The magical orb loomed and illuminated the trio nearby. Wattyson wasn’t poking at Unobios anymore after a reprimanding from Arlene. The sunlight now casted down through the thick canopy with a sharp tilt. The smell of wet soils still stirred within the air around them while there weren’t many sounds. Just occasional soft snores from nearby Unobios and of birds chirping. Occasional rustle of bushes every now and then from small critters and animals the like of squirrel.

  The trio were sent to investigate why the Unobios were here sure, but there weren’t many evidences. They were still continuing blind. Listening out for any subtle disturbance in the stillness, or any erratic flow of mana.

  Arlene and Anire led ahead. The Chosen One’s eyes stayed focused for any signs while the Explorer swayed her head playfully waiting for any aggressive flux of mana. Wattyson in the meanwhile was behind them, using a tree branch as a walking stick, and doing nothing. Just following along.

  Arlene wasn’t feeling any rushed. Her hand rested on the pommel of her longsword. She curled her lip trying to whistle. She whistled out a silence note. She was only hearing the ideal wheeze noise of whistle in her mind.

  From what Anire told me… mucus and footprints. What do they look like though?

  Realising this, she finally asked. “Hey, Anire? What do the mucus and footprints of your ‘invasive predator’ report look like?”

  Anire’s sway stopped and still to her. That smile of her was still on her. “Hmmmm~ Right! I never told you or attached in the quest, did I?” She started scratching her chin while her eyes went up to the canopy. “The mucus… have you ever seen one?”

  “Like in general?” Arlene asked as her thumb rubbed the end of her pommel. “Yes from small animals to large one like dragon.”

  “Indeed! You can think of them just a big pile of goo like a stack of leaf in autumn. It glows in an electrifying blue. You’ll know when you see a spark.” Anire laughed to herself as her vision shifted forward instead. “Ironic, isn’t it? We’re in the dark of the forest yet there’s no sparking light at all!”

  “Perhaps I should dismiss my Light?”

  “Maybe tone it down a bit~”

  To which Arlene did, by chanting out to dismiss the light and recasting it in a lower tone. The orb of light formed again though it only illuminated their surrounding by few meters.

  Wattyson smirked as he turned to look around. It was darker with small lines of light penetrated through the roof. “Will there be ghost?”

  Anire spun around briefly before returning forward. “Ghost aren’t real. You’ll be fine test subject!”

  “Hmm?”

  “Wattyson!” She corrected herself.

  The two in front eyed the surrounding ranks of trees. Those tall dark oak trees crowded the whole view. The winds blew through like a soft whisper. Occasional sounds of leaves and sticks cracking from the trio’s steps.

  Occasionally were Unobios, those large muscular creatures with ivory horn, were grazing off the branch leaves. They leaned on to the tree whilst standing on two legs, turning their stubby heads to the side munching on the leaves. Other Unobios were just lying flat on the floor. They were the only species spotted so far.

  More steps forward. More walks into the deeper reach. Everything looked the same. Everything until a small faint noise. Repeating one in short interval kept ringing faintly to the quiet forest.

  Arlene raised her arm to point, Anire walked straight into her arm.

  “There!” Arlene pointed to and dismissed the light. Sure enough to the distance, a small glow of flashes in blue sparkled in short interval. It was rhyming with the sound of sizzling sparkle.

  Anire retreated a few steps after walking into Arlene’s arm which then collided with Wattyson who wasn’t paying attention. A soft thud from the impact. She looked to the flashes.

  “Let’s go~” She raised her arms wide up as she walked, leading the group now.

  As they continued, Arlene’s eyes flickered to everything near them. Everything was still here as expected of forest, but there weren’t any living creatures nearby. No Unobios grazing or sleeping. Her hand went to her pommel, tracing the hilt as if ready to unsheathe.

  The sparkling got brighter as they got closer, the sizzling sounds of lightning zapping in and out of the mucus were heard clearer and clearer, same as the sight of it. Sure enough it was a mucus on a dead Unobios.

  The massive unit’s corpse laid sideway. A massive hole in the torso opened like it was dug into. Jagged in the outline like it was bitten out. This carcass was a food source for a predator.

  Anire’s grin as she studied the carcass. “Maybe the first report from the explorer was right then. It is an invasive predator… question is,” she crouched while taking a vial out to scoop a mucus bit.

