Traversing outside the line

3rd person pov

The group of recruits continues marching on their way to the camp.

But some of them notice that they are heading on a different path, away from the usual arudok where there is no tall grass.

Instead, they are crossing on the culuan swamps which are rumored to be a nest for some crazy swamp monsters.

Eneth positioned himself in the middle of the pack.

Decreasing the risk of getting caught in an unknown peril.

He listened to the whispers of persons behind him.

"I heard that in this swamps is home to some scary monsters, they said that no one came back alive after exploring this place," said by a brown color skin with somewhat squinty eyes.

"don't joke about that, it isn't funny" answered the person marching on the front of eneth.

You could see the nervousness on his face, his somewhat of a chubby individual with a darker brown skin tone.

"yep it's true I heard that Perdi, our towns barber, never came back after going to this swamps" added by another person behind eneth, upon looking back he's somewhat confused because those two behind him look exactly the same as the squinty eye, the only difference is this one has a mole behind his cheeks.

On his side someone tap eneth's arm, he quickly looked at the person.

"don't worry about those twins, they're just joking with others," said this person on his right who looks like a black person with curly hair, a very thin shape.

Eneth tries to stay on his composure acting indifferent.

The person continues staring on eneth, looks like he's trying to remember something" if I'm right, you are the guy who always sleeps on the top of the hill?" curiously asked.

Eneth avert his gaze" yes" quietly said with no energy, seems like he's not accustomed to conversing with someone.

The guy tried to make the conversation going "ahh, by the way, I'm king ed, ked for short, those two jokers behind us are the twins B1 and the one with a mole B2" joyful introduction by king.

Eneth try to nod.

"hey, ked you forgot to introduced us" cut suddenly by the person in the front abrupting king.

"Ahh, my bad" then he tried to recollect himself" This is fat guy is Bollo" pointing at the chubby one.

"Hey, I'm not fat I'm just chubby" opposed sullenly by bollo.

King continues and points at the slightly little one beside bollo" then the quiet one beside him is mangyo, don't be fooled by that guy his a pervert" quickly said.

Mangyo frowns but somewhat smiles then dabs on king" ouch!! That hurt" while laughing like someone's tickling him.

While joking around and having a great time, the group hasn't noticed that the water their trudging is slightly rising above slowly, earlier it was just on the height of their knees, now it's on the same level as their legs.

Then the mud on the water gets even murkier.

Because of that, they started to have difficulty on walking, it gets heavier each step.

"Hey, something is wrong, I could feel it" sense by mangyo, ceasing the whole group's delight, leaving them feeling dismayed, in a quiet surrounding only the droplets of water on the trees can be heard, making them alert, they heightened their senses in defense of the upcoming danger.

The whole group thread carefully with each small footstep, alarmed at every sound.

until they reach the part of the swamps where there were a ton of enormous trees having large leaves enough to cover the skies causing the placed to be engulfed in darkness.

Rattled bollo hastily said "Hey is there someone out there who can make a light?" while stuttering, without wasting any second.

"Here now," said King then he tries to flick his finger, the whole group heard the clicking sound, then fire suddenly came out on his middle finger lighting up the whole group.

Feeling relieved, bollo blissfully said" thank God" he muttered, not until he sees king's middle finger right in front of his face" Not even funny, Haha" annoyingly added.

King laughs mimicking bollo's crisis beforehand.

But the whole group was shocked in a sudden realization that there are covered by a thick fog preventing them from clearly seeing the whole place.

What's more to their surprise that added to their dismay, is that they just discovered that the groups marching in front of them are gone.

Eneth shrieked suddenly" there's something" before he could finish his sentences he was grabbed by an unknown limb pulling him away, he hang on to kings shoulder beside him to prevent him from getting pulled over.

"Somebody help!!" fearfully screamed by eneth.

King quickly said to others" hey don't just watch there, do something" in which the twins promptly respond by drawing both of their swords and slashing the tentacle grabbing eneth.

He immediately stands up after breaking out on the creature's hold.

"That was a close call," said b1.

"Thank you" answered by eneth panting nervously.

"We need to find its body, I can electrify the whole place with my magic but the whole group would also get harm " implied by b2.

Then bollo steps up in a squatting position" Then allow me to show off" while stretching his arm sideways, palm open.

The muddy water is slowly segregated on the whole group's body.

"Hurry up!! I could only keep this field for only five seconds" straining himself from controlling the water pressure.

"Very well" said by b2 then he whipped his sword in every place, transforming it into an electric whip making a stream of electricity.

Electrifying every part of the swamps up until the monster squeal and reveal its existence.

bollo cant hold the water any longer he kneeled in exhaustion, making the group dip on the water once again.

But their attention was suddenly caught by the creature slowly standing up from the murky water of the swamps uncovering its appearance.

It was an arupihan, a large centipede with a shell on its back with a long reach of pincer long tentacled like appendage, having 12 limbs, its body is covered by exoskeleton hardened skin.

Seems like the whole group is just standing firmly, feels like they are used to facing such monstrosity, unlike eneth who is trembling in this scene.

