Chapter: Shadow in the Leaves
As Fern and Oliver continued along the cooling lake path, the calm was once again pierced—not by claws or flame, but by the soft ping of Oliver's Systematic Guide flashing across his vision.
> [⚠️ ALERT] New Player Detected in Region: Class – Rogue
Codename: Silent Stalker
Estimated Level: 8 (Blue Rank Tier)
Behavioral Flag: Stealth-Based Eliminator
Threat Level: Moderate–High (Unknown Allegiances)
Oliver froze. His eyes scanned the trees around them, hand instinctively tightening around his sword hilt.
"Fern…" he said carefully.
She didn't stop walking. "I know. I felt him five minutes ago."
"You—what?" he blinked, stunned.
"Footsteps with no rhythm. Auras buried. Wind changes unnaturally. Rogue type," she murmured. "I assumed he wouldn't bother us. But your System picked it up. Meaning he's getting closer."
Oliver's fingers swiped to reveal a system overlay.
> [Current Chat Amongst Travelers: Private Channel #42 - Emergency Logs]
— Traveler #019: "Everyone's dropping like flies. Fifty gone. No trace."
— Traveler #037: "Same pattern. All carried a red ruby—then silence."
— Traveler #022: "Who is Silent Stalker? No one's even seen them."
— Traveler #011: "If you have a red ruby, ditch it. NOW."
> [Threat Pattern Recognized: Silent Stalker is targeting Travelers in possession of specific gemstones — red rubies.]
Oliver's face darkened. He remembered a small red ruby stashed in one of his pouches, found during a skirmish two regions back. Decorative, nothing major—so he thought.
He glanced at Fern, who remained utterly calm, walking beneath the shaded canopy as though no threat loomed.
"You're seriously not worried?" he asked.
"I don't keep gems," Fern said flatly. "I keep roots. And if this stalker is smart, they'll know not to hunt Druids in their home terrain."
Oliver glanced to the trees, more cautious now. "But why the red rubies? That's not random."
Fern's eyes flicked to him briefly. "Some items attract more than attention. Maybe cursed. Maybe bait."
A rustle.
A flash—too fast for ordinary eyes.
Oliver turned sharply, sword half-drawn.
Nothing.
But the forest had gone still again.
The Silent Stalker was nearby.
And watching.
Whoever they were, they weren't just hunting monsters.
They were hunting Travelers.
Oliver clenched his jaw, his system still flashing warnings. "Who the hell is this guy…"
Fern didn't respond.
But the trees whispered:
You'll find out soon.
------
Chapter: The Stalker's Whisper
> [Travelers Chat — Emergency Channel #42]
— Traveler #021: "He took out three of my squad in ten seconds. No signs. No warnings."
— Traveler #008: "Guys. DON'T pick up the rubies. I dropped mine. I think it saved me."
— Traveler #045: "It's like he knows where you are. Always."
— Traveler #018: "There's no footsteps. No shadow. Just a feeling, and then—gone."
— Traveler #032: "I saw nothing. I just turned and... Jax wasn't there anymore."
— SYSTEM MESSAGE: "11 more Travelers eliminated by user: [Silent Stalker] in the last 30 minutes."
---
The guide window pulsed in Oliver's peripheral vision, bright red. His throat was tight. Each step he took, the trees seemed to lean in closer. The wind howled lower and longer, like the woods were holding their breath. What little light remained bled into a cold gray twilight, casting strange shadows on the moss.
He kept glancing behind them. Nothing. No sound. No glint of steel. But the sense of being watched clung to his shoulders like wet cloth.
"...Fifty-five gone," he murmured. "All because of some ruby…"
He reached into his side pouch, hesitated, and pulled out the red gemstone he'd been carrying since Region 2. It shimmered faintly in the dark like a drop of frozen blood.
"Fern," he said, voice low, "what if this ruby calls him?"
Fern didn't stop walking. Her long coat of living moss brushed softly against the undergrowth. The trees bent around her as if in respect.
"If it does," she said calmly, "then throw it away."
Oliver's knuckles whitened around the gem. "But what if I'm already marked?"
She turned her head slightly, just enough for him to see one serene eye glowing faintly green in the dim light.
"Then he'll come," she said. "And if he does, the forest will answer."
That gave Oliver little comfort. Especially not when the forest around them was growing darker with each step. Not night—but presence. A watching, breathing, silent tension that choked the birdsong and made even the insects stop their hum.
The woods were unnerving now—trees warped slightly, roots curling like claws. Fern remained composed, walking as though the silence didn't press in from all sides.
Oliver's system pinged again.
> [⚠️ Traveler #056 eliminated.]
[⚠️ Traveler #057 eliminated.]
[Threat: Silent Stalker is now estimated to be within proximity radius — UNKNOWN.]
Oliver's grip tightened on the ruby. He stared down at it—then flung it into the trees.
It vanished in the dark with no sound.
"Smart," Fern said.
But Oliver didn't feel smart. He felt watched. Like something was already near. Waiting. Deciding.
The forest grew stiller.
Fern continued walking, staff in hand, her footsteps unfazed.
Oliver followed—but now each step echoed behind him.
And he wasn't sure it was just his own.
-----
Chapter: The Ruby Vanishes
The woods had gone silent. Not peaceful—dead.
Oliver glanced back over his shoulder, heart pounding like a wardrum. His breath caught in his throat.
The spot where he had thrown the red ruby—empty.
Just moments ago, it had glimmered faintly among the roots. Now, it was simply… gone.
No sound. No movement.
Just absence.
His skin crawled.
"…Fern?" he said, barely above a whisper.
"I see it," she replied, calm, unmoving.
Oliver took a slow, shaky step forward, drawing his iron sword, the blade trembling slightly in his grip. He stared into the thick underbrush. Nothing. No footprints. No claw marks. Not even a shifted leaf.
But the weight of being watched pressed heavy on his shoulders. Something had been here. Maybe still was.
His vision flicked with a new warning.
> [⚠️ SYSTEM: Object interaction detected. Item 'Red Ruby' claimed by unknown entity.]
[No traceable energy signature. Tracking failed.]
[Current Status: Silent Stalker's presence — UNCONFIRMED, POSSIBLY NEAR.]
Oliver turned in a circle, sword raised. "I don't see him—I don't see anything."
"That's the point," Fern said quietly.
He looked at her—calm, eyes closed, standing with one hand gently placed on a tree's trunk. The moss under her feet stirred softly, the wind moving only where she stood.
"Fern," Oliver muttered, "how can you be so calm? We just watched something disappear. There was nothing there. Nothing."
Her eyes opened slowly, glowing faintly green.
"The forest is breathing again," she said. "He's not here anymore."
Oliver lowered his blade slightly, but it still hovered mid-guard. His mouth felt dry. "You're sure?"
Fern nodded once. "I can feel it. Whatever he is—he's fast. But he's gone."
Oliver hesitated. His hands still trembled. The paranoia still clung to him like cold fog. Every tree shadow looked longer. Every breeze sounded like a whisper.
But Fern was steady.
So he forced himself to breathe.
To believe her.
To walk again.
The forest, though darker than ever, began to shift its tone—less like a prison and more like a path.
But Oliver would never forget the feeling.
The ruby didn't fall.
It was taken.
By something he still couldn't see.
Something that could be anywhere.