"This entire universe will be in my hands..."
—Distortion
It was another ordinary day... Almost two weeks had passed since Taga arrived in the Forest of All Things. In that time, he had slowly come to terms with the loss of Tina and had made many new friends, especially Bane. Taga could always see Tina's presence in Bane, as if their encounter were destined by fate.
Bane and Taga were hunting with the rest of the tribe. Their strong teamwork always enabled them to successfully bring back prey. Each time they brought home prey, the other tribe members would warmly welcome them back. Taga and Bane relished the cheers, which always filled them with a sense of accomplishment. At every party, Taga would sit alone on a bench, staring at his palms, his mind constantly brooding... "Why... That dream was so real... Why... Why can't I feel anything..." Taga stared at his palms in confusion. He tried to clench his fists, but no energy emanated from them. Taga looked at his fist, shook his head helplessly, and sighed. But he didn't particularly care. He already enjoyed his life. If only he had power, he could save everything... Taga kept thinking this, but he knew it was unrealistic.
At this moment, Bane sat down next to him with a beer and said, "Taga! Want a drink?" Bane held the glass out to Taga, inviting her. "Of course," Taga said languidly, taking the glass from her hand and drinking. "Are you thinking about Tina again?" Bane looked at Taga, slowly picking up the glass and taking a sip. "No... I was thinking about a dream I had a while ago..." Taga said, lowering her head. "What dream?" Bane slowly put down his glass and turned to look at him in confusion, as if hoping to hear something from him. "I don't know how to explain it... Just a while ago, I had a very strange dream. In it, I encountered three figures... They possessed immense power... They asked me if I wanted strength... I chose one of them... I clearly possessed immense power in the dream... But after waking from the dream... I couldn't feel it anymore..." Taga muttered, taking a sip of his wine.
"This dream... I seem to have heard my grandfather say... It seems that in ancient times... someone was chosen by the gods because they longed for power, but after gaining it, they were unable to use it, seemingly because they hadn't overcome a barrier within themselves..." Bane pondered, his brow furrowing as he recalled a past memory. "Who knows? We just need to clear our consciences." But then Bane, no longer bothered to think, threw his hands up and smiled. Taga stared at Bane in silence. Although he felt a resemblance between Bane and Tina, the difference between them was his overly optimistic nature.
The party soon ended, and Taga returned to his apartment. He quietly went to the bathroom to wash up. While brushing his teeth, he looked in the mirror. He appeared normal, yet he felt a vague sense of harassment from something strange. Suddenly, a strange smile appeared on his face, and tentacles began to crawl out of his eyes, mouth, and body. Taga's eyes widened as he stared at himself in the mirror, unconsciously taking a few steps back. Suddenly, the Taga in the mirror crawled right through it! Taga was startled by the sudden shock! He collapsed to the floor. Looking up again... the image in the mirror had vanished... Taga slowly stood up and took another close look at himself in the mirror... nothing had changed... Coming to his senses... he rubbed his back, already drenched in sweat... "Damn it... I must be so exhausted lately... I keep hallucinating..." Taga squinted his eyes, washed his face, and then left the bathroom to lie down on the bed.
As he lay in bed, Taga felt the sensation of several pairs of eyes watching him, but he didn't dwell on it, simply closing his eyes to shut it out. Slowly, he drifted off to sleep... Suddenly, someone called his name! He opened his eyes immediately! The instant he opened them, he saw the dark space again. He pinched his face, trying to see if it was a dream... but it was clearly not. A sharp pain spread across his cheek. He slowly lowered his hand, a smile forming on his face. He had finally arrived here again. At this moment, a voice kept calling out from the darkness... Taga looked around but didn't see anyone. He closed his eyes... quietly taking in everything around him... The voice became so clear in his ears... "Taga... Taga... go forward..." The voice kept repeating itself. Hearing this, Taga unconsciously walked forward... Suddenly, his feet stopped, and he opened his eyes. He saw a familiar figure: the black-robed man who had saved him. "Sir... sir! Why are you here? We haven't seen each other in ages!" Taga said excitedly, running towards him and hugging him tightly. The black-robed man was much taller than Taga, so Taga hugged him as if he were an adult. "Long time no see, Taga. Please let me go first... I'm going to be strangled to death by you..." The man in black robe said awkwardly while putting on a painful expression. Even though his face could not be seen, the embarrassment in his tone made Taga feel that he had crossed the line... So Taga slowly let go of his hand, scratched his head and said, "Sorry sir... I was just a little excited to see my savior..." Taga made a guilty expression after saying this.
