The six cadets tightened their formation as they followed the massive footprints deeper into the valley, each step carrying them closer to whatever had claimed dominion over the Razorhides' territory.
No one spoke.
The tracks were impossible to ignore.
Each footprint measured nearly three feet across, pressed so deeply into the soft earth that rainwater had begun collecting inside them. Trees leaned away from the trail, their bark scarred with fresh claw marks that reached higher than David's head.
Whatever had passed through here...
It hadn't bothered hiding its presence.
David's eyes swept across the surrounding forest.
Every shadow between the towering trees looked large enough to conceal the unknown predator.
His grip tightened slightly against the folded gauntlets resting along his forearms.
The deeper they traveled, the more the landscape began to change.
The dense forest gradually opened into a sprawling valley bathed in warm afternoon sunlight.
Towering cliffs rose along either side, their rocky faces draped with hanging vines and waterfalls that poured into a broad river winding across the valley floor.
Wildflowers blanketed the open fields in shades of crimson, violet, and gold, their sweet fragrance carried on a gentle breeze.
For the first time since arriving on Kharos Vale...
The world felt peaceful.
June looked around slowly.
"I wasn't expecting this."
Neither had David.
Everything they'd seen so far had been thick forest and predators.
This...
This looked untouched.
Movement rippled through the tall grass near the riverbank.
Everyone instinctively paused.
Several massive herbivores emerged from the reeds.
"They look like..." Lucian began.
"...Hippos," Mira finished.
"Kind of."
The creatures stood nearly seven feet tall at the shoulder.
Their broad bodies resembled Earth's hippopotamus, but instead of smooth gray skin, overlapping emerald-colored plates protected their backs like natural armor. Four thick ivory tusks curved from powerful jaws while paddle-like tails lazily swept through the shallow water behind them.
One raised its enormous head.
Dark amber eyes settled on Gamma Squad.
For several long seconds...
It simply watched them.
Then, deciding they weren't worth the effort, it lowered its head and continued grazing on the thick aquatic plants growing beneath the river's surface.
"They don't seem aggressive," June whispered.
Nyra nodded.
"They're watching us."
"But they aren't afraid."
"And we're not food."
Commander Vance's briefing echoed through David's thoughts.
Respect the wildlife.
Know the difference between animals... and beasts.
A sharp series of chirps echoed overhead.
Everyone looked up.
Half a dozen small primates raced across the enormous branches high above.
Their bodies resembled monkeys, but thin membranes stretched from their wrists to their ankles.
One reached the end of a branch...
Then leaped.
Instead of falling, it spread its limbs.
The membrane caught the air.
The creature glided effortlessly across the gap before grabbing another tree nearly fifty feet away.
June's eyes widened.
"...Okay."
Another followed.
Then another.
Within moments the entire troop was soaring through the canopy before disappearing into the forest beyond.
"I wish Earth had those," Lucian said with a grin.
"They'd steal everything you own," Castiel replied.
"They probably already have."
A quiet laugh spread through the squad.
Even David found himself smiling.
For a few minutes...
They weren't soldiers exploring a dangerous world.
They were simply teenagers seeing another planet for the first time.
A sudden hiss broke the moment.
Everyone froze.
Coiled atop a warm boulder overlooking the river lay a massive serpent.
Its body stretched nearly thirty feet long.
Brilliant green scales shimmered beneath the afternoon sun, shifting between shades of emerald and sapphire whenever it moved. Instead of two eyes, six golden eyes studied Gamma without the slightest hint of fear.
The serpent slowly flicked its forked tongue.
Testing the air.
David raised a hand.
"No sudden movements."
The giant constrictor watched them for another moment before silently sliding from the rock.
Its powerful body disappeared beneath the tall grass without making another sound.
June finally exhaled.
"I liked it better when I didn't know that thing existed."
"It probably said the same thing about you," Castiel answered.
Lucian laughed.
"I think you're growing on him."
"I preferred him when he almost never talked."
Castiel's expression remained perfectly straight.
"You'll survive."
Another round of laughter eased the lingering tension as Gamma continued deeper into the valley, following the enormous footprints that never seemed to end.
None of them noticed...
That the cheerful chirping of the gliding primates had slowly faded behind them.
Or that the armored river grazers had begun moving toward deeper water.
The valley itself...
Was beginning to grow quiet.
David slowed his pace.
"You hear that?" he asked quietly.
June listened for a moment before frowning.
"...No."
"Exactly."
The rushing river still flowed peacefully beside them, but everything else had changed.
The colorful birds had vanished from the branches.
The gliding primates were gone.
Even the constant chorus of insects had faded into nothing.
Only the wind stirred the towering grass.
Nyra glanced around uneasily.
"The wildlife disappeared."
Lucian rested a hand on the hilt of his Bloodcrest Blade.
"They're hiding from something."
