North-West of Veilwood Forest
"That bastard Tiger! If not for him, I would have devoured that human city long ago and wouldn't be laying in this goddamn forest for centuries, healing my wounds." The entity thought to himself, his eyes closed. He's still burning with rage, cursing the lightning tiger that had thwarted him centuries ago.
Two hundred and fifty years ago, He attempted to devour a small human city in the north, but the tiger's unexpected arrival had saved it from destruction.
Now, lost in his thoughts, a woman voice broke the silence and his concentration.
"Dr. Zhang, over here!" Dr. Maria exclaimed. "I discovered a massive rock covered in moss and mushrooms." She opened her scanner to analyze the mushroom's edibility when the device suddenly detected a strong heat signature emanating from the rock, startling her. "Dr. Zhang, come quickly! This rock is emitting a massive heat signature!"
The entity's irritation grew at the sound of the woman's voice. "Who's this wretched creature daring to disturb my rest?" he muttered to himself. But it was cut short when a sudden touch on his nose jolted him awake. He snaps his eyes open, startling the 10 onlookers gathered around.
Five figures wore flowing white robes, while five others in strange metal armor that he never seen before. He then lift his massive serpentine head from the ground, "How dare you disturb the Great One?" The onlookers froze in shock as the serpent spoke.
His gaze locked onto the woman who had touched his nose, his head is coiling to strike. "Dr. Maria, watch out!" one of the armored men yelled, rushing to her aid.
-------
One hour prior, North-West of Veilwood Forest
Five former Marines from the Anti-Machine Combat Force, clad in metallic armor, stood guard around the research team, tasked with protecting the five scientists. The two teams faced each other, scanning their surroundings in the lush forest for potential food sources.
Sgt. Anderson Ford, call sign "Falcon," stepped forward, extending his hand. "Sergeant Ford, team leader, former Anti-Machine Combat Force."
"It's a pleasure." Dr. Zhang shook his hand with a friendly smile.
"My team," Sergeant Ford continued, gesturing to his comrades. "Raven, Viper, Bulldog, and Spartan."
The research team comprises of two groups:
Anti-Machine Combat Force:
1. Sergeant Anderson Ford (Team Leader), call sign "Falcon"
2. Corporal Lisa Nguyen, call sign "Raven"
3. Sergeant Jack Chen, call sign "Viper"
4. Private First Class Alexei Petrov, call sign "Bulldog"
5. Private Tom Bradley, call sign "Spartan"
Scientific Research Team:
1. Dr. Zhang Liang, Chinese Senior Food Research Scientist
2. Dr. Maria Rodriguez, Spanish archeologist
3. Dr. Marco Rossi, Italian geophysicist
4. Dr. Rachel Kim, Korean-American biologist
5. Dr. Rohan Desai, Indian computer scientist"
"So, What's our situation?" Sgt. Ford asked.
Dr. Zhang consulted his handheld device. "Our scanners indicate a breathable atmosphere, but we need to gather more data."
Dr. Marco nodded enthusiastically. "This landscape is fascinating. Unique rock formations, unfamiliar mineral deposits... do you think we're still on Earth?"
"And this greenish forest is remarkable. The plant species are unlike anything I've seen before." Dr. Rachel added.
The group was fascinated by the breathtaking view - a lush green forest, a rarity in the year 2700 that even the ancient forest of Amazon was unrecognizable. It was overshadowed by towering buildings and newly constructed cities to sustain the growing population.
This sight is so rare that it's almost unbelievable - a view that can only seen on their monitors in those years.
As the group ventured deeper into the forest, they discovered familiar yet different varieties of vegetables and fruits. They collected samples in their bags for further analysis and pressed on until Dr. Maria saw a massive rock covered in moss and mushrooms.
"This one looks edible," Dr. Maria murmured to herself, pulling the scanner from her bag. "Dr. Zhang, over here!" she called out then the scanner suddenly picked up a massive heat signature from the rock. "Please hurry! This rock is giving a massive heat signature!"
The research team rushed towards Dr. Maria, gathering around to examine the rock. But, Dr. Maria couldn't contain her curiosity and reached out to touch the rock. A massive eye suddenly emerged from the rock, staring back at her and the ground began to tremble violently.
The group stood frozen in shock as the rock rose upward, revealing a massive serpent's head. "How dare you disturb the Great One?" a voice thundered. Dr. Maria felt a chilling dread course through her veins, her curiosity changes into fear.
"Watch out!" Sgt. Ford sprinted towards Dr. Maria as the serpent's head coiled to strike. He grasped her arm and pulled her away just in time, narrowly averting the serpent's deadly bite. "Doctor, Are you alright?' he asked, and Dr. Maria nodded, still shaken in fear.
"What the hell is that thing?" Viper exclaimed.
"It's fucking Orochimaru!' Bulldog replied.
"Are you kidding me, Bulldog? Did you watch that old ninja anime with the yellow-haired guy?" Spartan's voice was laced with disgust.
Bulldog tilted his head, confused. "What do you mean by "yellow-haired guy anime"?"
"Shut up and fall back! Focus on that fucking snake!" Raven ordered, her finger jabbing angrily towards the creature. "Exosuits, online! Prepare for combat!"
With their exosuits online, the Marines armed themselves with Kinetic Pulse Rifles (KPRs), set for high-velocity, armor-piercing ammunition.
"Engage the target!" Sgt. Ford ordered. "Kill that fucking snake!"
The Marines fired in unison, unleashing a hail of kinetic pulses. The Serpent's scales deflected some shots, but the relentless barrage slowly pierced its armor.
"Insolent fools!" the serpent growled. "I will devour you all!" With that, the serpent unleashed a relentless assault on the Marines.
Raven's KPR overheated, momentarily malfunctioning. "Raven down! Need cover!". Viper and Bulldog provided suppressive fire, allowing Raven to reboot her rifle.
The serpent recoiled from the Marines' relentless barrage, its scales scorched and smoldering. Spotting the five scientists fleeing in the distance, it swiftly changed targets. The serpent lunged towards them, jaws wide open.
"Protect the research team!" Spartan yelled, sprinting towards the speeding serpent.
The two collided in a crushing impact, Spartan's exosuit sustaining severe damage.
"Spartan, this is Falcon! Status report, now!" Sgt. Ford's voice crackled over the radio.
"Falcon, Spartan here. I'm alive, but my suit's integrity is compromised," Spartan replied, gritting his teeth as blood dripped from his mouth. "I can still hold my ground, but I won't last long."
Sgt. Ford sprang into action, rushing towards the terrified scientists to safety. "Move over there, now!" he ordered, pointing at the trench in their south. "Stay hidden and wait for my signal. We'll provide cover, but can't guarantee safety if you're in the open."
Raven assessed the situation. "Stupid snake is weakening, we need to end this quickly. Focus fire on its weak points!"
Concentrating their fire on the serpent's vulnerable spots - its eyes, nostrils, and the narrow gaps between its scales. The creature's frenzied thrashing began to subside, its movements slowing under the relentless barrage.
But just as they thought they had the upper hand, the serpent's mouth glowed with an intense, blinding light.
Sgt. Ford yelled, "Incoming! Take cover, now!" as the Marines desperately sought shelter.
The massive Serpent unleashed a devastating intense energy which the creature fired upon them, sending the soldiers to scrambling for cover. They were desperately avoiding the beam's destructive path.
It was a "Dragon's Breath".