"It's okay... Taga..." The black-robed figure still hid his arm within his robe. He coughed twice and then said to Taga, "Taga, do you feel the power within you..." He spoke in a kind and gentle voice, leaning down to look at her. Taga slowly raised her head and looked at the figure, squinting her eyes in thought before saying, "I had this dream once before, and I haven't felt my power since." She lowered her head and shook it helplessly. Suddenly, as if realizing something, she raised her head and asked, "Sir, can you help me resolve this power..." Taga lowered his head in shame and embarrassment. He didn't really want to ask, but his curiosity was so strong he could ask a million questions, and he yearned for power, so he had to ask such a troublesome question.
"Ahem... Taga, I can't help you with this problem..." The black-robed figure, despite his gentle tone, bluntly and ruthlessly stated that he wouldn't help her resolve this. Hearing this, Taga slowly lowered his head... disappointment slowly spilling over his expression. The black-robed figure sighed helplessly and said, "You know, Taga, sometimes we can't change anything... It's all fate, it's predetermined. No matter how hard we try... We'll all end up where we've been destined..." The black-robed figure spoke helplessly, patting Taga's head. Taga then looked up at the black-robed figure and said, "Even someone as powerful as you can't change your own fate..." Taga looked at the black-robed figure with tears in her eyes... In front of the black-robed figure, Taga felt like a child, inexperienced, and the black-robed figure was like a father, teaching his child with the utmost tenderness.
"Of course, we can't change the fate of anything in this world, not even the gods... Gods have their own destinies..." The black-robed figure patiently addressed Taga. "Then what's the point of the power I've longed for... Am I a fool?" Taga lowered his head and sobbed. His thirst for power, his resentment at losing everything he couldn't change, and his long-cherished pursuit of nothing but a pipe dream all turned into tears that dripped onto the ground. "No... the power you seek is also your destiny... no one can change it... Once you possess power, while you can't change your fate, you can prevent it. Prevent this suffering from happening, prevent this painful fate, and create a completely new destiny. This is also a different kind of destiny..." The black-robed figure gently touched Taga's head as he spoke, conjuring a rose from his hand and placing it in hers. Taga looked at the rose in her hand, puzzled, and asked, "Sir, what do you mean by this..." Taga questioned her inner doubts.
"Your fate is like this rose. Without watering and fertilizing it, it will wither and die... But if we create a completely new destiny for it, watering and fertilizing it, then this rose will live longer. This is a completely new destiny." The black-robed figure slowly squatted down, pointing at the rose. "Is that so... Then sir! I understand... Thank you!" Taga looked at the black-robed figure, her gratitude overflowing with words! "Remember, Taga. At the right time, your destiny will come true. Don't dwell on the pain of having lost everything. Only by moving beyond this pain can you create a new destiny." The black-robed figure spoke gravely. Taga looked at the black-robed figure and nodded earnestly. Although he still had some doubts about how to move beyond this pain, he knew that when the time was right, he would awaken to his destiny.
"Well, I must go now... Taga, your life will be filled with wonders, and you won't stop here..." With that, the black-robed figure turned and left. Taga looked down at the rose in her palm, a subtle smile playing on her lips...
At that moment, dozens of pairs of eyes in the forest were watching the village road where Bane and his companions were. A pair of eyes, glowing red, sat in the back. It was the "Beetle King." The Beetle King stared intently at the soldiers patrolling the village... The firelight illuminated their faces, revealing a hint of fatigue. The Beetle King waved his hand, and instantly, all the Zerg soldiers flew out and attacked the patrolling soldiers. The soldiers saw a dark figure charging toward them and tried to raise their spears to block the attack, but in a split second, a pair of sharp hands pierced their bodies. Shocked, the soldier stared intently at the Zerg soldier, his eyes meeting his cold, emotionless ones. He slowly lifted the whistle hanging from his neck and blew loudly! The moment he blew, the Zerg soldier yanked, instantly ripping the soldier in two. The Zerg soldier casually threw him aside... Even as his body was torn apart, the soldier still clutched the whistle tightly in his mouth.
