivid picture of the surrounding energy, guiding her toward their ultimate goal—the crystal antler's mana signature.
Despite the countless lingering traces left behind by other creatures, Jane's skill allowed her to filter out distractions, honing in on the exact trail they sought.
Like a seasoned tracker following the faintest footprints, she navigated the labyrinthine depths of the forest, her determination unwavering.
As Liz turned to Larry, curiosity burning in her eyes, he met her gaze with a knowing look, ready to share what he knew.
"A Crystal Antler is both a marvel and a menace," Larry began, his voice carrying a mix of awe and caution.
"Imagine a towering stag, its antlers glistening like cut gemstones. Stunning, yes—but don't let their beauty fool you. These creatures are anything but gentle."
He leaned in slightly, his expression turning serious. "They stand twice my size, with antlers stretching nearly a meter and a half.
Their bodies are covered in tough, fish-like scales that shimmer with a mesmerizing blue sheen, giving them both resilience and an eerie, otherworldly presence."
His tone darkened as he described the creature's deadliest trait. "Those crystal antlers aren't just for show.
They're devastating weapons. Not only do they use them as battering rams, but they can also unleash Prismatic Beams—three distinct and deadly types."
He raised a hand, miming each effect as he spoke. "The red beam detonates on impact, causing widespread destruction.
The blue beam freezes anything in its path, trapping prey in ice. And the black beam…" His voice dipped lower. "That one's necromantic in nature. It slows, corrodes, and sometimes… it doesn't just kill. It lingers."
A heavy silence followed his words.
As they pressed on through the dense forest, Liz found herself glancing at her companions with newfound respect—and a quiet sense of unease. If they had faced creatures like this before and lived to tell the tale… just how strong were they?
***
"Crap," Liz muttered, grimacing as she felt the wet, sticky texture of fresh animal manure beneath her boot.
A sharp, acrid stench burned her nostrils, making the tiny hairs inside tingle in protest. Suppressing a gag, she quickly leaned against a nearby tree, dragging the sole of her boot across its exposed roots in an attempt to scrape off the mess.
"Shh."
Larry's voice was barely above a whisper, but the urgency in his tone made her freeze. He raised a finger to his lips, his gaze sharp with tension.
Liz instinctively quieted, still rubbing her boot against the roots as she followed his line of sight. Beyond Jane, who was crouched low in the undergrowth, the trees thinned, revealing a small clearing.
A narrow stream trickled from a gap between two massive boulders, its clear water catching the sunlight. Smooth stones littered both banks, and for the first time in a while, sunlight properly reached the forest floor.
On the far side of the stream, a herd of deer stood grazing—completely unaware of the hunters watching from the shadows.
She turned to Larry, noting that he had moved beside her.
"Notice anything unusual about the herd?" he murmured; his breath warm against her ear as he gently pulled her further behind the tree. "We mustn't alert them."
Liz peeked out again, using the cover of a low-hanging branch to observe the grazing deer. They seemed alert but not alarmed, their heads occasionally lifting to scan the surroundings for potential predators.