A dozen pairs of glowing red eyes stared at me from the trees. I kept my guard up, observing their movements carefully. The creatures resembled moss-covered apes, but their faces were shrouded in darkness, save for the ominous red light radiating from their eyes. Standing roughly 1.6 meters tall, they looked frail and not particularly strong, yet their sheer number—around sixteen or seventeen—was enough to make me wary.
The one at the front let out a sharp cry and leapt from the tree, its claws slashing toward me. I dodged swiftly, scanning the rest of the creatures to see if they would join the attack. Taking advantage of its overextension, I delivered a solid punch to its face, sending it flying into the bushes nearly twenty meters away.
The others, seeing their companion fall, roared in unison and rushed toward me. A few emitted low-frequency sound waves, which scrambled my senses and made it hard to judge their positions. Realizing I couldn't handle them head-on, I turned and ran, planning to fight them on my terms.
But with my senses distorted, I ended up circling back into the same forested area. One of them suddenly appeared at my side, swinging its claws. I managed to kick it away just in time, but the situation was growing dire. Dodging and counterattacking as best I could, I landed blows where I could and endured where I couldn't.
After what felt like an eternity, I stood amidst the carnage, breathing heavily. My chest heaved with every breath, my body aching from numerous claw wounds. I scanned the area and saw only three of them remaining. Thirteen had fallen, their particles absorbed into me, granting a slight boost in strength. Yet, the fight had been far from easy.
One of the remaining creatures was particularly troublesome. It could create multiple illusions of itself, making it hard to identify the real one. Thankfully, the illusions couldn't attack, and only the real one posed a threat. By watching its subtle movements, I managed to pinpoint its true body. This one was clearly stronger than the rest—a kind of elite. Most of my injuries had come from it.
Taking a deep breath, I resolved to end the fight quickly. But just as I was about to make my move, a deep roar echoed from the depths of the forest. The ground trembled slightly under my feet, as though some massive creature was approaching.
The remaining apes froze, their glowing eyes filled with fear. They turned toward the sound, and then, in unison, clasped their hands together and let out wailing cries, as if begging for mercy.
And then I saw it. A massive, moss-covered ape emerged from the forest shadows, its sheer size dwarfing everything around it. Standing nearly 30 meters tall, it moved with deliberate, earth-shaking steps.
Without a second glance, the giant ape crushed the smaller ones underfoot, their bodies reduced to pulp in an instant. I stared in shock, unable to process the sheer disparity in power.
"This… this thing… how am I supposed to fight that?" I thought, my heart sinking. "Is this its territory? Just my luck…"
The giant ape turned its glowing red eyes toward me, its gaze as cold as the void. It raised a massive foot and brought it down with terrifying force. I barely managed to leap out of the way, the ground beneath me cracking and splitting from the impact. Staring at the crater left behind, I swallowed hard.
"One wrong step, and I'm done for."
The ape didn't give me time to think. Seeing that its initial stomp had missed, it raised its foot again, relentless in its pursuit. It moved with a terrifying calm, as if crushing me was no different from squashing an insect.
I ran. There was no other choice. Glancing around, I spotted a distant mountain range and decided to head in that direction.
The giant ape gave chase, but its massive size made it slow. Though its footsteps thundered behind me, I gradually widened the gap. Along the way, I passed several strange creatures that scattered in fear, too terrified of the ape to even notice my presence.
Finally, I reached the foot of the mountains. Turning back, I saw the ape come to a sudden halt. It stood there, its massive form silhouetted against the dying light of the day. Its glowing eyes were fixed on the mountain range, but it did not move closer.
I watched as it hesitated, its enormous frame radiating unease. It seemed… afraid.
"What's in there?" I wondered, my pulse quickening. "Even that thing doesn't want to go in."
For a moment, I allowed myself to catch my breath. But the realization of my predicament quickly set in.
"Great. Now I'm stuck between a giant ape that can crush me with one step and something even more terrifying hiding in these mountains."
The thought sent a chill down my spine. This world was far more dangerous than I'd ever imagined.