The heat in the jungle was suffocating, an oppressive combination of humidity and high temperature that sapped Danny's strength in a way he wasn't used to. Usually, his ghost form rendered him immune to such discomforts, but this jungle was different, alive with a strange, unnatural energy that seemed to sap at his defenses. Sweat trickled down his temple as he crouched atop a massive tree, his breathing slow and controlled.
Despite his instincts urging him to rush forward and deal with the hunters, Danny forced himself to wait. His family could handle themselves for a while longer; he needed to focus. The hunters were skilled, and Skulker's casual deflection of his sniper rounds confirmed that the leader was far more powerful than the others. Charging recklessly wouldn't just be foolish—it would be suicidal.
Lying low, Danny allowed his glowing eyes to sweep the jungle floor below. The hunters had landed and were dispersing, fanning out into smaller groups as they began their hunt. Skulker remained atop his floating platform, surveying the jungle with an air of supreme confidence. Danny gritted his teeth, torn between wanting to knock that smug look off Skulker's face and knowing it would only play into their hands.
Danny's first thought was to rush him but that would be too careless as the hunters would see him coming and drag him down.
Or there could be something protecting the enemy, which would give chance for the hunters to dog pile him.
Regardless it was not a choice since Skulker looked like a strong foe and to test his thoughts, Danny manipulated his sniper that was one kilometre from him and shot Skulker.
Bang bang
Two bullets filled with energy shot through the air with immense speed breaking the sound barrier easily but the target just looked at them with a smile and extended his hand as they exploded on contact leaving not even scratch.
A voice crackled over the ghostly intercom attached to Skulker's platform, loud enough for Danny to hear even from his perch.
"All hunters below Rank C, retreat unless you wish to forfeit your lives."
Danny cursed under his breath. Skulker had just weeded out the weaker hunters, effectively robbing Danny of some of the cannon fodder he could have used to test his traps and gain information. It was a calculated move, and it left him with fewer opportunities to exploit the hunters' weaknesses.
As the remaining hunters moved through the jungle, Danny felt the vibration of his metal wires—a crude but effective trap he had set earlier. The wires, nearly invisible in the dense foliage, were sharp enough to cut through diamond and positioned to slice through anything that passed. A group of five hunters triggered the trap, and Danny sprang it with a thought.
The wires snapped into motion, slicing through trees and vegetation with an eerie, metallic hiss. Massive tree trunks toppled with resounding thuds, and Danny felt a brief flicker of satisfaction at the thought of taking down some of his enemies. But his triumph was short-lived.
Instead of screams or the telltale ectoplasmic residue of defeated ghosts, there was only silence. His trap had hit nothing. Then, with a sinking feeling, Danny realized the truth—these hunters were holograms, decoys designed to lure him out and expose his position.
From the shadows behind him, the real hunters emerged, their ghostly forms blending seamlessly with the jungle's unnatural aura. They had tracked the wires back to his hiding spot, and now they surrounded him like wolves circling their prey.
Danny leaped into action, his mind racing. He had underestimated his opponents. These hunters weren't just mindless brutes—they were experienced, crafty, and coordinated. They had likely been hunting for decades, if not centuries, honing their skills against all manner of prey. In comparison, Danny was still learning the intricacies of combat, especially against groups like this.
The wires retracted into his gloves as he switched tactics, dropping from his perch and landing lightly on the jungle floor.
'I need to stop playing this game their way,' Danny thought, his frustration giving way to clarity. His shadow-mastering tactics, while effective in smaller skirmishes, weren't enough here. He needed to adapt—quickly.
The oppressive heat and the relentless hunters bore down on Danny like a suffocating weight. He crouched, his armor glinting faintly in the dappled sunlight of the jungle canopy. His breathing was steady, but his mind raced. The time for subtlety and shadow games was over—Danny needed to play to his strengths: direct combat and turning the environment into a weapon.
He assessed the hunters as they closed in, noting their formations and weaponry. Swords, shields, spears, spiked clubs, knives, pistols, nets—and further back, cannons, snipers, spear launchers, and even lasers. The sheer variety and lethality of their arsenal sent a clear message: they weren't underestimating him. To them, Danny wasn't a teenager; he was a monster to be hunted, trapped, and destroyed.
