In the heart of the Beast Forest, a youth clad in animal hides dashed through the dense woods, carrying a massive turtle shell. Moments later, he arrived at a riverbank. Setting the shell down, he glanced nervously over his shoulder. "Phew, it's not chasing me anymore," he muttered before addressing the shell. "You better be more careful next time, buddy. No guarantees someone will save you again." With that, he turned and disappeared deeper into the forest.
As the boy vanished from sight, a turtle's head cautiously emerged from the shell, letting out a soft "huff" before slowly making its way toward the river.
Meanwhile, the youth continued his swift traverse through the forest, his senses on high alert. Oddly enough, despite hours of movement, he hadn't detected a single sign of life, let alone the soldiers searching for the Beast King.
"What's going on?" He halted on a sturdy tree branch, scanning his surroundings. "No humans, no animals, no signs of life... Something's wrong." Retrieving his curved dagger, Remnant Moon, from his "Ring of Resonance," he readied himself for what lay ahead.
Suddenly, countless small holes appeared on the ground within a radius of ten miles. From each hole, a green mist spewed forth, quickly engulfing the area. The eerie mist bore a striking resemblance to the venomous fumes exhaled by the giant serpent he had encountered earlier.
"This fog... it's poisonous," the boy realized, his expression turning grim. The venomous mist was already gnawing at his strength. Reaching into his pouch, he found only one antidote pill left. "Damn it, I left the rest of my supplies with Beast King. This will only last me half an hour." Without hesitation, he swallowed the pill and activated his Phantom Step, sprinting toward what he hoped was the edge of the poisonous fog.
However, the dense mist obscured his vision, and the labyrinth of rocks and trees forced him to lose his bearings repeatedly, trapping him in the deadly haze.
"This won't work," he muttered, pausing to catch his breath. "Looks like I'll have to try something else."
Stowing his dagger, the boy clasped his hands together and closed his eyes, focusing intently. A whirlwind of energy formed around him, gradually condensing into his palms. With a sharp exhale, he thrust his hands forward, unleashing the gathered energy in a powerful blast. The shockwave tore through the fog, smashing trees and rocks alike, leaving a brief path of destruction in its wake.
The boy staggered, his breaths labored. "Didn't expect Exploding Fist combined with Wave Palm to drain me this much." Yet the sheer force of the attack would have been enough to intimidate even a seasoned warrior.
With the path cleared, he resumed his sprint, his movements fluid as he dashed through the shattered terrain. But before he could reach safety, the poisonous mist swirled ominously. Alarmed, the boy raised his arms instinctively. A massive, emerald-green tail burst from the fog, striking him with brutal force and sending him hurtling backward.
"Figures it's that damned serpent again," he spat, dusting himself off. Though the tail's strength wasn't overwhelming, the venom and fog were taking their toll. "So it's using this poisonous mist to mask its presence. Clever."
Realizing time was running out, the boy made a bold decision. Gripping a nearby tree, he uprooted it with brute strength, swinging it in wide arcs to clear the area. The cacophony of splintering wood and shattering rocks echoed through the forest.
However, the relentless swinging sapped his stamina. As sweat dripped from his brow, his back was struck again, sending him crashing to the ground, blood spilling from his lips. "What the... That wasn't even a heavy hit, but I can't handle it," he muttered, noticing the black tint in his blood. The antidote's effects had worn off, and the venom was coursing through his veins.
Dizziness overtook him, and another strike from the serpent sent him sprawling. His body felt heavy, his vision blurred. Despite his defiant roar into the mist, no response came.
Suddenly, the serpent's tail descended from above, aiming to deliver the final blow. The boy's world went dark as he collapsed, unmoving.
The serpent circled its fallen prey warily before closing in. It coiled its tail around the boy's body, hurling him against a jagged boulder with a sickening crunch. Satisfied, it slithered closer, its massive jaws parting to devour him.
But as the serpent lunged, the boy's body vanished. In the blink of an eye, he reappeared atop the serpent's head.
"Had fun? Now it's my turn," he growled, his gaze piercing and relentless. Fear filled the serpent's eyes as the boy tightened his legs around its neck and rained down a flurry of punches on its skull. Desperate, the serpent thrashed, smashing into trees and rocks to dislodge its attacker, but to no avail.
Drawing Remnant Moon from his ring, the boy declared coldly, "Beasts should know their place." With a decisive strike, he drove the blade deep into the serpent's skull. The creature's thrashing slowed, then ceased altogether.
Panting heavily, the boy carved into the serpent's head, retrieving a luminous green core. "No wonder it's a high-tier beast. The energy in this core is incredible." He tucked the core and his dagger into his ring and began to leave.
But after just a few steps, his legs buckled. The fog had thickened, and the serpent's corpse was now releasing even more venom into the air. "Damn it... Even in death, it's still a nuisance."
The boy staggered forward, his consciousness fading. Beast King's warning echoed in his mind: "Never underestimate wood-element beasts. They're far more dangerous than they seem."
"Beast King... You weren't kidding," he murmured before collapsing to the ground, succumbing to the venomous haze.