"EVERYONE! GET INSIDE NOW!!" The captain screamed out. Everyone began to rush into the cabin frantically. I also ran inside, not wanting to find out what was behind those trees.

As I passed through the doors inside, I heard trees snapping like twigs and people were screaming in terror behind me. I didn't look back as me and others ran upstairs to the second floor common area.

People were panicking, and not everyone was inside yet. The captain spoke up in a hushed tone to calm us.

"Everyone, stay quiet... we can't risk it seeing or hearing us." The captain told us.

"What's out there? What was that thing?" I frantically ask her.

"It's a Fog Ent, a giant creature that produces a thick haze around it to hunt in. It's carnivorous, and doesn't discriminate when choosing prey..." She told me.

Fog Ent? Ents... Those are the tree-people things if I remember correctly from popular media... I've never heard of a Fog Ent though...

There were loud crashing noises outside. I moved towards the window to see if I could get a glimpse of what this thing looked like.

When I got near, I carefully looked above the edge of the window ceil, and saw something, standing in the midst of the fog, towering over the outside buildings...

It had six, no... seven? A lot of legs... It looked to be about forty feet tall, it was pure white and looked similar to a mass of trees that had grown together. Its head jolted towards me, and I ducked under the window. I pray it didn't see me, but I don't know how it could've. Its head was blank except for one feature, a huge shadowy mouth, like those on a classic jack-o-lantern. But inside was rows of giant razor-like teeth.

I can see why people were so scared. Even my nightmares are more forgiving than whatever made that thing...

I could hear noises coming from outside, different than those happening a few moments earlier. It sounded like, fighting?

Among the people inside, I realized a few weren't in the crowd. I went back to the window to look outside.

Near the other building, I saw the healer girl, who's name I should've asked for. She was dragging injured trainees inside to relative safety. I looked towards the Fog Ent and saw some figures near its feet, seemingly fighting it.

It was Casimir and Hermis, and they weren't winning...

Hermis was drawing the beast's attention while Casimir was doing all he could to attack, but the two of them weren't enough to deal any significant damage. I turned to the captain and tell her about what was happening outside.

"Captain! People are out there fighting that thing! We have to go and help!" I say to the captain.

"Absolutely not. We haven't been found out yet because of them. Going out there would just put more people at risk." She told me.

"But you said that thing eats people. They'll die if no one else helps!" I yell at her. She responded in a slow and quiet tone.

"Like I told you earlier, everyone here knows what they signed up for. Being a guard is a life that ends fast, and for the sake of protecting others. They're doing what they know they should be." She told me. I look back at the window before I refocus my gaze on her.

"Then why are we waiting in here?" I say.

Before anyone can protest, I run over to the window and leap out. It's a sizeable fall, but I roll when I land, which lets me continue into a run.

They were on the outskirts of the training grounds, near the road out. Hermis wasn't having much of an issue dodging the Fog Ent's attacks, but he couldn't keep it up forever, and one hit would probably take him out. Casimir, was trying his best to deal damage, but he isn't very well suited for such large beasts.

Shit! They didn't have much longer out there, and Casimir was at risk especially, his armor was tough, but I don't think it could handle a hit from something that huge.

I was running as fast as I could. My mind was flashing back to Kulvit's fight in that elf arena.

Something like that... It's not going to happen again. I won't let it.

The spark I felt during my fight with Casimir, it's still there. Burning even hotter now.

It was bursting forth. Finally, the seed of primal mana I've been nurturing all this time, It was ready to blossom.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

From my core, a verdant green flame of mana began to flow, encompassing my body. I felt stronger than ever. I was stronger than ever

Nearing where Casimir was fighting the beast, I readied my attack and yelled out.

"CASIMIR! BEHIND YOU!" I screamed. Without looking back he understood, and dodged out of the way.

Forcing out every bit of strength I had, I slammed by fist into the leg of the beast. It was the same size as the tree I had chopped down before.

I could get through it.

As my fist landed, the primal mana around my body rushed to the front of my fist, and exploded out, reducing the creature's leg to splinters, and leaving a beautiful green flame in its place. Before it too, faded out.

I was shocked. I doubt I had another strike like that in me though.

"Impressive, I didn't think you'd get the hang of something like that so fast."

That voice... Doesn't matter right now, I have to focus on other things...

The Fog Ent roared out in pain, the sound was deafening. It lifted one of its legs up, revealing a sprawling collection of root-like tendrils, each a few inches in diameter and having a pointed tip.

The roots, which could move with far greater speed than the main body, shot towards me, Hermis couldn't get over in time, as he was on the other side of the beast, about 100 feet away.

I raised my arms, preparing to get skewered. But right before they could reach me, a giant wooden shield manifested in front of me.