The blast of the whistle echoed throughout the village, instantly waking the soldiers. They immediately stood, spears drawn, and charged forward. Taga, also awakened by the whistle, quickly rose from his bed and opened the door. What he saw was a sea of fire. The fire raged throughout the village, igniting the forest, and Zerg soldiers soared overhead. Taga, gazing at the flames, immediately left his room and ran towards the center of the village! Bane, holding a spear, was fending off the Zerg's attacks. However, the Zerg's armor was so strong that even a spear made of steel could not penetrate it, only sparks flying. Taga also ran towards Bane, who was in the center of the village. Soon, Taga arrived and saw Bane fighting a Zerg soldier. Taga shouted, "Bane!" Bane, hearing the familiar voice, immediately turned and shouted back, "Taga! Go! I'll hold this!" Taga watched Bane yell at her to leave, but her body refused to obey her. She immediately ran and kicked the Zerg's enemy! The Zerg soldier was unable to react and was kicked away by Taga! After rolling on the ground, the Zerg soldier crashed into a house.
"Didn't I tell you to leave? Why are you helping me?" Bane roared, pushing Taga. "I don't want my best brother to die at the hands of the enemy!" Taga didn't seem to mind Bane's shove, instead raising his fist nonchalantly. "You bastard..." Bane looked at Taga, sighed helplessly, and then raised his fist to bump with Taga. When their fists bumped, Taga seemed to make up for not fighting alongside Tina in the past. Taga smiled sideways and picked up the two double blades dropped by the soldiers. Taga held the double blades in both hands, his eyes sharp as he stared at the Zerg soldier, while Bane raised his spear and stared at the Zerg soldier. The Zerg soldier had just recovered and slowly crawled out of the house. The Zerg soldier roared at Taga and Bane, then moved quickly in front of them, brandishing his sharp claws. Taga ducked to avoid the claws before they struck him, while Bane, seizing a gap in the Zerg's attack, thrust his spear into the soldier's eyes. The Zerg soldier reacted quickly, dodging the incoming spear. As soon as he dodged the spear, Taga swung his double-edged blades, striking the Zerg's body with relentless force. Even though he inflicted little damage, he left numerous scars on the soldier's carapace.
"It's incredibly tough!" Taga exclaimed as he attacked, dodging the Zerg's attacks with incredible speed, his eyes searching for weaknesses. "We need to fight quickly! Otherwise, it'll be tough once the other Zerg arrive!" Bane shouted as he swung his spear, each strike searching for a weak spot, but he couldn't penetrate the enemy's tough carapace. At this moment, Taga swung with all her might, her dual blades striking the Zerg soldier's flesh. Cyan blood immediately oozed from its abdomen, sending the soldier flying in agony. Taga raised her arms to block the attack, only to be sent flying. A closer look revealed that the Zerg soldier had bent down to avoid the blow, exposing the flesh hidden beneath its carapace. "I've found its weakness! It's in its abdomen! When it bends, its flesh is exposed!" Taga shouted to Bane, then charged forward, attacking the Zerg soldier's wounded area. "Alright! Next, I'll force it to bend, and you attack the wounded area!" Bane declared, and continued to assault the Zerg soldier with his spear.
The Zerg soldier seemed to sense his opponent's plan and tried to tighten its abdomen, but Bane's fierce attack prevented it from doing so. Taga continued to swing her dual blades, leaving more and more wounds on the Zerg soldier's abdomen, and blood flowed continuously. At that moment, Taga thrust his double blades into the exposed flesh of the Zerg soldier's back. The Zerg soldier cried out in pain and tried to flap his wings to fly, but Taga exerted force with both arms, severing the soldier's body in half! The Zerg soldier stared at Taga in shock, having never imagined the power of a skeleton... The remaining half of the Zerg soldier writhes on the ground in agony. Bane stepped forward, thrusting his spear into the soldier's mouth, piercing his head and ending his life with a single blow.
