Chương 25: Lycanthorus

With everyone prepared and in good condition, it was time to take down the last of India's Boss Beasts, the Lycanthorus. Esha had been tracking it from afar, working with the scouting parties to keep tabs on its location.

"It stands at three metres in height and looks exactly how you think it would look. Just like a werewolf from the movies," Esha explained.

"Has anyone seen how it fights?" Joe asked. Nearly every battle he'd fought had been a blind encounter, with little idea of what he was up against. His most successful fight, in his eyes, had been against the Constetippon. That was the only time he'd had ample preparation, spending hours devising a plan that had, surprisingly, worked out better than expected. They had only engaged once the Beast was injured, and the only reason Joe had taken any damage was due to a last-second ambush he hadn't foreseen.

Naturally, he wanted to plan this time. … The egg on his back jolted with more force than ever, pulsing out a warning. At that exact moment, a massive red dot appeared on Joe's mini-map to the north, moving straight toward them.

"Shit! The boss!!" Joe shouted; his muscles sprang into action as he burst from the room in an explosion of air. Bodies tumbled in shock and confusion. He barely managed a single step outside before a strange sensation swept through Camp Jahanabad. Everything froze. Everyone except him. For a moment, Joe hardly noticed that no one else was moving. A message flashed before his eyes. System Message You have been marked for death. __ The Lycanthorus perched atop a tall tree one mile north of the human camp.

For weeks, it had observed a shift in their behaviour, more watch parties, more effort to track its movements. The humans were up to something. This surprised the Lycanthorus. These creatures were weak. Unlike the other Beasts with territories nearby, it had no interest in mindless slaughter. It had killed enough to establish itself as the Alpha of this land, then it had stopped. The humans had tested it several times, sending small groups to challenge its dominance.

It had crushed them with such ease that they had eventually given up. Yet now, they were stirring again. The Lycanthorus narrowed its eyes, activating a skill to enhance its sight, to peer deep into the camp. It wanted to study their actions, searching for answers. This was the first time it had looked into the camp in a while, and it was shocked by what it saw. Towering trees had sprouted within the camp, their branches weaving together to form a dense canopy that shrouded the entire area.

At first, it had dismissed this as another human trick. But when it tried to peer inside, its enhanced sight failed. The canopy blocked its skill. How? It had never encountered anything like this. Annoyed but wary, the Lycanthorus devised a plan. It created a clone, sending it to mislead the human scouts while its real body slipped forward unseen. This was a full day ago; it had crept close, closer than ever before. But instinct screamed at it to stop just as it prepared to step into the Camp's boundary.

Something was waiting inside. Something had claimed this place as its territory. And that something… was human. Rage had consumed the Lycanthorus in that moment. It had turned and run, leaving a trail of slaughter in its wake. For an entire day, it had rampaged, venting its fury on anything unfortunate enough to cross its path. Now, as it returned to the camp, the anger had settled. Burning beneath the surface. Its purpose, however, was now forged in steel. A human had dared to claim territory within its domain.

That insult could not go unanswered. The Lycanthorus reached for a treasure it had discovered when it first arrived in this land. These humans were blind, foolish creatures. They failed to protect, perhaps even recognize, the natural treasures hidden all around them. Today, they would regret that ignorance. And this pathetic human would be the first to pay the price. With a sharp crack, it crushed the orb in its grip, unleashing the power sealed within as a torrent of mana flooded into the Lycanthorus's eyes.

Its vision sharpened as the veil that had obscured the camp melted away. It scanned the area, searching. Then, it found them. Two immense aura signatures flared within the camp. One belonged to a human, the other… to an egg the human carried. Curious, the Lycanthorus focused on the egg, trying to pierce its mysteries. But the moment its sight touched it, something repelled its gaze. For a fraction of a second, fear, genuine, primal fear, coursed through the Beast.

Whatever was inside that egg was beyond its understanding. A pure Beast. A power beyond reason. The Lycanthorus shuddered. Then, with a snarl, it refocused on the human. This one it could kill. With a single leap, it tore across the distance, breaching the human's territory. As it landed, a crimson mark burned into the air around it. Mark of the Prime Alpha activated. The hunt had begun. __ Something was wrong. The camp was silent, unnaturally so. No one moved. His breath hitched as his gaze snapped north.

The Beast was already here. It moved like a blur, its speed matching that of the hounds he had barely survived before. A cold wave of fear crashed over him, but before it could fully take hold, instinct drove him into action. He launched himself sideways at full speed. Marked. The message hit him like a hammer. The Beast had locked onto him; nothing else existed in its path. Joe's mind raced. There were too many people here. If they fought in the heart of the camp, the destruction would be catastrophic.

