Sumit crouched low, hidden by the dense undergrowth as he observed the dark tree and its monstrous guards from afar. The forest around him was suffused in shadows, the towering, twisted trunk of the tree just barely visible from his position. He had moved far enough away to stay out of sight, but close enough to keep his eyes on the scene.
A plan… He needed a plan.
He let his gaze drift to the dark tree, the core of this nightmare. Who's the main target here? he asked himself. The answer came immediately: It's the tree. Destroying it was the only way to end this petrification curse in the forest. But attacking the tree directly was out of the question—it was protected by those three hulking monsters. Each was a formidable threat; together, they'd be nearly unstoppable.
"The good thing is that I know about my enemy"
What are their abilities? He mentally listed off what he'd observed. They're incredibly strong, they can absorb aura, and they can turn anyone to stone by draining their aura. He could already feel his stomach twist with unease. One wrong move, and he'd end up another statue, a monument to fear alongside the wolves and rhinos.
"And what do I have?"
He took a quick inventory of his assets. He had mid-level aura control now—no small feat—and his trusty staff, though it was damaged from earlier fights. He also had his aura bombs, though they were costly; each bomb drained more aura than he could afford in a long, drawn-out battle. And, most importantly, he had something none of those monsters possessed: his ability to think, to strategize. They might be stronger, but he could use his mind as his greatest weapon.
"I also know their weakness"
The monsters' weak spot… His mind landed on their gems, each embedded in their chests, which seemed to be the source of their power. He could see the gem on the gorilla-snake's chest, but the other two monsters were different. Their bodies were built for quadrupedal movement, making their chests—and their gems—almost impossible to reach.
"I think I know what to do"
Sumit mulled over the information, piecing together a rough plan. He took a deep breath, steeling himself for what was about to come. It was risky, but he'd have to split them up if he wanted any chance of survival.
He scanned the forest floor, selecting a heavy, jagged rock, nearly the size of his head. He gripped it in his hand and channeled his aura into the stone. It was so large that it demanded three times the usual amount of aura, his energy draining rapidly as he fed it into the stone. When the rock began to vibrate and glow faintly, he tensed his body, channeling aura into his shoulder, back, arms, and core. With a calculated focus, he aimed, then let the rock fly. The aura-charged stone arced through the air, whistling as it zeroed in on its target—the gorilla-snake.
BOOOOM
With a deafening crash, it struck the beast square in the chest, shattering the gem and sending shards flying in all directions. The gorilla-snake staggered, letting out a guttural roar before collapsing into a twisted heap. Sumit didn't wait to savor the victory. He bolted, his heart pounding, as he darted into the forest.
The reason I didn't target the tree directly… he thought as he raced ahead, is because the gorilla-snake was the biggest threat and its gem was the easiest to destroy. Even if I hit the tree, it might not die right away. I need to weaken it by removing its protectors first.
Ahhhhhhhhhh!
Ahhhhhhhhhhh!
As expected, the remaining two monsters—the elephant-turtle and the bull-lizard—caught sight of him and let out enraged bellows. He pumped aura into his legs, sprinting through the trees. But even as he pushed himself, he could feel the two monstrous presences bearing down on him. The bull-lizard's thunderous footsteps shook the earth, while the elephant-turtle moved with a crushing weight, its massive shell barreling through the underbrush.
"That's right follow me you mindless monsters"
Sumit poured more aura into his legs, feeling a surge of energy that carried him faster through the dense underbrush. The bull-lizard closed in, its massive form bulldozing trees as it bore down on him. Sumit twisted to the side, narrowly dodging a clawed swipe, but the edge of its talon grazed his arm, leaving a stinging cut.
He ignored the pain, feeling the warm trickle of blood on his skin as he ducked under a low-hanging branch. The bull-lizard lunged, snapping branches and tearing up the earth in its path. Sumit gritted his teeth, timing his movements. As the creature lunged forward again, he dived to the ground, rolling under its belly. Summoning his aura into the staff, he jammed the staff upward, straight into the lizard's chest, aiming for the gem.
CRACK!
With a sickening crunch, the gem shattered. The bull-lizard reared back, its body writhing as it let out a final, guttural bellow. But the victory came at a cost. Sumit's staff splintered from the force, leaving only a jagged piece in his hand. The once-reliable weapon was now useless.
"Shit…now all that is left is you"
He didn't have time to mourn his loss. The elephant-turtle, undeterred, charged at him, its massive feet pounding the ground as it advanced. Sumit backed up, realizing that this creature was built like a fortress. Its armored shell gleamed, and the beast showed no sign of fatigue.
He dodged around it, searching for an opening, but each time he got close, it withdrew its head into its shell, protecting itself. Then he noticed something—a faint glint of the gem inside its shell, almost hidden.
If I can't break it from the outside… I'll have to go for the mouth.
The elephant-turtle, frustrated by his evasiveness, let out an enraged roar, baring its teeth as it lunged. This was his chance. Sumit quickly formed another aura bomb, channeling his energy into a smaller stone until it glowed in his hand. Just as the creature's mouth opened wide, he tossed the aura bomb straight in.
"Say aah"
The stone disappeared down the creature's throat, its glow illuminating the inside of the monster's jaws for a split second. Then—
BOOOM!
The explosion was deafening. The creature's shell cracked from the inside, and thick, black smoke poured from its mouth as it stumbled, swayed, and finally crashed to the ground with a thunderous impact.
"That was tiring"
After the intense battle, Sumit leaned against a nearby tree, his chest heaving as he gulped down air, desperate for rest. The two monstrous guardians—first the bull-lizard and then the elephant-turtle—had dissolved into clouds of dust after their gems shattered, leaving nothing behind but empty ground. Their vanishing gave him a small sense of satisfaction, the sense of victory echoing softly in the silent jungle.
"Finally... just the tree left," he muttered, forcing a tired smile as he relaxed against the tree. "I'll just sit here for a moment and recover. It's not like it can come after me..."
He allowed himself to close his eyes, letting the calm seep into his aching muscles.
But the peace was fleeting.
A low, ominous groan pulled him from his rest. The ground beneath him trembled, sending a ripple through the dirt and snapping him back to alertness. He opened his eyes to see a horrifying sight: the dark tree was shifting, pulling its roots from the earth. Each root lifted like a twisted, skeletal leg, stretching out and planting itself into the soil—moving the monstrous tree closer to him.
Sumit felt the blood drain from his face as he stared at the unholy creature advancing with a relentless purpose. A bitter laugh escaped him, hollow and shocked. "Did I... did I just jinx it?"
The reality hit him like a wave of ice-cold water. He had almost nothing left—barely any aura, a broken staff, and his body already bruised and battered from the fight. All that kept him going now was the barest thread of determination.
Gritting his teeth, he pushed himself to his feet, ignoring the trembling of his legs. He tightened his grip on the shattered remains of his staff, now little more than a splintered weapon. It was a feeble defense against the towering menace before him, but it was all he had left.
"Alright," he said, his voice a low growl as he locked his gaze on the advancing tree. "Come at me you trash tree"