Silence.
Calistis and Valen froze in the shared paralysis of discovery, the air thick between them.
Not a word was uttered. However, one shared thought, one shared question echoed louder than the Poison Spider's roar.
Valen looked at Calistis, his eyes now bearing the shine of disbelief. He muttered. "Is that even possible." The words floating from his mouth in a trance.
Glancing back at the spider's corpse. "Maybe some of the candidates teamed up. That's a possibility." He explained, trying desperately to make sense of it all.
Escaping from her own trance, Calistis glanced. It was definitely a possibility. However, the more she thought about it, the more dual enhancement seemed plausible. "That's not possible." She replied, clenching her fist.
Hearing her reply, Valen took a step back, shocked. "What, so it's more possible for there to be someone with such good genes their body and mind can handle dual enhancements, than candidates teaming up." He retorted, his volume increasing.
Sighing, Calistis explained reluctantly. "Two days." She paused. "You believe in two days, a group of candidates can transform into such an effective team." She sighed, turning her head away. 'Why did I even accept his proposal.'
The discovery they've made was already giving her a striking headache. After all, the existence of a dual enhancer was such an impossibility that she almost saw light in Valen's suggestion.
Looking around with flushed cheeks, Valen thought. 'Dual enhancer or not, it's getting late.'
"It's getting late, don't you think." He said, glancing at the descending sun as it painted the horizon orange.
Following suit, Calistis replied. "Yes. We should find a place to camp."
Giving the clearing and corpse a final scan, Calistis began walking.
Glancing at just the corpse, Valen gave it a warm smile before chasing after Calistis.
Catching up to her, he asked. "Where are we heading."
However, Valen was answered by the forest's sounds rather than Calistis. 'I'll just follow then.' He thought, sighing.
....
Back in the forest, where Talen and Henry were.
Watching the idiot ahead, Talen shouted. "You idiot, stop. You're gonna get yourself killed."
However, Henry completely ignored Talen's justified warning. After all, for all he knew, that could be the only water source on Roku, meaning Chaos Monsters would inevitably be around.
Even if it's not the only one, that doesn't mean Chaos Monsters wouldn't be there. After all, a water source is a water source.
However, it seemed Henry only considered the fact it was a water source.
Sighing again, Talen hastened his steps, trudging after Henry.
As Talen caught up with him, he stepped out from the forest. However, they were not alone at the clearing, as Talen had dreaded.
Beyond the forest was a narrow pebble clearing. In the middle of the clearing was a narrow yet deep stream of water that encompassed the whole stretch of planet Roku.
Clenching his jian, Talen's pupils narrowed as he focused on the other side of the stream.
He saw seven Chaos Monsters.
They had no heads, just a stump where it would have been, standing at seven feet, with hump backs.
The Chaos Monsters looked more human than any Talen had seen. However, they were only made of bone and black skin that looked like condensed smoke.
Tightening his grip on the jian, Talen glanced at Henry. "Dammit." He cursed under his breath.
Henry stood not far ahead, his hands and feet trembling violently. Talen could see sweat streaming down his cheeks.
"N-no, again." Henry whispered, with trembling lips.
The world around him suddenly began melting. The calm soothing noise of the forest cracked, turning into the morbid screams of agony.
In front of him, by a wooden door. His mother.
"Run." She roared.
Another chunk of her bitten off, crimson water escaped in heaps, drenching her white garment and face.
Henry watched each bite. Henry heard each bone crunched. Frozen, unable to move, unable to speak, only able to watch helplessly as his mother was eaten bite by bite.
He screamed desperately in his head. "No, stop." But it was silent.
He clawed desperately at the trance cage. "Let me out." But it was sealed.
He watched in a vicious cycle, as she was eaten, as she screamed, as she died.
He screamed inside but the voice too weak to break through.
Again, again and again. Trapped.
However, the Chaos Monsters couldn't wait for Henry to escape.
All seven leaped across the stream, targeting Henry.
Raising his jian, Talen gripped it like a spear.
Stepping into the Zone, he leaned back, straining each muscle in his arm, wielding the strength given to him by the Zone.
The jian cut through the air, plunging through the first headless abomination.
It went further, going through the monster's slim body. No blood came out, only black dust dissipated.
Staggering back, it began crumbling into black dust.
"Henry." Talen shouted again, pulling him back.
As he did, three sharp claws sliced where Henry was frozen.
Turning its headless body at Talen, it slashed at him instead.
Letting go of Henry, Talen stepped back. 'I'm saving him again.' He thought.
The slash went wide. Taking advantage of that, Talen leaned in, fist clenched.
Punching it, his hands broke through the cloud defense into the monster's rib cage. 'Just Wretches.' He thought.
Flinching, the Chaos Monster swung its arm at Talen.
Noticing that, Talen pulled his hand out. He ducked the retaliation.