He veered toward the outskirts, desperate to lead the battle away. Too slow. A deafening explosion of air shattered the silence as the Lycan landed before him, its massive frame slamming into the ground. The earth trembled from the impact, dirt and grass erupting into the air. It moved. Joe ducked as a set of claws slashed for his head. The wind from the strike was sharp enough to sting his skin. He activated Mana-Coating, his fist surging with power as he aimed a counterpunch at the Beast's arm.

The Lycan twisted effortlessly, dodging mid-motion. Then it struck. A devastating kick crashed into Joe's side. Pain detonated through his ribs as he staggered, the sheer force knocking him off balance. He gritted his teeth, forcing himself to stay upright. But the Lycan was relentless. Claws slashed toward his face. He barely got his arms up in time. The impact sent shockwaves through his body as he skidded backwards, boots carving trenches in the dirt. The egg on his back absorbed some force, but not enough.

His bones rattled from the blow. It's too strong. Before he could recover, the Beast leapt. Joe acted instinctively, rolling to his right and planting seeds in the churned earth. Mud and dust kicked up in his wake. Not fast enough. The Lycan's foot lashed out. The strike connected. Joe felt his body twist violently, bending at an unnatural angle as he was sent spiralling through the air. He crashed through the side of a building, wooden beams exploding around him in a shower of splinters.

The impact knocked the air from his lungs, leaving him gasping, his vision swimming. His chest heaved, and blood pounded in his ears. His eyes, bloodshot and burning, darted toward the Beast as it slowly rose to its feet. Predatory. Unyielding. Unstoppable. Then the world lurched. The unnatural stillness vanished, and time snapped back into place. Everything around him returned to normal. But the battle had only just begun. Joe's mind reeled as he started to grasp what was going on.

Did this Beast have abilities like his own? This was the first time since the Lion he had encountered anything like this. A wave of screams tore through the camp as reality sank in. The people of Jahanabad had been frozen only moments ago, oblivious to the danger. Now, they saw the towering Beast standing near Joe's battered form, its predatory gaze locked onto him. Gritting his teeth, he forced himself to his feet. His body ached, ribs protesting with every breath, but he had no time to dwell on the pain.

He pulled the bag from his back as he walked out of the slowly collapsing building, placing it carefully on the ground. The Lycan's gaze flicked toward the egg. And then, it did something Joe never expected. It spoke.

"Human." The word was a guttural growl, thick with disdain.

"How dare you claim land in my territory?" Joe's breath hitched. It speaks? He had encountered intelligent Beasts before, but this was different. This was language. His mind scrambled for a response.

"What are you?" The Lycan's lips peeled back into a snarl.

"Death!" It moved. Joe ignored its words as the Beast became a blur of motion. An explosion of dirt signalled its charge, faster than anything he had faced before. Unable to react in time, a crushing fist slammed into his side. The impact sent him hurtling once again. He crashed against the ground, tumbling violently before slamming into a wall. Dust and debris rained down around him, wooden splinters filling the air. His Mana-Coating rippled around him. He groaned, spitting blood into the dirt.

His clothing now frayed beneath his skill. His skin was riddled with fresh cuts and bruises. As good as his skill was at protecting him, it was not infallible. Every nerve in his body screamed in protest as he staggered upright. Then he saw them. People were emerging from the buildings, drawn by the chaos. No! Panic surged through Joe's veins. He opened his mouth to shout a warning… The Lycan moved first. In a blur of muscle and claws, it sidestepped the battlefield and lunged toward a nearby woman.

She didn't even have time to scream. Joe's heart stopped as the Lycan grabbed her by the throat, lifting her effortlessly. Its claws sank into her flesh, drawing blood that dripped onto the ground.

"No!" Joe roared, launching himself forward. But it was too late. With a sickening crunch, the Lycan squeezed. The woman's head separated from her body in a gruesome spray of crimson. Blood fountained around the Beast as it discarded the corpse, like garbage, her lifeless form crumpling to the ground.

"Weak." The word was laced with disgust. Joe stopped abruptly, breath shallow, as the Beast turned its gaze toward another innocent bystander. Blood still dripped from its claws.

"Nooooo!" Joe's roar tore through the camp, raw and unfiltered rage fueling his charge. He launched himself forward again with every ounce of strength he had. This time, the Lycan wasn't ready. Joe's sudden burst of speed caught it off guard. He closed the distance in an instant, fists already glowing with power as he activated Rapid Strike. His arms became a blur, fists hammering into the Beast's chest like a relentless storm.

The Lycan growled, muscles contorting as it twisted to block some of the blows, but a few landed clean. The impact rippled through its frame, forcing it back with a grunt of pain. Joe didn't stop. He pressed forward, launching another barrage, aiming to drive it further away. The Lycan moved with an unnatural, fluid motion as it ducked low and swept Joe's legs out from under him. He crashed to the ground hard, the impact jarring his bones. He gasped. He had to move. Now.

