The forest was darker than any of them expected. Branches clawed at the sky, while thick shadows tangled around every step. Even the birds seemed to vanish, replaced by an uneasy silence—as if the ancient trees themselves were watching.
They trudged on, the pace slow and heavy.
Luo groaned, glancing at the endless twists of roots. "Uh, guys? Don't you think we're just… walking?"
Lex grumbled, dragging his feet across the moss. "Yeah, I'm tired as hell. When's the next break?"
Lon kept scanning the shadows, eyes narrow. "Let's rest for a bit."
They found a quiet clearing, soft moss cushioning their sore feet, twisted roots curling around the edges—a patch of relative safety. For a moment, just silence and the rhythm of breathing.
Lex flopped down, curiosity finally winning over fatigue. "So Lon, what's your goal in all this?"
Lon leaned back against an ancient trunk, tilting his gaze skyward. "…To become the strongest."
Lex sat up, eyebrows raised. "Whoa, you serious? You know what that means, right?"
Lon nodded, no hesitation. "Yeah."
He looked at Lex expectantly. "What about you?"
Lex opened his mouth to answer—
—but the ground suddenly rumbled beneath them.
A monstrous hand, bigger than a house, tore down through the canopy.
Luo screamed, "GUYS, DODGE!"
Lex rolled away, adrenaline punching through exhaustion. "What the—!?"
Lon's stare hardened. "It's a monster!"
A second hand crashed through the woods, sending splinters flying.
Lex's eyes widened. "It's huge!"
Luo barely hesitated, fists clenched. "I think it's a giant monster!"
A faint black mist curled from Lon's lips, power swirling as he gritted his teeth.
"RAAM," he intoned.
In a flash—impossibly fast—the gigantic hand was sliced clean in half, falling with an earth-shaking crash.
Lex couldn't hide his awe. "Hoho, that's sick…"
Luo grinned, sharpening her smile. "Lon, that was amazing."
But Lon didn't relax, eyes darting behind Lex. "GUYS—LOOK OUT!!"
Another hand surged in from the shadows, aiming straight for Lex and Luo.
Luo smirked, stepping forward with a swagger. "Yare yare. You're a nuisance."
She drove her fist through the monstrous hand—it burst apart into shards of bone and slime.
Lex and Lon stared, nerves buzzing and sweat trickling.
Lex breathed, "That power…"
Lon's voice was flat. "Inhuman…"
Luo dusted off her hands. "Hmph. Can't I just rest for once?"
Lex rushed to her side. "Luo, you good?"
Before Luo answered, Lon threw his arm in front of Lex, halting him. "Wait. I sense something…"
And then it appeared—a colossal beast, at least a hundred feet tall, tearing free from the shadows. One hand was already shattered by Luo. The other, sliced through by Lon's RAAM.
They froze, hearts pounding, staring up at its impossible bulk.
Lex shouted, "GUYS, ARE YOU OKAY?!"
From under a pile of rubble, Lon coughed, voice rough. "I'm fine!"
Luo, brushing dust off her shoulder, spat, "This sh*t…"
Lex snapped, "LET'S RUN!"
But the monster moved faster than thought—lunging, smashing a crater into the forest floor.
Luo grit her teeth, unfazed. She dove, punching a hole through the beast's leg, trying to buy precious seconds.
Lon measured the battlefield, mind racing. "We won't outrun it… But I have a plan."
Lex and Luo didn't ask—just nodded, falling into action.
Luo and Lex split, darting in opposite directions to distract the monster. Its rage splintered between them, claws lashing out.
Lon circled behind, his katana glowing, purple lightning dancing around his blade.
In one blinding instant, Lon vanished from sight.
The next, the monster's head tumbled to the ground—a clean, impossible cut.
Lon collapsed in the shadows, breath ragged. "Ugh… I used everything… I can't move…"
Lex rushed in, catching Lon as he fell. "Lon! Hey! Are you okay!?"
Time blurred. In a secret spot hidden away from the chaos, Lex watched over his exhausted friend.
As Lon opened his eyes, Lex let out a relieved sigh. "Ah, you're awake… Thank God."
Lon nodded weakly. "I'm fine. Thanks."
Lex grinned, relief loosening his shoulders. "No problem… but what was that? That slash—it was like… time froze. Then, boom. Monster dead."
Lon managed a tired smile. "That was RAAM ZERO. All my strength, all at once. After that… I'm spent."
Luo flashed a rare approving look. "Fair trade."
Lex sat quietly, staring at his own trembling hands.
His thoughts churned: I couldn't do a thing. I'm pathetic.