  “Hehehe~ This is perfect!” She hopped backward and started taking out other vials filled with liquid of numerous colors. “Can you protect me Chosen One~? I’m gonna mix us a vial to confirm what specie we’re dealing with.”

  “How would you know from that?” Asked the Chosen One as she strode to behind her. Her sword unsheathed in one hand now. Wattyson was just leaning on the back side of the carcass, keeping a lookout from there.

  “There are too many species that spit out electrifying mucus, I need to mix to know which one we’re dealing with exactly!” Answered the neko girl already mixing vials into one another. A sharp zap shot out of the vial and destroyed a tree branch atop, felling it to the front of carcass. “Oopsie!”

  “Be careful,” hissed Arlene as she watched on to the tree ranges. The light was dimmed around them to see clearly. There were just trees of course, stacks of grass, fallen logs, a hot dog stand, a small boulder, and a few lights penetrating through.

  A small silence discounting the occasional zapping noise befell the trio as two kept watch and one experiment. Wattyson yawned and walked over to the two instead. “See anything?”

  “No… Just usual.”

  “You know… I just happened to remember.”

  “Hmmm?”

  “Why do you still have your light dimmed? We already found the carcass. It would be useful for us to keep watch”

  Anire perked up hearing that then looked to Arlene from her seated experiment. “I’m so focused I completely forgot! Chosen One~ You can increase your Light, it’ll be helpful for me too.”

  Arlene looked to the two, glancing at both of them. Her face slowly burned right as she got flustered. “R-Right!” She waved her hand to dismiss then chanted out her Light again. Illuminating the entire forest.

  It showed what Arlene saw earlier. Crowded trees, stack of grass, fallen logs, a hot dog stand, a small boulder that inflated and deflated in size. Wait…

  That small boulder soon raised, its size increased as it side were now fully exposed. As tall as an elephant and as long as three times the reference size, it stood on its muscular bipedal legs. It had striped of black with fur of grey.

  It shifted its head toward them, its jaw widened slightly as its neck flapped from breathing. Its mouth long snout like a crocodile. It looked at us with eyes half shut almost if the light was blinding it. Its arms reached to the ground scratching as if to feel its own sense. A sign of just waking up?

  Anire got up immediately, packing up with speeds of someone’s late for work. Her bag equipped on her back. She looked to the creature. “Hmmm~” She hummed while scratching her chin.

  Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

  “Psst,” hushed Wattyson. “What species is that?”

  “Hmmm… black and grey, snout as long as a crocodylidae family yet as meaty as an alligatoridae one… This one is probably a Gavituth.”

  “Gavituth? Sounds stupid.”

  “Heh, blame the people that came before us naming it like that.”

  Arlene poised her sword forward, waiting for any sign of aggression. “Is this the invasive predator?”

  “Gavituth does release lighting as spit from their diet.” She eyed further, her darted lines connected in her eyes to see the mana flow. The energy clamped together in the creature’s lung. “Hmmm….” She hummed while analyzing, while the creature was just staring at them.

  “Yep! This is the one! They usually far north. How did you get here I wonder?”

  “Wonder later,” hushed Arlene. “You’re the Explorer, what’s your plan? Kill it or repel it?”

  “Hehehe~” Anire laughed as she reached into her bag, taking out multiple vials tucked between her finger. “We’ll kill it.”

  Despite the plan, the trio stood still. Waiting for any sign of movement from the predator to charge in. Gavituth scratched its small eye as it began walking sideway, as if circling around them. It was probably more interested in the carcass than the interloper. Its chest began to still and so was its neck. It stopped movement as it lowered its form, arms clawing into the dirt. Its jaw slightly opened.

  Dirt kicked from its legs and claws as it lunged forward, jaws opened threatening to snapped them into its mouth.

  The first to roll was Arlene from the predator’s trajectory. Anire side stepped along with her while Wattyson dived sideway, throwing his armed branch to the creature. It hit the creature in the eyes. Amazing accuracy. Flinching the creatures but didn’t deterred it from its charge.

  Gavituth tripped over the carcass, rolled to its size and immediately got back up. Letting out a roar at them and claw arms poised front toward them now. Its eyes on Wattyson. Gavituth’s throat began to brim with bright blue as it held its head high before jerking it back down, shooting out an electrifying spit to him.