Gritting his teeth, he forced himself up, eyes darting. The Lycan had dashed away. Joe's stomach dropped as he spotted it, its claws wrapped around another terrified villager. The woman thrashed, eyes wide with terror, her scream piercing the air.

"I'm going to kill every human here…" the Lycan growled, its voice dripping with cruel amusement.

"Now watch." The Beast's claws plunged into the woman's stomach. Blood sprayed. Her scream cut off instantly as life drained from her eyes. Her body slumped in the Lycan's grasp, then, disdainfully, it flung her aside. The corpse tumbled across the dirt, rolling limply before coming to a sickening stop. Blood soaked the ground.

"STOP IT!!" Joe lunged, fury overriding every thought. This time, the Lycan was ready. It moved like liquid shadow, sidestepping Joe's strikes, gliding between his punches like water. Joe clenched his jaw. It's toying with me. This wasn't just a Beast, it was something else entirely. Faster. Smarter. More ruthless than anything he had ever fought. His strikes were useless. Desperate, he stepped back and launched a Mana Blast. A flash of power erupted from his palm, surging toward the Lycan. It dodged.

Like a tree bending in the wind. Then it spun. Joe barely registered the movement before a kick lashed out toward him. He reacted, lifting his leg to block. A feint. His balance shifted just as the Lycan twisted mid-motion, driving a devastating fist straight into his unguarded chest. Crack. White-hot pain exploded through Joe's ribs as he was sent sprawling backwards. His body slammed against the ground, breath ripped from his lungs. He gagged, choking on blood as he groaned in pain.

As he lay gasping, the Lycan turned away from him. Its gaze scanning for another victim. Joe heard footsteps, and to his horror, he saw Drishti and Esha sprinting towards the Lycan. It saw them and pounced. No, please, no. Joe's mind screamed at the thought of his friends being in danger. Scrambling to his feet and clutching at his side, he watched as the massive Beast hurtled toward them. Slam! A shimmering Mana Barrier flared to life just in time.

The Lycan slammed into it, the force sending shockwaves through the air. It snarled in irritation, landing with a sharp growl before darting to the left. A camp guard stepped in its way. A flash of claws. A Scream. An arm was torn away in a single, brutal motion. Blood splattered across the dirt as the Lycan never slowed; it was circling. Joe pushed himself forward, but he was too far, too slow. The Beast feinted, then sprang toward Drishti again, angling to avoid the barrier. As Joe sprinted forward.

Another barrier snapped into place, blocking the Lycan. It roared in fury, its primal rage shaking the very air. That was when Joe reached it, skidding into range and launching a close-range Mana Blast straight at its exposed side. The Beast twisted, avoiding the blast before snapping its gaze onto Joe.

"Yes, I am still here!" Joe barked through bloody teeth. It grinned.

"You cannot stop me, human!" Blood ran freely down Joe's torn skin, muscles screaming. But he refused to stop. The Lycan lunged, claws flashing toward his face. Joe ducked, which was the wrong move to make. A fur-covered knee rocketed up and smashed into his skull. His Mana-coating flashed as it softened the impact, but his head still whipped to the side violently, blood and sweat spraying through the air. Joe lashed out blindly, trying to grab the Beast, but missed.

The Lycan flowed around him, spinning to his flank like a seasoned predator. Joe stumbled, trying to follow, but he was too slow. A foot crashed into his side. He grunted, the impact sending more pain shooting through his entire torso. Somehow, through raw instinctual panic. His hand snapped out, fingers locking onto the Lycan's leg. The Beast growled, twisting to bring a devastating elbow toward his skull. Joe pulled hard as he leaned away from the blow.

The sudden pull threw the Lycan off balance, and the elbow strike missed. A flicker of opportunity opened up before Joe. He planted both hands on its trapped leg, unleashing a Mana Blast. The explosion of mana tore through the Lycan's thigh, sending blood, flesh, and muscle flying in all directions. The Beast howled in agony. Joe had no time to register the success of his attack before the Lycan's remaining knee rocketed forward. The impact smashed into the side of his head. His vision exploded into white noise.

The world tilted. His grip faltered. His body staggered backwards, dazed and blind. The Lycan had taken its first injury. But it was still standing. The Beast inhaled deeply, its massive chest expanding. Then it let loose an empowered roar straight into Joe's face. The air itself shook. A wave of raw force crashed into him, carrying with it a spray of blood and saliva from the Beast's maw. A piercing pressure exploded in Joe's skull, like molten iron searing through his ears.

Blood trickled from both sides of his head, and his balance faltered. He staggered as pain overrode his senses. He had no time to recover before the Lycan ripped its claws into the earth, tearing up a massive chunk of dirt and rock. With a brutal heave, it hurled the debris straight at him. Joe braced himself as he felt something hurtling towards him. Boom! It hit him like a wrecking ball, knocking him clean off his feet and sending him crashing further away.

