Once Kyle realized the forest's trick, he stopped resisting and let the Elf Trail carry him forward. Instead of walking with reason, he moved by instinct—feet gliding with silent precision along a current of ancient mana only visible through the lens of honed perception.
The mist around him writhed with life, responding to his movement, testing him with each step.
[System Alert: Host is surrounded. Number of entities: 27. Threat Level: Low.]
Kyle's lips curved into a calm smirk.
"So this is how you greet strangers."
From the mist, figures emerged—shadows barely formed, mana-born predators lurking in the folds of illusion and fear.
With a flick of his wrist, Kyle dispelled the last trace of the illusion clinging to his hand.
"Tricky place. But not without charm. Let's see what you're hiding."
He said, mana flaring faintly around him.
A low growl split the silence. Then the first creature lunged.
