Rowan continued walking through the vast forest, the large trees towering above like ancient giants that had stood for centuries. The sunlight barely touched the moss-covered floor, and each time he stepped, dry leaves and twigs cracked beneath his boots, adding to the eerie silence that wrapped around him like a second skin. The arrow in front of him still pointed toward the flagged direction, glowing faintly blue, swaying slightly as he adjusted his steps. Every now and then, he'd glance at it and mumble to himself, just to make sure it was still working.
His eyes scanned the dense underbrush, occasionally catching sight of small critters darting through the ferns. There were tiny rabbit-like animals with long, branch-like ears. Some birds with glowing feathers rested silently on high branches, watching him with mild curiosity before flapping away.
[Haoe: This forest is lowkey a vibe tho.]
[Jalk: Bet there's hella loot here. Dude just walk into a hidden chest or somethin'.]
[Lok: Don't say that, bro's gonna get ambushed.]
Rowan, feeling a mixture of awe and nerves, kept moving forward. He hadn't seen anything threatening so far. If anything, it looked almost too calm. Still, he kept one hand near his rusted sword's hilt just in case. The sword wasn't anything special — just a chipped piece of metal attached to a worn-out handle, barely sharp, but it was all he had.
His pace slowed as he reached a clearing. Here, the sun broke through in thick beams, illuminating a patch of soft grass surrounded by mushrooms and oddly twisted trees. It was quiet... too quiet.
[Zio: The camera angle got wide all of a sudden... uh oh.]
[Drak: This is the part in horror movies where the music stops.]
Rowan ignored the comments and walked deeper into the clearing. He crouched beside a strange-looking plant with orange petals that curled like claws.
"Never seen this before," he muttered, gently poking it. To his relief, it didn't explode or bite him. He stood up, brushed off his cloak, and stretched his back. His robes made light rustling sounds — he still found them annoying to move around in.
[Ola: STILL struggling with the robe LMAO.]
He pressed on. Birds chirped overhead, the breeze was cool, and he could almost forget he was inside a deadly game world.
Almost.
Suddenly, a rustling sound to his left made him freeze. It was quick, sharp, and definitely not wind. Rowan turned slowly, heart beginning to pound. The trees were still. The ferns swayed normally.
Then silence.
He took a careful step back—
A blur of brown and grey leapt from the treetops. Rowan instinctively ducked, and the creature landed with a heavy thud a few feet in front of him. Dust flew upward from its claws dragging across the ground.
It stood half his height, covered in rough, patchy fur. Its eyes were a bright red, gleaming with aggression. Though its body looked similar to a monkey, its arms were longer than they should be, each ending in sharp, curved talons that resembled a bird's claws. Its tail whipped behind it like a rope, muscular and twitching.
"No way," Rowan whispered, stepping back.
[Haa: HOLY— THAT'S A CLAWKIN!]
[Gyol: WHYYYY is that here??? That's a mid-tier elite mob?!]
[Zel: This ain't fair lmao. Dude just started.]
Rowan's eyes widened. He recognized the name — Clawkin. It was a beast-type monster, known for its agility and brutal slashing techniques. It wasn't supposed to be in low-level areas, especially not near Zedi Village.
[INFO — Clawkin: A rare forest predator known to toy with prey before killing them. Weakness: None obvious.]
"Oh come on..." Rowan groaned, backing away slowly. The Clawkin didn't pounce right away. Instead, it crouched low and tilted its head, studying him.
[Lope: It's gonna do that anime villain thing where it disappears and reappears behind him.]
[Jaka: Bro RUN!]
Rowan wasn't sure what to do. His hand hovered over his sword, his mind racing. "Okay. Okay... Remember your skill tree. You got Long Coming. It takes like... a minute to charge."
He activated the skill silently in his menu, already regretting it. A faint circle began to glow beneath his feet, rotating slowly. The energy around him grew tense.
The Clawkin noticed. It grunted, and its muscles tightened.
[Hjo: He's charging the Long Coming lmaoooooo]
[Lok: This is either big brain or big death.]
Rowan drew his sword with a shaky hand. The rusted blade felt heavier than usual. He stepped back again, heart pounding in his ears.
Without warning, the Clawkin leapt forward. Rowan panicked and swung his sword wildly, completely missing. The beast flipped midair, landing beside him, and slashed.
Rowan felt the impact on his shoulder. It should've hurt more, but thanks to the guild-issued shoulder pads, the pain was dull — like someone smacking him with a wooden bat.
[Hak: AYY the pads actually WORKED.]
[Zeh: MVP shoulder pads.]
Rowan stumbled back, regaining balance. The Long Coming circle was still charging — slowly.
The Clawkin didn't wait. It lunged again, this time swiping at his legs. Rowan jumped back, barely dodging, his sword dragging behind him. He tried to counter but missed once more, slicing nothing but air.
"This thing is fast!" he shouted.
[Oli: You think? LMAO.]
[Zal: Bro is out here fencing with a rabid baboon.]
He ran behind a tree, trying to buy more time. The Clawkin circled him, not rushing. It was toying with him, just like the description said.
"Just thirty more seconds...!"
The beast screeched and pounced again. Rowan ducked and rolled away — or tried to. He flopped forward, face-first into the dirt. Groaning, he got up and swung blindly. This time, the blade clipped the Clawkin's side, making it grunt.
[Joje: HE HIT IT!! CLUTCH]
[Ghu: Bleed damage! Bleed damage!]
Unfortunately, the hit barely scratched it. The Clawkin growled and slashed again, sending Rowan tumbling into a bush.
He lay there for a second, groaning.
[Ola: Bro's dead. Dead in the bushes.]
[Zir: He's alive thanks to the armor lol. That thing saved him like twice now.]
"Okay... okay... it hurts but I can still move..." Rowan muttered. He stood up slowly, shaking leaves from his hair.
The spell circle beneath him finally glowed fully. A shimmer pulsed through the ground.
[LONG COMING: READY.]
Rowan grinned, sweat dripping down his face. "Let's try this then."
He raised his hand, palm glowing faintly. The spell would take another few seconds to release fully. He focused all his thoughts.
The Clawkin hissed and dashed forward again.
Rowan's vision blurred — the spell about to trigger.
The white comet like beam shot from the sky hitting the strange baboon's neck, although the Long Coming spell which was a low tier spell—it did alot of damage since it was a critical hit.
[Hak: CRITICAL HIT!]
[Okay: he can actually do it]
Although it felt like it could kill the monkey, it stood up.... Unscathed.
the head of the monkey which displayed it's health. \[321/345]. The spell only did a small amount of its health.