His body skidded across the dirt, rolling in a spray of dirt as he came to a groaning stop. Through the ringing in his ears, he faintly heard the Lycan snarling in pain. It took a few more seconds before his vision cleared. The Beast had fallen to one knee, clutching its wounded leg, blood pooling beneath it. Then, from above. Three arrows. They whistled through the air, slamming into the Beast's exposed back. Thud. Thud. Thud.

The Lycan let out a deep grunt, its muscles seizing as the projectiles embedded into its flesh. It snapped its head upward, Samira, fifty metres above, bow drawn, another arrow already nocked. The Lycan roared. The force rippled through the sky, a concussive blast slamming into Samira. She barely had time to block the shockwave with her wings. She tumbled, spiralling downward, out of sight. The Beast snarled in satisfaction. Drishti was suddenly at Joe's side.

"Take a pill. The Beast can barely move," she hurriedly said, pushing a healing pill into his mouth. He felt it dissolve, and a wave of healing energy flowed through his body, quieting his screaming muscles and stemming the flow of blood from his injuries.

"Thanks," he hoarsely croaked. Steel flashed as Esha struck at the Beast. Her blade bit deep into the Lycan's back, sinking in several inches before resistance stopped it. The Lycan howled in fury, its body twisting as it lashed out in wild retaliation. Clawed hands swiped through empty space, just missing Esha as she activated her skill and darted away. Her blade slipped free in a wet, sickening tear, a fresh spray of blood adding to the already slick battlefield. The Beast reeled. Joe was on his feet again.

Breathing heavily, Drishti, wand raised at his side. His body felt like it was barely holding together, but he couldn't stop now. The Lycan was kneeling. Vulnerable. He sprinted forward, charging a Mana Blast as two Mana Bolts from Drishti soared past him. He fired. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. At the last moment, the Beast shifted, the blasts only grazing its shoulder and arm instead of landing flush. It still grunted at the impact, its balance wavering briefly.

Joe swore. He closed the distance as the Beast forced itself upright, its wounded leg sluggish but slowly regenerating. The flow of blood beginning to slow. Joe launched into a Rapid Strike. The Lycan was still incredibly fast, weaving through most of the blows, its body swaying with a subtle grace. But two strikes landed, and as they did, Joe activated his gloves' skill. Both hits erupted in bursts of mana, the force cracking against the Lycan's body in sudden, violent explosions.

The Beast tilted to the side in shock, which gave Joe the perfect opportunity. He pulled back his fist, aiming for a devastating finishing blow straight to its skull as it fell. He blinked. The Lycan's eyes lit up. Every cell in Joe's body screamed in warning. But he was already committed to the punch, his fist hurtling toward the Beast's head. It smiled, and then… it spoke.

"Ethereal Claw." A ghostly claw emerged from the Lycan's body. Translucent yet terrifyingly real. Joe had no chance. The claw ripped through him. It tore upward from his stomach, slashing across his chest. Blood exploded. His Mana-coating shattered. The spectral claws sank deep, ripping through flesh, muscle, and bone. Agony, unlike anything before, burned through Joe.

The world tilted as his body launched into the air, sent hurtling over the houses like a discarded toy, spinning wildly before he crashed into the woodlands beyond the camp. Everything blurred. Pain was all that remained. __ Esha's heart pounded as she watched Joe's body soar through the air, flung by the force of the Lycan's ambush. He disappeared over the rooftops, leaving a trail of dust and the distant sound of his landing. She gritted her teeth, forcing herself to focus.

The beast stood before her, its battered frame terrifying. Even the gruesome wound in its thigh was already knitting itself closed. Every instinct screamed at her to flee, but the terrified cries of the villagers rooted her in place. Too many lives were at stake. She turned her head slightly. Drishti was now crouched protectively over Samira's unconscious form, almost out of sight. They were safe for now, but no one would be once the Lycan resumed its slaughter. She had to stop that, no matter what.

A noise to her right drew her attention. Six camp guards emerged from around a corner, their faces grim, their grips tight on their weapons. They saw the injured Beast. They saw their chance, and they charged.

"No! Don't!" The sound of a battle cry from the guards drowned out Esha's warning. The Lycan moved. A blur of death. It was among them in an instant, claws carving through flesh faster than her eye could track. A chest split open, ribs glistening for a fraction of a second before blood gushed in all directions. Another guard was lifted off her feet, a claw ripping through her throat with sickening ease.

A third barely managed to react before a brutal backhand caved in her skull, sending her lifeless body crumpling to the ground. One by one, they fell. Esha barely breathed. The entire slaughter had lasted only seconds. Now, the Lycan stood amid the fresh corpses, its fur drenched in red. Her stomach roiled, but there was no time to grieve. She moved. With a burst of speed, she activated Speed Boost, her body flashing forward. She was behind the Beast, blade raised, aimed for the base of its neck. She swung.