Danny took a deep breath, steadying his nerves. "Relax," he muttered under his breath. "Don't let the numbers scare you. Calm and cool. Take it slow." His weapons floated around him in a defensive orbit, while his armor hummed faintly with protective energy.
Before they could fully box him in, Danny acted. With a roar, he launched himself at the nearest hunter, the force of his shout kicking up a cloud of dust. His metal wires, sharp as razors, lashed out and ensnared the closest target. The hunter barely had time to react before Danny's gauntlet plunged into their chest, piercing through the ghostly armor. The hunter's form dissolved into ectoplasmic mist, which Danny absorbed, feeling a surge of energy course through his veins.
As Danny ducked to avoid a spinning shield, he allowed himself a brief moment of satisfaction. The absorption was working—slowly, but it was working. However, the battle wasn't giving him a second to breathe. From behind, ranged attacks—cannonballs and energy blasts—tore through the air, forcing Danny to retreat and regroup. He deflected a spear mid-air with his gauntlet, only to be hit by an explosion nearby that sent him crashing into a tree.
"Damn!" Danny hissed as he quickly recovered, parrying a follow-up spear thrust and retaliating with his blade. His enemies fought with discipline, moving in unison and covering each other's weaknesses. They were cautious now, clearly shaken by the loss of their comrade but determined to wear him down. The tactic was painfully familiar—it reminded Danny of Shikamaru's battle strategies in the dream world. They were playing the long game, grinding him down little by little.
Danny gritted his teeth, frustration bubbling beneath the surface. His stamina was being taxed to its limit. He could keep this up for an hour under normal circumstances, but the hunters' unrelenting attacks and careful coordination were draining him faster than expected. His mind raced as he dodged and retaliated, every movement costing precious energy.
"This is complete bull!" Danny thought, narrowly avoiding a spiked club that shattered the ground where he'd been standing. "This is supposed to be the kind of crap heroes pull on demon lords, not hunters pulling on me! And I can't even one-shot them!"
He knew he had to take a risk. His cautious approach was costing him too much time and energy. If he didn't change tactics, he wouldn't last. "No other choice…" he muttered, his determination hardening.
Danny quickly created distance, his metal wires keeping the hunters at bay as he floated upward. "Explode, you bastards!" he roared, forming a massive sphere of swirling ectoplasmic energy in his hands. It was a new move, untested in the field, but Danny had no choice but to gamble on its destructive potential.
The hunters hesitated, unsure of the attack's purpose. That brief moment of hesitation was all Danny needed. He activated the sphere, causing it to condense and pulsate with unstable energy. "Brace yourself!" Danny muttered, shielding himself with both his physical shield and a dome of energy. The Rasengan-like sphere contracted violently before detonating with a deafening explosion.
BOOM!
The jungle was engulfed in a green flash, followed by a shockwave that tore through the landscape. Trees were obliterated, the ground cracked and cratered, and debris rained down like shrapnel. Hunters scrambled to escape, activating their intangibility in a desperate attempt to avoid the blast. But the unstable energy interfered with their techniques, causing their intangibility to fizzle out at the worst possible moment. Many were caught in the explosion's residual energy, their weapons destroyed and their bodies sent flying hundreds of meters.
Danny coughed as he pushed himself to his feet, the exertion evident in the slight tremor of his limbs. His shield was cracked, and he discarded it without a second thought, letting it clatter to the ground. His eyes scanned the crater he'd created, taking in the destruction. He spotted a few hunters regrouping in the distance, about 300 meters away. They were weaponless and battered, but Danny wasn't about to underestimate them again.
"Not testing their traps anymore," he muttered under his breath, turning away. He needed to conserve his remaining energy for what was to come. This was just the beginning, and he had no doubt that Skulker was watching, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
Danny crouched low, his breathing labored but steady as he pulled up the closest hunters. They struggled briefly before he devoured their ectoplasmic essence, his body briefly surging with newfound energy. But before he could process the rush, the ground trembled slightly as Skulker landed in front of him with a mocking clap.
"Bravo, Phantom," Skulker began, his voice rich with amusement and condescension. "You've done wonders. Fighting you feels like going against a young dragon. But as with all good things, this battle must come to an end. It's time for you to join my collection." His metallic grin widened as his eyes glowed with an eerie blue fire.
