In another part of the plateau's high and humid forest, the luminous moss cast an eerie glow on the cold forest floor, and a strange silence hung in the air.
Pepe wandered through the dense undergrowth. He still wore the disguise of the masked boy. His eyes scanned the area, and a look of determination hardened his face.
A clearly visible trail of broken trees and trampled moss carved through the forest.
"I knew it. That earlier screech didn't sound like one of the trial monsters. Whatever it came from, it's big," Pepe murmured to himself. He tightened his grip on the pistol and cautiously advanced.
The forest grew thicker, and the luminous moss became sparser. The air grew heavy with the smell of decay. Ahead, small monsters fled from something.
Soon, Pepe pushed through a thicket of thorny bushes and stopped dead in his tracks. His eyes widened as his blood ran cold.
A large figure hunched over the carcass of a large, deer-like monster, the one Matteo had seen earlier. His head, disproportionately large for its body, was a mess of drool and blood. His skin was pale. On his hands and knees, he tore a chunk of flesh from the carcass with his teeth. He was at least 4 meters tall, and he wore a tattered diaper. A single, giant tear was frozen on his cheek, and a crown glistened on top of his head. His vacant eyes stared into the distance with contempt.
A group of bulky zombies scurried around his feet like loyal minions. They formed a perimeter around him and searched the surroundings for any threats.
Pepe quickly ducked behind a large, moss-covered rock and whispered in disbelief, "It's a giant baby zombie, and he's brought guards."
A zombie gurgled and managed to say, "Are we continuing with our conquest?" Blood seeped out of his mouth.
The baby zombie abruptly stopped eating. He explained with his baby voice, "Yes. Mother... see us. If... Better than baby sister." He bit into the carcass, and a loud crunch echoed. Frustration swelled up just thinking about this "baby sister", and he let out a deafening wail that shook the very ground.
The zombies around him groaned in agreement and shuffled with renewed purpose. Becoming more agitated, their heads snapped in every direction.
Pepe watched closely and knew he had to inform his master. He slowly backed away so as not to make a sound. Once he was a safe distance away, he turned and ran.
Meanwhile, Stark and Matteo continued their berry gathering.
The small monsters and the injured spider stayed behind at the campfire's comforting embrace.
Stark sliced through a frosty thicket of thorny bushes with a powerful swing of the claymore. "This thing is amazing. I could get used to this," he declared with a confident smirk.
Matteo walked fine behind him as if he wasn't pierced by two arrows hours ago.
Small flames covered the rapier's blade. It illuminated and heated its surroundings.
"I hope Hafen is alright. He must be freezing out there," Matteo expressed. He shuddered at the thought.
"Don't worry. Hafen is smart. He probably built a shelter with a working fire and is currently roasting a monster over it," Stark assured and chopped down another bush. He spotted another patch of blueberries and walked towards it. He plucked a few and tossed them into his pockets.
"Maybe you're right," Matteo mumbled and looked at the ground for any traps.
Stark suddenly halted. He looked at a patch of snow ahead. "Why is there snow? It's not that time of year yet," he alleged.
Matteo came up beside him and stared. "Whoa. That is a lot of snow," he commented and signaled to a hill of snow.
Stark approached it and spotted the snow cave. "There's a cave," he deduced with caution. He shivered and rubbed his arms.
A noise emerged from within the cave.
"I don't think we should go in there. Let's go back," Matteo suggested and turned around.
"I agree, but I heard a noise. It sounded like a struggle. It might be Hafen," Stark insisted. He took a deep breath and readied the claymore. He slowly crept into the cave.
"Alright then," Matteo reluctantly obliged and followed him. He held the rapier out, and its flame brightened.
As they stepped inside, the cave sloped down steeply.
Matteo and Stark slid down with clenched teeth.
The bat-like monsters flew over their heads.
Eventually, Stark and Matteo landed on the frozen lake with a loud thud. They quickly examined their surroundings.
Scattered, frozen zombies and littered ice sculptures, from the katana's water, caught their attention.
"What happened here," Stark questioned.
"Stark," Matteo alerted and pointed to the far end of the open room.
Stark's gaze followed Matteo's finger.
At the far end of the room, Hafen fought the robed zombie. He skillfully dodged attacks, but the zombie's fighting style was far from that of a mindless creature.
The robed zombie feinted to the left. Then, he spun with a low sweep.
Hafen leaped over the sweeping leg and swiped the katana forward.
The robed zombie sidestepped the attack and countered with a swift chop to Hafen's neck.
Hafen barely blocked in time. The force of the blow sent him skidding back across the ice.
"Hafen," Stark roared and charged forward.
The other zombies turned their attention to the new arrivals. "Die," they groaned and lunged.
