Once the forest had slipped into such a weird, uncomfortable silence, Dr. Edwin said to himself but not aloud, "I don't know what to do. We found a black tree ahead, which we went to research. But Diana disappeared near that black tree. We have to find Diana somehow. She just has to stay alive until morning."
Zyric heard everything. As soon as no one was looking, Zyric immediately entered the forest.
"Straight ahead, then left, right... yes, this direction," Zyric whispered, running the same way he heard Dr. Edwin muttering earlier. Zyric ran fast for a long time.
Then, Zyric saw a black tree.
"Black tree..." saying this much, Zyric went near that large black tree and began searching around it. Zyric dared not to call out, lest other creatures of the wood who were unacquainted with him should hear him, and come against him--and Zyric himself was not yet competent enough to engage in combat with them.
Zyric was just thinking all this when he suddenly noticed some marks. Strange marks, looking like the paws of a bear--except each paw appeared to have what looked like ten thousand claws.
"What is all this?" Zyric whispered. He saw, too, some little blood, and that something had been dragged over the forest-floor. The drag marks clearly showed the direction. Without hesitation, Zyric began following the trail.
After following it for a long time, Zyric finally reached a strange place: a terrifying cave descending deep into the ground.
"This cave is terrifying," Zyric thought. His soul trembled. He did not want to go inside.
But the next moment--
"Let me go!"
A strange, pained voice echoed from within.
Zyric recognized it instantly. That voice was his sister's. He could clearly hear Diana's cries of pain bouncing through the cave walls.
Without another thought, Zyric slipped quietly inside.
Moving deeper and deeper into the strange cave, Zyric finally reached a more open area. Most of the space was empty, but Zyric spotted his sister in one corner. She was alone--but the growl of a monster echoed through the air. Diana was badly injured, tears streaming down her face, staring at something Zyric could not yet see.
The following instant, the monster, the beast--or whatever creature it was--came entirely into sight and stood up before Diana. It seemed now it was going to eat her.
Now, it looked as if it was about to eat her.
Zyric finally saw it.
It was similar to a bear, and yet it had four eyes. Its claws appeared so unbelievably dangerous--sharp enough to shred a person to pieces in one moment. The creature radiated monstrous strength.
Seeing this, fear filled Zyric's heart. The beast might eat Diana in front of him. Zyric quickly moved forward, not thinking about whether he stood a chance or not.
"I have power. I may attempt to fight it," Zyric was thinking, in terror and desperation. He was fully aware he was making a massive gamble- one that would cost him his life quite readily.
The monster that looked like a bear instantly pounced on Diana and started pushing her leg into its mouth, preparing to feast on her bottom to top.
"No! Stop, monster! I am here!" Zyric shouted.
The monster glanced at him but still shoved Diana's leg deeper into its mouth. It did not care who arrived--it simply wanted to enjoy its meal.
"No! Don't come here, Zyric! This is a very dangerous beast!" Diana suddenly screamed. She stared at him in disbelief, her brother here? why?
With a flash, when the bear was plunging its teeth deep into the leg of Diana she screamed in pain. Zyric came forward a step or two, but he knew--unless he moved quickly, the monster would tear off the leg of Diana.
But what could he do? He didn't know.
Just then, Zyric's gaze shifted.
The soil beneath the bear trembled slightly.
The next second, the ground burst open, and the Fat Insect emerged. It launched itself directly toward the bear's eyes, tearing them open instantly.
The bear screamed and threw Diana away. Zyric immediately caught her.
"Sister!" Zyric exclaimed, holding her face gently. He could not imagine that she was still alive.
"Let's leave this place," he whispered. Zyric picked her up in his arms and began quickly leaving the cave.
But before leaving completely, Zyric looked back--his eyes widening.
The Fat Insect was... doing something unnatural. It forced its way inside the bear's body as the creature screamed in pain. The Fat Insect tore straight through the flesh of the bear the following moment, popping out on one side, and then in again through the other.
Zyric froze.
Within moments, the Fat Insect devoured almost the entire bear--leaving behind only fragments of bone. Even the skeleton had been half-eaten.
Then, the Fat Insect began waddling toward Zyric.
"Stay away... stay away from me!" Zyric panicked, stepping backward. Diana was unconscious, and Zyric was terrified, not only for her but now also of the Fat Insect.
The next moment, the Fat Insect leaped onto Zyric's hands, and suddenly transformed into a blue light and vanished.
"What happened? Where did it go?" Zyric whispered, looking around in shock, trying to find the Fat Insect again.
He stood staring at the blank position, where the blue light had gone, with his hands trembling. He was blinking in an attempt to comprehend the happenings.