Danny didn't respond with words. His instincts screamed at him to act, and with a burst of energy, he launched himself toward Skulker. "Ah, no." The words escaped him almost unconsciously as his sword clashed against Skulker's massive saber. The blade glowed ominously green, wailing faintly with the cries of the damned as the two weapons met in a fierce clash. Sparks flew, and the air around them hummed with the pressure of their energy.
The moment their weapons locked, Danny attempted a risky maneuver. His gauntleted hand darted forward to touch Skulker's armor, attempting to hack into it and take control. However, the second he made contact, he realized the armor's defenses were far beyond his expectations. A surge of energy repelled him, and before he could react, Skulker's boot collided with his face, sending him flying back.
Skulker snarled, his grin turning predatory. "Did you just try to hack my armor, Phantom? Try that again, and I'll make what remains of your existence a living nightmare." With that, he raised his hand, the orb in his palm glowing menacingly before unleashing a focused energy beam.
Danny twisted midair, narrowly avoiding the attack, and retaliated by firing his rifle. The energy bolt streaked toward Skulker, only to be intercepted by a massive laser cannon that emerged from Skulker's back. The rifle was obliterated in an instant.
"Shit," Danny muttered under his breath, frustration mounting. "I really hate getting outclassed by tech."
Skulker's expression grew serious as he tapped a command on his wrist. A glowing laser net materialized around Danny, forcing him to dodge rapidly. At the same time, floating bombs were released into the air, swarming toward him like a deadly cloud. One of them exploded near him, the shockwave sending him tumbling and leaving scratches on his armor.
Danny's instincts screamed as the cannon on Skulker's back powered up again, locking onto him. Thinking fast, he infused his voice with raw ectoplasmic energy and unleashed a powerful sound-based attack—a ghostly wail that reverberated through the air. The sheer force of the sound caused the cannon to malfunction, sparks flying as Skulker's armor cracked in several places. Electricity arced across his frame, and he staggered momentarily.
But the move came at a cost. Danny felt the strain immediately. His energy reserves were dangerously low, and the attack had drained him further. He estimated he had just enough power left for one more such move. His breathing was ragged, his mind racing to figure out his next step.
Skulker straightened, his amusement returning despite the damage to his armor. "Wonderful, Phantom. Perhaps you're not a young dragon but a teenage one—raging, unpredictable, and full of potential. How thrilling! But time is ticking, and your people are suffering a sudden case of... death."
Danny's chest tightened, but he forced himself to stay focused. "Your words don't affect me," he said, his voice cold despite the weariness in his tone.
Skulker chuckled darkly and tapped his wrist again. A holographic screen appeared, and what Danny saw made his blood run cold. The screen displayed his family and friends, their bodies lifeless and torn apart. Limbs lay scattered, and some had gaping holes in their chests, as though a hand had been driven through them. The image seared itself into Danny's mind, a nightmare brought to life.
Skulker's voice was mocking. "I have cameras in the human world. The witch girl—your friend, wasn't it?—she acted so predictably. I thought you might enjoy a front-row seat to the carnage. Lucky for you, it was in your territory, so you can see the result without even leaving. Oh, and don't worry—time moves differently here. That girl is always punctual."
Danny's vision blurred as he stared at the horrifying scene. His heart pounded so loudly in his ears that it drowned out the jungle sounds. "You're lying," he whispered, his voice trembling. "You're lying! This is fake!"
Skulker stepped closer, his tone turning even more sinister. "Why would I lie? You're trapped here, unable to defeat me. This armor? Replaceable. This land? Mine to command. There's no escape, Phantom. The only outcome is your head mounted on my wall."
Danny's breath quickened, his chest heaving. The ground seemed to tilt beneath him, and his vision swam. His fingers trembled as he reached out to the hologram, desperation clawing at his throat. "Master… Master…" he choked out, but no one answered. He was alone. The silence around him was suffocating, broken only by Skulker's cold sneer.
The despair in Danny's eyes flickered, replaced by a sudden and all-consuming rage. His tears streamed down his face as his mind snapped under the weight of his emotions. "I WILL SHRED YOU TO PIECES!" he roared, his voice feral and filled with unrestrained fury.
