Yeah, even though I recognized that these things were agile, I definitely underestimated their speed. The three ground monsters clear the sixty foot gap in seconds. The treetop monsters are close behind. Although I do notice that one of the ground monsters is lagging behind the others, if only slightly.

As they get close, one of them screeches loudly at Itor and Magna, who stand their ground. As the monster is screeching, The one in the back jumps to the side, entering the left treeline.

Both of the still-charging monsters leap at Magna, who ducks under both of them expertly, letting them land directly behind her. Itor clearly doesn’t think she needs any help with those too, as he’s busy scanning the treetops, presumably keeping an eye out for the three missing monsters. In fact, I’ve already lost track of them.

I look back at Magna and see something strange. Wincing, she holds her hand out at the two monsters on the ground, with her palm flat and facing them. In a split second, a stone spike, about six inches long and half an inch wide at its base, seems to materialize in front of her hand.

Then, with one swift motion, she draws her extended arm back and shoves the other forward. Though at no point does she touch the small hovering stalactite, it flies forward with great force as though it were launched out of a cannon, impaling one of the spider-like monsters’ bodies.

It doesn’t seem to die immediately, but it does get anchored to the ground by the spike stapling its body to the dirt, effectively immobilizing it. I almost try to process this event, but before a single thought can even run through my head, my attention is drawn back to the fight by the other monster leaping forward at Magna’s head once again.

Honestly, if it’s trying to do the same thing that failed last time, it must not be that intelligent. Magna puts her hand forward like she had done before when she materialized the stone spike; she most likely intends to impale it in the air.

However, during the split-second the spike is being created, both of the spider’s front orbs turn from the regular lime green to a metallic gray, and one of its back orbs disappears completely, as if it were eaten away or sunk into its own body. Then, almost as if the two front orbs truly did turn to steel, the animal falls with a newfound weight.

Reacting quickly, Magna redirects the pushing motion she had already begun from directly forward - where the spider used to be - to a downward angle directly at it. As her arm fully extends, the spike shoots forward yet again with an uncanny speed.

In response - with an equally impressive speed - the spider throws up one of its metallic orbs in the way of the spike. The stone stalactite is easily deflected off of it, and flies harmlessly into the dirt.

Before Magna can do anything else, the spider flings its raised orb at her legs in a sweeping motion. She jumps back to avoid it and the ball swings under her feet, but before she can land and regain her composure, the spider leaps forward as well, keeping impressive balance with its now-three feet to stand on.

Just before Magna hits the ground, the spider swings its metallic ball at Magna’s leg, causing her to land on bad footing and fall completely to the dirt. Before she can get up, the monster lifts one of its metal orbs and slams it down mercilessly against her shin.

The sound of impact and Magna’s yelp of pain gets Itor’s attention. Turning away from the trees, he quickly reacts to what’s happening, lifting his hand, materializing, and launching a stone spike exactly like Magna had done.

The monster’s head is lanced just before it could strike Magna’s shin once more. It gets pinned to the ground like the one before it, but it doesn’t seem to be alive anyway. Magna attempts to stand, but winces in pain and kneels on the ground. Understandable. Judging by the sound that was easily a bone fracture, and maybe even a full-on break.

Suddenly, one of the spiders bursts from the leaves of one of the trees and, before anyone can respond, latches onto the back of Itor’s head with one of the sticky green orbs.

Using the momentum it had built up from the leap, it leverages its weight and swings around Itor’s head, turning one of its orbs to steel midair, and slams it directly into Itor’s face, knocking him to the ground. Since the spider was latched onto the back of Itor’s head, it gets pinned under him when he falls.

Itor materializes a spike gripped in his hand as the spider tries to scramble out from under him, and, instead of launching it like before, simply swings it downward and stabs the spider through its abdomen. He looks up and I notice his malformed nose, now with a steady stream of blood leaking from it.

Before either Itor or Magna can recover, though, the last two spiders jump from the trees on either side of the road, one at each of them. The one leaping at Magna turns all of its orbs to steel midair, consuming one of its back orbs in the process like the other had before.

She attempts to block with her arms - and she does - but it seems the spider is so heavy that it crashes right through her defense and lands directly on her chest, knocking her flat on the ground. Without missing a beat, it takes both of its front legs and slams them, one after the other, into her face. She’s knocked fully unconscious.

The one jumping at Itor flies closer to his legs and only turns one of its front orbs to steel. None of its orbs are consumed, but one of the back ones shrinks slightly.

Itor manages to jump up in time, dodging the spider as it soars toward the ground, but right before it lands it uses its remaining front green orb to grip the back of Itor’s calf, swings around as Itor lands, and hits the back of his knee with its metal orb, causing his leg to crumple and he falls to his knees.

The spider begins to scramble up Itor’s legs and back. In response, he quickly materializes two stone dagger-like blades in his hands and swings them wildly at the monster. Dexterously, it manages to weave between the blindly swung blades as it scales Itor’s back. It reaches Itor’s neck and raises its metal orb, preparing to bash the orb into his skull.

It’s at this time that the action is interrupted by a hair-raising crack coming from Magna’s body. The monster that had knocked her out stands on the ground with its steel orb slammed firmly into her leg, which is bent the exact opposite way that it should be bent.

Fuck. There’s no way they’re getting out of this alive. If they die here, in the middle of a forest that apparently is full of incredibly deadly packs of incredibly intelligent monsters, I’m fucked too. I mean, theoretically, I could go back the way we came and technically eventually arrive back in the city, but let’s be honest here. I’m not making it that far.

Not only are these animals more than enough to swiftly kill me, but the fact that these things even have the evolutionary reason to travel in packs means there’s an even bigger apex predator out in this forest that they need to protect themselves from.

Goddamn it. I really am terrified. Itor is defenseless. In about half a second, he’ll get hit by that ball of metal and most likely get knocked out. Magna is already on the verge of death. I’m the only one here in fighting shape. And if those two die, I’m stranded in a death forest. There’s only one option here. I have to fight these things.