Attempting to deliver a final punch, Talen jumped back, dodging another clawed hand. "No need to cut in line." He declared.
"Plenty to share." Talen groaned, punching the line skipper's wrist.
His fist tore through. Its wrist began dissipating.
Talen smiled, his empty smile staring at the previous abomination. "Next." He growled, as he lashed with a punch to its chest.
His fist made contact, tearing through the monster's chest. It began dissolving.
With the two immediate threats dealt with, Talen turned around, shouting. "Henry."
Walking closer, he continued. "Will you snap out of it already."
As Talen shouted, two more lunged.
She cried, they ate, he watched.
The vicious cycle kept repeating. He kept screaming.
However, he heard a scream louder than his, louder than her plead for his escape. "Will you snap out of it already."
The scream broke through, putting a stop to the trance. It went further, grabbing him out.
The world around melted back.
The screams and crunch faded, into the soothing noise of the forest.
Opening his eyes again, he saw two grotesque monsters lunge at Talen.
His hands trembled again. His world began melting.
Clenching his fist, Henry gritted his teeth. 'No.' He thought, his determined eyes locked on Talen's forgotten jian.
Talen, on the other hand, was smiling at the two lunging Chaos Monsters. "Two at once, why not." He chuckled.
Stepping back then to the side, he dodged the first to claw at him, leaving himself in the perfect position to welcome the second.
Clenching his fist, he rammed his fist through its headless neck.
He felt the inside of the creature. It felt like a cloud.
Noticing the second monster returning, Talen spun around with a jump, delivering a roundhouse kick. His leg cut through it like a hot knife through butter.
It dissipated.
As his feet met solid ground, Talen turned around, ready to lunge.
However, behind him, Henry ran his jian through the last of the Chaos Monster's chest. Beside him, the remains of the other three Chaos Monsters floated.
Seeing that, Talen smiled.
Stepping out of the zone, he thought. 'At least he can be useful. However.' Cracking his knuckles, Talen began walking toward Henry, his smile disappearing. "Henry." He called, tone flat.
Henry flinched, his shoulders tense.
With slow, deliberate steps, he turned around. Noticing the look on Talen's face, he swallowed hard. "H-hey, Talen, I'm sor-"
However, before he could even apologize, a sound slap landed on his face.
Grabbing his red cheeks, he massaged them, eyes watery. "At least I h-helped you.....a bit." He sniffed, avoiding eye contact with Talen.
Pinching his nose bridge, Talen repeated. "Help me, huh." Scoffing, he continued. "Standing there, trying to get yourself killed. Is that what you call helping." He said, his tone wearing a mask of annoyance.
His shoulders slumped, eyes fixed on pebbles.
He apologized, his tone low. "I'm really sorry."
He paused, gritting his teeth. "I didn't m-mean to." Clenching his fist, tears began to drip down.
Remembering Lillian's death, the tears rained. "I never do." He sobbed louder.
The pebbles he stared at caught the setting sun's light, reflecting Lillian's death.
The Poison Spider attacked. Lillian struggled, crying out in pain and pleading for help. Henry frozen.
Lillian struggled, desperate to live. However, she was not desperate enough.
The pebbles reflected the spider's fangs plunging in her stomach. They reflected the agonizing cry frozen on her face. They reflected a frozen, trembling Henry, until.
Until he was attacked.
Watching the reflections, his chest tightened. His sobs quieter, fist tighter.
"I'm sorry, Lillian." He whispered. As the words left his mouth, he felt lighter and yet at the same time heavier.
Talen watched Henry cry in silence, giving him space.
When he spoke, Talen knew.
Placing his hands on Henry's shoulder, he said. "This your goodbye then." Patting him, he continued. "Let's get some water then, it's getting late."
Taking his jian back, Talen turned around, walking to the stream. 'How did he even survive the first trial.' He thought.
Remembering Henry only moved when his opponent's sword was inches away from his throat in the second trial. Glancing at him, he whispered. "What a strange guy."
Henry stood there a while longer, wiping away his tears. Once he was done, he rushed to the stream.
.....
Not far upstream from was Kestis's cave and the Bird of Plague's mountain nest.
Below the prestigious mountain was Kestis, holding his knees, his breathing heavy and erratic.
Glancing up at the mountain, sweat stung his eyes.
He had spent the whole day attempting to climb the mountain. However, his body was not made for it.
Not even a quarter of the way up, he was already exhausted. "I'll.....find a....way." He muttered in between breaths.
Letting go of his knees, Kestis began limping to his cave when suddenly he heard wings flapping.
Turning around, he saw the Bird of Plague return to its nest.
Looking closer, Kestis noticed the trail of blood from its beak. He smirked.
"Soon I will be delivering you a rather distasteful meal." He chuckled.
As Kestis locked his eyes on the bird, his stomach growled. Clutching it, he sighed, returning to his cave to rest on its cold, hard floors.