"Who's there?"
The creature also became alert. Its many eyes darted left and right before focusing in Sam's direction.
"Sorry, mate, to disturb you."
Two young men revealed themselves, raising their hands. Their pair was quite interesting: one was tall and the other short.
From his observation, Sam guessed they might be 7 to 8 years older than him.
It didn't matter.
The short man, raising his hands, continued moving forward. "Brother, do you need help?" Meanwhile, the tall man stood still, inspecting the surroundings.
A fierce fight!
And interesting, his gaze fell on the creature.
Hiss! Is that a Mega Planet creature?
His eyes flickered, and countless conjectures flashed in his mind.
The creature can't be transported. So someone with very, very high authority did this?
Should I take the risk?
No, I must. Luck has favored me. I can't lose this chance to earn gold.
****
"What do you think will happen?"
In a camp, a broad-shouldered man asked his subordinate curiously.
"But, sir, there is no permitted entry allowed. So how could they—"
"You don't have to worry about that. Just focus on monitoring."
The subordinate shrank back. "Okay, sir."
Another subordinate shook his head and expressed his curiosity, "How could that boy awaken his abilities at such a young age? From his fighting, it seems he awakened far too early. From my estimate, he should be around 9 years old at that time."
The broad-shouldered man shrugged. "We always shout our slogans enthusiastically: Save our students, save our country. But here lies the unfortunate truth in the darkness. That boy should be enjoying his student life, but…" He didn't finish the sentence.
All the subordinates' faces darkened. Everyone there knew this harsh reality couldn't be avoided or interrupted.
Taking out a cigar, the broad-shouldered man took a breath and puffed smoke into the air. "There's no benefit in dwelling on it. Everything is corrupt above the surface, and this country isn't far from being destroyed by its own hands."
A subordinate dejectedly muttered, "The government and businessmen—they are swallowing our country bit by bit."
"Hmm. The cost of survival is far too high. Without corruption, your house wouldn't even survive."
This harsh truth pierced everyone's heart, but they were helpless.
"Okay, okay. No need to be so tense. Just focus on that battle."
"Okay, sir."
***
The beautiful forest center had become a ruin. Even the soil layers were uneven, and tall trees were on the ground as if used as spears.
"I can't hold on!" the short man grunted. He was pinned under the creature's razor-sharp claws, resisting with his sword.
"Hold on!" The tall man groaned and rose from the ground, his attire torn with bloody claw marks.
Ignoring the wounds, the tall man hissed, "Transform!"
A beast materialized behind him and blended into his form. In an instant, he turned into a werewolf with ferocious canines and sharp claws.
Analyzing the battle, Sam tore off half his shirt and bandaged his shoulder, where torn flesh exposed bone.
He grunted, ruthlessly finishing the bandage. "We can't win," he muttered, once again feeling the majesty of the creature. He was lucky to have two companions; otherwise, his death wouldn't have been far off.
Now, before them stood an enhanced version of the creature. Two extra hands with razor-sharp claws protruded from its back, and its countless eyes had merged into one massive eyeball.
Roar!
A loud, angry sound resonated, tearing through the trees.
The tall man flinched, trying to evade, but his face went pale when he realized he couldn't move.
"No!" he screeched.
A beast with tough defense appeared before him, and a thick shield materialized to protect them.
The sheer force of the sound wave clashed with the shield, and Sam bore the brunt. His face ached as he vomited blood, painting the scenery red. He fell to his knees.
"I can't han—"
Before he could stabilize, the half-broken shield shattered entirely, and blood dripped from his eyes, ears, and nose. His beast had taken damage, and the backlash hit him hard.
The short man shouted, "You can't handle this anymore. Run!"
Standing on trembling legs, Sam turned and moved in the opposite direction, showing his lonely back.
AAH!
A sharp scream filled the forest.
The short man's situation was no better; his beast had taken damage, but it had managed to block the waves.
He vomited, blood splattering on the ground as he stood pale and trembling. "We have to run!"
The tall man shuddered, supporting the short man as they moved toward Sam's direction. In the blink of an eye, they disappeared.
The creature stood stupefied, unable to comprehend the unfolding scene.
Hiss!
The creature grunted, solidifying the air around it.
If it were human, it would have said: How dare an ant run away from a challenge?
Its beastly nature still intact, instead of calming down and restoring itself, its cold, chilling eyeball radiated a fierce aura, turning the chaotic surroundings even more chaotic.
***
"That beast isn't something we can handle."
"What happened to you back then?"
"I don't know. Just after the sound wave, my body felt like it was constricted in a space cage, and every cell refused to move," the tall man narrated, but his trembling body betrayed his calm composure.
The short man's pupils constricted. "Isn't that…"
"Yeah, that should at least be of a mysterious level. We were lucky that boy bore the brunt, or…"
The short man understood, his eyes flickering. "Don't you think it's strange for him to have abilities at such a young age, especially with the Federation enforcing so many laws?"
"It's strange, but there's no doubt he'll become a beast at our age."
The short man laughed. "Yeah, but I think we should be cautious of him."
"humm."