Marshmallow's thoughts were fragmented. One image haunted him: SonicEcho's torn and bleeding flesh. The macabre spectacle he had witnessed made him run as if pursued by a nightmare. This couldn't be fiction; this was the damned reality. The way SonicEcho's flesh had been ripped from him was more real than reality itself, and Marshmallow knew that all too well. He had seen many of his comrades brutally killed. If Marshmallow thought he knew hell, he had now seen what lay beneath.

He couldn't afford to be the next victim, not in this infernal world, not in The Survivor Game.

As he ran, the guttural bleating of the Grimgoat echoed behind him, a constant reminder of the looming threat.

Cold sweat dampened his forehead, his breath came hard, and a very important thought crossed his mind at that razor-sharp moment: in this game, instinct could be a death sentence. He had to use his head, now more than ever. Especially him, who couldn't rely on any special advantages. There was no room for mistakes.

Suddenly, he saw a glow in the distance. He quickened his pace towards the light, praying it would lead to something other than another hungry monster. Marshmallow was back at the entrance of the Temple of Ezechiel, recognized by the scattered luminescent flowers. But he had to leave, and quickly.

He couldn't stop, not with the Grimgoat on his heels. He quickly passed the entrance, returning to the Ashenwood. Despite the electric torch still being on, the forest seemed even darker and more menacing. Then, from behind him came a deafening noise. The Grimgoat, with all its might, had broken through the temple entrance, making its intention to continue the hunt clear.

Marshmallow kept running like a man possessed. He didn’t know what to do, where to go, what to come up with.

Think, think!

His heart was pounding wildly. Suddenly, he noticed a large fern bush with thick-looking leaves, dense enough to create a sort of shelter. Without a second thought, he turned off the torch and dove behind the bush, trying to hide as best he could.

From behind the leaves, he could see the Grimgoat passing by, trying to locate him. Marshmallow held his breath, hoping the monster wouldn't sense him.

"It was a blessing to find this bush!" He said with his heart in his throat. The monster was incredibly powerful but uncontrolled. At that moment, Marshmallow realized the monster wasn't very intelligent. It had anthropomorphic features, but its mind was that of a raging goat. Just like the zombie goats.

After the Grimgoat had moved far enough away, Marshmallow realized that the monster's senses weren't sharp enough to detect his presence behind the ferns, otherwise, it would have already found him. Marshmallow emerged from the bush, trying to make as little noise as possible, and headed in the opposite direction. He needed to get as far away as possible.

He clutched his nailed board in his hands, and the switchblade was safe in his right pocket. He couldn’t use the torch of twigs; it would attract too much attention. The visibility was very poor, but he had no other choice. He needed to find a safer refuge, at least until daybreak. Sooner or later, the Grimgoat would find him.

"I have to move slowly. Very slowly!" Marshmallow whispered to himself as he moved silently, crouching, just like when he was on a mission. The Grimgoat had lost sight of him, and if Marshmallow started running again, he would be back to square one, detected in no time. He had the opportunity to devise a strategy. He still had his backpack with him, strapped to his back like an extension of his soul; it was too important.

However, he didn't get a chance to check his backpack. Just as he was about to see what useful items he might have, the gray mist in front of him began to clear, revealing an imposing landscape.

A majestic tree stood before him as he walked. It was so massive it seemed to touch the sky itself. Its roots were thick and twisted, spreading out for meters in every direction, resembling huge serpents slithering into the ground. The trunk's width was such that it could easily contain several rooms inside. Marshmallow looked up, searching for the top of the tree, but its foliage and branches seemed to blend into infinity, mixing with the mist and sky above.

"Wow, incredible!" Marshmallow said in awe. But what was this breathtaking thing? Around the tree, the vegetation was different: plants and flowers he had never seen before displayed vibrant colors and exotic shapes. He felt as if he had just discovered a hidden corner of the forest, a sacred and protected place.

But his admiration was abruptly interrupted. A rumble, like thunder but far more sinister, echoed in the air, vibrating every fiber of his being. The Grimgoat emerged from the mist, appearing from behind a huge and twisted root of the tree. Its blood-red eyes fixed on him with hunger and wrath.

Panic could have taken over, but Marshmallow knew he had no choice. He had to fight. He took a deep breath, trying to calm his pounding heartbeat. The nailed board, which had been his trusted companion until then, was of no use against such a monster. He let it fall to the ground. Instead, he drew the switchblade, gripping it firmly.

This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"Come and get me! Face me, you damned bastard!" Marshmallow exclaimed. The words came out as a challenge, but they were really an attempt to buy time, to distract the Grimgoat, and better assess the situation.

The Grimgoat, with terrifying ferocity, let out a roar so powerful it made every single tree around vibrate. An ounce from him, its crimson, vivid eyes in the thick mist were targeting him, intent on turning the poor little man into mush. Every muscle in Marshmallow was tense, ready to react.

Marshmallow was sweating cold as he desperately sought a plan. Despite its monstrous appearance, the Grimgoat retained anthropomorphic features. Perhaps it also had the weaknesses of a man, and this could be his only chance.