The blade never connected. With a speed that defied logic, the Lycan twisted, its massive claw locking around Esha's arm before she could react. Blood-red eyes bore into hers, filled with cold, ruthless contempt.

"Weak." The word was dripping with disdain. Esha's body refused to move. Fear rooted her in place, her breath hitching as the Beast's other claw rose high, then descended in a brutal arc. Pain exploded through her. A feral scream tore from her throat, raw, but the sound barely registered. Her mind could only focus on the horrifying sight before her, her own severed arm, spiralling through the air, landing with a wet, lifeless thud. Her vision swam as she staggered back, free from the Beast's grip.

Her body was convulsing from the agony. Her sword clattered uselessly to the ground. Her knees buckled, and she collapsed, her limbs refusing to obey. Darkness crept at the edge of her vision, a suffocating weight pulling her under. The last thing she saw before she fell unconscious was the Beast looming above, its bloodstained lips curled into a cruel, victorious grin. __ Drishti watched in horror as the Beast stood over Esha's unconscious form.

A scream of anguish and fear tore from her as she stood, sending mana bolt after mana bolt at the Beast. Even as injured as it was, it still flowed like water, its movements almost lazy. It glanced at her. Her heart skipped a beat. Terror coiled around her spine as she raised her wand, surging to summon a barrier between them. The Beast didn't move; it just smiled.

"You annoying. I kill others." It turned its back on her and ran off into the camp. Drishti stared in horror as it disappeared, screams echoing out all around as it continued its slaughter. Her knees nearly buckled, but she forced herself forward, sprinting toward Esha's fallen form. Tears blurred her vision as she dropped beside her friend, hands shaking. Please, please be alive. __ Joe lay in a shallow crater, the earth beneath him cracked from the force of his crash landing.

He coughed, a thick stream of blood spilling from his mouth as his trembling fingers pressed against the deep, ragged grooves carved into his chest. His body was a symphony of pain. For a moment, all he could hear was the sharp ringing in his ears, drowning out the world. Get up! The thought clawed its way to the surface: a demand, a command. He gritted his teeth and forced himself upright.

The cooling relief of his earlier healing pill dulled the worst of the pain, but exhaustion still pressed down on him like a heavyweight. After a few agonising moments, the open claw marks on his chest finally stopped bleeding. He pushed forward. His friends needed him. He broke into a jog, his limbs heavy. Every step sent fresh lances of pain through his battered body, but he didn't stop. He couldn't. Then he heard it… Chaos. Screams, shouts, the sound of cracking wood. As he rounded a corner, his heart dropped.

Drishti knelt on the ground, crouched over Esha's small, motionless body. Blood pooled beneath her. Her arm was gone, the jagged wound slowly closing, but her chest barely moved. Too shallow. Too weak. Joe's vision blurred, not from pain, not from exhaustion, but from rage. A deep, unrelenting fury ignited in his chest, scorching away his fatigue, burning hotter than anything he had felt before. Drishti looked up, her face pale, her eyes widening in horror.

"Behind you!" she screamed. Joe spun in time to see the Lycan charging straight at him. It leapt, claws extended, fangs bared. Then… Slam! It crashed headfirst into an invisible barrier, the impact rippling out through the air. Drishti's barrier had stopped it. Joe's rage sharpened, focusing into something cold. Precise. He met the Lycan's furious, bloodstained gaze and stepped forward.

"Drop the barrier." His voice was like steel. The barrier flickered out. Two Mana Blasts erupted from his palms, streaking forward like twin comets. They slammed into the Lycan's chest, the impact sending a deep, resonant boom through the air. The Beast staggered, unable to dodge in time. Its injured leg buckled, the closed gaping wound hindering its balance. Joe was almost shocked that his attack had landed. He was so stunned that he almost missed the glowing piece of ground beneath its feet.

His lips made a tiny movement. He activated Seeds Will Grow. The ground beneath the Lycan erupted. A massive vine shot up from the earth, thick as a tree trunk, coiling up and slamming into the Beast's body, sending it hurtling upwards into the sky. Joe moved like a bullet from a shotgun. He leapt, closing in on the Lycan in a moment, activating Rapid Strike and the explosive on-hit effect of his gloves. His vine had caught the Beast entirely off guard, giving it no chance to defend against Joe's next attack.

Each punch detonated against the Lycan's body, sending shocks of mana exploding outward. Every strike tore fresh wounds, blood spraying into the air, painting Joe crimson. The Lycan roared, its guttural howls reverberating through the camp. Joe didn't stop. He reared back, still high up in the air, charging a final point-blank Mana Blast. Boom! The explosion sent the Lycan hurtling downward, crashing into the earth with a sickening crunch. Joe landed a moment later, his body giving out.