With a burst of raw energy, Danny launched himself at Skulker, his fists glowing with concentrated ectoplasmic power. He slammed into Skulker with the force of a comet, punching him over and over again, each blow resonating with his rage and grief. The armor cracked further, sparks and shards flying with every strike.
Skulker grunted, struggling to fend off the relentless assault. But Danny's fury was unrelenting, his screams echoing through the jungle as he poured every ounce of his remaining strength into his attacks.
Danny's fists continued to rain down upon Skulker with a fury that seemed to defy reason. Each punch was fueled by raw, unfiltered emotion—a cocktail of grief, rage, and desperation. The earth itself trembled beneath the force of his blows, as if nature itself was recoiling from the destructive energy he unleashed. "DIE! DIE! DIE!" he screamed, his voice a guttural roar that echoed through the jungle, reverberating off the distant trees.
His hands moved with a blinding speed, his fist like a meteor slamming into Skulker's once-imposing armor. Skulker's body, already battered from earlier attacks, crumpled beneath Danny's onslaught. With each strike, Skulker's armor dented further, the cracks multiplying until they spread like lightning, shattering upon impact. The metallic figure that had once been a towering force was reduced to a twisted, mangled heap. The hunter, who had prided himself on his technology and strength, now lay as little more than a crushed tin can.
The pressure in Danny's chest eased as the last of Skulker's body disintegrated beneath him, but his own body collapsed in exhaustion, his energy spent. His limbs shook with the sudden weight of his own grief and exhaustion, his breathing shallow and erratic. As his body dropped to the ground, Danny stared at the grey sky above, his gaze hollow and lifeless.
His family was gone. His master—his mentor—was lost to him. He was alone, stranded in a world where nothing seemed to make sense anymore. The emptiness inside him grew, a gaping hole where once there had been purpose and resolve.
For a long while, Danny remained there, lying in the dirt. His metal wires, still active despite his fatigue, extended outwards like serpents seeking sustenance. They latched onto the injured hunters around him, absorbing what remained of their life force, feeding him the energy he so desperately needed to recover. It wasn't much—just enough to keep him from fully succumbing to his own wounds and exhaustion.
As the wires moved in a quiet, mechanical dance around him, Danny's thoughts swirled. The consequences of the battle, of the choices he had made, weighed heavily on him. His fingers clenched into fists against the earth, but the tightness in his chest was not from the physical strain. It was something deeper, something far more painful.
What now?
He asked himself that question, but the answer eluded him. Was there even a point in continuing? He had lost everything—his family, his mentor, his sense of self. The crushing reality of his situation gnawed at him with relentless persistence. Did he even want to continue being a hero? He had once embraced the idea, proud to fight for others, proud to protect. But now... What was left to protect? What was the purpose?
The selflessness that had defined his family, his comrades, had led to their untimely deaths. Was he supposed to walk down that same path and risk losing the few people he had left? Paulina. Star. Would he let them go the same way? Would he put them in danger simply by continuing to exist?
His breath came in uneven bursts, his chest tightening as the weight of it all pressed down on him. "I don't want to be a hero anymore." The words slipped from his lips, hollow and heavy. His voice barely rose above a whisper, but they carried the full weight of the emotional pain gnawing at his soul. He felt so small, so empty. Fear churned in his gut, and the regret that had been building for so long seemed to overtake him. His thoughts spiraled into guilt.
He had failed them. He had failed his family, his master, and the very essence of what he once believed. And now, he wasn't sure he could continue. He wasn't sure he could keep fighting, keep living, knowing what it cost.
His eyes flickered as he thought of the people he had left. Paulina. Star. They were all that remained in his life now, and he couldn't bear the thought of them suffering because of him. "I'm sorry, Master." He whispered softly, his heart aching as he felt the last threads of his resolve unravel.
The magical effect of the enchanted hat began to fade, and Danny's body, weakened beyond belief, began to dissipate. His form flickered, the edges of his body vanishing like smoke into the air. In the span of moments, he was gone—vanished into the ether as the two hours came to a close, leaving nothing but the hollow echo of his pain in the empty jungle.