Chapter 5: Dark Tidings in the Forest

The air was different here.

As Sorin and his party pressed deeper into the Forest of Hakor, they could feel it. The creatures lurking in the underbrush were stronger, more aware, their glowing eyes tracking the adventurers as they moved.

Sorin tightened his grip on his new sword, its faint warmth a comforting reminder of his recent upgrade. He was stronger now—but was it enough?

At a crossroads, the group halted.

Celis examined her nearly depleted mana pool before pointing left. “That way leads to a glen with a wellspring of mana. I could use a recharge after all those frost bolts.”

Florin’s sharp eyes tracked movement along the right path. “That way heads toward the goblin encampment. We should be careful—if they’ve set up defenses, we could be walking into a fight.”

Zarin folded her arms. “And straight ahead? That takes us deeper into the forest, where the monsters get tougher, but the loot gets better.”

Sorin glanced between them. “You guys sound like you’ve done this before.”

Zarin smirked. “We have. A long time ago. When we were at your level, this is where we started. Eventually, we moved on to better targets down south and left this place behind.”

Florin chuckled. “Feels nostalgic, actually. Like visiting your childhood home—except it’s still filled with things that want to eat you.”

After some lighthearted debate, the group agreed to stop at the glen first. Celis needed mana, and a safe zone before venturing further seemed wise.

---

The Glade of Replenishment

As they stepped into the glen, a sense of calm washed over them. The air shimmered, and the constant rustling of creatures in the underbrush faded to silence.

“A safe zone,” Sorin murmured.

Celis immediately got to work, collecting herbs. She plucked a leafy stalk and held it up for Sorin.

“Forest Sage. When chewed, it heals 0.1 health per second for 10 minutes.”

Ding!

You have found Forest Sage.
Item Class: Common. Weight: 0.01kg. Traits: Chewing on this leafy herb provides healing over time. Potential ingredient for a health potion.

A second prompt followed.

You have learned a new skill: Herblore.
Herbs provide +1% greater effectiveness when chewed or brewed. Plants are more easily identified.

Celis then held up a gnarly, fungal-looking plant.

“Moldy Spore. When dried and crushed into powder, it makes a weak poison—3 poison damage per second for 8 seconds.”

Sorin grimaced. “Sounds… appetizing.”

You have found Moldy Spore.
Item Class: Common. Weight: 0.01kg. Traits: Ingesting this would make you violently ill. However, it can be used to coat blades and arrows with poison.

While Celis replenished their potions with a portable alchemy set, Sorin noticed something strange.

Despite carrying dozens of items, her bag hadn’t changed shape or weight.

“That’s… not normal,” he commented.

Celis smirked, holding up the bag. “It’s a Bag of Holding. It can carry up to 200 kilograms without changing size or weight.”

Sorin’s eyes lit up. “Where can I get one?”

Celis’s smile faded slightly. “They’re… rare. This one belonged to another adventurer. He… didn’t make it. His body vanished, but the bag remained.”

She paused, clearly lost in memory. “An enchanter could make one, but they require immense skill and a rare talent. When we went to sell this, we were offered 200 gold. But we decided it was more useful than coin.”

Sorin nodded, sensing this was not the time to push further.

---

An Unlikely Encounter

Rested and replenished, the group returned to the crossroads.

But this time, someone was waiting.

A small, delicate creature hovered in their path—a Forest Sprite. She was ethereal, barely tangible, her green wings shimmering in the sunlight.

“A moment of your time?” she asked, her voice a lyrical whisper.

Sorin instinctively activated Analyze.

Thilia, Forest Sprite
Status: Nervous
Level: ???

She hesitated before speaking. “If you plan to go deeper into the forest, you must know—dark forces are at play.”

The group exchanged looks.

Thilia continued, her voice trembling. “Long ago, the sprites of this forest were protectors. We aided adventurers, provided shelter, potions… But then, he came.”

A chill ran down Sorin’s spine.

“Who?”

“A mysterious man. He wielded dark magic and bent the sprites to his will. Corrupting them. Twisting them into his servants. Those of us who resisted were forced to flee.”

She lowered her head. “I beg you. Help us.”

Ding!

You have been offered a quest: “Free the Sprites I.”
Long ago, the sprites of Hakor Forest lived in harmony. But an unknown entity, a master of the Dark Arts, corrupted them.
Reward: 2,500 experience points. Trusted status with the Sprites.
Failure: Increased attacks from Dark Sprites.
This is a mandatory quest. You cannot decline.

Sorin’s brows furrowed. “Wait… I can’t refuse?”

Zarin crossed her arms. “Relax. We already had this quest—it’s just been sitting in our log unfinished.”

Celis sighed. “We just… don’t know where to start.”

Sorin hesitated, then extended his hand. “We’ll help you, Thilia.”

The sprite grasped his wrist, her tiny fingers barely curling around it. “Thank you!”

And with that, she vanished into the forest.

---

A Growing Threat

Unbeknownst to them, two shadowed figures watched from the trees.

“They grow stronger,” one hissed.

The second figure nodded. “Indeed. The Master will not be pleased.”

“What of the sprite?”

A pause. Then—“The Master will deal with her in due time.”

They vanished into the shadows.

---

Into the Deep

Determined to make progress, the group scouted the goblin encampment.

Hundreds of goblins scurried within its crude walls of vines and branches. Scouts, warriors, mages—far too many to take head-on.

Zarin’s eyes gleamed. “If we hit level 10, we could wipe this place out.”

Florin chuckled. “A nice raid, wouldn’t you say?”

For now, though, they needed more strength.

Venturing deeper, they encountered:

• A Grizzled Forest Bear (Level 6). Its clawed swipe nearly took Sorin’s head off, but Zarin’s axe and Celis’s frost bolts slowed it down enough for Sorin to land a finishing blow.
• Three Raging Borskins (Level 4). A fast, brutal fight—but one that earned them solid experience.
• A pack of Forest Wolves (Level 5). Coordinated attacks made them trickier than expected, but Celis’s healing spells kept them in the fight.

By the time they set up camp, the sun was setting.

Sorin sat by the fire, staring at his growing status screen. He was stronger, more skilled.

But something in the forest was watching.

And waiting.

---

Next Morning: An Ogre’s Wrath

The next morning, their journey led them to a clearing.

A Forest Ogre (Level 7) stood there, its massive club smashing trees to splinters.

Sorin exhaled sharply. “Alright then. Let’s see if we’re really ready for this.”

Zarin grinned. “No turning back now.”

And with weapons drawn, they charged.