He collapsed onto one knee, gasping. His mana bar, flashing in near emptiness. He forced himself to rise. His legs trembled as he limped toward the fallen Beast. The Lycan lay in a pool of its own blood, its chest heaving with laboured breaths. Joe stood over it, arm shaking as he struggled to raise his trembling hand. The beast's eyes snapped open. Its lips curled into a bloody sneer.

"You lose," It growled, blood bubbling from its mouth. Joe froze. The words cut through the haze of rage and exhaustion. For a split second, doubt flickered in his mind. He exhaled and hardened his resolve.

"Die." A final Mana blast surged from his palm, striking the Lycan's skull. Light flared, and then silence as the Beast's body slumped. Joe swayed. You have slain Lycanthorus, level 60. You are no longer marked for death. Ding! Class Farmer has reached level 33 - stat points distributed. Exp penalty in effect due to failure to protect innocents.

"What?" Joe's breath came in ragged gasps as he glanced around wildly, his pulse hammering in his ears. Exhaustion pulled at the edges of his consciousness, but something on his mini-map caught his attention, a large X. He stumbled forward. His body screamed in protest, his legs trembling beneath him. He barely managed another step before collapsing to his knees. He wasn't there yet. He had to find out what that X was. He dug his hands into the dirt, and he started to crawl.

His lips moved, mumbling incoherent words, though even he wasn't sure what he was saying. His mind was a haze of pain, panic, and something far worse: dread. Then, suddenly, warmth. Hands grasped his shoulders, steadying him.

"Joe, stop. It's over," Samira's voice was soft, careful. He didn't respond. He only pointed toward the corner of a broken house. Samira hesitated, uncertainty flickering in her eyes, but when Joe tried to move again, she caught him, pulling his arm over her shoulder. Wordlessly, she wrapped her arm around his waist, holding him up, and guided him forward. They turned the corner… The sight hit him like a falling star. A pile of corpses lay sprawled across the blood-soaked earth. At least fifty bodies. Mangled.

Torn, slashed apart by claws. The air was thick with the stench of blood and death. Joe's stomach lurched. He wanted to scream. He wanted to run. But then, his gaze locked onto something else. A bag. Slashed open amid the carnage. Besides it… A cracked and broken red egg. Samira's sharp gasp cut through the silence, a dagger to the gut. Joe's legs buckled. He lurched forward, but Samira's arms tightened around him, holding him back.

"Noo…" The word barely left his lips, cracked and hollow.

"Move. Please. Let me…" Samira swallowed hard, eyes dark with sorrow, and nodded. Slowly, she led him closer. As he reached the broken egg, his knees hit the ground. He reached out with trembling hands. A tiny red salamander lay still inside the shattered remains of the egg. Lifeless. For a moment, everything stopped. All sound, the scent of blood, even the weight of Samira's presence at his side, all of it faded into nothing. Joe stared down at the tiny, unmoving body.

His chest tightened, a pressure so immense it felt as though something inside him was tearing apart. A piece of him was gone, ripped away in an instant, leaving behind a void so vast, so endless. His hands trembled as he reached into the broken shell, fingers ghosting over the delicate scales before lifting the tiny body. He clutched it against his chest, heedless of the blood, dried and fresh, staining his torn clothes. Something wet hit the salamander's lifeless form. His own blood.

Dripping from the wounds on his face. Joe rose. His movements were mechanical. Directionless. Empty. His legs carried him forward. He didn't know where. He didn't care. He just walked. The southern exit of the camp loomed ahead, but it barely registered. At some point, Drishti appeared beside him. Her quiet sobs broke the suffocating silence. Her tears fell in steady streams, her shoulders shaking with grief. Joe didn't look at her. He couldn't. His eyes remained fixed on the small body cradled in his arms.

You lose. The words echoed in his mind. Relentless. You lose. Cruel. You lose. You lose. You lose. When he finally stopped, he was outside the camp. The air felt heavy and thick with the lingering scent of death. Drishti stood beside him, her presence a faint comfort, though neither spoke. Joe slowly knelt, lowering the fragile body to the ground with trembling hands. A mana pill appeared in his palm. He fumbled with it, nearly dropping it before managing to shove it into his mouth.

The taste was bitter, coated in blood, sweat, and the salt of his own tears. His gaze drifted to the lifeless form before him. The body… The thought was distant, almost unformed. She needed a name. What was her name?

"Her name," Joe mumbled, barely above a whisper, his voice raw and broken.

"We should give her a name." Drishti turned to him, her grief-stricken eyes dropping to the tiny, still figure between them. Silence stretched between them, thick, suffocating. Then, softly, carefully, Drishti spoke.

"I've always liked the name Veda." She hesitated, then added.

"It means knowledge… wisdom, in Hindi." Joe nodded slowly.

