The cave was damp, its stone walls glistening with dew and faint patches of moss. Bones littered the edges—ribs, snapped femurs, half-crushed skulls of beasts that once dared to fight the wrong predator. The scent was metallic, both from blood and the armored beast's body.
At the center, the injured Black Steel Guron gnawed on a thick slab of meat, its jaw clanking each time metal struck bone. Scars stretched across its once-pristine plating—deep grooves from the earlier battle where, for the first time in years, it had tasted fear.
Suddenly, the sound of approaching footsteps echoed through the cavern.
The Guron stopped chewing. A low growl rumbled in its throat as it turned toward the entrance.
There, silhouetted against the daylight, stood a man. Not tall, but wide-shouldered. His spiked brown hair caught the sun like dry thorns, and his square-cut jaw added a chiseled frame to his ever-grinning face. A decent beard shadowed his features, and he walked with the casual confidence of a man either incredibly skilled—or insane.
The beast backed away instinctively. It knew this man.
"Kukuri," this man can be referred to for now
Kukri stepped inside, the light following him like a halo. "Can't you do a single job right?" he said with mock disappointment, his voice echoing slightly off the damp walls.
The Guron's breathing quickened, and it shuffled further into the corner, away from Kukri's gaze.
"This damn thing cost me so much Gold Zila," Kukri muttered, scratching the back of his head, still grinning. "And you lost to brats who haven't even awakened their Raiki yet? That's painfully embarrassing."
He glanced around, chuckled softly, then fixed his wide eyes on the trembling creature. His smile didn't fade, but if one looked close enough—too long—something would feel off. Too wide. Too still. Like a painted mask on stretched skin.
The Black Steel Guron gave a pitiful growl.
Kukri tilted his head slightly, placing two fingers to his ear as if hearing something. "Mm. Plan B it is, then." He turned toward the exit, his footfalls soft and unfazed.
He was nearly out when he paused.
"Oh. Right." His head tilted again as if remembering a chore. "Can't leave garbage lying around."
With a slow, almost lazy motion, he drew the swords from his hips—twins of gleaming white steel kukri's, clean and sharp, reflecting light like polished ivory.
Before the beast could even react, Kukri flicked his arm.
In a blink, the massive Guron fell in pieces—its plated hide sliced as if it were made of parchment. Blood didn't even have time to spray before the corpse collapsed silently.
"There we go!!" Kukuri exclaimed cheerfully, eyes wide. This time, his grin felt real—genuinely entertained by the helpless death of something that feared him.
With a spring in his step, he turned and exited the cave, his form disappearing into a harsh flash of sunlight. Day had arrived.
The forest canopy was thick, but the sunlight pierced through in golden rays. Wind rustled the leaves. Birds had gone quiet. It had been that way for over an hour.
Luke trudged forward with Jevon slung across his back. The wounded boy's breathing was shallow, but steady.
They had all taken turns carrying him. Now it was Luke's.
His legs continued, but his eyes remained focused. The forest floor dipped and twisted, roots coiled like serpents beneath each step.
Ahead, Felior walked in silence. Behind her, Tergil cast occasional glances back at Luke, his expression unreadable. Persin walked at the side of Luke, eyes narrow.
"This is strange…" Persin muttered. His slitted eyes squinted further as he scanned the woods. "We haven't encountered a single creature in hours. Not even a stray herbivore—and we're moving deeper into the heart."
Luke shifted Jevon's weight on his back. "The forest's too quiet," he murmured.
The others said nothing, but tension rose.
Then—a low creak.
All eyes turned left.
A massive tree, maybe three stories tall, trembled as if something pushed against its base. Birds burst from its upper branches, screaming into the sky.
CRACK.
The tree tilted, groaned, and crashed to the forest floor in a thunderous slam—moss, bark, and insects erupting in all directions.
Dust choked the air.
The group froze. Weapons were drawn. Even Jevon stirred weakly, opening one eye before fainting again.
It was a Voice from another person, two persons infact, they were injured,
They came running towards Luke's Group painting and shouting, "HELP!!"