The group stood before the transford statue, their unease growing with each passing mont. Instead of the gentle, welcoming face of Mayor Dogman, the statue now bore the visage of a ferocious wolf. Its eyes glead with a nacing red glow, and the air around it seed to hum with an unnatural energy.
"Is this so kind of prank?" Brolin murmured, his voice uncertain.
"Impossible," Rabbit Kyla replied, shaking her head. "Mayor Dogman was loved by everyone in the city. No one would dare disrespect him like this."
Tyler narrowed his eyes, his instincts warning him of danger. "Let’s turn back," he said abruptly, pivoting on his heel. But as he rounded the corner, he froze mid-step.
At the end of the road, the plant humanoid creatures they had previously destroyed were moving again. The shredded plant matter had reassembled, growing back into grotesque forms. This ti, however, there were more of them—dozens, maybe even hundreds, congregating near the now ominous Good Boy statue.
"These undying plants," Tyler muttered through gritted teeth. "They just keep coming back."
"Can’t we take another route?" Human Kyla asked, her voice tinged with desperation.
Tyler glanced down the opposite street, but his heart sank at the sight. Gigantic thorn-covered vines had grown across the road, forming an impenetrable barrier. "Doesn’t look like we have much of a choice," he said. "Let’s head back to the... Bad Boy statue."
The team retraced their steps cautiously, their eyes darting around for any signs of movent. The city felt alive, the vines on the buildings shifting ever so slightly as if watching their every move. When they reached the statue again, Rabbit Kyla pulled out her communication device.
"Should we call for reinforcents?" she asked, holding the device up.
Human Kyla, already checking her own watch, frowned. "There’s no signal," she said.
Tyler furrowed his brows, pulling a sleek device from his pocket—a portable waypoint unit. He pressed a few buttons, and a glowing blue portal began to form in front of him.
The others stared in surprise.
"You’re from the Elite Academy of Magic and Technology?" Rabbit Kyla asked, her tone a mix of awe and curiosity.
Tyler gave a brief nod. The waypoint terminal was exclusive to the Academy, for outsiders it’s a cutting-edge teleportation device that can teleport from anywhere.
"I heard the Academy was bought out recently and underwent major renovations," Human Kyla said, her curiosity deepening. "Didn’t they give students a one-ti use teleportation device which allows the students to escape dire situations? Is this it?"
"Sothing like that," Tyler replied evasively, not wanting to explain further.
As the portal stabilized, the group watched in anticipation. But their hope quickly turned to despair when an identical portal opened just a few ters away—right next to the Bad Boy statue.
Tyler stepped through and appeared near the statue, shaking his head. "Looks like the space here is confined," he said grimly. "We can’t leave."
The realization hit them like a ton of bricks. They were trapped in the city, with undying plant creatures multiplying by the minute and the oppressive force of the altered statue looming over them.
Rabbit Kyla clenched her fists, her usual confidence faltering. "What do we do now?"
Tyler glanced at the statue, its wolfish face almost mocking them. "We figure out what’s causing this," he said firmly. "And we destroy it."
The group nodded, their resolve hardening.
Behind the Bad Boy statue, large thorny vines sprawled across the path, forming an impenetrable barrier. The eerie silence of the city was broken only by the faint rustling of leaves, a sound that seed to follow their every move. Flying was out of the question, as the Abyss fog above was infamous for harboring deadly monsters. According to research, there was more than a 50% chance of encountering an Abyss flying creature if they took to the skies.
Tyler took a deep breath. "Let set up a concealnt array," he said, pulling out a few array stones from his storage device.
"I’ll help," Human Kyla offered, stepping forward with a determined look.
As the two began arranging the stones in a circular formation, Brolin sidled over to Rabbit Kyla, his expression a mix of concern and bravado. "Don’t worry," he said, puffing out his chest. "I’ll protect you."
Rabbit Kyla turned to him, her face blank with confusion as she munched on a biscuit. "Protect from what?" she asked, her voice casual, showing no signs of panic.
Brolin coughed awkwardly, his bravado deflating. Desperate to recover, he pointed at a nearby building and said, "Why don’t we just break through that wall? Wouldn’t that be faster?"
Rabbit Kyla finished her biscuit and dusted off her hands. "We could," she admitted, "but what if the undying plants hear the noise and swarm us? That’s why Tyler is setting up the concealnt array. At least within its radius, we’ll be hidden."
Brolin frowned but nodded in reluctant agreent.
Tyler and Human Kyla finished their work and activated the array. A faint shimr enveloped the group, the concealnt barrier rging seamlessly with the ambient gloom.
"Breaking the wall is risky," Rabbit Kyla explained to Tyler and Human Kyla, who had joined them. "The concealnt array only works within its radius. If we cause too much noise, those plants will definitely hear us."
"If only we could blast through silently," Brolin muttered under his breath.
Everyone turned to look at him, their eyes lighting up.
"What?" he asked nervously, feeling the weight of their stares.
"Genius..." Tyler said with a smirk.
"As expected of my Brolin," Rabbit Kyla added teasingly, patting his arm.
"There’s a way to blast these walls silently?" Brolin asked, his curiosity piqued.
Tyler nodded. "But we’ll need the right materials."
"Which we don’t have," Human Kyla sighed, crossing her arms.
"Actually..." Tyler said, an amused glint in his eye.
A few minutes later, the group stared in disbelief as Tyler pulled out an array of lab equipnt—beakers, burners, and even a portable alchemy table—from his storage device.
"Why do you even carry these?" Rabbit Kyla asked, her brows furrowed in exasperation.
"Does your storage device have everything?" Human Kyla added, equally baffled.
Tyler ignored their protests and set up a makeshift alchemy lab against the wall. "We’re going to break this wall without making a sound," he declared confidently.
As Tyler and the others worked, none of them noticed the small flower blooming atop a nearby building. Its petals shimred with an unnatural green light as it swayed gently, its movents deliberate and watchful. Hidden amidst the vines, the flower pulsed faintly, as though observing its prey and silently calling for reinforcents.
The group continued their preparations, oblivious to the creeping threat.
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