David looked toward the massive footprints cutting across the valley floor.
"Or someone."
No one argued.
The tracks remained fresh.
Whatever had made them...
Couldn't be far.
They continued forward, their formation instinctively tightening once more.
The valley narrowed as rocky cliffs rose higher on either side. Thick ferns brushed against their legs while towering flowers, some nearly taller than June, swayed gently in the breeze.
Mira stopped beside one.
Its petals shimmered with streaks of deep blue and silver.
"I've never seen colors like these."
She reached out—
"Don't."
David's voice was calm but firm.
Mira looked back.
He gave a small shake of his head.
"We don't know what's poisonous."
She withdrew her hand with a sheepish smile.
"Fair point."
June smirked.
"I'd rather not explain to Commander Vance that Mira got eaten by a flower."
Lucian chuckled.
"I think she'd haunt you."
"She already does."
Mira rolled her eyes.
"I can still hear you."
The laughter had barely faded—
A low growl echoed through the trees.
Everyone stopped.
David's hand shot upward.
Gamma froze.
The growl came again.
Closer this time.
Leaves rustled somewhere beyond the thick brush.
Then...
A pair of glowing amber eyes appeared between the ferns.
Another.
Then another.
Four sleek creatures emerged from the undergrowth.
Each stood nearly five feet at the shoulder.
Their bodies resembled powerful jungle cats, but instead of fur, overlapping emerald scales covered their muscles. Long feather-like crests ran from the tops of their heads down the length of their backs, shifting color as they moved through the sunlight.
Their tails ended in heavy, club-like growths lined with wicked black spikes.
June slowly gripped his baton.
"Those definitely aren't monkeys."
One of the beasts lowered itself into a crouch.
Its crest flattened.
A deep rumble vibrated inside its chest.
Nyra glanced at her scanner.
"No match."
"So..." Lucian muttered.
"We get to name them?"
A fifth beast stepped silently from behind a fallen tree.
Larger than the others.
A jagged scar ran across one eye.
It stared directly at David.
The air grew still.
David unfolded his gauntlets with a metallic snap.
"Formation."
Without hesitation, Gamma moved as one.
The five beasts spread through the tall grass without making a sound.
Their emerald scales shimmered as they stalked through the valley, disappearing beneath the swaying grass before emerging several yards away.
They never stopped moving.
Always circling.
Always watching.
Nyra's eyes followed one slipping behind a cluster of ancient ferns.
"They're trying to surround us."
David tracked the largest one as it emerged from behind a fallen tree.
A jagged scar crossed its left eye.
The moment he saw it—
His vision flickered.
System:
Species Identified — Thornclaw Stalker
Classification — Blue-Tier Beast
Threat Level — Moderate
Level — 8
Four translucent windows appeared one after another before disappearing.
Then a fifth.
The scarred beast.
System:
Species Identified — Thornclaw Stalker Alpha
Classification — Blue-Tier Alpha Beast
Threat Level — High
Level — 9
The blue windows faded.
David never looked away from the pack.
"Levels eight and nine."
Lucian frowned.
"You can tell that just by looking?"
David ignored the question.
"They're pack hunters."
"They're waiting for an opening."
The beasts weren't rushing them.
They were patient.
Disciplined.
Testing them.
David made his decision.
"Lucian. Left."
Lucian drew the Bloodcrest Blade, the crimson edge gleaming beneath the afternoon sun.
"Got it."
"Castiel. Right."
Castiel calmly drew the Shadow Blade and stepped into position without another word.
"Mira."
"I'll cover the rear."
"June."
The energy baton snapped open, blue arcs of electricity dancing along its reinforced core.
"I've got anything that slips through."
Nyra stepped beside David as her twin Wind Crest Swords ignited with streams of blue energy.
David flexed his gauntlets.
Metal clicked into place around his fists.
"Stay together."
"No heroics."
Everyone nodded.
The valley fell silent.
Not even the wind seemed to move.
Then—
The Alpha roared.
Five shadows burst from the grass.
"Contact!" David shouted.
The nearest Thornclaw launched itself at Lucian.
Its jaws snapped shut.
The Bloodcrest Blade intercepted its bite, sparks erupting as steel scraped across serrated fangs,sending a shower of sparks across the grass as the impact forced him back half a step.
Lucian shoved forward with all his strength, forcing the beast backward before swinging in a wide arc.
The Thornclaw twisted in midair, barely avoiding the blade.
"They're faster than the Razorhides!"
"They're smarter too!" Nyra called.
Another Thornclaw exploded from the brush beside David.
Its claws tore through the air.
David raised his gauntlet just in time.
The beast's claws slammed into the reinforced metal with enough force to send a violent shock racing through his arm. The impact drove him back a step, his boots digging furrows into the earth.
Strong...
Definitely stronger than a Razorhide.
The beast snapped toward his throat.
