Bad luck seemed to follow Larry around like a shadow, and he was sure of it. During a recent mission, he and his teammates had discovered Voidwings moving in packs—something unheard of among the Meteor Beasts. And now, they had encountered an even greater threat—a beast more terrifying than anything they had faced before.
This creature had turned their friends into foes, leaving them to battle against one another. Garret was locked in a desperate struggle with his friend Sean, while Larry faced Rina.
The tree beast, controlling them all, seemed to know something about what Larry had evolved into, but there was no time for a conversation. If Larry could see, he was sure he'd see his death flashing before his eyes.
Rina was already within striking range. She leaped into the air, aiming to pounce on him, when suddenly, a large rock struck her, knocking her away. Larry exhaled heavily, gasping for air. Blood soaked his battle suit as he lay there, his body growing weaker with each passing second.
"Larry, are you okay?" he heard Victor's voice. Victor quickly crouched beside him, lifting Larry's head slightly.
"Oh no, you're bleeding." Victor muttered, trying to think of a way to stop the bleeding, but that wasn't what Larry focused on.
Victor was so close that Larry could smell the blood coursing through his veins. An urge began to rise inside him, and he felt something sharp growing in his upper teeth.
'What's happening to me?' Larry thought as the tingling sensation intensified.
[Host is losing a lot of blood.] [Host does not have enough energy to heal. Host needs to consume blood.]
The message from his system confirmed Larry's suspicion. He needed blood—someone else's blood—to survive. But how could he ask Victor for that?
Victor, unaware of Larry's growing need, was still focused on treating his wounds when he heard a snarl. Rina was already back on her feet, ready to attack again.
"Hang on, Larry. I need to deal with this," Victor said, standing up quickly, oblivious to the fact that Larry had nearly sunk his fangs into his neck.
Victor activated his Gaia core, facing Rina, who was crouched in a feral stance.
Her movements were wild, like those of a wild beast. It was clear that she was not in control—this was the tree beast's influence.
Rina charged at him, but Victor punched the air, causing the ground beneath her to rise, pushing her backward. She regained her footing and lunged again, but each time she did, Victor struck, and each time, she was forced back.
But then she changed tactics. Instead of charging straight ahead, she zigzagged, avoiding the spikes that Victor conjured from the earth. She closed the distance quickly, and Victor braced himself, expecting her to leap. Instead, she surprised him with a full swing. He hastily created an earth wall, but her claws sliced through it, scratching his belly and sending him reeling backward.
Victor was running out of Meteor Energy, and his attacks and defenses were weakening. If Rina landed another solid blow, it could be the end for him.
Garret wasn't faring much better. He'd been battling Sean for what felt like forever, his energy almost depleted, while Sean still showed no signs of fatigue. The tree beast knew exactly what it was doing—pushing them all to the brink. And now, as Larry lay on the ground, he could sense the tree roots beginning to move again.
If those roots reached Garret or Victor, Larry knew it would be over. He had to do something. But what? He was dying, weak, and in pain. He couldn't just lie there waiting for death. If he was going to die, he would do it fighting.
Larry struggled to his feet, focusing his blood sense on the tree. At its very center, he sensed a core, faintly glowing. The tree beast was expending most of its energy controlling the others, and the core itself was vulnerable. If he destroyed it, his team would be freed, and no one would have to kill anyone else. But how could he destroy it?
He couldn't call for help; it would only alert the tree beast to his plan. Larry knew it had a certain level of intelligence—he'd have to give it everything he had.
"I can do this…" he muttered to himself, breathing deeply. He focused all his blood on his legs and arms, activating his skill.
In a split second, Larry was off, sprinting toward the tree with only one goal in mind: to destroy it.
The tree seemed to sense his intent. It pulled Rina and Sean toward it, sending them hurtling toward Larry from either side. Sean attacked from the left, Rina from the right, but Larry moved with incredible speed, letting out a loud cry as he leaped into the air.
With all his strength, Larry drove his left fist into the weakest part of the tree, the spot where he sensed the core.
The impact resounded throughout the forest, a deafening explosion that sent everyone flying backward. Larry himself was thrown forward, crashing meters away from the others.
"What in the world…" Sean muttered, his eyes clearing, memories of what he had done flooding back.
"Rina, are you okay?" Garret shouted, rushing to his sister's side and helping her up. She nodded, and he pulled her into a tight embrace.
Victor was the only one standing. Though the blast had knocked him down, he rose quickly, instinctively searching for the kid. He had seen Larry charge at the tree—Garret had seen it too, the way Larry connected his fist with the core.
"The boy… where's…" Garret's words trailed off as his eyes widened in awe. The tree was gone. Not just it, but every tree in the forest. All that remained was an open space. Even Victor was stunned, unable to comprehend that the devastation had been caused by a punch from a blind boy.
"Larry… I almost killed him. I promised to protect him. I have to find him," Rina said, breaking away from her brother and running toward the clearing.
Garret instinctively wanted to follow, but his ears picked up the sound of approaching footsteps. The explosion had attracted nearby beasts, and they had no choice but to fight.
He quickly reached for his sword, which had been stuck in the ground during the battle.
"This is better than dying at Sean's hands," Garret said.
"That wasn't me, man. You know I'd never hurt you," Sean replied.
"Agreed. Better than dying by your sister's claws," Victor added, and the three of them exchanged a brief, humorless laugh, preparing for the beasts closing in.
Despite their outward calm, each of them had the same thought running through their mind: they had to survive, not just for themselves, but for Larry, who had given them a chance to fight another day.