Mok and Lucca arrived at the site where the mysterious phenomenon seemed to originate. They observed as several hands emerged from the ground, appearing to be extensions of something larger and darker. "It seems these hands are coming from... this," Mok thought aloud, cautiously inspecting the terrain.
Suddenly, several giant arms erupted from the ground, and from them sprouted dozens of hands that attempted to grab the two men. Just as they were about to be captured, Rykaru appeared from the sky, falling like a meteor onto one of the hands and knocking it to the ground with a powerful impact.
"I've got this!" exclaimed the small white orb with determination, moving swiftly among the dark hands.
"Alright, I'll leave it to you. I'll go after Master Paltio, Lukeandria, and the carriage," Mok said firmly, nodding before heading toward the cabin.
"Are you sure about leaving that squishy thing to fight those hands?" Lucca asked skeptically, watching as Rykaru dodged and attacked the creatures.
"Yes, he'll be fine. I saw the eyes of a warrior in him," Mok replied with conviction, making it clear that he fully trusted Rykaru.
Rykaru, for his part, fought with ingenuity and bravery. Though he had no hands or feet, he used his spherical body and elongated ears as tools. He stretched his ears to swing between the fingers of the dark hands, then launched himself like a billiard ball at each hand that appeared. His technique was effective: time and again, the hands fell lifelessly to the ground after receiving the impact of his body.
"Come on, that's all! Just a bunch of silly hands! You won't beat me. Golden's paper soldiers were stronger than this," Rykaru encouraged himself as he continued attacking relentlessly.
Meanwhile, Mok and Lucca stealthily entered the cabin, where they discovered an unsettling scene. The carriage and the bodies of Paltio and Lukeandria were suspended in glowing spheres, as if they were fruits or Christmas tree ornaments. In the center of the room stood a strange tree, its branches transforming into elastic arms that fed the spheres with a viscous liquid.
"Look, those branches turn into elastic arms," Lucca pointed out, observing how the tree operated. "Each sphere contains something inside, which is dissolved by the liquid and then becomes part of the arm, creating a new arm."
"We'd better cut down the fruits before they turn into those arms," Mok said, readying his knives while Lucca spun his staff with determination. Both knew that if they didn't act quickly, Paltio, Lukeandria, and the carriage would become additional arms for the tree.
Mok approached to cut one of the spheres, but before he could do so, one of the dark hands blocked his path. "Damn it! These things have a mind of their own," Lucca growled as he tried to make his way from the other side.
"These things are endless!" Rykaru exclaimed, breathing heavily as he continued battling the dark hands. However, his determination didn't waver. "But they're weak! I'll use my special technique."
With a shout of concentration, Rykaru opened his mouth and began spitting rocks at high speed, like a living cannon. The rocks struck the dark hands, knocking them lifelessly to the ground one after another. "This is faster!" Rykaru said, satisfied with his progress.
At that moment, Golden's voice echoed in his mind: "Rykaru, you must hurry! Paltio and Lukeandria's bodies are in danger, and Mok and Lucca can't rescue them alone. They need you."
"Alright, leave it to me!" Rykaru responded with a wide grin, launching himself toward the cabin with renewed energy.
"How do we defeat this thing?" Lucca shouted as he struck several of the dark hands that kept emerging without end.
"More just keep coming! It's impossible to rescue them," Mok indicated, fending off the hand attacks with his knives while trying to protect the others.
At that moment, a large rock fell from the sky and crushed the central tree, knocking down the fruits containing the carriage and the bodies of Paltio and Lukeandria. "Not bad at all, Rykaru! You've gotten strong," Mok said admiringly as they began opening the fruits to free the captives.
"Haha! No one can stand against the great Rykaru! I'm the strongest!" the small white orb exclaimed proudly, smiling as he watched himself save his "daddy." "That fool didn't stand a chance against me," he added confidently.
However, right where the giant tree had been, the rock Rykaru had thrown began to crack slowly. From the debris, the tree reanimated, lifting its trunk and transforming its branches into powerful arms. A grotesque face emerged from the trunk, glaring at them with glowing, furious eyes.
"Who dares disturb me? Now I need nutrients," the tree growled in a deep, resonant voice.
"Foolish tree, you don't scare me! If I defeat you once, I'll do it again," Rykaru challenged, positioning himself bravely in front of the monster.
"You round thing, prepare to die. No one harms Treelion," the tree roared, extending its arms toward the tiny being.
"Calm down, Rykaru, we'll help you," Lucca said, preparing to intervene.
"No! I can handle this thing. You take care of my daddy," Rykaru replied firmly, making it clear he wouldn't accept help.
"What arrogance he's developed," Golden commented in the little one's mind, though his tone was more proud than reproachful.
"Shut up and watch how I finish this enemy!" Rykaru shot back before charging into battle.
With speed, the small white orb spat several rocks at the tree, but they were easily blocked by Treelion's fists. "Do you think I'll fall for the same trick twice, foolish white sphere? I'll finish you off once and for all. Take this!" the tree roared as it launched thousands of fists toward Rykaru.
The tiny being responded by launching as many rocks as he could to defend himself, but they shattered upon contact with the tree's fists. "I don't know how many rocks I have left, but this monster is serious. But I can't give up because I'm Rykaru the strong, and I will protect my daddy," Rykaru thought as he continued fighting with all his might.
Finally, as expected, Rykaru ran out of rocks. Without defense, Treelion seized the opportunity and unleashed a rain of fists that battered the little orb from side to side, sending him flying into one of the cabin walls with a crash.
"No, Rykaru!" Paltio shouted from the mental space, watching helplessly. "I need to go to him," he said, trying to move toward the real world.
"Paltio, I can't! Something is preventing me from bringing you back," Golden replied, visibly worried.
When the scene was shown to Mok, everyone saw that both Lucca and Mok were lying on the ground, immobilized.
"But what happened?" Golden asked, feeling the situation slipping out of control.
"I don't know, meow, but judging by what I see with my green eye, some particles have been infused into the environment," Golden explained, carefully observing what was happening in the real world.
"Do you mean that the tree used a paralyzer?" Paltio asked, alarmed by the gravity of the situation.
"Yes, in other words, yes," Golden confirmed, his voice heavy with concern. "I can no longer communicate with Rykaru or anyone else," he added, attempting unsuccessfully to reestablish mental contact with the others.
"Oh no! This is serious... What are we going to do now?" Paltio exclaimed, feeling the weight of helplessness take over. He knew his friends were defenseless, and Rykaru was facing an enemy far more powerful on his own.
At that moment, Rykaru rose from the rubble of the destroyed wall. He shook his body to rid himself of dust and debris, showing unwavering determination. "I must save them because I am the strongest," he repeated to himself, shouting it as if to convince himself of his own strength.
Suddenly, something bright began to envelop him. It was a warm, golden light that seemed to emanate from within, illuminating the entire cabin and defying the darkness Treelion had imposed. Rykaru felt a new energy flowing through him, strengthening him like never before.
"Then let me help you," said a soft yet firm voice that resonated in Rykaru's mind. It was unfamiliar, yet it inspired trust.
"YES!" Rykaru exclaimed without hesitation. "Because I am the strongest."