David ducked beneath its jaws.
David drove his fist upward.
The reinforced gauntlet connected beneath the beast's jaw with crushing force, snapping its head backward and launching the creature several feet through the air before it crashed into the tall grass.
Before it could recover—
Nyra flashed past him.
Her Wind Crest Swords traced twin ribbons of blue light across its shoulder.
The Thornclaw howled as deep cuts opened along its scales before retreating several steps.
"Thanks."
Nyra smiled without taking her eyes off the enemy.
"Don't mention it."
On the opposite side of the formation—
Mira remained perfectly calm.
She didn't chase her opponent.
She waited.
Watched.
Measured.
The Thornclaw lunged.
At the last possible instant, Mira pivoted.
Her first blade sliced across the beast's foreleg.
The second drove beneath its ribs.
The wounded creature stumbled away with an enraged hiss.
June grinned.
"They're falling apart!"
"Stay focused!" David warned.
The Alpha still hadn't moved.
It watched every exchange.
Every attack.
Every opening.
David narrowed his eyes.
"It's studying us."
"For what?" June asked.
David didn't answer.
Then...
The answer came.
The remaining Thornclaws attacked together.
Three directions.
Perfectly synchronized.
"They changed tactics!" Nyra shouted.
"They're coordinating through the Alpha!" David replied.
The scarred leader wasn't fighting.
It was commanding.
Every attack.
Every movement.
Every feint.
"Gamma!"
David's voice cut across the battlefield.
Without hesitation, the squad tightened its formation.
Lucian shifted left.
Castiel stepped closer on the right.
Mira sealed the rear.
June closed the final gap.
No openings remained.
The first Thornclaw leapt.
Castiel moved.
The Shadow Blade carved a shallow line across the beast's shoulder.
The Thornclaw barely reacted.
It twisted, claws slashing toward Castiel's chest.
He stepped inside the attack.
The Shadow Blade struck the exact same wound.
"Rend."
The shallow cut exploded open.
Blood sprayed across the grass as the flesh beneath the wound violently tore apart.
The Thornclaw screamed.
Its front leg buckled beneath it.
Before it could recover—
Lucian's Bloodcrest Blade crashed downward.
The beast collapsed.
"One down!" June shouted.
Another Thornclaw lunged toward him.
Instead of retreating—
June stepped forward.
His baton crackled with blue electricity.
June stepped into the attack.
His energized baton slammed into the beast's shoulder. Blue arcs of electricity erupted across its scales, forcing the creature sideways as its muscles seized from the sudden surge.
The Thornclaw staggered sideways.
Lucian immediately capitalized.
One powerful swing.
The Bloodcrest Blade severed its neck.
"Two!"
The remaining three beasts circled once more.
For the first time...
The Alpha moved.
Its single golden eye locked onto David.
The scarred beast lowered itself into a crouch.
Its muscles tensed.
Then it exploded forward.
The ground shook beneath its charge.
David surged to meet it.
The collision echoed across the valley like thunder.
David met the Alpha head-on.
The Thornclaw Alpha twisted at the last instant, its massive claws slashing toward David's chest instead of colliding with him directly.
David crossed his gauntlets.
The claws slammed into the reinforced metal with enough force to drive him backward several feet, his boots carving deep furrows through the earth.
It's stronger than the others.
Much stronger.
The Alpha didn't relent.
It pressed the attack with frightening speed, its claws becoming a blur as it unleashed a relentless barrage.
David blocked.
Deflected.
Countered.
Each strike sent another shock through his arms.
Behind him—
"David!" Nyra shouted.
Another Thornclaw burst from the grass, trying to flank him while the Alpha kept him occupied.
Nyra intercepted it.
"Tempest Dance."
Compressed wind erupted around her twin blades.
She spun into the charging beast.
Every slash released razor-thin crescents of wind that carved through the surrounding grass.
The Thornclaw tried to retreat.
Too late.
One blade opened a deep wound across its shoulder.
The second sliced cleanly through its foreleg.
The beast stumbled, collapsing onto one knee.
Before Nyra could finish it—
The Alpha roared.
The wounded Thornclaw immediately abandoned its attack, retreating toward its leader.
"They're covering each other!" Lucian shouted.
"They don't want us isolating them!" Mira added.
The Alpha lunged again.
David ducked beneath a sweeping claw before driving both gauntlets into its ribs.
The beast slid sideways but never lost its footing.
Its tail whipped around.
David barely raised an arm before it struck.
The impact launched him several feet through the air.
He rolled across the grass before planting a gauntlet into the ground, stopping himself.
The Alpha didn't chase.
It watched him.
Waiting.
Studying.
David slowly stood.
"So that's your game..."
It wasn't fighting recklessly.
It was learning.
Every exchange.
Every dodge.
Every counterattack.
It was adapting.