"I like that." His voice cracked, but there was a quiet finality in the way he said it. With a visible effort, he pushed himself to his feet and took an unsteady step. His movements were weighed down by exhaustion and sorrow; he knelt and began to dig, trembling hands moving handfuls of earth away. The soil was cool and damp. Every handful of dirt he moved felt like a silent farewell. When the grave was deep enough, he turned back.

His hands shook as he reached out, cradling Veda's tiny body one last time as though she might break beneath his touch. Slowly, he laid her to rest. For a moment, he hesitated, fingers lingering on the soft crimson scales. Then, he let go. He covered her with dirt, each handful another goodbye. By the time he finished, his hands were caked in earth, his breath shallow and unsteady. He turned to Drishti, his voice barely holding together.

"Is Esha…" His words fractured before he could finish. Drishti swallowed, her expression gentle but pained.

"She's alive." Joe's shoulders sagged, but before relief could take root, Drishti added softly, "But... she was hurt badly." This was my fault. The thought slammed into him, raw and merciless. The Beast had come for him. You lose. The words dug into him like claws. Without another word, Joe stood and walked back toward the camp. His wounds pulsed against his body, but he ignored them. The survivors moved around him, their faces a blur, their voices distant, hollow. He barely acknowledged them.

For the next hour, he worked in silence. He gathered wood. He built a funeral pyre. He offered aid where needed. His hands ached. His body felt on the verge of collapse. But he kept going because grief and guilt demanded it. Because it was the only thing he could do. Hours later, Joe sat outside Camp Jahanabad as the sun dipped below the horizon, its warm glow casting long shadows across the ground. Beside him lay an unmarked grave.

To the north, a pyre blazed high into the evening sky, its flames dancing in defiance of the encroaching darkness. Survivors gathered around it, faces streaked with tears but illuminated by something more, a glimmer of hope. The Beasts that had brought so much death were gone. Joe remained apart from the crowd, his thoughts heavy but no longer suffocating. Two women stood nearby, their eyes occasionally flickering in his direction, but neither approached. They sensed his need for solitude.

With the arrival of dawn, he rose from his vigil. His movements were slow but deliberate. He had made his choice. With renewed determination, he turned and walked into the camp. This would be his last day here. But it was not an ending. It was the beginning of what would come next. Joe sat in the camp's main building with what remained of the leadership. The main building was just a house; the larger buildings were too damaged from previous Beast attacks to be of use.

Opposite him sat a woman named Fariha, now the camp leader. Drishti and Samira sat beside him, along with a few others.

"We are indebted for everything you have done for our Country, Progenitor," Fariha said sombrely. Joe nodded.

"I just did what I had to. I wish things had not gone so badly."

"Do not blame yourself," Drishti said.

"Without you here, everyone would have died." He knew she was right, but it didn't stop the weight of guilt pressing down on him. He needed to get stronger.

"You are planning to leave?" Fariha asked.

"Yes," Joe replied simply. Drishti looked at him then, her expression unreadable. He knew she wanted to say more, but he didn't let her.

"I know what you're going to say, Drish. But you are needed here, your people and your family need you." Drishti nodded, but said nothing.

"I will go with you," Samira interjected. Joe shook his head. He had no plans to take anyone with him; he couldn't bear to lose anyone else.

"No, I will be leaving alone. I'm sorry, Samira." He didn't know what else to say. Not here, not with so many unfamiliar faces watching.

"I have one last thing to do before I leave. Drish, Samira, can we talk alone?" Fariha stood up as the others left the room.

"Thank you again, Joe. Truly and deeply, what you have done here will not be forgotten." Fariha left the room. Joe sat in silence for a moment, composing his thoughts. But before he could say anything, Drishti approached, hugging him in a warm embrace.

"You silly man," She mumbled into his shoulder. For the first time in over a day, Joe smiled. He gently patted her on the back.

"You got me there. Thank you, Drish." Samira joined them in a ferocious hug. That's right, Joe thought. These were his friends; they understood. This embrace said more than words could ever say. The last thing Joe had to do was say one last goodbye to his fallen… friend. He knelt at the grave, pressing a hand against the earth.

"I'm sorry I failed you. I will do everything I can to avoid making such a foolish mistake again," he whispered. As he stood, something made him pause. A faint sensation brushed against his senses, and a susurration passed around him. An unseen force compelled him, and he knelt once more.

"Nature's Paradise," He spoke, as he activated his skill. An enormous amount of Nature's energy flowed into him. His entire body glowed with a warm, radiant green light. The sheer intensity overwhelmed him, every pore filled to bursting. Light cascaded from his eyes and mouth, illuminating the surroundings with its brilliance. Then, the torrent of mana and energy poured into the earth. The entire camp trembled as the ground cracked and glowed, light seeping through the fractures.

