The girl clung desperately to the top of the tree, injured and bleeding azure blood. Her face, marked with wounds, was soaked in tears, her features twisted in panic. Her eyes trembled with fear—fixed on the thing stalking her below.
The creature stood on four powerful legs, its body completely covered in dark scales. Three tails—one thick, ending in a large club, and two thinner ones. Spikes ran along its spine all the way to the thick tail.
It stood silently beneath the tree, head raised, staring at the terrified girl above. Suddenly, it lifted its thick tail back and slammed it against the trunk. The tree shook violently, nearly uprooted. Despite the force, the girl held on—but not for long. Her arms were already injured, trembling badly.
Sol cast a cold glance at the creature, his expression unchanged.
"So That's why she's late..it's trying to hunt her..Does it hunt alone? ... or did it separate from its pack?" He looked around carefully. "No pack."
His gaze shifted to the clinging girl.
"She's going to fall."
The strange creature raised its tail again—higher this time—and brought it down with tremendous force. A loud crack echoed. The tree shuddered harder, and the girl's weak, thin grip failed. She fell.
She hit the ground hard, the impact stealing her breath. She groaned, pain flaring with every attempt to draw air—panic and exhaustion making it worse. When she saw the scale-covered beast approaching with slow, heavy steps, she crawled with whatever strength remained. A tree blocked her path.
She looked back, then forward. Eyes wide. Breathing heavy and ragged. Face covered in tears and blood. Her torn clothes stained with azure blood and damp dark soil.
The beast drew close and opened its jaws—revealing another set of jaws inside, unprotected by scales. Hot, foul breath washed over her.
Sol sighed before stepping forward. No caution. Complete confidence.
"This thing's big, but not that big. One punch should kill it."
He walk toward the beast in silence. When he reached the creature, he pulled back his arm,fist clenched tight and threw his punch with full force and speed.
His fist slammed hard against the scales
They didn't even tremble.
Sol's eyes went wide. For once, he looked genuinely shocked. He pulled his fist back and stared at it in disbelief.
"Wait!... Why?!... How?..."
He snapped his gaze to the beast's face. Four red eyes stared back, burning with bloodlust.
Sol stepped back a few paces. The beast turned, leaving the girl behind, and fixed its gaze on Sol. It advanced, steps heavy and loud. Then, after only a few steps, it lunged—fast, aiming to tear flesh. Sol dodged at the last moment. His reaction speed had always been insane.
He put distance between himself and the creature, positioning himself in front of the girl. He glanced at her from the corner of his eye, then returned his focus to the waiting beast.
He gestured for her to run. She stared at him in disbelief—him standing between her and that monster. But not for long. She slowly got to her feet, clutching her arm.
She didn't run. Instead, she stood beside him, saying a few words in that language he couldn't understand. Her voice was hoarse, low—the fall had done damage. Fear and worry were plain on her face.
He gestured again. Run. She shook her head. Refused.
Sol turned to her. Slapped her. Pointed. Run.
She looked at him, shocked, then left him and ran fast.
The creature tried to chase her, but Sol moved, drawing its attention. It stopped, confused—watching the fleeing girl, then Sol standing before it. Two seconds of hesitation, then its gaze locked onto Sol.
Sol knew this would happen. From the beast's perspective, he and the girl were two different-sized prey. If the creature was smart, it would chase the healthy one that could escape, then return for the crippled one. If it was stupid, it would choose the bigger prey over the smaller.
The beast moved slowly, circling toward Sol from the side. Sol stepped back—and stepped on something hard. The girl's dagger, lying on the ground. He noticed immediately but showed no reaction.
"Can't grab it now. What am I supposed to do?" His eyes darted quickly, scanning the area, then stopped on a direction. "There."
He ran toward that direction, the beast chasing and roaring behind him.
Sol glanced back from the corner of his eye, then forward again. Use the environment. Make it work for you.
Over the past three weeks, searching for purple fruit had taken him all over this area. His strong memory meant he knew this region well—knew how to use it.
Running, he spotted a fallen tree trunk leaning against another tree. He sprinted toward it, jumped over it. The creature jumped after him.