Then Marshmallow chose to make the first move. Without warning, he lunged forward. The monster reacted quickly, emitting a discordant grunt and swinging its bone sword from top to bottom.

The monster was strong, damn strong. But it was slow. SonicEcho had failed because he tried to confront it with pure strength. Marshmallow would use cunning.

He saw the blow coming and dodged to the side, rolling on the damp earth. Then, with a sharp move, he aimed for the ligaments in the goat's knees and plunged the knife into the back of its knee. A jet of purple blood shot out and splattered Marshmallow's face. The metallic, foul smell of blood filled his nostrils; Marshmallow thought he had never smelled anything so disgusting.

"Now!" Marshmallow exclaimed. The Grimgoat wobbled. Taking advantage of the creature's size and fur, Marshmallow climbed onto its back, looking for a vital point. With adrenaline pumping through his veins, he plunged the knife into the monster's throat. But, against all expectations, there was a metallic sound, as if he had hit armor.

"What the hell?" Marshmallow murmured in disbelief. Despite striking with surgical precision, the blade seemed to have been repelled as if he had tried to pierce a steel wall. Was Marshmallow under-leveled, or did the Grimgoat have an extremely resistant natural armor? In any case, it was clear that the knife had caused no damage.

But there was no time to ponder what had happened. Now the Grimgoat's anger was palpable. With a furious grunt, it flung him against the majestic tree with unimaginable force. Marshmallow cursed, touching his chest, perhaps having broken a rib.

But the surprise wasn’t over yet. As he tried to catch his breath, he saw familiar figures approaching: the zombie goats.

"It's the end," Marshmallow said, expecting to be surrounded and attacked from all sides. But, in a completely unexpected turn, the goats charged en masse at the Grimgoat and attacked it.

Marshmallow watched in disbelief as the battlefield turned into a chaos of bleating and purple blood. Had the game bugged out this time?

Despite the surprising distraction, Marshmallow knew he had to act. Even though the zombie goats were numerous, they were like gnats against a giant like the Grimgoat. It was only a matter of time before the monster chased them away and came back for his life. In his field of vision, he noticed a strange crevice in the nearby tree. Without a second thought, he crawled towards it while the Grimgoat, now trapped in the grip of the goats, tried to swing a strike in his direction.

Marshmallow managed to roll into the opening of the tree just in time, narrowly avoiding the deadly blade.

The inside was dark and dank, and the air tasted metallic. As he moved forward, the ground beneath him gave way, and suddenly he was in free fall. His heart raced as the darkness completely enveloped him.

I hope there's a bottom!

***

A dull thud marked the end of his fall. Pain jolted through him, but he quickly recovered. As his vision cleared, he found himself facing a mysterious figure.

At first glance, it was clear she was a female satyr. The upper part of her body was human, with fair skin and deep, penetrating eyes. Her long, wavy hair fell over her shoulders, occasionally intertwined with leaves, symbolizing her union with nature. The lower half was that of a goat, with hairy, sturdy legs ending in solid hooves. Her face was sad yet solemn.

"My name is Eilana." She said in a voice echoing through the cavern, maintaining a soft and reassuring tone. "Welcome to the Shining Tree, stranger."

Marshmallow tried to get a sense of the place, understanding where he was. He was in a cavern, but not just any. It was as if a blend of branches and rock had formed a natural inlet, creating an underground tunnel. The place was made of soil and bushes, but a truly titanic tree root loomed before his eyes.

It looked like a train in its fullness and thickness. Clearly, that tree was gigantic, but it seemed the trunk seen outside was just the tip of the iceberg. The cavern, on the other hand, descended downward, and the air was fresh, almost rejuvenating compared to the chaos outside.

Marshmallow, sore, got up and, while trying to assimilate the situation, his gaze settled on Eilana. What was truly strange was how she was positioned: it seemed as if she had grown, or perhaps become embedded, within the titan tree’s root. It was as if the root had enveloped her, or maybe she had fused with the tree in some mysterious way.

Why was there a satyr fused with the tree's root? And then she spoke to him amicably. He had to assume she was not an enemy? She seemed like an immortal guardian as if she had been waiting there for players to arrive.

"Where exactly am I?" Marshmallow asked, looking around, trying to absorb every detail of the place.

"I have already told you, stranger. You are inside the Shining Tree, the guardian tree of the Satyr Forest." The female satyr's voice echoed with a certain vehemence, and Marshmallow, still dazed from the fall, nodded reluctantly, trying to assimilate the information.

In any case, it was clear he was in a sacred place, protected, away from the game's dangers. But his brief respite was interrupted by the appearance of a screen in front of his eyes. This one was different from all the others, as big as a huge TV.

Optional Quest: The Lord of the Forest

The Lord of the Forest has been released. Now he wanders the woods in search of his beloved. Driven by wrath, he will devour anyone he encounters. Grant death to this damned soul.

Threat level: high*

Oh, have I activated an optional quest?