David's eyes narrowed.
"We end this now."
He lowered his stance.
"Shadow Step."
System:
Skill Activated — Shadow Step
David disappeared.
The Alpha's eye widened.
A heartbeat later—
David appeared behind it.
"Predator Step."
System:
Skill Activated — Predator Step
His claws became a blur.
One strike.
Then another.
Then another.
The Alpha twisted desperately, trying to keep up as David's relentless assault drove it backward across the valley floor.
Each slash came faster than the last.
Each movement flowed seamlessly into the next.
The beast managed to deflect two attacks.
Three more slipped through.
Fresh lines of crimson spread across its emerald scales.
The Alpha snarled.
It threw itself backward, creating distance.
At the same moment, the remaining two Thornclaws broke away from the others and charged toward David from opposite sides.
"They're trying to pin him!" June yelled.
Lucian sprinted toward the nearest beast.
"Blood Weave."
Crimson energy surged along the Bloodcrest Blade before spreading into dozens of razor-thin threads that shimmered in the sunlight.
"Crimson Threads."
The nearly invisible strands shot across the battlefield.
The charging Thornclaw never saw them.
It burst through the web—
Deep cuts opened across its body all at once.
The beast staggered.
Blood sprayed across the grass.
Lucian closed the distance in an instant.
One clean swing ended its struggle.
The final Thornclaw froze.
Its golden eyes darted between the fallen members of its pack.
Then to the Alpha.
The scarred leader let out a sharp, commanding growl.
The last Thornclaw immediately turned and sprinted deeper into the valley.
"It's running!" June shouted.
"...Are they retreating?"
No one answered.
David continued staring at the place where they had vanished.
Something about the encounter didn't sit right with him.
David tore his eyes away from the valley ahead.
"We're not leaving the cores behind."
Lucian nodded.
"Agreed."
David looked over his squad.
"Lucian. Mira."
Both immediately looked at him.
"Collect the cores."
Lucian frowned.
"And if they double back?"
"They won't," David said. "Not this quickly."
He glanced once more toward the direction the Alpha had disappeared.
"Something's drawing them deeper into the valley."
Mira crouched beside the nearest Thornclaw, already drawing one of her blades.
"We'll catch up."
David gave a single nod.
"Take what you need. Don't waste time."
"Understood."
Lucian moved to the Alpha's fallen packmate while Mira knelt beside another.
With practiced precision, they opened the beasts' chests.
Blue light shimmered beneath layers of muscle and bone.
"There it is," Lucian said.
He reached inside and carefully removed a crystal no larger than his palm.
The core glowed with a rich sapphire light.
An Uncommon Core.
He slipped it into a reinforced storage pouch attached to his belt before moving to the next carcass.
Beside him, Mira extracted another core with the same calm efficiency.
"We'll have all three in under a minute," she said.
David looked toward the remaining members of Gamma.
"Nyra."
She stepped beside him.
"Ready."
"June."
The young man spun his baton once before collapsing it against his forearm.
"Let's go before they disappear again."
Castiel rested the Shadow Blade across his shoulder.
"They've got this."
David nodded.
"Move."
The four of them broke into a sprint, following the deep tracks carved into the valley floor.
Behind them, Lucian and Mira worked quickly, retrieving the remaining cores before sealing their storage pouches.
Lucian looked up toward the distant tree line.
"They're already out of sight."
Mira stood beside him.
"Then we'd better not keep them waiting."
The two sprinted after the rest of Gamma, following the fresh footprints that cut a clear path through the towering grass.
David led the way.
The towering grass parted as the four of them pushed deeper into the valley, following the unmistakable trail left by the retreating Thornclaws.
Broken stalks.
Fresh claw marks.
Deep paw prints pressed into the damp earth.
"They're not trying to hide their tracks," Nyra observed.
"They don't need to," Castiel replied.
June glanced around uneasily.
"I liked it better when they were trying to kill us."
No one laughed.
The valley had changed.
The cheerful sounds that had greeted them earlier were gone.
The gliding primates had vanished from the treetops.
The distant calls of birds had fallen silent.
Even the insects seemed to have disappeared.
Only the rustling of the wind through the tall grass remained.
David slowed.
"You hear that?"
June blinked.
"Hear what?"
"Exactly."
The realization settled over the group.
Nothing.
The valley was unnaturally quiet.
Nyra tightened her grip on her swords.
"Wildlife doesn't go silent for no reason."
"They're avoiding something," Castiel said.
David nodded.
"And we're walking toward it."
They continued forward, their pace becoming more cautious.
The trail descended into a shallow ravine where massive stone outcroppings rose from the valley floor.
Ancient vines draped across weathered cliffs.
Towering trees stretched overhead, their thick branches weaving together until only scattered beams of sunlight reached the ground.
The air grew cooler.
Damp.
June looked up.
"I swear it got darker."