Taga smiled at Bane and gave him a thumbs-up. Bane returned the gesture, but the joy gave way to fear and shock. A murderous intent suddenly erupted from behind Taga... Taga turned back, only to see a flash of cold light and a sharp claw slash across Taga's head. Quick-witted, Bane rushed forward and tackled Taga to the ground! After rolling on the ground for several times, Taga and Bane were covered in mud. They slowly stood up and looked at the enemy who attacked them... A closer look showed that it was a very tall insect... About 3 meters tall... The momentum it burst out was more powerful than that of the Zerg soldiers... "Why... why... is the Beetle King here..." Bane said tremblingly, with cold sweat on his forehead... He looked at the Beetle King in fear... It was as if he was facing a truly powerful enemy, an invincible enemy... The Beetle King looked down at the two of them, as if he was looking at a dead person... "What Beetle King?" Tag A turned to look at the trembling Bane. It was the first time he had seen Bane so frightened... "He's the most powerful being on this continent... He's the leader of the Zerg..." Bane trembled as he spoke... His hand tightly gripped his spear... But his arm couldn't stop shaking... "Can't we win?" Taga looked at the Beetle King with some disappointment... "Run! Taga, go! I'll stay and cover your retreat!" Bane roared, truly using all his might to roar. He didn't want Taga to die here...
"I won't leave! I'll stay and fight with you!" Taga roared back with all his might! He felt he had already lost Tina and couldn't afford to lose his friend again! "This isn't a joke, Taga! This is real!" Bane's almost pleading roar begged Taga to leave. Taga simply shook his head at Bane, his gaze firm, determined to fight alongside him... Bane gave Taga a helpless smile and tightened his grip on his spear. Suddenly, applause erupted. The Beetle King clapped his hands, saying, "How touching..." The Beetle King had spoken the continent's common language! Bane stared at the Beetle King in shock, then roared, "Why are you slaughtering us? We've strictly adhered to the contract!" Bane's eyes were filled with rage and bloodshot.
"Contract? You killed my beloved son! And I still have to abide by the contract?! I'm being merciful by not torturing you to death!" The Beetle King roared, raising his claws and slashing at Bane. "Damn it!" Bane raised his spear, but upon contact with the Beetle King's claws, it instantly shattered into pieces! Bane stared in shock at the shattered spear in his hand... Taga attacked the Beetle King at breakneck speed, but to the Beetle King, Taga's attacks were as slow as a snail! Just as Taga was about to thrust his double-edged blades at the Beetle King's abdomen, the King simply landed a punch on him. Taga felt as if hundreds of elephants were stepping on him! He was sent flying into the forest, breaking trees along the way. He finally came to a stop when he hit a large rock, which shattered into pieces. The moment Taga stopped, he spat out a mouthful of blood... He could clearly feel the pain from every broken bone in his body...
"A mere ant, you dare to challenge me... It's your turn now..." The Beetle King looked at Taga, who had been driven into the forest, and then turned to Bane. Bane's forehead was covered in cold sweat. The invincibility of his foe filled him with despair, but even with fear, he refused to surrender... The Beetle King swiftly grabbed Bane's head...
"Am I... am I going to die?... I'm so unwilling... But at least... I have no regrets... At least I can be with Tina... I'm sorry... Tina... I didn't succeed... in avenging you..." Taga's eyes were bloodshot, and drops of blood clung to his shattered sternum... Each drop clung to his soul... Taga slowly closed his eyes... and suddenly, he was in that dark space again! "I'm here again!" Taga looked around at this time. At this time, a dark blue sphere floated in front of Taga... "This is..." Taga looked closely at the dark blue sphere... He knew... He had finally overcome his inner demons... He slowly grabbed the sphere...
Outside... the Beetle King was clutching Bane's head tightly, attempting to crush it. Bane clutched the Beetle King's fingers, trying to pry them apart... but it was all in vain... Suddenly! A flash of blue lightning emanated with a loud bang. The blue light caught everyone's attention, and everyone turned to look in the direction of the lightning! The Beetle King also noticed the loud noise and turned to look... the lightning had struck Taga... Deep in the forest, faint bursts of blue lightning crackled... The Beetle King squinted his eyes, trying to get a closer look, when suddenly, an incredibly fast figure punched the Beetle King in the face! The Beetle King had no time to react and was sent flying. Bane, released from his grasp, fell to the ground. As he fell, Bane slowly stood up and looked at the figure. It was Taga! Taga was radiating an extremely powerful energy, accompanied by bursts of lightning.
