i reincarnated in to my Novel

The forest seemed endless, its tall trees stretching toward the sky, their thick branches forming a green canopy above. The afternoon light filtered through the leaves, casting long shadows on the forest floor. Dakota's group moved cautiously, their steps muffled by the soft, mossy ground.

Dakota: "Alex, how's the tracker looking?"

Alex held up the small device, its screen flickering faintly with static.

Alex: "Still some interference, but we're close. Maybe a kilometer out."

Mila walked beside Dakota, her sharp eyes scanning the surroundings.

Mila: "Let's hope we're the first ones there. I'm not in the mood to deal with anyone else right now."

Michael: "It's a relic hunt, Mila. Someone else is always there first. That's how these things work."

Emily chuckled, the sound lightening the tense mood.

Emily: "Let's just hope they're slow. Or bad at hiding."

Ethan brought up the rear, his tone calm but firm.

Ethan: "We can handle it if it comes to that. Right, Dakota?"

Dakota smirked, his confidence unwavering.

Dakota: "We've handled worse. Just stay sharp."

The group pressed on, the forest growing denser with every step. The tracker's beeping grew louder, signaling they were closing in.

---

Meanwhile: Henry and Lucas's Group

Henry moved with purpose, his expression focused as he led his group through a narrow path surrounded by thick underbrush. Lucas followed closely, his usual grin replaced by a look of concentration. Ava and Liam trailed behind, their movements light and cautious.

Liam: "How much further, Henry?"

Henry glanced at the map in his hand, its edges frayed from frequent use.

Henry: "Not far. The last marker we passed puts us less than two kilometers from the relic."

Ava brushed a stray branch out of her way, her tone thoughtful.

Ava: "Think anyone else is heading there?"

Lucas snorted, his grin returning.

Lucas: "Of course they are. What's a relic hunt without a little competition?"

Ava rolled her eyes but didn't respond. The group continued in silence, their pace steady as the forest grew quieter around them.

The sound of rushing water reached Dakota's ears as the group approached a small stream. He raised a hand, signaling for everyone to stop.

Dakota: "Hold up. Let's take a minute to figure out our next move."

Mila crouched by the stream, dipping her hand into the cool water.

Mila: "We're close. We should stick to the high ground from here on. Better visibility."

Ethan nodded, his gaze fixed on the far side of the stream.

Ethan: "Agreed. We can avoid getting boxed in if we have the height advantage."

Alex studied the tracker, his brow furrowed.

Alex: "The interference is getting worse. We'll have to rely on landmarks soon."

Dakota glanced at the group, his tone firm.

Dakota: "Then we move fast. If there's anyone else out here, I don't want to give them time to set up an ambush."

With a nod from everyone, the group crossed the stream and headed uphill, their movements swift and coordinated.

Henry's group and Lucas group emerged onto a narrow ridge overlooking a dense valley. The view offered a clear line of sight to a distant clearing where the relic's faint glow could be seen.

Henry: "There it is."

Lucas stepped beside him, shading his eyes with his hand.

Lucas: "Not bad. But it's too quiet. Where's the chaos?"

Liam scanned the valley below, his voice low.

Liam: "Maybe we're the first ones here."

Ava shook her head, her tone skeptical.

Ava: "Unlikely. If we can see it, so can everyone else."

Henry nodded, his expression thoughtful.

Henry: "Then we move carefully. Stick together and keep an eye out for anything unusual."

As Dakota's group crested the hill, they came to an abrupt stop. Across the clearing, barely 20 meters away, stood Henry and his team. Both groups froze, their eyes locking onto each other.

For a moment, the forest was silent, the tension thick enough to cut with a knife. Dakota stepped forward, his expression unreadable.

Dakota: "Looks like we're not the only ones with a good tracker."

Henry crossed his arms, his tone calm but firm.

Henry: "Seems that way. I'm guessing you're here for the same reason we are."

Mila and Ethan flanked Dakota, their stances tense but ready. Lucas grinned, his tone light but edged with anticipation.

Lucas: "This just got interesting."

Ava rolled her eyes but didn't respond, her focus on the other group.

Emily stepped forward, her voice breaking the silence.

Emily: "So, what happens now? Do we talk it out or—"

Michael cut her off, his tone dry.

Michael: "You know how these things usually end, right?"

Dakota and Henry exchanged a long look, the unspoken challenge clear in their eyes.

Dakota: "We're not backing down."

Henry: "Neither are we."

The air between the groups grew heavier as they sized each other up. But before anyone could make a move, a distant rumble echoed through the forest, followed by the sound of snapping branches.

Liam: "What was that?"

Alex glanced at the tracker, his face pale.

Alex: "Something's coming. And it's big."

Both groups turned toward the source of the noise, the tension between them momentarily forgotten. Whatever was approaching, it was enough to make the ground beneath their feet tremble.

Dakota: "Guess we've got bigger problems."

Henry: "For now."

The two groups stood side by side, their rivalry set aside as they prepared to face the unknown threat together. The relic hunt could wait—survival came first.

Dakota thinking: hm could it be the dark mage? But he's only one person, meanwhile were like 10 or something... Unless he has some other dark mage's with him, should I even called them dark mage's, since in this world they don't have mana. Oh well I'm still going to call them that, but not out loud since I don't want Emily and the others hearing it. But still this is interesting, the dark mage's are coming to us, now we don't have to look for them. Good we can beat the dark mage's and also the challenge at the same time.