The forest had gone quiet again.

  Not the peaceful kind, the kind that made your skin crawl. No birdsong. No wind. Just the creak of old branches and the distant drip of water on stone. The party had been attacked several times whilst they’d been tracking the heavier monster, but not in any real numbers, and the goblins had been easily dealt with. Truth be told, Josh thought it had been good practice to implement their plans from the previous night.

  After ten more minutes of walking in silence, Josh raised a hand, signalling the party to halt. “Something’s off.”

  Perberos crouched low, scanning the undergrowth. “Tracks haven’t changed. Heavy. Deep. Definitely not goblin.”

  Bhel stepped beside him, eyes narrowing. “Orc.”

  Carcan’s grip tightened on her staff. “You’re sure?”

  “Smell it,” Bhel said. “Sweat. Rot. Iron. It’s close. Really close.”

  The party subconsciously took a step closer to each other, each of them scanning the terrain around them. Silence filled the space.

  Then the trees exploded.

  A massive figure burst from the underbrush, scattering leaves and snapping branches like twigs. Seven feet tall, broad as a cart, with mottled green skin stretched over slabs of muscle. Its armor was a patchwork of iron plates, leather straps, and scavenged bones. A jagged cleaver hung from one hand, stained black with old blood.

  Its face was brutish, a heavy brow, sunken yellow eyes, and tusks jutting from a twisted mouth. A horrifying bellow emitted from its throat, shaking the very ground around them.

  None of them had time to really do anything other than gape. Josh barely had time to raise his shield before the cleaver came down.

  The impact rang out like a bell. Josh staggered, shoes skidding in the mud, but he held. He let out a steadying breath and started to push back on the beast.

  Bhel was the first to start moving, fast and low, his axes flashing as he dodged around the side of Josh. He struck the orc’s thigh, carving a deep line, but the brute barely flinched. It kicked out, catching Bhel in the ribs and sending him sprawling off to the side.

  “Bhel!” Carcan shouted, concerns written across her face, though she was relieved when she saw the dwarf quickly find his feet. .

  Perberos darted to the right hand side, Brett to the left, each getting some space to work, whilst keeping close enough to the party in case there were other dangers lurking in the forest. Brett fired a Firebolt, striking the orc’s shoulder. Flames licked across its armour and quickly smouldered out. It didn’t even blink.

  Josh gritted his teeth as the orc’s blade whistled through the air in a savage arc. He dropped low, the weapon slicing just above his head, then rolled through the dirt and came up in a burst of motion. With a shout, he drove forward, shoulder-first into the orc’s chest, slamming it off balance. His longsword came free in the same motion, flashing in his grip with a fluid grace he didn’t know he possessed.

  Back on his feet and seething with anger, Bhel crashed back into the fray beside Josh, bloodied but burning with fury. He let out a raw shout and swung both axes in brutal tandem, the blades biting deep into the orc’s ribs. The brute howled and twisted, swinging its cleaver in a wild, sweeping arc—but Josh was already there. He surged forward, planting his feet and catching the blow square on his shield with a bone-jarring clang. The impact rattled through his arm, but he held firm, forcing the orc back a step.

  Bhel ducked away from a backhanded punch from the orc, rolling clear as the fist tore through the air where his head had been a heartbeat before. Josh seized the opening, driving forward with a roar. His sword flashed, carving a line across the orc’s shoulder. The creature bellowed, staggering back, thick black blood splattering across Josh’s shield.

  Josh pressed the attack, momentum surging through him. The orc swung again, slower now, desperate but Josh met it head-on, steel clashing in a burst of sparks as they both bore down on each other, neither willing to give an inch.

  Perberos seized the opening, firing in rapid succession. Arrows hissed through the air, slamming into the orc’s back one after another. Each strike barely pierced the thick armour and hide, little more than splinters against its bulk but the constant sting drove the beast into a rage. Blood welled from a dozen shallow wounds as Perberos drew and fired again, teeth bared, refusing to let up.

  Brett’s voice rose above the clash, words of power tumbling from his lips. The earth answered. Roots burst from the ground, coiling around the orc’s legs and wrenching them tight. The brute roared, hacking through one of the bindings with a furious sweep of its cleaver, its gaze flicking from Josh for only a heartbeat.

