The group had been walking for hours without stopping. Their feet were tired, and the forest around them slowly began to grow thicker and darker the closer they got to their destination.
Johann wiped sweat from his forehead and looked ahead impatiently.
"Johann": How much longer until we get there?
Noah kept walking, his eyes fixed on the distant treeline.
"Noah": We should be there soon.
Heinrich quietly stepped closer to Noah and lowered his voice.
"Heinrich": I still don't think it's a good idea letting Karoschi walk around with his weapon like that.
Anna nodded slightly.
"Anna": Heinrich's right. We barely know him. He could turn on us at any moment.
Noah glanced back at Karoschi for a moment before answering calmly.
"Noah": We don't have a choice. If we want any chance of surviving this… we have to trust that he means what he said.
After a moment, Noah turned toward Barry.
"Noah": How's your eye?
Barry lowered his head slightly and then nodded. His eye had already regenerated completely, looking almost as if it had never been injured at all.
Noah smiled faintly.
"Noah": I'm glad you're feeling better.
Suddenly, the group stopped.
In front of them stood the jungle.
A massive wall of towering trees stretched far into the distance. The canopy was so dense that very little sunlight reached the ground.
Johann stared at it in disbelief.
"Johann": That jungle is way bigger than I imagined.
Karoschi stepped forward, his expression serious.
"Karoschi": Alright. From here on out, we need to be extremely careful.
Heinrich looked up at the enormous trees surrounding them.
"Heinrich": But how are we supposed to find the Jungle Titan in there? These trees are huge.
Karoschi looked at him calmly.
"Karoschi": Trust me. The Jungle Titan is a thirty-meter giant. You won't miss him.
Heinrich's eyes widened.
"Heinrich": W-What?!
Slowly, the group stepped into the jungle.
The air immediately felt heavier and humid. Strange sounds echoed through the thick vegetation—distant rustling, insects, and occasional cracks from deep within the forest.
Everyone stayed alert as they moved forward carefully.
Then suddenly…
A deep, echoing breath rumbled through the jungle.
It sounded enormous.
Johann froze.
"Johann": WHAT WAS THAT?!
Karoschi listened carefully before answering.
"Karoschi": That was the Jungle Titan.
He narrowed his eyes.
"Karoschi": And if I had to guess… that sound came from about two hundred meters away.
The group continued forward until they suddenly discovered something unexpected.
An ancient temple ruin stood before them, partially swallowed by the jungle. Fallen trees covered parts of the structure, and the ground was marked with massive footprints.
Anna walked closer and crouched down beside one of them.
"Anna": What are these tracks…?
Karoschi stepped beside her.
"Karoschi": His footprints.
He looked around the area carefully.
"Karoschi": Which means he was here not too long ago.
Noah turned to Barry.
"Noah": Barry, stay here for a moment.
The group slowly stepped inside the old temple.
Broken pillars and stone walls surrounded them, and scattered across the floor were the remains of ancient skeletons.
But before they could look closer—
Suddenly dozens of skeletons rose from the ground.
At the same time, strange mushroom-like creatures crawled out from cracks in the stone.
"Karoschi": Watch out! Those mushroom creatures are called Pilzlinge! Their poison can paralyze a human for thirty minutes!
The skeletons rushed toward them with old weapons in their hands.
The group quickly began fighting.
Despite their exhaustion, they managed to destroy the skeletons while carefully keeping their distance from the Pilzlinge.
Johann suddenly pointed toward the center of the temple.
"Johann": Hey! What's that thing doing near that rock over there?
Karoschi's expression immediately changed.
"Karoschi": That's not a rock…
He drew his sword.
"Karoschi": That's a Jungle Golem.
The massive stone figure slowly began to move.
Dust and small pieces of rock fell from its body as it stood up, revealing glowing green eyes.
When it spotted the group, it suddenly charged forward and raised its massive hammer.
"Heinrich": Anna, jump left!
Anna quickly leaped aside just as the hammer crashed down where she had been standing, shaking the ground violently.
Karoschi rushed forward and swung his sword straight into the golem's eye.
The golem dropped to one knee, covering its eye.
"Karoschi": Now! Everyone attack!
The group began striking the creature from all sides.
But suddenly the golem stood up again and started swinging wildly.
Johann stepped back in panic.
"Johann": Shit! What do we do now?!
Noah shouted.
"Noah": Aim for its legs! We need to knock it down!
Anna tried to approach, but the golem swung its hammer to keep her away.
"Anna": I can't get close!
Karoschi quickly thought of a plan.
"Karoschi": Alright. One person distracts it. Two others attack the legs.
Anna ran forward, drawing the golem's attention.
While it focused on her, Noah and Heinrich moved behind it and began striking the cracks in its legs.
Stone cracked loudly.
The golem suddenly lost its balance.
With a massive crash, it fell to the ground.
Karoschi didn't hesitate.
He sprinted toward its head and drove his sword deep into its eye, pushing the blade further and further until it pierced the creature's brain.
The Jungle Golem stopped moving.
It was dead.
Everyone stood there breathing heavily.
Karoschi wiped his blade and looked around the temple.
"Karoschi": Alright. I suggest we use this temple as a shelter tonight.
He pointed toward the skeletons on the ground.
"Karoschi": Anna, Heinrich, Johann — take those swords. They're better than your stone and stick weapons.
While the group rested…
Something tiny watched them from the shadows.
Mimic.
He had transformed into a mosquito.
"Mimic": Yes… yes… feel safe while you can.
He chuckled quietly.
"Mimic": Once he finds you… you will all die.
"Mimic": You will never defeat the Jungle Titan.
Laughing quietly, he flew away into the darkness.
Later that night, Noah stepped outside the temple to get some fresh air.
As he looked into the jungle…
He saw it again.
The mysterious figure.
Standing silently between the trees.
Noah frowned.
"Noah": What do you want from me…?
He lowered his voice.
"Noah": Why are you always watching me? Don't you have anything better to do?
The figure didn't answer.
Instead, it slowly disappeared behind the trees.
Noah stared into the darkness, confused and uneasy.
Who was it?
And why did it keep watching him?
Anna's voice suddenly came from behind him.
"Anna": Are you coming back inside to sleep?
Noah sighed softly.
"Noah": Yeah… I'm coming.
He said good night to Barry before returning to the temple.
Soon the entire group fell asleep, preparing themselves for tomorrow.
Tomorrow they would begin the real hunt.
The search for the Jungle Titan.