I Received System to Become Dragonborn-Chapter 832: Going Alone

With the mist creeping ever closer, the unseen threat lingering around them, and the harsh, tangled terrain of the forest underfoot, Eccar and the party escorting him couldn't afford to let their focus stray beyond the few meters around them. Every step demanded their full attention now.

They had already agreed to drop Annette's protective Magic dome. Moving forward through this miserable forest track meant they would constantly step out of the dome's range anyway. With cliffs to climb, thick roots to navigate, and fallen trees barring their path, a stationary defense was useless here. And truthfully, they weren't weaklings in need of such coddling. Even Eccar — the one they were supposed to protect — showed no sign of needing anyone's shield.

It was better this way, everyone silently agreed. Without the dome, they could move and fight more freely.

Their weapons stayed drawn, gripped tightly in their hands. Every second, they had to be ready. Yet they could all feel it: their senses were growing duller inside this cold, heavy mist. Not gone entirely — but weaker, as though muffled. Even Jan, the ranger with sharp instincts honed in forests just like this, could feel the strange force in the mist gnawing at his awareness.

There was no helping it. No one complained. They just pushed on, swallowing their unease.

Soon, a wide river loomed in front of them. The mist lay so thick over the water they couldn't see what waited on the far side.

"Throw some light there, Esther," Jan muttered, eyes narrowing.

Esther, the witch, gave a short nod and conjured a ball of crackling lightning. With a flick of her fingers, she sent it gliding across the river, piercing through the curtain of mist. As the glowing sphere reached the opposite bank, shadows flickered — movements. Whatever had been waiting there scattered in a rush as the light drew near.

"Shit," Kaela hissed, scowling. "More freakish things we'll have to deal with."

The others shared her look — grim, annoyed, reluctant to press forward.

Eccar caught the shift in their expressions. Without a word, he stepped forward, offering what they were all secretly hoping for. "I'll go first. Check it out."

At first, instinct made them bristle. Eccar was their charge, the man they were meant to escort safely. Letting him take point felt wrong. But in this situation — with their senses dulled, their nerves frayed, and their strength quietly draining — Eccar's calm, solid presence and clear strength were a relief. His offer suddenly felt less like a risk and more like a blessing.

Jan, acting as leader of the group, let out a tired sigh and met Eccar's gaze. "I don't want to do this… but if you're willing, we'd be grateful."

Eccar let out a chuckle, warm and easy. "Don't make it a big deal. Stop thinking of me as someone you have to escort. Think of me as your party member."

With that, he strode toward the river.

Without visible effort, Eccar shaped the earth beneath the water, raising solid platforms for his feet. Step by step, he crossed, his footing steady even in the swirling mist.

By now, the party didn't even look surprised. They simply watched in silence as Eccar reached the other side of the river, vanishing slightly into the fog beyonf the lightning ball's light.

Eccar scanned his surroundings, his senses sharpening instinctively. As a Dragonborn, he could feel them — dozens of shapes lurking just beyond the veil of mist, hidden from normal sight but clear as day to him.

His eyes flared, shifting subtly. The pupils narrowed into vertical slits, reptilian and cold, glowing faintly with a soft orange hue. With that, the fog parted in his vision, and he saw them clearly.

Humanoids, clad in armor fashioned from tree bark and rough leather. Forest tribesmen. Eccar recognized their kind immediately. They weren't charging in like wild beasts, not this time. Instead, they hovered at the edge of the mist, watching. Waiting.

"So… they've gotten smarter," Eccar mused. "Not attacking right away. Planning, maybe. Coordinating. That was new."

He scoffed quietly, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. These forest tribes were more interesting than he'd given them credit for. They looked human enough, but their language, their movements, even the way they breathed — all of it was alien compared to any human he'd known.

Glancing back over his shoulder, Eccar caught sight of the adventurer party still gathered behind the river. They looked worn down — their stances a little slumped, their weapons hanging a little lower. They'd been pushing hard, and it showed.

They'd treated him well so far, Eccar noted. Like someone precious they had to protect. He found that a little amusing. No one had ever acted that way toward him before — and honestly, it was kind of silly. But still, he appreciated the effort.

His smile lingered as he turned away from them. Time to ease their load a little.

Without hesitation, Eccar stepped deeper into the mist, walking straight toward the waiting figures hidden in its shroud.

The party didn't call out to him, didn't shout warnings or words of encouragement. They knew Eccar didn't need any of that. So they waited in silence on the other side of the river, standing still but tense, their eyes fixed on his fading figure as he disappeared deeper into the mist.

Eccar, meanwhile, watched the tribesmen with calm eyes. At first, they pulled back when they saw him advancing. He noted their retreat with mild interest. But as he pushed further in, the pattern shifted. They began to circle in closer, closing the distance through the fog.

"Ah," Eccar thought with a smirk. "They think I've wandered too far alon and become easy prey."

The ambush came fast. A tribesman slipped behind him, silent as a shadow, and lashed a rope around Eccar's neck. The cord bit against his skin — rough, thin, and edged with something sharp like thorns or tiny blades. The attacker yanked hard, muscles straining, hoping to drag Eccar down like a felled beast.

But Eccar didn't move. Not an inch. His body stood firm, unyielding, as if the rope had wrapped itself around the trunk of an ancient, immovable tree.

A scoff rumbled from Eccar's throat. Without even turning his head, he raised one hand and swatted backward — a casual slap aimed at the tribesman's skull.

The impact was anything but casual. The tribesman's head burst apart with a wet, violent crack, the body crumpling instantly to the forest floor.

Eccar exhaled slowly through his nose, eyes narrowing as more figures stirred in the mist around him.

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