  But that was all the tall warrior needed. Josh surged forward, shield first, and slammed into the orc’s chest with a thunderous crack. The impact drove the creature back, its footing slipping on the torn earth. It staggered, arms windmilling as it fought to stay upright.

  Bhel was already moving before the orc could recover. With a roar that tore from deep in his chest, he swung both axes in a savage cross-cut. The blades bit deep into the orc’s neck, spraying a hot mist of blood across the dirt.

  The brute dropped to one knee, gurgling, one massive hand clutching at the wounds that pumped dark life onto the ground. Its breath came in ragged, snarling bursts, eyes blazing with hate even as its strength faltered.

  Josh took a step back, chest heaving, sword still raised, angled over his shield. For a heartbeat, the world shrank to the sound of the orc’s laboured growls and the crackle of nearby fires in the undergrowth. Then Bhel wrenched his axes free with a wet rip, and the creature toppled forward, lifeless, hitting the earth with a heavy thud.

  Silence followed, thick, heavy, absolute. The only sound was the slow drip of blood from steel to soil, mingling with the orc’s final breath as it seeped into the dirt. For a long moment, no one moved. Every eye was locked on the fallen brute, half-expecting it to rise again.

  This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

  Then, across their vision, a soft glow shimmered to life.

  [Your party has killed Orc Warrior – Level 6]

  Josh exhaled, the tension in his chest finally breaking. He lowered his shield, arm trembling from the impact of repeated blows. “Now that,” he said between ragged breaths, “was a fight.”

  Bhel stumbled back a step, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth. His chest rose and fell like a bellows, every breath edged with exhaustion. Carcan was at his side in an instant, murmuring a quiet incantation. Light pooled beneath her palms, spreading warmth over the dwarf’s torn flesh and fading bruises.

  “Everyone else still in one piece?” she asked, her voice soft but steady.

  Perberos let out a low groan from where he’d slumped against a tree, bow clutched loosely in one hand. “Barely,” he muttered. “And for the record… I hate being right.”

  Brett laughed first, a dry, nervous sound that cracked the silence. The others followed, the tension finally giving way to relief. Their laughter wasn’t joyous, not really, it was the raw kind that came when survival felt like a miracle.

  Josh looked around at them, the flicker of the fading HUD still reflected in his eyes. They were scraped, bleeding, and bone-tired, but alive. For now, that was enough.

  Their laughter slowly faded, replaced by the heavy rhythm of their breathing and the whisper of wind through the trees. The glow of the fading HUD lingered a few moments longer before it blinked away, just as the orc’s body began to shift.

  At first, it was subtle: a faint shimmer, like heat rising off stone. Then, its flesh began to break apart into motes of golden light. The glow spread quickly, swallowing the hulking corpse until only its outline remained, before collapsing inward with a faint whoosh. The air hummed with energy, and when the light faded, several small objects clattered onto the dirt.

  Josh pushed himself upright, curious despite his exhaustion, the adrenaline now flooding out of his body, leaving aches and pains. “Loot drop,” he muttered, almost to himself.

  At the centre lay a single Orc Fang, long and curved like a small dagger, its surface rough but glinting faintly in the fading light. Bhel crouched down beside it, turning it over in his hand. “Big bugger, isn’t it?” he said, holding it up with a half-grin.

  Beside it were smaller rewards, a few iron-tipped arrows that Perberos placed in his pouch, a half-full vial of coarse red dust that Carcan thought might be a low-grade fire catalyst, and a tarnished copper charm carved with an unknown rune. Carcan picked that one up carefully, frowning as she turned it over in her palm.

  “Doesn’t seem magical,” she murmured, “maybe someone can identify it back in town later.”

  Josh sheathed his sword with a weary sigh and bent to pick up the fang. “Not bad, really. No one’s dead, and I assume this thing’s worth something?” he said dryly, turning the curved tooth over in his hand.

  Bhel chuckled, wiping grime and blood from his cheek with the back of his wrist. “Aye. Same idea as goblin ears, the guild pays bounties for ‘em. But this?” He nodded at the fang, eyes glinting. “This’ll turn a few heads. If this dungeon was supposed to be full of goblins, looks like their big brothers have moved in.”