"It did," Nyra answered quietly.
David crouched beside a fresh footprint.
It was larger than before.
The Alpha's tracks.
Still fresh.
He brushed his fingers across the disturbed soil.
"They passed through here less than five minutes ago."
A sharp whistle echoed behind them.
Everyone spun.
Lucian and Mira emerged from the grass at a run.
Lucian raised a small reinforced pouch.
"Three cores recovered."
Mira nodded.
"No signs of anything doubling back."
"Good," David said.
"You two miss us?"
June asked.
Lucian smirked.
"For about three seconds."
"That's generous."
Even David allowed himself a faint smile.
It vanished almost immediately.
His attention shifted forward.
Something caught his eye.
The ground ahead.
"What is it?" Nyra asked.
David walked several steps closer.
The grass simply...
Stopped.
A wide stretch of earth lay flattened, as though something impossibly heavy had passed through countless times.
No grass.
No shrubs.
No flowers.
Only bare soil marked with enormous tracks.
Everyone fell silent.
Lucian stared at one of the impressions.
It was nearly four feet across.
"...That wasn't made by a Thornclaw."
David slowly nodded.
"No."
He followed the trail with his eyes until it disappeared between two towering cliffs farther ahead.
Whatever had made those tracks...
Was far larger.
June swallowed.
"So..."
He looked from the giant footprints to David.
"...Do we still want to know what lives out here?"
No one answered.
The only response came from somewhere deep beyond the cliffs.
A distant roar.
Low.
Powerful.
Old.
The sound rolled through the valley like distant thunder.
Every member of Gamma froze.
Then, just as quickly...
The valley fell silent once more.
David remained still.
His eyes scanned the towering cliffs ahead.
The roar had come from somewhere beyond them.
Far enough away that it wasn't an immediate threat.
Close enough to remind them they weren't alone.
June broke the silence.
"...Please tell me that's not what we're following."
"No," David answered.
"I think it was something much bigger."
"That doesn't make me feel better."
"It wasn't supposed to."
David looked back toward the enormous footprints cutting across the barren stretch of ground.
"Those tracks are days old."
Lucian crouched beside one, resting a hand against the edge of the massive impression.
"The edges have already started collapsing."
Mira nodded.
"The Thornclaw tracks are much fresher."
She pointed farther ahead.
"They cross right over them."
David followed her gaze.
She was right.
The Alpha's prints continued through the larger tracks without hesitation.
Whatever had made the enormous footprints...
Wasn't here anymore.
"Stay alert," David said.
"But keep moving."
Gamma pressed onward.
The valley narrowed as the cliffs rose higher on either side.
The sunlight became little more than scattered shafts filtering through the canopy far above.
Massive roots twisted across the ground like ancient stone walls.
Every few minutes David stopped long enough to examine another fresh track.
"They're maintaining the same pace," he said.
"They're not running anymore."
Nyra frowned.
"So they slowed down?"
"They're no longer afraid."
That answer made everyone grip their weapons a little tighter.
A few minutes later—
David raised a fist.
The squad stopped instantly.
"What is it?" Castiel asked.
David pointed toward a rocky ledge overlooking the trail.
"There."
At first...
No one saw it.
Then it moved.
A creature roughly the size of a mountain lion stepped onto the ledge.
Its body resembled a lean feline covered in dark silver fur that blended almost perfectly with the surrounding stone.
Six amber eyes watched Gamma without blinking.
A long tail swayed lazily behind it.
The creature tilted its head.
Curious.
Not hostile.
David's vision flickered.
System:
Species Identified — Stone Prowler
Classification — Native Wildlife
Threat Assessment — Cautious
The blue window faded.
David lowered his gauntlets.
"It's wildlife."
June let out the breath he'd been holding.
"You're getting really good at telling us when something wants to eat us."
The Stone Prowler continued watching them for another moment.
Then, with effortless grace, it leaped onto a higher ledge.
Another followed.
Then another.
Three in total.
"They've been watching us this whole time," Nyra whispered.
"They're making sure we keep moving," Mira observed.
"Or making sure something else knows we're here," Lucian muttered.
The thought lingered.
None of them liked it.
The three Stone Prowlers vanished among the rocks as silently as they had appeared.
David watched them disappear before turning back toward the trail.
"Let's—"
He stopped.
The air carried something new.
A faint sweetness.
Like fresh flowers after rain.
June sniffed the air.
"Does anyone else smell that?"
Nyra slowly nodded.
"I do."
Lucian frowned.
"There shouldn't be flowers growing this deep in the valley."
David's gaze followed the Thornclaw tracks stretching ahead.
The scent grew stronger with every step.
The valley began to brighten.
Sunlight spilled through an opening in the cliffs ahead, illuminating something just beyond the bend.
None of them could see it yet.
But whatever lay around the corner...