"I got this" as mangyo grab his dagger and sliced it through the air, causing a razor-like wind that slashed to its opponent.

The arupihan blocked the sharp wind, using 4 of its tentacle getting it cut off.

Then it charges at the group violently.

"My turn," said by b1 then he trust his palm through the air, manipulating the mud on the arupihan limbs hardening it, making it move heavier to slow the creature down "King it's your turn" he added.

Then king put on the gauntlets on his arm and clenched his fist" as you said" then accelerated swiftly to the front of the approaching arupihan and gave it a flaming uppercut that hits right on the targets head.

The punch presses the monster aback.

Then he looks back on the group bragging about his power "See, it's that easy".

But the whole group tries to alert king, but the black guy is too busy flaunting his strength

"Hey look out!".

Because of that, he didn't realize that the centipede that he just drops respond by slicing one of its pincers while he's turned back.

in a split second by glancing behind he notices the assault, with only a second left, he tried to block the attack using his left arm, resulting in him getting thrown meters ahead.

Hurling through the big tree and smashing his back on the top.

He screamed in agony" I don't feel my left arm, I can't move it!!" feeling tortured.

"It must be as they said, the creature can paralyze," says b1.

King screamed while on the branch with a vengeful look" You will pay you cretin!!" then he tried to punch with his right arm in the air, making several fireballs raiding the creature.

The arupihan quickly hides inside its big shell to endure the onslaught.

The flames bursting out of the fireballs striking the shell scatters and setting fire on the trees close by the monster.

"Let us not waste any time, let's help king" said b2, as the whole group nodded.

Bringing everyone to ready their weapons, Bollo's sledgehammer, Mangyo's dagger, and the twin's swords of the two, those weapons are the symbol of their house, passed by their grandparents through generation, eneth unable to have one because he cannot wield one.

"Let's put an end to this!!"

Then the whole group charged at the covering creature, beside eneth who was left standing far off the battle thinking of running away.

They attack all out at the same time trying to break the creature's shell, but seems to no avail, after a minute of barrage it appears like the whole group exhaust all of their energy.

They kneel gasping for air.

Making the creature come out of its shell unscathed.

"What on earth do we need to do to beat that thing," said king who doesn't even have the energy left to move.

"Let's continue!!" screamed by bollo forcing his fatigue body to proceed once again for an attack.

But before he could even move his muscle they were smashed by the arupihan large tail holding numerous spikes hitting all of them.

Their we're thrown kilometers away by its force their bodies rolled over on the muddy water, all of them are paralyzed having in contact with the critter spikes.

While his whole group is beaten down, having no chance at vanquishing the monster.

Eneth tried to run almost stumbling over because of nervousness, trying to leave his unconscious fellow villagers drowning in the waist-level water of the swamps unable to move.

Then the creature removes his shell and many little arupihans come out of it, coming to feast on his drowning comrades who are slowly suffocating in every passing minute.

Then the centipede wasted no time on opening its large mouth having a hard time dislocated by kings attack earlier, which contain a thousand small teeth like needles preparing on chomping on his allies.

While trying to escape quickly eneth suddenly stops, annoyed at himself irritated to his cowardice that running away is his only solution for everything, getting tired of these things, he closed his eyes for a moment, mustering the courage to fight back and grit his teeth"im tired of running away!".

Punching his face at the same time, enduring its pain, certain on his resolution he stands tall, chin up shoulders are back.

He faces it off once again and screamed" Hey you!! We're not over yet, I'm still here!!" loudly as he can, trying to get its attention.

The provoked arupihan quickly charges for an attack.

Without any means of contending the creature, eneth looks straight determined on not backing down, he breaths heavily while reaching the flaming branch beside him clinching it tightly then lunges for an attack without any hesitation.

The two intercepts one another, then the creature tries on attempting to slice eneth, but instead of fighting back, he changes his direction.

Evading the monster attack hitting only the nearby tree.

Enneth runs to the group, planning to save his drowning comrades from becoming the feast of the arupihans newborns.

The astonished arupihan chased eneth aggressively, realizing his after on its spawn.

Eneth pushed and shove all of the fragile trees consumed by flames to one another falling like dominos making the forest fire blowup to slow down the creature, and one by one the trees fall on the creature and get buried.

Then eneth quickly saved his comrade from drowning out of the water one by one scaring the little arupihans who try to eat them by weaving his flaming branch.

Then the buried parent arupihan tried to force its way out of the heavy burnt logs of trees, it tries to slither its way by shedding its skin.

It successfully came out but at a cost of making its body vulnerable in soft thin skin.

Without wasting any second eneth push down a big flaming tree falling on its spawn.

The arupihan quickly rushed to protect its offspring resulting it the one getting smashed down by its fall.

Eneth grabs his comrade's weapon to end the creatures life.

But after seeing it in a weakened state while trying to protect its children.

Eneth changes his mind, showing mercy.

After that, the fog quickly resolves.

And all of the knights suddenly show up.

"all of you have passed" they announced.