Tension

The beast, a behemoth with three heads and two expansive, sack-like wings, hovered ominously above them. Its wing span stretched out over five feet, casting an ominous shadow below.

Its imposing body was sheathed in ebony scales, shimmering menacingly under the feeble moonlight.

With another gut-wrenching screech, the beast folded its wings into a cocoon-like formation and nose-dived straight into the heart of their campfire.

The impact was so great it carved a gaping hole into the earth, easily two feet deep.

The beast, now rooted at the center of the crater, let its trio of heads swivel around the area, twitching and turning in a disconcerting manner.

But there were no bodies on the ground; only the smoldering remnants of the campfire were left.

The monster issued another ground-quaking roar, then sniffed the air as if hunting down a scent.

It then spread its wings once more and propelled itself skywards with a powerful flap.

At a considerable distance away, the party of four was still darting through the dense forest.

Their senses were on high alert, straining for any signs of danger hiding in the shadows of the dark oak trees.

Just as Zeris was about to stumble from a sudden tremor underfoot, his thoughts grew sluggish. It somehow helped him from losing his balance and continue his escape.

Then, an invisible screen flickered into existence before his eyes – visible only to him.

[You have Fooled the Three-Headed Nightmare Bat!]

[Your Illusion has been broken.]

Earlier, when they were attacked by a loud screech, he immediately imagined them fainting on the ground and activated The Fool's Paradise.

'At least the penalty didn't apply. My knowledge about this seed is still too limited. I must avoid it from sprouting at all costs for now.'

He also realized that if his illusion is also broken by another being, his mental state is also affected.

Thinking back at this, Zeris was actually quite lucky about the fact that his illusion was deactivated by him before it was broken by the centipede from earlier.

His mind wandered back to the centipede, and he skidded to a halt. Noticing this, Laia followed suit, stopping in her tracks.

"Why did we stop?" Rey asked, puffing as he carried a drowsy Tricus on his back.

Laia, her gaze fixed on Zeris's troubled expression, chimed in, "Something wrong?"

Zeris shook his head and said softly, "We can't just keep running. Sooner or later, we'll encounter another creature like that bat or the centipede."

His expression was grave as he said this.

They had been running aimlessly from the bat, but who knew what else lurked in these depths, waiting for them to unwittingly stumble into danger.

Right now, they needed a temporary way to hide and wait till sunrise; at least then, they would be able to see their ways better.

'Even if it only increases our chances of making out by a tiny bit, I must grasp it.'

An idea suddenly popped into Zeris's head.

"Laia, I saw you with a waterskin earlier, is there any water left?"

She responded with a nod and handed it to him.

"And what do you need it for?"

With an apologetic grin, Zeris emptied it onto the ground.

Rey, catching on to his plan, carefully set the unconscious Tricus down.

He then rolled up his sleeves and drove both hands into the spot where Zeris had poured the water.

Laia quickly figured out what was happening and reluctantly passed Zeris the rest of her water supply.

In no time, the earth beneath them turned into a muddy mess.

Finally came the part Laia found most revolting—applying the mud to their bodies.

But Zeris was convinced this was the best course of action. Blending their scent with the soil and mud would make it much more challenging for any beasts to track them down.

Ironically, Laia benefited most from this strategy; not only did the mud help mask her scent, but it also camouflaged well with her brown hair.

She cursed at him inwardly and gave him a hefty smack on the back before settling down.

Rey made sure that both Tricus and himself were adequately smeared with mud.

He then took a position alongside the others. They were all huddled together, attempting to further mask their human scent.

Backs pressed against one another, they remained on high alert for any lurking danger.

Zeris found himself wrestling with a nagging fear, a silent whisper that perhaps this plan would fall apart.

But there was no other way.

The forest was almost pitch-black now, and given the weakened state of Rey's group, they were sitting ducks for ferocious beasts like the bat or the centipede. A single blow from these predators could spell their end.

Zeris' primary concern was his own power - The Fool's Paradise. It was a lifeline, but the mental drain it inflicted each time he relied on it was debilitating. To survive in this world, he needed to take risks and gain more power.

After what felt like an eternity, the same screeching cry echoed through the forest, turning their blood cold.

A massive shadow blotted out what little moonlight filtered through the canopy, taking the shape of a monstrous bat.

It swooped down and landed with such force that it carved yet another crater into the earth.

The bat's three heads pivoted and twitched, diligently scanning their surroundings. Seemingly spotting something, it began to inch toward their position.

Zeris decided against activating his ability and pinned his hopes on the efficacy of his mud camouflage plan.

If he were to conjure another illusion of them fleeing, it would be shattered almost instantly, and there was a high chance that he would even lose consciousness from this.

So he decided to bet everything on this single, tense moment.

Rey and Laia seemed to be on the same page, placing their trust in the muddy veneer that covered them. Their hearts pounded in unison with each step the bat took closer to them.

The creature halted mere steps away from them, raising its head and releasing a roar that echoed through the night.