LightReader

Chapter 77 - Chapter 77 – First Encounter: The Unyielding Apex

The forest was unusually quiet that morning, an unsettling silence that pressed against the ears. Even the birds, normally chirping at dawn, had fallen silent. Each crunch of leaf underfoot, each snapped twig, sounded like a thunderclap. Hunnt led the party along a narrow, twisting path, his fists clenched, shoulders tight. His sharp eyes darted at shadows that seemed to lean too close, the air thick with a strange pressure.

Pyro scampered ahead, balancing on mossy logs and weaving between roots. His tail flicked nervously, golden eyes scanning every detail. His nose twitched, sniffing the damp air before he crouched low behind a fallen trunk. "Master… something's not right… nyaah." His ears swiveled, muscles tensed.

Hunnt crouched beside him, fingertips brushing against the damp soil. Fresh gouges scarred the earth, deep claw marks that shredded bark and stone alike. "It's close," Hunnt whispered, jaw tightening.

Corwin walked a step behind, hammer slung loosely across his shoulder. He scanned the terrain with sharp, calculating eyes, noting where the ground dipped, where branches arched too low, where escape paths narrowed. His grip on the hammer handle tightened. "The ground's too torn up. Something big's been through here."

Elara brought up the rear, bow already in her hands. Her breaths came steady, though her fingers trembled faintly as they rested on the fletching of an arrow. She tried to stay focused, eyes narrowing at every flicker of movement between the trees.

Then the world exploded.

From the dense foliage ahead, a massive shadow lunged forward. Its form tore through branches as though they were twigs. Dark, jagged scales shimmered with a metallic sheen, its body radiating unnatural heat. Molten amber eyes blazed beneath two curved horns, and when it opened its maw, the forest shook with a roar so powerful it felt like the earth itself rebelled.

Hunnt's heart skipped. That roar—it wasn't just sound. It was domination. For an instant, his legs refused to move, every nerve screaming at him to run.

Elara gasped, bow shaking in her hands. "W-what… is that?!" Her voice cracked as her eyes locked onto the beast.

The Ravagerak.

An apex predator, one the forest itself seemed to bow to. Its spiked tail smashed against the earth, sending rocks and soil flying in a hailstorm of debris. Each step cracked roots and splintered trees, and its thick hide glimmered like it had been forged in a furnace. Steam rose from between its scales, carrying with it the acrid scent of scorched earth.

"Positions!" Hunnt shouted, instincts snapping back into place. His body blurred as he stomped forward with Soru, vanishing from sight for an instant to dodge the monster's opening swing. The Ravagerak's tail clipped a tree where he had stood seconds earlier, the trunk splitting in half before crashing to the ground.

Corwin dug his heels into the soil, bracing himself. His body hardened with Tekkai as the monster's tail whipped back, striking him across the side. The blow rattled through his bones like thunder, sending him stumbling back several steps despite his stance. His teeth clenched, but he remained upright.

Pyro hissed, vanishing into a blur of motion. His small body twisted with Kami-e, slipping narrowly past one of the monster's jagged claws. Even so, a spike grazed his side, drawing a thin line of blood across his golden fur. "Nnyaaahh—!" he cried, tumbling before landing on all fours again, tail bristling.

Elara loosed an arrow, heart pounding. The shot whistled through the air, striking the monster's plated shoulder. The arrow shattered on contact, falling uselessly to the dirt. Her breath caught in her throat. "It didn't even… scratch it…"

Hunnt barked, fists tightening. "Don't panic! Everyone, focus! We can't brute-force it—watch for openings!"

The Ravagerak's molten eyes locked onto them with terrifying intelligence. Its massive form twisted, horns lowering as it charged. The earth cracked under its weight, every stride faster than its size should allow.

"Move!" Hunnt cried.

He vanished again with Soru, reappearing just as the monster's spiked tail swept the ground. He rolled into a Kami-e slide, slipping narrowly beneath the swipe before springing back to his feet. His fists shot forward, striking the monster's hind leg, but even his reinforced gauntlets only left faint marks against the armor-like hide.

Corwin flanked silently, his hammer raised high. He darted with a practiced Soru step, swinging down with all his strength toward the monster's knee joint. The hammer struck true, but the blow only caused the Ravagerak to stagger slightly before it whipped around, snarling. The vibrations rattled Corwin's arms, and he tightened his stance with another Tekkai, holding his ground.

Pyro darted across the battlefield like a streak of gold, calling out warnings. "Master, left swing—nyaah!" Hunnt twisted in time, the spiked tail missing him by inches. "Nyahaha, close one!" Pyro teased, even as blood dripped from his earlier wound.

Elara repositioned with Soru, her breath fast and shallow. She fired again, aiming for the base of the monster's leg. This time, the arrow struck deeper, the angle piercing between plates of armor. The Ravagerak snarled, its leg buckling slightly.

Hunnt seized the moment, dashing in and delivering a flurry of gauntlet strikes to the same weakened spot. Sparks flew as fist met scale, the monster bellowing in pain before jerking back with terrifying speed.

The apex predator reared on its hind legs and slammed its spiked tail into the ground. The impact sent shockwaves through the clearing, shaking loose branches and toppling a massive tree. The trunk fell with a deafening crack, crashing between the hunters and splitting their formation.

Hunnt leapt, barely clearing the falling tree before rolling to his feet. "Everyone, regroup!"

Corwin panted, his hammer raised, muscles straining. "Its armor's too thick… even Tekkai doesn't stop the force behind those strikes."

Pyro hissed from atop a branch, tail lashing. "Nyaahh, Master, this thing isn't normal! It's hunting us like prey!"

Elara's fingers trembled on her bowstring, but she steadied them, forcing her voice calm. "If we keep panicking, it'll tear us apart. We need to read its rhythm, just like the last hunt."

Hunnt's jaw clenched. She was right. They couldn't treat Ravagerak like any ordinary beast. "Observe its patterns. We can't fight head-on, not yet."

The monster roared again, the sound reverberating through the trees, shaking leaves loose from their branches. Its molten eyes glowed brighter, as if mocking their resistance. Slowly, deliberately, it turned to face them, claws gouging deep trenches in the soil.

For a moment, none of them moved. The predator loomed like a mountain of living steel, each breath exhaling steam.

Hunnt's fists tightened. "We hold together. We'll find a way. No matter what."

Pyro crouched low, tail twitching. "Nyahaha… we'll outsmart it, Master. Just like always."

Corwin raised his hammer, body tense but steady. "Stay sharp. One mistake will be our last."

Elara swallowed hard, adjusting her stance, another arrow nocked. Her heart hammered in her chest, but her eyes gleamed with determination. "Then let's not give it the chance."

The Ravagerak's roar split the silence once more, and the ground quaked as it lunged forward, the fight truly beginning.

This was no ordinary monster. This was the unyielding apex of the forest.

——————————————————————————————————————

✨ Hi amazing readers! ✨

I'm beyond excited to share not just one, but two epic stories with you!

📖 Final Fantasy: The Unwritten

Step into the vast multiverse of Final Fantasy—where heroes, destinies, and untold adventures intertwine in ways you've never seen before.

⚔️ Renegade: Arsenal of War

Follow the journey of a relentless tech soldier who forges groundbreaking weapons to end the war once and for all.

Your support means the world to me—every read, comment, and share helps bring these stories to life. 🌌🔥 Together, let's explore the unwritten and fight through the arsenal of war!

Thank you for being part of this adventure. Let's dive in! ✨

——————————————————————————————————————

More Chapters