"Are you crazy?" Kai shouted at Koby.
"You do remember that the shoggoths come from the forest?" James asked.
"But they don't attack until the designated time is up." Koby replied.
"Yup, it's official. You're crazy. I need to sit down." Kai said taking a seat as he held his head.
"Did you finally lose it?" James asked
" Look, if I stay here for the next wave of shoggoths, it may be my last." Koby explained.
"How so?" Kai asked.
"I just killed six people, there will be others waiting for the right moment to kill me. They already see me as a monster."
" Still you can't …"
"Can't what? You want me to stay for the next wave? I assure you that I am surely going to get stabbed in the back or worse, something or someone could target one of you to get to me. Don't you watch movies?" Koby tried to reason with Kai.
"Are you seriously comparing movies to reality?" James asked amazed.
"I like to think that besides the exaggeration, there are some truths to be found in movies."
"What?"James said short of words.
"I killed six people. They were more likely to have peers that will sought out revenge. Maybe not now, but the next wave is a perfect time to attack."
"I hate that your paranoia makes sense." James said finally grasping the severity of the situation.
"I prefer to take my chances in the forest knowing that my only enemies are the shoggoths. Being here would be signing a death wish."
"That is a valid point." Kai said.
"So now that you're know the plan, are you still coming with me?" Koby asked as he turned to face Raya.
"Why are you looking at me?" Raya asked with an eyebrow raised in confusion.
"These two are probably gonna say yes because they're idiots like me. If it's too much for you, you can stay." Koby said putting an arm on her shoulder.
"Why are you all treating me like a damsel in distress?" Raya fumed.
"Well you are a damsel…"- Kai said smirking – "and we are in distress." James completed as the two shared a laugh.
"Very funny. But I'm coming. It's what friends would do." She said.
"This isn't about friends, Raya. It's surviving." Koby said.
"Would you say the same thing to James and Kai?"
"It doesn't matter…"
"It does matter. I'm hurt that you don't trust me to stick like you trust these two." Raya said referring to James and Kai.
"I honestly do. But we know ourselves better. If anything were to happen to you, it will weigh heavily on me and I don't want that."
"I know. But so far, me surviving this long has been thanks to you guys. Koby helped in the White Room, the three of you helped fight the first wave. James gave a strategy that helped with the second wave. Yes, I might die but at least I'll do with friends and I'll know that it was my choice." Raya said.
"Wow. I'm surprised, Raya"- Kai said standing up- " Truth be told, I thought you were going to side with Rachael."
Raya shrugged at the utterance.
"Well, then it's settled. Everyone get ready and meet up at the mansion entrance, I'll meet you up in a while." Koby said.
"Where are you going?" Kai asked
"I want to see Rory."
Rory walked out of the room they had used as a meeting room for the representatives. It seems that they had already set together another strategy to survive the next wave.
"You've all laid out a strategy?"Koby asked from a corner.
"I still you're up and about, feeling safe? Dumb decision." Rory said as he walked towards Koby.
"You're right. I don't feel safe, so I'm leaving."
"Leaving?" Rory arched a brow in confusion.
"Going into the forest." Koby explained.
"That has to be the dumbest idea I've heard so far."
"Beats staying here and being stabbed in the back for being a monster."
"Your concerns are well grounded but still…the plan doesn't look well thought out." Rory remarked.
"Even I know that but anyway,I possibly die."
"I don't think I can change your mind now. You going alone?"
"James, Kai and Raya are coming along."
"Rachael bailed huh?" Rory smirked.
"Well, guess she's the smartest one of us." Koby let out a small chuckle.
"I'm not stopping you and definitely not following you but I'll say this instead."- Rory said as he put forth his hand for a handshake-" good luck, Koby. You'll need all of it."
Koby accepts the handshak, grinning.
"Seeing everything, you might have a high chance of survival from our class, Rory."
"Well most of our classmates are dead." Rory smiled.
"Watch after Clifford." Koby said.
"Thought you hated him?"
"I do. I meant to watch him so I don't stick a hatchet in his back when next we meet." Koby chuckled.
"Got it."
Moving towards the entrance of the mansion, Koby saw his friends were already there waiting for him.
"You guys ready?" He asked.
"Is it too late to change the plan?" James asked smiling.
Just then a group approached them, hatred and fear vivid in their eyes. One of them came forward towards Koby and spoke.
"I do hope you die for killing my brother, you beast." He said with contempt.
Koby smiled and turned to face the person.
"Well don't get your hopes up." He said.
"If you do survive, I will avenge my brother and make sure you die quickly. So just watch your back." The boy said before leading the group away.
"The sooner we're out of here, the better." Koby said to his crew before they head out of the mansion and into the forest with three hours on the timer for the next shoggoth wave.
The forest was unlike any other the crew had seen before. It loomed like a forgotten world, its trees rising so monstrously high they pierced the clouds, their trunks as wide as fortress towers. Bark like cracked obsidian pulsed faintly with veins of sickly green light, as if the trees themselves were alive—and watching. Mist clung low to the ground, swirling with a mind of its own, muffling all sound save the distant, wet slither of something unseen. Beneath the roots, cavernous hollows festered—lairs of the shoggoths, ancient, formless creatures with too many eyes and mouths that whispered in forgotten tongues. The air was heavy, almost sentient, thick with the scent of decay and magic older than man. This was no place of peace—it was a cathedral of shadow, a graveyard, where light dared not linger and even time seemed to hold its breath.
"It seems like these hollows are like some kind of tunnels for the shoggoths." James observed.
"I'm starting to think how this is a bad plan." Raya said as fear creeped up on her.
"Too late to turn back now we've already spend half the time we had when we entered the forest."- Kai said before facing Koby and asking- "what now?"
"Best course of action will be to climb these trees." Koby said looking at the majestic structures.
"Shouldn't be that hard." James said and the crew began climbing. As they made their way up, a notification window popped up.
Hidden Scenario
Pass through the Forest of Shoggoths
Reward points: 10000 coins.