  Josh grunted in agreement, gaze shifting toward the horizon. The sun was slipping higher into the sky, staining the treetops in bright light. The forest had gone still again, too still. Every rustle made his muscles tense, the adrenaline not yet fully gone. The ache of his bruises settled in, heavy and insistent, a reminder of how close that fight had been.

  “Alright,” he said finally, voice rough but steady. “Do we need to rest, or can we move on?”

  Carcan straightened from where she’d been checking her staff, the faint shimmer of lingering healing magic fading from her hands. “I barely used any mana,” she said with a shrug. “Still plenty left if we run into trouble.”

  Brett tapped his staff against the dirt, smirking. “I’ve got a few more fights like that in me. Maybe three, if you promise to keep between me and the monster.”

  Josh groaned, rolling his shoulders with a wince. “If you carry on I’ll show you how hard the orc hit!”

  Bhel snorted. “Sorry, you’re the biggest target, lad. Comes with the job.”

  Josh gave him a flat look, then nodded toward the shadowed trail ahead. “Fine. Let’s keep moving before something else decides to test that theory.”

  With that, the party regrouped, the golden motes fading, drifting through the air behind them as they pressed deeper into the darkening forest.

  —--

  The party moved out again, Josh taking point, shield raised and senses alert to every shifting shadow. Brett followed close behind, staff at the ready, eyes flicking constantly between Josh and the terrain. Bhel and Carcan brought up the rear, axes and staff poised but moving with measured, steady steps. Perberos stayed slightly to the flank, scanning for any signs of trouble with his bow drawn.

  As they navigated the winding forest path, Brett’s voice broke the quiet. “You holding up, Josh?”

  Josh gave a small shrug, the tension in his shoulders easing slightly. “I’m fine. That fight… it’s nothing compared to the troll, or some of the other things I’ve had to deal with.” His gaze drifted forward. “Remember when I had to step in when Gregg and his mate were going after you, back at school? Felt about the same, except bigger, louder, and better personal hygiene."

  Brett’s lips curved into a brief smile, but his voice dropped almost to a whisper. “I know what you mean… but this—” He gestured subtly with his staff toward the trees around them, toward the path they’d just carved through the orc-infested forest. “This is exactly like a game. Like we’re running a quest leading to a dungeon crawl. First goblins, then orcs, what’s next? Each enemy, each fight, is just another encounter to manage… except it’s all real.”

  Josh glanced at him, brow raised. “Real, yes. I remember games hurting less.”

  “I know,” Brett said softly, voice barely audible over the crunch of leaves beneath their feet. “That’s what makes it feel… so much like one in a way? I think that’s what I mean. Maybe. The planning, the pacing, the way you adapt on the fly. Every fight’s a puzzle, every movement matters. We learn, we survive, we level up or we fail. And somehow…” He paused, glancing at Josh with a faint smirk, “it’s thrilling. And terrifying.”

  Josh exhaled, shaking his head but unable to keep a small grin. “You really are going to overanalyse everything, aren’t you?”

  “Of course,” Brett said quietly. “But that’s why we’re alive right now. You, me, Bhel, Carcan, Perberos… we’re all pieces of the same system. If one of us falls behind or hesitates, it all falls apart. You’re the one who draws their attention first. If you’re off, the rest of us are at risk. Will you speak up if it becomes too much?”

  Josh gave a thoughtful nod, letting the words settle. “Yea, I promise. Though if I’m honest, I’m actually quite enjoying this in a weird way. Knowing I could get hurt is terrifying, but knowing magic is here, and can heal me up quicker than any medicine we had back at home is really… amazing..”

  Brett relaxed slightly, stepping into a rhythm that matched Josh’s. “Good. It’s not just me feeling like that. Well, lets get this dungeon found and see what's next eh?”

  Josh groaned. “Fantastic. Can’t wait.”

  Carcan, catching the tail end of the exchange, shook her head with a faint smile. “Focus, you two. Don’t let your philosophical musings get us killed before sundown.”

  Bhel let out a low chuckle, catching up with Josh, adjusting his grip on his axes. “Aye. Let the smart ones talk. I’ll just keep swinging.”

  With that, the party pressed deeper into the forest, the shadows lengthening as the early afternoon sun beat down onto the trees.

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