Filled the air with the unmistakable scent of blooming flowers.
The scent grew stronger.
Sweet.
Fresh.
Completely out of place.
Gamma rounded the bend.
Every one of them stopped.
Before them stretched a vast clearing unlike anything they had seen since arriving on H-09.
Thousands of flowers covered the valley floor.
Crimson.
Gold.
Azure.
Pure white blossoms swayed gently beneath the afternoon sun.
Massive flowering vines climbed ancient trees, while butterflies with shimmering crystal wings drifted lazily through the air.
Bees the size of David's fist floated from bloom to bloom, collecting nectar before disappearing into the sea of color.
"It..."
June stared in disbelief.
"...It's beautiful."
Nyra slowly lowered one of her swords.
"I've never seen anything like this."
Even Lucian stood speechless.
For a moment...
It was impossible to believe they were standing on the same planet where they had nearly been torn apart minutes earlier.
Then—
Movement.
The surviving Thornclaw burst from the tall grass on the opposite side of the clearing.
It was limping.
Blood stained its emerald scales.
The beast never looked behind it.
It sprinted straight into the flowers.
"There it is!" June shouted.
David instinctively took a step forward.
Then stopped.
The Thornclaw suddenly slowed.
Its head jerked from side to side.
Confused.
Uneasy.
It let out a low growl.
"What is it doing?" Nyra whispered.
The beast cautiously backed away.
One paw brushed against the stem of a towering crimson flower nearly ten feet tall.
Nothing happened.
The Thornclaw relaxed.
It turned—
The flower moved.
Not with the wind.
It moved.
Its stem bent with terrifying speed.
The blossom peeled open.
Rows of needle-like teeth unfolded from within its petals.
"What—"
The flower exploded from the ground.
Thick green vines shot outward like striking serpents.
They wrapped around the Thornclaw's legs.
Its body.
Its neck.
The beast roared.
It slashed wildly, severing one vine.
Two more immediately replaced it.
"They're alive!" June shouted.
The Thornclaw fought desperately.
Its claws tore through petals and vines alike.
It managed two staggering steps.
Then dozens more vines erupted from beneath the flowers.
They coiled around the beast from every direction.
The Thornclaw screamed.
The enormous blossom opened impossibly wide.
With one violent pull—
The beast disappeared into its jaws.
The petals snapped shut.
Silence.
The entire clearing became still once more.
Only a few drops of crimson blood stained the surrounding flowers.
Nothing else remained.
No bones.
No fur.
No movement.
Gamma stood frozen.
No one spoke.
A butterfly drifted past the very flower that had devoured the Thornclaw.
It landed gently on one of the crimson petals.
The flower didn't react.
It simply swayed peacefully in the breeze.
As though nothing had happened.
David slowly raised an arm across the path.
"No one enters the clearing."
No one argued.
Nyra never took her eyes off the flowers.
"Those weren't beasts."
David nodded.
"No."
His gaze swept across the thousands of blossoms carpeting the valley floor.
"They're part of this world's ecosystem."
Lucian frowned.
"And they just ate a Blue-Tier Beast."
"Without any effort," Mira added quietly.
David looked toward the far side of the clearing.
The Alpha's tracks continued around the edge.
It had never entered the flowers.
It had gone around them.
"It knew," David said.
"The Alpha knew to avoid this place."
Castiel followed the trail with his eyes.
"So we do the same."
David nodded once.
"We go around."
Keeping a careful distance from the flowers, Gamma began moving along the rocky edge of the clearing.
Behind them, the sea of blossoms continued to sway peacefully beneath the afternoon sun.
Beautiful.
Silent.
Deadly.
David led Gamma along the rocky edge of the clearing.
No one ventured closer to the flowers than necessary.
Even the butterflies seemed to understand the invisible boundary, drifting lazily among the blossoms while avoiding the stone ledge where Gamma walked.
June kept glancing toward the clearing.
"I still can't believe that thing just..."
He stopped himself.
"...Ate it."
"It wasn't hunting us," Nyra said quietly.
"It hunted what entered its territory."
Mira nodded.
"Just like the serpent by the river."
Lucian looked across the endless sea of flowers.
"Everything here has its own place."
David listened but didn't respond.
His attention remained on the trail.
The Alpha's tracks hugged the outer edge of the clearing.
It had never once stepped among the flowers.
"It knew," David said.
"It wasn't afraid of the flowers."
"It respected them."
Castiel glanced toward the blossoms.
"There's a difference."
David nodded.
"Remember that."
The trail curved around the far side of the clearing.
Gradually...
The flowers began disappearing behind them.
The sweet fragrance faded.
A different scent replaced it.
Wet earth.
Fresh sap.
Rotting vegetation.
The farther they walked, the denser the forest became.
Towering vines wrapped themselves around ancient trees.
Some were as thick as David's waist.