Sol jumped again, toward the supporting tree, rebounded off it in a quick motion, and launched himself back the way he'd come.
The scale-beast was heavy. When it tried to snap at Sol mid-air, it slammed into the fallen trunk instead, tumbling to the ground He tries to stand.
By then, Sol had already reached the dagger. He grabbed it. A roar and heavy footsteps rushed toward him—the beast charging.
Sol looked at the damp, dark soil beneath him. Then raised his eyes to the beast. And waited.
"Closer... just a little more..."
When only a few steps remained between them, Sol raised the dagger, pointing it forward. The creature noticed and tried to stop—but the damp soil betrayed it. It slid forward, unable to halt.
Sol thrust the dagger forward with all his strength, then sidestepped the beast's massive weight as it tumbled past him onto the dark ground.
He looked at the creature lying there, nearly dead. Then at the dagger on the ground.
"Didn't hit it."
He lunged for the dagger—but something heavy slammed into him, sending him flying into a tree.
Sol leaned against it slowly. Something sharp was stuck in his body. He looked—dark scales, many of them, embedded where he'd been hit. They were slowly pushing out as his body regenerated. Sol gritted his teeth against the pain.
"You... you fucker thing... you ruined my clothes."
The beast stood, swinging its heavy tail, staring at the helpless Sol. It approached. Sol tried to move, to escape—another strike to his chest. More scales embedded. He flew through the air again and hit the ground.
Before he could react, the creature pounced. Its inner jaws sank into his flesh while the outer jaws closed over him, locking him in place. The inner jaws tore at his meat while the outer held him steady.
Sol groaned, screamed in pain—but his eyes, blazing with rage, fixed on the scales still stuck in his flesh.
He gritted his teeth hard, raised his hand with difficulty, reaching for one of those blade-like scales. His fingers nearly touched it.
The creature noticed. It lifted Sol high, then slammed him down hard. Sol coughed up a spray of crimson. His hands fell limp. The beast resumed its feast—but suddenly—
Sol drove a scale into one of its four eyes.
The creature released him instantly, roaring, leaping back, thrashing its head side to side trying to dislodge the blade.
"Get up!... Ah!... Get up!... Get up, you fucking body!..."
Sol crawled painfully. A massive hole gaped in his side, entrails and organs trailing, mixing with damp, filthy soil. Then flesh emerged in worm-like strands, intertwining, sending shocks of agony through him. He groaned, almost screamed.
His eyes darted wildly, then fixed on a nearby tree. He crawled toward it, reached it, leaned heavily against it, biting his lip against the pain—making it bleed, the lip regenerating, adding more pain.
While the beast thrashed in agony, Sol forced his body to climb the tree. Every movement was torture, made him want to scream. But he reached a height above the ground and let out a loud, pained cry—drawing the creature's attention.
The beast charged back, slamming its tail against the tree with even greater force—deliberately trying to bring it down. But Sol was in a stable spot.
He struggled to stay conscious. some minutes passed. The hole in his side closed.
Sol looked down. The dagger lay on the ground, away from the beast. He looked at the enraged creature below, roaring in fury, one of its four eyes leaking azure blood. An idea formed.
"No other... choice... hah... need... to be fast... body... just endure... a little more..."
He spoke with difficulty, then crouched on the branch, pain clear on his face. Not fully healed. Regeneration had drained him. But he gritted his teeth hard and jumped—biting back a scream.
The beast noticed, lunged, jaws opening wide. Sol kicked the outer jaw, leaped higher, and fell hard on the ground. The beast too.
Sol was up instantly, lunging for the dagger. He grabbed it as the scale-beast rose and charged, double jaws opening wide.
Sol raised the dagger—aiming for the creature's throat—as those jaws closed on his arm and the beast crashed down beside him, motionless. Groaning. Trembling.
Sol freed his arm from the creature's jaws with difficulty.She was covered in wounds and drenched in crimson blood. Then crawled away until he reached a tree. Leaned against it. Watched the beast. Eye to eye.
It shuddered violently, then let out a low sound accompanied by foul breath—acknowledging the true predator's victory.
Then, suddenly, while Sol gasped for breath—
A strange sound rang in his ears.
Golden light appeared before him.