The Outergod's Avatar-Chapter 42: The Maw Forest (4)

"It’s climbing the tr—" Izikel’s voice barely escaped as a whisper, his face frozen in terror.

Before he could finish, Sophia clamped a firm hand over his mouth, silencing him. Her eyes darted toward the sound, then back to her companions.

She signaled for Izikel and Lyzah to stay quiet, pressing them closer to the trunk of the tree. The rough bark bit into their backs, but it gave them a sliver of security—some illusion of protection as the beast closed in.

The Maw beast ascended steadily, muscles bulging under a grotesque hide, claws digging into bark like hooks. Its movements were slow but deliberate, and with each heave, it seemed to gain speed.

Izikel could hardly breathe. That thing—monstrous, savage—shouldn’t have been able to climb. It was too large, too heavy. Yet here it was, scaling the towering tree with terrifying ease. His gaze flicked outward, and his stomach dropped.

Other Maw beasts were climbing too. Trees all around them bore the weight of similar horrors, each beast making its own way up like spiders from a nightmare. How could creatures so massive move with such unnatural grace?

But Sophia was not surprised.

She gripped her spear tightly, positioning it downward, the polished tip gleaming under the pale moonlight. Her body was still, her breathing calm. She was waiting.

Waiting for the perfect moment.

The beast neared. It crept closer to their branch, claws splintering the wood below. Inches now. The blade of Sophia’s spear hovered just above its head.

The moonlight kissed the steel, but the beast remained unaware.

Then, with cold precision, "Attack!" Sophia hissed.

She plunged down, driving the spear deep into the creature’s skull. A sickening crack echoed through the forest as the beast went limp, sliding off the tree with a heavy thud.

All around them, other saints mirrored her actions. From the trees, they descended in coordinated strikes, piercing and slashing the climbing monsters.

Some were able to work together and killed the beast in an instance, while others only managed to injure the beasts.

The saints that weren’t as successful were immediately mauled by the creatures.

Maws thrashed, claws slashed, and several saints were ripped apart midair. Screams pierced the night as saints were flung from branches or dragged off into the dark. Blood sprayed like mist. But before the wounded monsters could recover, hidden soldiers that had remained on the ground burst from the underbrush, skewering the creatures from below with practiced strikes.

It was a trap. A bloody, brilliant ambush.

It was a calculated and pre planned attack that gave the saints the advantage to defeat the beasts without much risk. Now Izikel understood why they waited.

The saints knew the Maw beasts would eventually climb the trees and that would be the best time to strike.

It seemed like it wasn’t over as the remaining beast began to emerge from the shadows, tails swinging from side to side.

Sophia raised her spear. "Defend yourselves!" she called, voice sharp and unwavering.

A Maw leapt at her with a guttural roar, its jaws wide.

She held her ground, bracing the spear crosswise against its charge. The beast’s weight slammed into her, her knees buckling. She gritted her teeth, her arms trembling from the force.

Then, with deadly timing, a blade sliced through the beast’s flank.

Raynoel. He didn’t stop there. In a fluid motion, he followed through, severing the creature’s head clean from its shoulders. The body crumpled beside Sophia, twitching.

All around, chaos reigned.

Steel clashed with bone. Grunts, howls, and gurgling screams filled the air. Trees shook. Branches cracked. Blood painted the forest floor. The saints fought with everything they had, and after long, agonizing minutes, it was done.

The final Maw collapsed. Silence fell—broken only by ragged breathing and the moans of the wounded.

Izikel climbed down from the tree, boots squelching in blood-soaked earth.

Bodies littered the ground—some human, some beast. Severed limbs, crushed torsos, and shattered helmets were strewn everywhere. Blood pooled beneath broken branches. Heads had been split open. Entrails dangled from gored torsos. The air stank of iron, death, and sweat.

Izikel staggered, barely able to process what he saw. This wasn’t the heroic adventure he imagined. This wasn’t some grand crusade. It was a massacre.

Nearby, Lyzah and other druids worked frantically to heal the wounded. Sophia and Raynoel were walking through the field of corpses, assessing the aftermath.

"How many were there?" Raynoel asked.

"Eleven," Sophia replied, her voice subdued.

"And how many did we lose?"

"We’ve counted sixty-three," she said quietly, her head bowed.

Raynoel looked away. The silence that followed was heavy, almost sacred.

Izikel stood still, overwhelmed. It had only just begun. They had barely entered the forest, and already so many lives were gone.

Suddenly, a stone near his foot bounced. Then another.

He turned.

More stones shifted, tumbling across the dirt. The ground began to tremble.

At first, it was subtle—then it grew. A low rumble, like distant thunder, rolled through the forest.

Everyone froze.

The rumble grew louder.

A vibration beneath their feet.

Then came the scream.

"It’s a Horde! Shield circle formation!" Raynoel bellowed.

"Yes, sir!"

Saints moved instantly. Shields locked. Izikel and the druids were rushed to the center of the formation—first a ring of shield-bearers around them, then another ring of warriors forming a second line of defense.

Inside the circle, Raynoel, Sophia, and other elite warriors stood, waiting.

Izikel squeezed between two saints, trying to see.

And then he saw them.

Hundreds of Maw beasts. Smaller than the first monsters, but no less terrifying. They poured through the trees like a black tide, their glowing eyes fixed on the saints, their snarls rising in unison. Their claws tore through roots and brush, their legs pounding the earth with relentless fury.

The rumble became a quake. The ground shook beneath them.

So many.

Too many.

Izikel’s heart pounded.

"Men, stand your ground!" Raynoel roared.

The order was final.

A moment later, the wave of beasts slammed into the shield wall with a deafening crash.

The battle for survival had truly begun.