The forest talks.
"Oh shit," I'm suddenly regretting trying to challenge Valeria.
The ear-piercing noise builds until the sound swallows itself, a choir of claws and animal chittering.
Then eyes ignite in the canopy—black beads with pale seams trailing down the fur along their spines.
Threadbacks. F-rank Corrupted. The reason behind Nicklas's poo hunt.
Well, he certainly knows how to foreshadow, at least.
"Cht—Cht—Cht…!"
The first drops from a tree with uncanny dexterity. It's a large, fox-sized black squirrel, its teeth glinting like surgical steel.
It stares at me, inching closer. Why me? Why not Nicklas or Valeria? Fuck my Luck stat!
"Get Cossa," I order in a hushed voice to Valeria, turning my sword onto the lone Corrupted.
She swiftly scoops Cossa up with ease. Nicklas is frozen in fear.
The creature lunges.
With practiced ease, I simultaneously sidestep and slash upward, decapitating the fucked up mammal mid air.