Others stretched high into the canopy before disappearing among the branches.
June frowned.
"I don't remember this many vines earlier."
"There weren't," Nyra answered.
David stopped beside one of the larger vines.
Its surface was covered in long, curved thorns.
Several were stained a dark reddish-brown.
He reached toward one.
"Careful," Mira warned.
David didn't touch it.
He crouched instead.
The stain wasn't rust.
It had soaked into the thorn itself.
Old blood.
He stood.
"Stay clear of the vines."
Without another word, everyone instinctively widened the distance between themselves and the surrounding vegetation.
A few hundred yards later—
Lucian stopped.
"David."
He pointed ahead.
Half-hidden beneath tangled roots lay a skeleton.
Not human.
The bones were far too large.
David walked over.
The skull still possessed rows of jagged teeth.
Powerful forelimbs.
A thick tail.
Pieces of emerald scales remained clinging to the ribs.
"A Thornclaw," Nyra whispered.
June stared.
"The flowers didn't get this one."
"No," David replied.
His gaze shifted beyond the skeleton.
Then to another.
And another.
Scattered throughout the forest were the remains of beasts.
Some little more than piles of bleached bone.
Others still wrapped within dried vines.
No wildlife.
Only beasts.
No one said anything.
The realization settled over Gamma all at once.
Whatever lived here...
Hunted beasts.
David's vision swept across the forest floor.
Broken vines.
Disturbed soil.
Fresh drag marks.
Not footprints.
Something heavy had been pulled across the ground.
Recently.
He slowly followed the marks with his eyes.
They disappeared deeper into the tangled forest.
David raised a closed fist.
Gamma stopped immediately.
His voice dropped to little more than a whisper.
"We've entered its territory."
Silence.
Even the wind seemed reluctant to move through the dense web of vines surrounding them.
Far ahead...
Barely visible through the towering vegetation...
Something enormous shifted.
Not an animal.
Not a beast walking through the forest.
The forest itself...
Moved.
David raised a closed fist.
Gamma stopped instantly.
Ahead...
The forest simply ended.
The towering trees gave way to a wide circular clearing bathed in warm afternoon sunlight.
Unlike the flower meadow behind them, this place felt...
Wrong.
The ground was dark.
Rich.
Dozens of thick vines stretched across the clearing, weaving between patches of moss before disappearing beneath the soil.
Roots as thick as tree trunks broke through the earth in twisting ridges.
Everything seemed...
Still.
David slowly crouched behind a fallen tree overlooking the clearing.
One by one, the others joined him.
June carefully peeked over the log.
"...Is this it?"
No one answered.
In the center of the clearing stood what appeared to be a solitary tree.
Its trunk was unusually thick, nearly four feet across, with dark emerald bark that shimmered faintly beneath the sunlight.
Several enormous crimson blossoms hung from its upper branches.
Each flower was larger than a person.
Beautiful.
Perfect.
Completely motionless.
Nyra frowned.
"...It's just a plant."
David wasn't convinced.
His vision flickered.
System:
Species Identified — Verdant Maneater
Classification — Epic Beast
Threat Level — Severe
Level — 15
The blue window faded.
David's expression tightened.
"Level fifteen."
June stared.
"...That?"
"It doesn't look dangerous."
"It doesn't have to," Castiel replied quietly.
As if answering him—
Movement caught David's eye.
A Blue-Tier grazing beast wandered into the clearing.
The creature lowered its head, calmly feeding on patches of moss growing between the roots.
Nothing happened.
Several long moments passed.
June frowned.
"I thought—"
The ground shifted.
Not violently.
Almost imperceptibly.
One vine slowly slid beneath a layer of leaves.
Another quietly repositioned itself.
The grazing beast never noticed.
David did.
"It's moving..."
The beast took another bite.
Suddenly—
Three vines burst from the undergrowth.
They wrapped around the beast's legs before it could react.
A fourth coiled around its neck.
The creature roared, thrashing wildly.
The entire clearing came alive.
Vines erupted from every direction, tightening around the struggling beast until it hung helplessly several feet above the ground.
Then...
The trunk moved.
Lucian's eyes widened.
"...That's not possible."
The massive trunk bent.
Not like a tree caught in the wind...
But with the smooth, deliberate motion of a giant serpent.
It curled forward.
Lower.
Lower.
One of the enormous crimson blossoms descended toward the suspended beast.
The petals slowly unfolded.
Layer after layer peeled apart.
Inside...
Rows of long ivory thorns curved inward toward a dark, glistening throat.
June swallowed hard.
"...That's its mouth."
The vines gently lifted the struggling beast.
Not violently.
Almost carefully.
As though presenting a meal.
The blossom lowered the final few feet.
The prey disappeared between the waiting petals.
The flower closed.
A muffled cry echoed from within.
Then...
Silence.
The trunk slowly straightened.