Joe tightened his focus, struggling to contain the energy, to redirect it. He willed it to stop spreading, to converge into a single point. Slowly, the tremors eased. The flow of mana condensed, channelling into the unmarked grave, surrounding it with an ethereal luminescence. A small sprout gently emerged from the ground behind the grave. Sweat poured from Joe in buckets as he gasped for breath. The sprout thickened, its form shifting into that of a young tree.

It grew rapidly, branches stretching outward in all directions, vibrant crimson leaves bursting to life. The trunk darkened to a deep, burning red, streaked with black markings. It soared skyward, piercing through the canopy above, growing taller and taller. Something deep within Joe pulsed. A spark ignited in his mind. A hidden cache of knowledge somewhere inside his soul opened, just a fraction, enough for just one thing to float out, consuming his mind. For the first time, he activated his Bloodline ability.

"Eternal Moment." His vision turned black. Joe floated, looking down at a group of young children swinging swords in what appeared to be a school training ground. A massive man with a long golden moustache and bald head stood watch, his sharp eyes following their every movement. The children turned their swords in practiced motions, moving in unison. The man raised a hand.

"Choose a sparring partner and separate," he commanded. The children quickly paired off, spreading across the grounds. As they began sparring, the air filled with the sound of clashing blades and grunts of effort. The man moved among them, pausing occasionally to offer advice, correct postures, or simply observe. Over time, and one by one, the young trainees dropped to the ground, exhausted, until only one pair remained in the centre of the training grounds.

The watching students grew silent, their focus drawn to the last two still standing. The difference between them was striking. One boy fought with raw power, his strikes heavy and precise, each movement executed with disciplined consistency. Occasionally, he would shout the name of a skill, his metal sword glowing as his attacks quickened into a relentless flurry. Yet none of his blows managed to break through the smaller boy's defence.

The smaller boy moved like water, his footwork strange and unpredictable, flowing effortlessly around each strike. His expression was serene, unstrained, as if the fight had barely begun for him. Sweat dripped from the larger boy in long, thick rivulets as fatigue set in. His attacks slowed. Finally, with a ragged breath, he dropped to one knee, unable to continue. The smaller boy sheathed his sword, bowed, and stepped away without a word. The instructor stepped forward, helping the larger boy to his feet.

His face held no anger, only disappointment.

"I can't beat him. How?" the boy asked honestly. The colossal man smiled before replying.

"It is in the footwork, my boy," he said.

"You are stronger and faster. But he is more proficient in his movement. Think back on your spar, his swings aren't just strikes from a sword; they're an extension of his body. Every step he takes, every motion he makes, serves a purpose. That is why he is the best sword fighter in the school. But that is also how you can catch up to him." The scene shifted in a flash. Now, two grown men clashed on a battlefield. Their blades moved at lightning speed, every strike seamlessly blocked or parried.

Sparks flew as steel met steel. Joe recognized the two men. These were the same two boys, now fully grown. At first, their movements seemed evenly matched. But as Joe watched, a subtle difference emerged. He focused harder. Both fought with fluidity, but there was a distinct difference. One moved in short, sharp bursts, his motions compact and precise. The other flowed in longer, sweeping arcs, his strikes carrying through naturally into the next unbroken. It was the difference in their techniques.

Joe could only see it when he concentrated entirely on one of them. Then, in a decisive moment, the man with the longer, flowing strikes disarmed his opponent, ending the duel. Before Joe could see what happened next, the scene faded into darkness. An old man sat with a small child on his lap, his voice steady as he recounted the story of his life. He spoke of attending the most prestigious school on the continent, where he met a legendary sword master.

He also met his greatest rival, someone who overpowered him in every way. For ten long years, he struggled to catch up, searching for his own path. Until, at last, he found it.

"Nature's Grace," he said.

"That was what finally led me to victory… and to peace." Those final words resonated deep within Joe. Nature's Grace. Joe's eyes snapped open as he collapsed to the ground, his mana bar flashing empty in his vision. His gaze lifted to the towering tree before him, far and away the largest tree he had ever seen. He stared in awe, taking in its sheer enormity. Then, he looked down and felt something stir within him. The spark, not just his own, but something else as well. Faint yet unmistakable.

A fusion of his spark and another force. He smiled as it pulsed gently within him. Pushing himself to his feet, he popped a mana pill into his mouth. His eyes flicked back toward the camp. Three women stood there, watching him in silence. He smiled and waved. They waved back. Turning once more to the tree, he saluted, then activated Random Teleportation. He vanished, leaving India behind. __ Three months later, Drishti sat in her office, a building constructed near the base of the Great Tree.

She peered down at the report she had received that morning, the neatly written message brief yet significant.

"Reports of a Progenitor currently in northern Africa. Ten more confirmed Gate Beasts killed." Drishti smiled.