  He on the ground rolled away from the spit. A few drop landed on Wattyson’s shoulder pad and a sound of sizzling spark out briefly. He stood up now without weapon. His eyes went to the branch Anire snapped with her experiment. That would be a good weapon.

  Gavituth stomped forward, readying to attack him again before a sharp pain etched into its torso. Glasses shrapnel though few managed to stick on its thick scale and smokes puffing out from the impact.

  “Hmmm… you know in hindsight~” Chuckled the neko. “These vials would be more beneficial on the head, right Chosen One?”

  “Focus on the fight,” replied Arlene as she placed a hand on the neko’s shoulder. Muttering out a chant then golden light enveloped Anire. “You should be careful still. My barrier won’t protect you from physical trauma.”

  “Heheheh, don’t worry. I’m very evasive.” Anire ran toward Gavituth. Ducking over its swiped tail then drew another vial at the head. It exploded into a pink mist.

  Gavituth roared as it followed Anire, using its head to break the trees in between and spitting out lightning mucus. It missed the neko. This creature wasn’t used to fighting such a small being.

  Arlene swept through, cleaving the sword against the knee joints. Its thick scales weren’t a match for her longsword as the wound opened up. She slid away from Gavituth claws trying to snatch her.

  Amidst this, Anire ran up the tree before hanging one arm on the branch. Throwing out multiple vials of unknown properties. Laughing.

  The constant barrage of glasses caused the creature to roar out even louder. Its long back began to shifted and cracked. The scales shifted to open holes. Two long bone structure began to grow out from its shoulder blades. Blue crackling streaks around the bones sparkling. It immediately rammed into the tree Anire was holding on to, causing her to fall.

  It swung its head to fall the tree then again to smack Anire, hurling her away from the impact. She flew then dragged across the leaves filled ground.

  “Ahahaha…” She exhaled out as she struggled to raise her hand, popping off the knob and drank a vial of red. Her body ached less afterward.

  Gavituth shifted its attention to Arlene. Its lunged glowed then floated to the spikes before down to the claws. Its claws shined like they were given power. Elemental one at that. It began charging, lunging and moving with both arms and legs on the floor. A bipedal creature was moving like it was four legged. Dirt shot off with small spark.

  Arlene quickly chanted lightning resistance as she side stepped from the charge. Gavituth quickly snapped its claws into the dirt, using it as a pivot as it shifted around and spurted again.

  Its jaw widened to bite the Chosen One.

  “TIAMAT’S GALE!” chanted aloud as she swiped her hand across in front. A strong torrent of wind unleashed flinching the creature’s jaw away and halted it in its track.

  It shifted its jaw to Arlene again, spitting out more sparks in a burst. The grapnel spits hit once on her armour, sizzling and electrifying into her body inside though it felt like tickling. That adamantine and palladium mixed armor stopped the lightning concurrent.

  Its claw swept from the side. She sidestepped it and slashed at the wrist, wounding it. The creature roar with lightning shooting out of its spikes. Its jaws swoop to bite, jerked so fast sparks appeared behind it.

  THWACK

  A sharp pain in its eye again, flinching it enough for Arlene’s to not be a meal. A tree branch the size of an average human fell beside them. Gavituth looked to the left where it was thrown, it was scratching its injured eye.

  Wattyson was there… by a small pile of tree branches. He was already leaning and ready to throw another one. Arlene took the initiative and slashed again at its thigh. Blood spewed out from the deep slash.

  Gavituth quickly rotated, shielding its eye again from the thrown branch with its more armored torso and its tailed swiped with spark hitting Arlene, knocking her through a tree.

  Arlene got back up grunting. Noticed the neko was near her lying down with a pile of empty vial. “How many potions did you chug?”

  Anire chugged through another one. “I’m a scientist and an explorer~ I’m not a combatant like you. I’ll join soon.” She threw the vial to the side and reaching for another one. “Why don’t you use your magic more, Chosen One~?”

  Wiping the bloods off her lip, Arlene eyed the creature as its attention was on Wattyson. “I fight with physical mostly… magic is last resort for me. I tend to use it slowly overtime as the fight go on.”

  “Aww~ such a waste for that boundless mana of yours.”

  “Shut it.” She raised her swords and sprinted toward Gavituth. She muttered under her breath while the sword slowly glowed.

