It just stood there—
its terrible, guttural laughter echoing through the cave like a living nightmare.
Flint wiped the dust from his face, still trying to steady himself after being swatted aside. "Damn… what is this thing?"
Theo didn't take his eyes off the monster. "This thing… it's… what even is it?" His voice cracked with confusion, fear slipping in despite his tight grip on his sword.
He looked to Kairo for answers, but even Kairo's face had gone pale.
"'Pale Crown'…?" Kairo muttered, rereading the name glowing on the Command Nexus screen. "Is it… a higher tier of Mole Bear? Or some kind of mutation…?"
But the question died as he looked at the creature's face again.
That scar—curved across its face like a cruel artist's stroke.
That unnatural grin—wide, jagged, knowing.
"Why is it smiling…?" Kairo whispered.
Lilian stumbled backward, her feet slipping on loose gravel. She fell to her knees, eyes wide and unfocused. "W-What is that thing…? That's not… that's not a monster…"
Her voice shook.
The air thickened.
Kairo snapped back to reality, heart hammering. "Flint! Theo! Get ready—"
His voice rose.
"That thing can attack any minute!"
Flint and Theo steadied their breaths.
The fire on Flint's arm flickered wildly, but the fear in his chest was burned away by the trust he placed in Kairo. Theo tightened his grip on his sword, pointing the blade toward the towering monster as if daring it to move.
Flint spun his axe in one hand, flames strengthening on the other. "Alright… round two," he muttered.
But the monster didn't charge.
It just stood there—shoulders rising and falling—before that horrible, scraping laughter tore out of its throat again.
Flint blinked. Theo's brows furrowed.
"Why isn't it attacking?" Theo whispered.
Flint gritted his teeth. "Probably wants us to go first… sick bastard."
A thick, crushing silence fell.
They stood in a tense stalemate, every heartbeat feeling like it might trigger the first strike. Even the air seemed to freeze.
Then—the Pale Crown Mole Bear abruptly stopped laughing.
Its head tilted.
Its glowing red eyes locked onto Flint and Theo with an unreadable, dead stillness.
Without warning, the beast turned its gaze toward the smaller mole bears still trembling near the walls.
Before anyone could react, it reached out—
grabbed one—
and hurled it like a piece of trash straight at Flint and Theo.
"Watch out!" Theo yelled, both of them diving aside.
The mole bear hit the ground with a sickening crack, coughing blood as it twitched helplessly. Flint stared wide-eyed. "Is that thing INSANE?!"
The Pale Crown didn't answer.
It simply stepped forward.
One heavy step.
Then another.
And then—
with a sudden jolt of speed that didn't match its massive body—it charged.
Theo rushed forward, shouting, "Here it comes!"
Flint roared and sprinted beside him, fire blazing brighter.
The distance vanished in a heartbeat.
And the battle began.
The Pale Crown Mole Bear moved first.
A thunderous crack echoed as its massive foot slammed forward, launching its body like a boulder shot from a catapult. Its shadow swallowed Theo as it brought its colossal claw down like a falling guillotine.
Theo reacted on instinct—eyes wide, breath sharp.
He dashed, sliding under the strike as the claw carved a trench into the stone where he had been standing a second earlier.
Before the dust even settled, Theo kicked off the ground, sprinting up the monster's forearm as it lifted its limb. His boots hammered against its thick fur as he used Dash again, propelling himself toward the monster's head like a blur of steel.
"HYAAAA—!"
But the monster's instincts were far sharper.
The Pale Crown tilted its head at the last moment, Theo's blade slicing empty air.
Its other arm rose—far too fast for its size—and the claw slammed into Theo's side.
BOOM.
Theo was hurled across the cave, crashing into the ground and skidding to a stop. He gasped, coughing, but managed to keep his sword up. The blow would have crushed him if not for his guard.
Flint's eyes widened. "Theo!"
Without hesitating, Flint rushed in while the monster was distracted. Fire swirled around his arm, crackling violently. He swung his axe at the Pale Crown's exposed belly, aiming to tear through its flesh.
CLANG.
It felt like hitting solid iron.
Not a single drop of blood spilled.
The Pale Crown lowered its head and let out a slow, guttural laugh.
Then—without warning—it backhanded Flint.
CRACK.
Flint flew backward, his body flipping twice before smashing into the ground. Blood burst from a cut across his shoulder, the wound carved open by the monster's claws.
"Ghh… damn it…" Flint growled, pushing himself up.
But before Flint could continue, his eyes widened—he witnessed something hideous as the monster stared at its wound and slowly grinned.
The monster tapped its claw against the place Flint had struck—mocking him—then pointed the blood-covered claw at Flint's wound.
It was comparing their attacks.
Then, slowly, deliberately…
…it licked Flint's blood from its claws.
Flint's face darkened with rage. "You… damn… bastard!"
Theo staggered up, shouting, "Flint, CALM DOWN!"
"Calm down?! That thing—!"
"Don't you get it?" Theo barked, raising his sword again. "This thing is stronger than us. We can't win if we keep rushing blindly—we have to fight smarter!"
Flint paused, panting heavily. The fire on his arm flickered, matching his frustration.
"Fight smarter…?" he muttered.
"Yes!" Theo snapped, rolling his shoulder back into battle stance. "Use your magic to pressure it. I'll distract it. We hit together—clean, controlled strikes. No rage. Focus."
Flint breathed out slowly, letting his fire steady. His expression shifted—anger cooling into something sharp.
A grin slowly crept across his face. "Heh. Alright. Let's do this then."
The Pale Crown stomped once, shaking the cave.
Its red eyes gleamed with unsettling anticipation.
Theo stepped forward, sword lighting up with strength.
Flint followed, flames swirling around his arm with renewed discipline.
The monster crouched low, muscles tensing.
The three of them stared each other down.
Then—
They charged.
To be continued.....