~Sonia POV~

The forest around was grim with grey skies and rotten trees having no leaves to shine their green and lively blooms.

We traveled cautiously hiding our strong presence from the beast that roamed the area, ravaging the land and taking many innocent lives that stood in its way. That was the reason for our venture to this small frightening location, but the strength of the foe we faced was unparalleled.

It was strong, that even I feared dying in this loose place even being a mother to the most adorable child to live in this cruel world.

"Philip." The panic sound from my voice left into my husband's ears.

Fear had taken its hold against me, in the past, this would have never come to happen in the slightest. Now, I had a son who was waiting for his parents' return from a short and pitiful journey.

"Don't worry, he will be fine. Reya is with him after all. Just focus on staying alive and returning in one piece." His voice stuttered here and there, for the same reason I worried over our child.

Suddenly, movement came from the ground several steps away from us all as if the land came to dig itself from the inside upwards. Then a single hand was released into the visible cloudy and grim landscape followed by several others around it.

Many of them, equal in strength and similar appearance. The Skeletons showed up from the ground already proving this land was cursed from the tracks led by our objective.

"Gragh!" They screamed, raising their old iron swords high.

Their speed was slow, but the force that came from a single swing of their blades would easily disperse the normal human body. We stayed cautious of their movements, blocking and parrying each attack that launched against us.

Overly powered, we were at a disadvantage but with our tactics, we came to keep ourselves alive. Our bow-user would use a dagger while blocking the attacks even if there was a difference in the size of both swords and daggers. She was the most in a disadvantage, therefore our top priority was to keep her in the middle away from harm.

"Now, Philip!" Our team leader shouted ordering Philip to take action.

"Don't need to hear it now." He replied lifting his sword high.

His next movements came to be slow, but swifter and concise with the way he usually handled his skills. Much like from the first day I ever came to meet him.

"Wyvern Blade!"

His skills released a sharp flow of air outside our safe spot and sent the skeletons flying in the distance torn into pieces from their frail bones that could not stay intact.

Jessica rushed out immediately to the rising of more monsters from underground stabbing each in the head before fully revealing their final forms.

A hiss echoed from above in three directions at once. With the clear view from above, they were Dark Serpents each hungry for the prey under them.

They launched midair as we all gathered and Elina immediately cast a spell that formed a green barrier around us right after. The serpents received damage from the collision with the barrier and slid their slimy bodies around hissing.

"Damn it, this is all going wrong." James lost his composure, meanwhile, Ruben lifted his large hammer in a deeply centered stance.

"Ana, think you can land some damage with your bow?" Elina asked opening a small circle in the barrier to fully allow an entrance and exit for an arrow.

Ana raised her bow and stretched the arrow out aiming at the head of a serpent. Releasing the arrow, it made its way while a spell imbued in it activated as it left through the small center hole and made its way with a wind-formed spell that formed it to be a sword and pierced through the serpents' outward flesh. Its body crumbled down as the others hissed in anger attacking the barrier despite the vain efforts.

"Don't take me lightly." Ana mentioned shooting two more arrows at once with the same imbued spell as Elina formed two more holes into the serpents.

Their large bodies fell with a loud thud, as the area went quiet and a faint sound of a larger foe echoed in the air. Our attention was broken, staring off into every direction that lifted the sound of our foe from all sides despite its single hybrid form.

"It's still moving, the land is telling me." Ruben called out warning everyone of the danger we faced.

"Dare strike my premises, you bunch of idiotic garbage." Its deep sinister tone frightened us on the spot.

Its shadow landed on the land below us filling the darkness of its shadow from its enormous body filled with spikes and heavy scales. The two eyes, colored in red similar to a serpent, and its large hands gave it a humanoid touch despite it being a beast.

Red Hybrid Cobra, an apparent ancient research subject imbued with the parts of an iron ogre that made its metallic touch on the body. Its combat relied on the overall body and hands it had harnessed through countless experiments.

Laid above the barrier, we lost strength as the barrier slowly shattered to pieces from the large mass of weight. We ran but knew there was no point of escape from the beast.

"You think you can run! Fools, I am everywhere."

Its enormous body kept us trapped by the use of sealing every available exit, as it knew we were limited in our jumps and form of escaping out from it.

"Shit!" Philip yelled in realization.

"Move aside!" Ruben screamed as he lifted the large hammer.

He launched an attack onto the ground, which then formed small spikes that traveled in a direct line towards the large cobra waiting to be damaged. Then it did, but the attack did not harm it one bit, as it only held itself high for us to see its might before our very eyes.

"This is the end."

It scattered its body aiming to attack all of us at once. We were frozen, unable to move a muscle with the rapid speed it demonstrated leading its way onto us.

"Die!"

With its last terrifying yell of might, an unknown thing came abruptly ending its actions on the spot. It was someone, bearing an orange mask that fitted with its orange attire and large claws. Human-shaped monster or perhaps an elf considering its elvish ears.

It quickly overpowered the cobra we feared to death. And clawed away, through its hard and metallic body as if it were butter sliced with just a regular knife. Forming what seemed to be a long passage even after killing it with its first strike.

The laughter of someone insane released disguising an evil individual for someone heroic into our very eyes.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Its steps came silently after it finished its fine work, moving in our direction as we stood our guard fearing what it plotted against or with us. In that very instance, my child appeared in my mind as if I would die right after seeing the last vision of what I adored the most.

"Sorry, it is impolite of me to be seen in such a messy way. Please rest assured, I possess no threat to the likes of you mortals. I am working alongside my fellow people in search of our very lord, although he has yet to fully awaken to his former self. I will take my leave immediately, take care of yourselves, and leave the heavy work of these monsters to us. Goodbye."

It vanished right after without a trace left to be seen, dispersing like sand blown away by the short gust of wind.

We were astonished and afraid, but made our way back to the town without any issue and only claimed the crystals inside the serpents and skeletons. As the large Cobra had already lost its crystal from within a large amount of chunky flesh it had.

That was a monster, although it being good or evil was still around to question.

All that is now left, is to return home to our little Elysia. Perhaps adventuring has now dwindled in us as parents.