The blossom returned to its place near the top of the plant.
The vines settled back across the clearing.
Within moments...
The Verdant Maneater looked like nothing more than a beautiful flowering tree once again.
No one spoke.
David slowly lowered his raised arm.
"No one goes into that clearing."
No one even considered arguing.
The silence lingered.
No one dared move.
Even June had forgotten how to make a joke.
Every pair of eyes remained fixed on the Verdant Maneater.
It stood motionless in the center of the clearing.
Its blossoms swayed gently beneath the afternoon breeze.
Beautiful.
Peaceful.
As though the horrifying display moments earlier had never happened.
David slowly exhaled.
"So that's how it hunts."
Nyra nodded.
"It waits."
"It doesn't chase anything," Mira added.
"It lets everything come to it."
Lucian studied the vines spread throughout the clearing.
"They're the real danger."
"The flowers are the kill," Castiel said quietly.
David continued watching.
"No."
Everyone looked at him.
"The flowers aren't the kill."
He pointed toward the vines.
"They are."
"The vines capture the prey."
"The trunk positions itself."
"The flower finishes it."
No one argued.
The more they watched...
The more obvious it became.
The entire plant functioned as a single organism.
Every vine.
Every root.
Every blossom.
Working together.
David's gaze drifted across the clearing.
"The vines..."
"What about them?" Nyra asked.
"They're not random."
He traced their paths with his eyes.
"They're spread evenly."
Lucian leaned forward.
"They're covering the entire clearing."
"No."
David pointed toward several open spaces between the vines.
"There."
"And there."
"And over there."
Mira narrowed her eyes.
"There are gaps."
"Small ones."
David nodded.
"It can't cover everything at once."
June looked between the openings.
"So... it has blind spots?"
"Maybe."
"Or weak spots," Lucian said.
David didn't answer immediately.
He continued studying the clearing.
Minutes passed.
No one spoke.
Then—
A rabbit-like creature cautiously emerged from the brush.
It paused near the edge of the clearing.
Its long ears twitched.
It sniffed the air.
Then...
It turned around.
And left.
June blinked.
"It knew."
Nyra smiled faintly.
"The wildlife understands this place."
"It survived by learning," Castiel replied.
David's expression remained thoughtful.
"The Thornclaws knew too."
Everyone remembered.
The Alpha had never entered the clearing.
It had run around it.
"It wasn't fleeing blindly," Mira said.
"It was avoiding the flowers."
David nodded.
"It knew exactly where not to step."
He looked back toward the Verdant Maneater.
The massive blossoms remained perfectly still.
Its trunk swayed ever so slightly with the breeze.
Patient.
Waiting.
David finally stood.
"We've seen enough."
Lucian looked surprised.
"We're leaving?"
"For today."
David kept his eyes on the colossal plant.
"We know what it is."
"We know how it hunts."
"But we don't know how to kill it."
Silence.
Then everyone slowly nodded.
David turned away from the clearing.
"We'll make camp before sunset."
"Tonight we come up with a plan."
He glanced back one final time.
The Verdant Maneater hadn't moved.
It simply stood in the middle of its clearing, beautiful and silent, waiting for its next meal.
Tomorrow...
Gamma Squad would become the hunters.
The journey back was made in silence.
No one spoke about the Verdant Maneater.
No one needed to.
The image of its massive flower slowly lowering toward its helpless prey lingered in every mind.
As the sun sank toward the horizon, Gamma retraced their route through the jungle, carefully avoiding the flower meadow and the edge of the Maneater's territory.
David led from the front.
Castiel watched their rear.
The rest of the squad maintained their formation, each scanning the dense vegetation as they climbed back toward the ridge overlooking Sector H-09.
The thick jungle gradually began to thin.
The ground became rockier.
The incline grew steeper.
Then...
The ridge came into view.
A few moments later, the six of them stepped into their campsite.
Four canvas tents stood exactly where they had pitched them the previous evening, arranged around a stone fire pit near the center of the clearing. Their packs rested beside the tents, while spare supplies had been stacked neatly beneath a weatherproof tarp anchored between two support poles.
Beyond the edge of the ridge...
The jungle stretched as far as the eye could see.
An endless sea of emerald canopy rolled across Sector H-09, disappearing into the distant horizon beneath the fading light of dusk.
There were no roads.
No buildings.
No signs of civilization.
Only wilderness.
Only the six of them.
June let his pack slide from his shoulders with a groan.
"I've never been happier to see camp."
Lucian dropped his own pack beside one of the tents.
"After today, I don't think any of us were in a hurry to stay down there."
David walked to the edge of the ridge, his eyes sweeping across the vast jungle one last time.
Somewhere beneath that endless canopy...
The Verdant Maneater waited.
Patient.
Silent.
Tomorrow...
They would return.
Not to observe.
But to kill it.