"Ever since then, many zoologists and researchers have tried to find this creature. And to this day, there's still no concrete evidence successfully identifying it. So what do you expect from our research that's only been going on for a few months?" he added, glancing at his two friends in turn.
Gavin scratched his head in frustration. "Of course, I know that! I'm just a little frustrated right now. Damn it, bro," he replied.
Kairav rolled his eyes in exhaustion. "What the hell? This isn't the only research we've done that's ended in zero progress so far. We've studied many cryptids before, and in the end, we found nothing. So why are you suddenly frustrated now?" he retorted irritably.
As Kairav and Gavin continued their argument, Baron noticed that Kairav's phone, lying on his sleeping bag, suddenly vibrated. He reached for it and checked the screen. "A call from your father," he said, showing the screen to its owner.
Kairav turned and saw the caller ID, immediately rolling his eyes in annoyance. "Ignore it. He probably wants to drag me back to the palace. You know he's never approved of me becoming a cryptozoologist, especially since I'm focused on researching unicorns..."
The young man let out a long sigh, his expression darkening as he stared at the tent floor beneath him. "I don't know what he's been hiding from me. He knows damn well that I'm doing this to find my brother, Sagara…" he muttered softly.
Baron spoke again, this time his gaze on the screen turning serious. "There's a message. Your father has been admitted to the hospital," he informed him.
"That's the same cheap trick he's always used to deceive me. You two know that. I won't fall for it this time," Kairav replied dismissively, waving his hand indifferently.
"But this message was sent by Prince Arkana. Has he started working with your father now to trick you?" Baron asked curiously, handing the phone to Kairav.
Kairav took the phone, raising an eyebrow as he read the message.
"That's not the issue… What if your father is actually sick this time?" Gavin interjected, peeking at the message. "It wouldn't hurt to go home and check on him, bro..."
Kairav fell silent for a moment, weighing the situation with a serious expression. After making his decision, he slowly stood up and handed the phone back to Baron. "Fine. Book me a plane ticket."
"Book it yourself. Are your fingers broken?" Baron grumbled in annoyance.
Kairav suddenly grabbed a headlamp from the table, clutching his stomach. In a hurry, he dashed out of the tent while yelling, "There's a more urgent call! Nature's call!"
"Damn you!"
***
"Kairav! Are you taking a dump or dying?! What's taking you so long?!"
Gavin's voice echoed from the campsite, piercing through the dense forest trees. The young man in a white mountaineering jacket, who had just finished his business, scoffed in irritation.
"Tsk! Why is he so damn noisy?" Kairav muttered, still covering up the soil he had disturbed.
Suddenly, his grumbling ceased. His lips stopped moving the moment his ears caught an abnormal soundwave.
Realizing he was in the wilderness, his survival instincts kicked in, warning him of the potential presence of a wild animal that could threaten his life.
Kairav slowly stood up, the beam from his headlamp flickering like fireflies as he turned his head cautiously from side to side.
His 5'9' frame moved carefully as his hazel eyes locked onto a specific spot. A nearby bush was rustling softly, producing a faint rustling sound.
Kairav dimmed his headlamp and crept toward the bush. His eyes narrowed as he tried to get a clearer look at the figure hidden among the thick forest foliage.
His body froze as his sight adjusted. In the dim light, he could make out the shape of a primate, about 4–5 feet tall, covered in thick dark fur.
The creature was crouching, its long, muscular arms digging into the ground, seemingly searching for underground tubers. Then, it suddenly noticed a dim light shining toward it.
The creature turned, its glowing yellow eyes locking onto Kairav's hazel ones, making the young man scream internally, "Uhang Pandak!"
Ping!
[ System: Scanning Object... ]
Scanning: 85%... 95%...100% Complete!
Monster: Uhang Pandak / The Short Man of Enchanted
Species: Doomshade Guardian
Origin: Lushterra (Enchanted Island)
Special Ability: High Speed
[ Additional Info: This creature does not pose a major threat unless provoked. Though its aggression level is low and it is not dangerous to Astral Conjurers, its attacks can cause moderate damage to ordinary humans.]
The human-faced primate reacted negatively. It instantly attempted to flee, sprinting at incredible speed using its unusually backward-facing heels.
Still dismissing the glowing blue screen as a hallucination, Kairav quickly took off in pursuit, yelling, "I saw it!!! I saw it!!!" hoping his voice would reach his friends back at camp.
He kept running without stopping, deeper into the dense forest, unaware that the creature he had been chasing had vanished from sight.
Kairav skidded to a halt, struggling to catch his breath. His eyes scanned the thick vegetation around him, and he muttered in frustration, "Damn it! That thing is fast!!!"
Just as he was about to give up, the corner of his eye caught a flickering bright white light behind him. It seemed to be emanating from a seven-foot-tall granite boulder he had passed earlier.
He turned around, and at that moment, two startled voices screamed in unison.
"Whoa!!"
"Whoa!!!!"
Kairav fell to the ground, horror-struck as he stared at the tall, tan-skinned young man who had just stepped out of the glowing rock. The stranger looked equally shocked upon seeing Kairav.
"Fuck you! How the hell did you come out of that rock?! Are you a ghost?!"
The cryptozoologist's heart pounded wildly at the sight of the muscular, curly-haired stranger.
The tan-skinned man's shocked expression quickly turned into annoyance. "I am NOT a ghost! I am Casildo Yudanta!"
Still watching him warily, Kairav slowly stood up. "Like hell, I care about your name!" he snapped.
"I just want to know—what the hell are you?! How did you come out of there—"
Before he could finish, another blue screen appeared before him, along with the same woman's voice narrating.
Ping!
[ System: Scanning Object... ]
Scanning: 85%... 95%...100% Complete!
Name: Casildo Yudanta
Race: Human
Age: 55 years
Title: Astral Conjurer (Host of the Bull Spirit)
Element: Terra
Weapon: Wira Hammer
Affiliation: Horned Guardian Clan
Kairav rubbed his eyes furiously. "What the hell is this crap... Am I going insane?!"
Unexpectedly, Casildo gave him a puzzled look. "Are you one of the Astral Conjurers?"
Kairav frowned in confusion. "Huh? What nonsense are you talking about—"
Casildo pointed behind him. "My spirit animal says he sees a unicorn spirit behind you."
Kairav felt something hit him like a tidal wave. His expression shifted from confusion to tension, his eyes darkening as he muttered, "You—You really see it…?"
Casildo shook his head. "Not me. My bull spirit does." He pointed behind himself. "Can't you see him?"
Still overwhelmed by what he had just heard, Kairav could only shake his head, trapped between belief and disbelief.