"Stay back, Matteo. I'll handle them," Stark ordered and swung the claymore. He sliced through two zombies at once with tremendous force.
Matteo thrust the rapier.
A small jet of flame shot out and struck a zombie in the chest. The chamber lit up with the flickering flames.
The zombie groaned in agony and desperately jumped into the freezing water.
Hafen noticed them with a glance. "Be careful! They're not like the ones at the school," he warned and blocked another blow. He stared back at the robed zombie with a determined look. "You're clearly not yourself anymore. It's time I finish this," he declared and sliced his adversary's arm in a rapid succession.
The robed zombie grunted and clutched the bleeding stump. His eyes widened in terror. "Impossible," he stammered. He almost slipped on a pool of freezing water.
The water suddenly froze solid around his ankles.
The robed zombie struggled to break free, but it was of no use.
Hafen took a deep breath and held the katana with both hands. In a single, fluid motion, he charged and cleaved the robed zombie's head.
The robed zombie's head flew up and landed on the ice. His body remained anchored and standing.
Simultaneously, Stark swung the claymore in a wide arc, and vines erupted from its blade. The vines wrapped around a zombie's legs and tripped it to the ground.
Matteo pounced on top and impaled its back. He turned to the other zombies and lunged.
In retaliation, the zombies reached to grab him.
However, Matteo ducked and weaved out of their grasp. He stabbed their legs in a flurry.
The zombies, immobilized, collapsed onto the ice. They crawled and groaned in frustration.
Stark finished them with chops to the head.
Soon, Hafen, Stark, and Matteo stood back-to-back, and their weapons glowed with their respective elements.
A tense silence descended upon the frozen cavern, punctuated only by the drip of melting ice.
Stark lowered the claymore with the faint green light fading. "We did it," he breathed, and a grin spread across his face despite his shivers.
Hafen slid the katana back into its sheath. His breath fogged in the frigid air. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves. We need to get out of this ice dungeon before we freeze," he cautioned and looked at their surroundings.
Matteo looked up at the steep, snow-covered slope they had slid down and noted, "I don't think we can go back the way we came in this cold."
Just then, Hafen spotted a dark tunnel on the far side. "Let's go through there," he motioned. He took the lead, and his brothers followed.
The tunnel was narrow, and a faint breeze whistled through it. As the air grew warmer, the ice gave way to damp earth, and the walls became lined with more of the luminescent moss.
Hafen, Matteo, and Stark emerged from the tunnel into another chamber.
A large, underground lake stretched out in the center. Across the lake, another tunnel provided a way out.
Stark stepped closer and remarked, "The water looks drinkable."
Behind him, Matteo handed Hafen a few chilled berries. He held the fiery rapier in his other hand.
Chewing on some already, Hafen swallowed and stuffed more berries into his mouth. He smiled and drank water afterwards.
His brothers joined in.
Hafen stared at the exit and examined the light. "It's almost sunrise," he revealed.
Suddenly, loud steps echoed from the far end of the chamber.
A massive figure stepped out of the exit tunnel and blocked their path.
"I remember that monster. We saw it in the forest," Matteo whispered with a gasp.
It was the deer-like monster, and it was larger than before. Its antlers branched out and crackled with a silver, icy energy. Its fur bristled with tension. The timid creature from before had transformed into an intimidating guardian.
Stark tightened his grip on the claymore. "It doesn't look passive anymore," he commented.
The deer-like monster's eyes locked onto them, and a low growl rumbled in its throat. Its antlers sparked with energy, radiating across the chamber.
"He's not going to let us pass," Hafen deduced and drew the katana. "This will be our final challenge," he murmured with certainty.
Stark, Matteo, and Hafen exchanged looks and nodded, as if they had already formed a strategy. Their eyes burned with a resolve forged in their training.
"Remember what father taught us. We fight as one," Hafen reminded and stepped forward.
Stark and Matteo nodded with focus.
The deer-like monster lowered its head and charged over the water. Its hooves barely touched it as if it were solid ground.
Ripples spread across the surface before suddenly freezing solid. A path of ice formed.
The deer-like monster let out a piercing cry. A torrent of icicles shot from its antlers, and they flew like daggers. One of them sliced Stark's arm, and a thin line of blood appeared. Behind them, the shards crashed and exploded with energy.
"That's dangerous," Stark grunted and held the wound. His hair and headband swayed with the shockwave.
Matteo's eyes widened with concern.
The deer-like monster's antlers glowed again and readied another volley of icicles.
"No. You won't," Matteo yelled and pointed the rapier at the oncoming icicles. Sparks of a fire shot out, and it struck the ice shards mid-air.
Steam billowed in the chilling cavern.
Will Hafen, Matteo, and Stark overcome their final challenge? Will they pass the trial and earn their apprenticeship?