Colossal Shadow Pressing In

The night wind howled across the valley entrance, and the mist churned more violently than before, as if stirred by an invisible force. That heavy roar still echoed deep within the sea of trees, and every vibration felt like a stone hammer striking the chest. After a brief pause, the swarms before the defensive line turned wildly frantic, pressing from three sides simultaneously until the muddy ground shook as though about to collapse.

The gap in the center had already widened, with at least seven or eight squeezing in at once. Blades crossed and slashed, cutting the shoulder armor of one, yet being forced back half a step when another swept its tail across. Acid splashed onto the stone bunker, hissing and venting pungent smoke. The mud beneathfoot grew increasingly slick, every movement accompanied by an unstable, sticky sensation.

More urgent climbing sounds came from the western slope. Three individuals scrambled onto the rock face almost simultaneously, their claw tips plunging deep into the stone crevices with cracking sounds. They moved with coordinated teamwork, one in front and two behind. A blade met the side of the first one's neck, splashing green liquid, but the latter two pounced without a moment's hesitation, their tail sweeps shattering the surrounding wooden stakes into splinters.

The individuals in the southeastern depression kept up a joint assault. The fallen trees had long since been crushed, and new gaps were forcefully carved open by them. Three approached in company, moving as swiftly as a tidal wave. Blades flashed repeatedly to barely block them, but acid kept splashing, and the air grew so thick and intense that breathing nearly stalled.

Right at the critical juncture where the defense hung by a thread, that low roar from deep within the forest suddenly sounded once more. This time,