  Gavituth kicked off the dirt and charged to Wattyson. Jaw opened to welcome him into its maw. He threw a branch into its mouth hoping to halt the creature. It didn’t. It choked it for a bit mid charge before snapping its jaw down, crashing the wood before reopening again.

  “Wood bad,” muttered Wattyson as he crouched down, both hands on the ground.

  Gavituth got closer and closer.

  He pressed his hand once more, forming a wall of dirt in front.

  Gavituth’s snout pierced through the dirt, jumpscaring him. It was stuck now.

  Wattyson, for all his infinite wisdom, quickly paced to the pile of tree branches. Lifting it up with two hands, he started to whack the snout on his side of the wall.

  The dirt shot to Wattyson before a heavy weight forced him to the ground. It was Gavituth claw curled into a fist, smashing to break free. It stepped toward him, pushing down its claw flat between his upper and lower body. It was widening its jaw over his head, small glittering bright blue sparking in the throat then between the teeth.

  His arms were free, lifting upward palm exposed to the jaw. Fire torrent spewed out roasting the exposed flesh of its mouth.

  It flinched upward from the burn. Its claw lifted long enough for Wattyson to kept rolling to safety.

  He shot off another fireball at the neck, causing it to shake its head erratically while it roared in pain. Its roar changed to something akin to sounds omitted or lagging behind. As if it wasn’t enough, he rolled up to the pile of branches he built up and threw it again to the neck.

  It continued to roar out in pain and its body began to glow. Not in the usual area around the neck, claws or spikes. Its entire body from its torso then to its limbs and heads. The spikes seemingly glowed bright blue illuminating more of the forest than Arlene’s light ever did. It started shooting off lightning from its spikes, instantly snapped trees from the impact and shook the ground in its current.

  Its jaw opened to Wattyson who was still rolling after the throw. Blue sparks grew in intensity before settled into a giant orb. Then a straight line of blue shot out from its mouth, sounds of electric discharging boomed through the forest.

  The beam narrowly missed Wattyson but when he got up to stand, his body jerked like his nervous system was compromised. “What the fuck,” he muttered before shooting himself with a telekinesis force, jolting his body to normal.

  Past him was Arlene rushing in, sword glowed gold around the blade. She leaped and spun, swinging the sword around for more forces. Shooting out a slash of light as she recoiled back from the output then landing on her feet.

  The slash of light flew to a dodged Gaviuth. It dug into the ground then leaped to Arlene, claws out front. Lightning enveloped the giant animal.

  Arlene stomped into the ground. “COLOSSUS’S PILLAR!” She roared out as spikes began to grow and flowed toward the creature, then erected out a hexagon pillar right under its jaw.

  Gavituth’s head flew up and was halted. It then pressed onto the pillar, using its heavy weight against the pillar collapsing it. It widened its jaw to shoot the beam again.

  Arlene screamed out “VALOUS’S PROTECTION”, a shimmering shield of blue appeared before her.

  It used its claws and feet clamping onto the dirt ground as it shot out the electrifying discharge beam.

  Beam clashed on the shield, diverting its discharge into many fragmented lines into all direction behind Arlene. Some went into the air while most pierced the tree until it dissipated.

  The beam finished. Gavituth’s jaw still opened from the discharge as it grasped air.

  CRACK.

  The sound of multiple bundle of glass shattering inside its throat releasing mist of pink, blue and mostly green.

  Anire stood just far enough to throw it. Her messy hair had some strains shot upward. Her entire body shaking from the current coursing through her body. In her hand a few more vial bundled together in vines. There were more in that bag. Does she have a bag of infinite slots of something?

  Wattyson followed up with a fireball, much larger this time. It impacted the armored scales and tumbling it down to its side.

  Arlene sprinted, sword glowed. She did the leap again then slashed in the air, shooting off the line of light down to its massive body. It connected and cut through deeply.

  She landed and poised her sword, waiting for any other movement from the creature. There was.

  Gavituth’s arms slouched outward to stable itself getting up. As it stood, looking at Arlene. The cut side began to spill out blood with spark accompanying it, then the intestine and gores dripped out to the ground.

  It widened its jaw and roared again, sparks forming in its mouth before dimming as it fell to its belly. It let out a roar more like a whimper then movement ceased. The invasive predator was dead.