Gentle winds brushed against the coarse fur of a resting beast. Its steady, slow breaths the only indicator of its continued life. The massive beast’s shoulders rose near the height of a full-grown man despite its prone form. It’s peaceful rest afforded to it by its position in the food chain. Few creatures would dare to attack it. Large claws that could shred through trees and flesh alike, corded muscles that bulged under its skin, deadly jaws that could snap bone, and a superpowered regeneration were a powerful deterrent. Its hulking frame only more exacerbated by the tiny cubs that lie against its back. The sun was directly overhead, casting warm rays onto the ground. It was only because of a slight glint from the brush that gave the beast time to react. Four men launched toward the beast, two of the men aiming for its limbs with swinging bolas, the others nearly flying toward the small cubs with open nets. The leading man shouted a warning as he realized the element of surprise had been lost,

  “Kolop’s awake! Trennan, switch!”

  Trennan dropped the net without a second's hesitation and reached for the shield slung over his back. In the blink of an eye, he appeared in front of their commander just in time to block a heavy paw from tearing into him. The kolop let out a deafening shriek as it rose to its full height, its cubs tumbling off its back where a steel fiber net waited open. The cubs pushed off each other in their chaotic fall and only one of them fell into the trap.

  “One cub secured!”

  The launched bolas connected with the furious kolop at the same time, but it managed to deflect one of them.

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  “Fall back, Luji! Trennan, cover! Crench, support!”

  Luji jumped back off the air with his prize and took off away from the scene with no lost momentum. Trennan shifted his position, putting Luji’s fleeing form to his back, readying his shield once more. Crench glew subtly as the mana around him began to condense. The captain reached into the pack at his side and pulled out a purple vial, muttering rapidly. The kolop leapt forward, pounding its thick claws into steel with overwhelming power. The beast was fast and strong. Far too powerful for a small group of four to legitimately contest with, but they didn’t have to. A green light covered the failing Trennan just too late. The corpse's muscles were uselessly strengthened as a claw sliced open its torso. The captain threw the vial in the air, where it burst violently, spreading a curtain of purple smog over the area.

  “Full retreat!”

  His crew was well trained and fell into a full sprint as the words left his mouth. The enraged roars of the kolop were distorted in the magical fog, making it difficult to tell if it was actually chasing, but it was likely even more confused. Kolop were known to have a weakness to mental attacks, making illusions an especially effective escape tactic. They didn’t slow until they saw Luji’s silhouette ahead. Crench called out to him, satisfied with another mission completed, and even fewer people to split the reward with.

  “Ho, Luji. The prince might make us royalty for a core like that.”

  It wasn’t until they neared that they noticed his unusual stillness. It was too late, however, a deep green blur launched itself at the noisy newcomer, injecting venom deep into him before moving onto the next. Both bodies crumpled uselessly to the floor before the serpent turned its glare onto the snared cub.