"Taga! You... have awakened!" Bane exclaimed in shock, staring intently at Taga! "Indeed... I have earned the recognition of the Warrior's Peak!" Taga smiled and looked at Bane. The Beetle King slowly stood up and touched his face. For the first time... for the first time, the Beetle King felt pain. He stroked his cracked cheek, feeling a surge of joy... It had been ages since he'd faced such a formidable opponent, and excitement instantly overwhelmed his anger. "Alright, enough talk... there are still enemies..." Taga turned to look at the now-standing Beetle King. The Beetle King looked at Taga and then charged, lashing out with his sharp claws. This move had always been effective against every enemy he'd encountered, but now... Taga dodged the attack with a simple sidestep and delivered a powerful punch directly to the Beetle King's chest, shattering the carapace. The powerful impact sent the Beetle King flying. After the Beetle King was knocked away, Taga exploded and charged forward, his speed too fast to be seen with the naked eye! Taga flew in front of the Beetle King and swung his fists more times, each punch hitting the Beetle King's shell. Under the continuous attack... the Beetle King's shell shattered, revealing flesh and blood... For the first time, the Beetle King felt the fear of death, and instinct drove him to turn and fly away, but Taga directly grabbed his ankle and threw him heavily to the ground... The Beetle King lay on the ground helplessly... He stared at Taga intently. Taga's hand condensed lightning, and he punched through the Beetle King's body. Suddenly, the Beetle King's body was glowing blue! A massive burst of energy instantly exploded within his body, and a burning smell emanated from the Beetle King...
Taga removed his hand from the Beetle King... He gazed at the King's corpse, then turned to Bane and said, "Let's hurry and help the others!" Bane looked at Taga and nodded earnestly, a smile of relief on his face...
After a full night of fighting, the entire Zerg horde was completely annihilated... Bane and Taga were awarded the highest honor in the Forest of All Things by the village chief. Taga and Bane smiled at each other. The rose in Taga's arms stirred, and Taga took it out to examine it. A petal instantly fell off. Taga squatted down to pick it up and examined it. On it was written: "To the Ice Continent..." Taga frowned... He hadn't expected guidance so soon...
A few days later, Taga boarded a small boat departing the Forest of All Things, with all the residents cheering him on. Taga looked at Bain and asked, "Are you sure? You won't come with me?" Taga asked with a resigned tone. "My family and friends are all here, and I need to take care of them." Bain shook his head, solemnly declining Taga's offer, but he still gave her his best wishes. Taga rowed her boat, preparing to head for the Frozen Continent...
A few days after Taga left... several ships appeared at the docks of the Forest of All Things. The village chief of the Forest of All Things, initially believing them to be friends from other continents, welcomed them warmly... but suddenly, a sharp blade pierced the chief's body! All the residents stared in shock... and immediately... all the soldiers began a massacre! When Bane arrived at the docks after receiving the news, everyone present was dead... Bane angrily swung his spear at the soldiers, but suddenly a tentacle pierced Bane's body... A closer look revealed it was Distortion!
Distortion threw Bane aside, looking at him with disdain and saying, "Who are you, you ant? You think you can stop me?" Then, Distortion walked deeper into the forest... and came to a cemetery maintained by the All-Things Forest Clan... The bodies of all the Zerg soldiers were piled high there... including the Beetle King... Distortion slowly approached the Beetle King... and the Beetle King slowly opened his eyes! He wasn't dead yet! Distortion was astonished by his tenacious vitality. Distortion crouched down, looked at the Beetle King, and asked, "Do you want to live?" The Beetle King looked at Distortion... and nodded firmly...
"Alright! I'll resurrect you! You'll be my use!" Distortion immediately pulled out a tentacle-covered insect from his palm. He tossed it casually, and the insect instantly crawled into the Beetle King's body. In a flash, tentacles emerged from the Beetle King's body, and the Beetle King was resurrected! The other Zerg soldiers also revived, their eyes emitting a strange green! At the same time, their bodies changed from their original dull color to a strange pale white! Distortion looked at this scene and smiled evilly...