The roots pierced through about a foot before stopping. I look over to Casimir, who was bracing his arm and holding his hand out towards me. I guess his armor magic was more than just self-applicable.

But now was no time for theorizing, two more roots shot around the shield and towards me.

I can deal with two... I hope.

Mustering up a small amount of mana, I use the strength from it to deflect and grab onto the roots, locking them in place.

Casimir runs in, reforms his gauntlet into a sharp edge, and slashes through the roots, which limply drop to the ground.

Hermis began to dash over to us, and when he got close enough he called out to me.

"Gen! Distract it for a moment!" He yells to me. I nod in response. I just had to trust he had a plan.

Casimir and I began to dodge and weave between the legs of the Fog Ent. Roots were shooting through the air, and its legs began to stomp, cracking the ground around us.

Hermis, who was standing back, began to pull back his arm like he was pulling a bowstring. A lightning bolt formed between his two hands, but he still needed some more time.

A root slammed into my side, knocking me aside. I was stopped my Casimir, who formed two shields around us, blocking the roots from stabbing into us. Then, he shouted out to me.

"Gen, above us!" He screamed. I looked up to see one of the Fog Ent's legs about to crash down on top of us.

If I moved, Casimir would get crushed. I planted my feet and braced my arms above me.

The leg careened down on me. The weight was unimaginable, my knees buckled and my bones seared with pain. I could barely hold it up, and would crack under the pressure before long. Through gritted teeth, I yelled out.

"HERMIS! HURRY!" I yelled to Hermis, who I saw through the cracks in the shields.

Finally, he released the bolt. With a thundering boom it crashed into the side of the monster. Elves really are gifted with magic.

At the same moment, a familiar looking spear was thrown and stabbed into the top of the beast. Closely following, was the captain. I guess she had come back to her senses.

The captain began to rend the woody flesh up and down the Fog Ent's back and Hermis went back to distracting. The Combination attack was enough to knock it off of me and Casimir, so I caught a breath before returning to the fight.

The beast's head was searching around for the easiest target, which, to its dismay, left it exposed.

"Casimir, boost me up!" I yell at him. He looks back and nods, before crouching down.

I jump onto his shoulders and he rockets me up. I got up high, but not high enough, just barely below what would be eye-level with the Ent.

But, before I came falling back down, Hermis launched up with astounding speed and kicked off of my feet, giving me the extra boost I needed.

The primal mana had built up enough for one last display. I clasped my hands together and slammed them down into the creature's head. The blast from the attack didn't kill it, but it was enough to knock it to the ground.

I land next to its gaping maw, inner rows of teeth circling around each other, leading to a black void of a gullet, like a hellish wood chipper.

This could work...

Thinking fast, I grab the outer top and bottom jaw of the beast, and hold it in place. Casimir, still adorned in his wooden suit of armor, trusts my judgement and does the same, together we're able to hold it down, just barely.

I look for the captain, but she's busy dealing with a barrage of roots. Damn...

Guess I only have one other choice.

Swapping my hand out on the bottom jaw for my foot, I jam my free fist into the razor sharp rows of teeth.

Before my hand fully came off, I manage to pull it out. My gloved was shredded, It had a good run, but that wasn't the only thing. Flesh was hanging from my hand like a bloody cloth, and bone was exposed. It would take a while, but I could heal from it...

My goal however, was achieved. The mouth of the Fog Ent was flooded with my blood...

"Hermis!" I yell out.

"Send a spark into its mouth!" I yell to Hermis, who was now standing infront of me and Casimir.

He's confused at first, but eventually nods and follows my command. When he launches it, I scream to them.

"Get out of the way, NOW!" I exclaim.

We don't waste any time and leap away from the beast. As the spark collides with the blood soaked teeth of the Fog Ent, a giant explosion occurs. Blasting anyone close back.

My vision is blurry, my ears are ringing, and I'm face up on the ground, staring up. I think I was the closest to the blast, so that means the others should be alright...

I struggle to sit myself up, and look at where the Fog Ent laid. To my dismay, the body began to twitch and convulse. But, It eventually went limp, and began to wither away.

Sighing in relief, I picked myself up off of the ground. My hand was still healing, but was better than a few moments ago. I limped over to where Casimir and Hermis landed, before recovering enough to walk normally.

I shook them awake, and helped them back up.

"Did... Did we kill it?" Casimir asked.

"Fuck... I don't know... What could survive something like that..." Hermis responded, slowly dusting himself off.

I look over to the Fog Ent's body, and saw the captain standing up. Thankfully, she looked mostly unharmed. Others however, weren't so lucky. Many trainees were injured quite seriously. But I couldn't see anyone that looked to be fatally wounded.

As the body of the Fog Ent continued to rapidly decay, the surrounding haze cleared with it, until full visibility was restored...