Chương 372: Rush through the Forest

"Whatever you do, don't run off!" Vale hissed, refusing to let more than a few steps separate him from Nym. His eyes swept across the forest, never lingering in one place for longer than a heartbeat.

"If you split up from me, it'll kill you." Nym kept both hands wrapped tightly around the hilt of her blade, every muscle in her body drawn taut.

"You think I don't know that?" she shot back through clenched teeth.

"Even together we're barely standing a chance against that thing." Vale didn't answer. His gaze continued darting through the dense canopy until he finally abandoned his eyesight altogether, surrendering to the instinct that had carried him through countless battles. Whatever stalked them moved far too quickly for ordinary vision to follow.

"What are our chances?" Nym asked quietly, never taking her eyes off the surrounding trees.

"Honestly." A bitter laugh escaped Vale.

"Right now?" His grip tightened around the hilts of his twin blades.

"The only way we survive is if we kill it." Nym swallowed. Another blur ripped through the forest, shaking trees as something massive shot between them so quickly that the air itself screamed.

"And?" she pressed, unable to hide the fear creeping into her voice. Vale's instincts exploded into action. Without a moment's hesitation, he grabbed Nym by the shoulder and threw both of them to the ground. BOOM! An overwhelming force smashed into the exact spot where they had been standing a fraction of a second earlier. The impact split the earth apart, launching chunks of soil skyward as shattered bark and tangled roots rained through the air. Before either of them could properly see what had attacked......

it vanished again. Only the violent gust that followed proved anything had been there at all. Vale clicked his tongue. Again. He still hadn't managed to see it. He sprang to his feet in one smooth motion, both blades already raised into a defensive stance. Nym mirrored him, drawing her own weapon while desperately scanning the surrounding forest. Nothing. She glanced toward Vale.

"You can still sense it?" He nodded once, his attention never leaving the darkness.

"Yeah." His breathing slowed as he let his awareness sink deeper. The murderous intent surrounding them became clearer than ever before. It felt as though thousands of ravenous eyes had locked onto him from every direction, patiently waiting for the moment they could tear him apart. It should have terrified him. Instead, a grin slowly spread across his face. His pulse steadied. His breathing sharpened. It had been a long time since he had faced an opponent whose killing intent was this overwhelming.

"Just follow my lead," Vale muttered, never taking his eyes off the forest.

"There isn't any room for mistakes anymore." If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Nym answered with a firm nod.

"I know." Silence settled over the forest once more. Even the wind seemed unwilling to disturb the trees. Nym watched every shadow with unwavering concentration while Vale pushed his senses to their absolute limit. It was impossibly fast. Even tracking its intent felt unnatural. Every heartbeat suggested it occupied a different position. No... Multiple positions. Almost as though several predators were circling them simultaneously. Then, Vale's grin widened.

"There!" His eyes snapped upward.

"It's in the trees! Front!" The creature erupted from the canopy. Its sheer momentum slammed into Vale. Steel screamed. The collision hurled him several meters backward, his boots carving deep trenches through the forest floor before he forced himself to stop. Rather than meeting the charge head-on, he twisted both blades at the last possible instant, redirecting the monster's momentum instead of trying to overpower it.

The enormous beast shot past him, crashing through rows of ancient trees before disappearing into the endless woodland once again.

"So..." His eyes narrowed as his mind pieced together the fragments he had managed to catch.

"Brown scales. Incredible speed. Natural camouflage."

"You alright?" Nym called, unable to hide the worry in her voice. Vale blinked, pulling himself away from his thoughts before giving a quick nod.

"I'm fine. It didn't manage to wound me." He rolled one shoulder before clicking his tongue in frustration.

"Unfortunately, I still didn't get a proper look at it." His gaze settled briefly on one of his swords.

"It can't break my blades... and physically, I'm actually strong enough to stop its charge." A faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

"So its greatest advantage isn't strength. It's speed." Nym swept her gaze frantically across the surrounding forest.

"So we need to stop it from moving."

"Exactly." Vale nodded.

"If we can't slow it down, we'll never land a decisive hit."

"And how exactly are we supposed to trap something that moves faster than either of us can even see?" Vale didn't answer. His senses continued following the creature as it circled them. A thought slowly formed. Then another. Finally... he smiled.

"I've got an idea." Without another word, he sheathed one of his blades. Nym frowned. Before she could question him, Vale seized her hand.

"What are you-""We run." He exploded forward. Branches shattered as he charged through the dense undergrowth, practically dragging Nym after him before she quickly matched his pace. Somewhere above them, hidden among the thick canopy, the predator followed. Every leap shook the surrounding trees. Every landing sent vibrations through the earth. It wasn't chasing them recklessly anymore. It was watching. Studying. Learning. Vale suddenly stopped. His arm shot across Nym's chest.

The next instant, the beast crashed into the ground directly in front of them. The impact blasted dirt high into the air. Before the dust had even begun to settle...... it was already gone. Nothing but another impossible blur disappearing through the forest.

"Move!" Vale grabbed Nym's hand again and pulled her forward.

"We can't stay still!" The attacks came again. And again. And again. Every strike missed them by less than the last. The creature's attacks were changing. It was adapting to every movement they made. Vale realized.

"If this keeps up..." he hissed between breaths, "... it'll catch us before we can trap it." Nym said nothing. Her full concentration had shifted toward reading the monster's movements. She could almost predict where it would appear. Almost. Then Vale saw it. A narrow ravine hidden beneath thick vegetation. A grin spread across his face.

"There!" He pointed ahead.

"That's our playfield. Keep running! We can't slow down now!" Nym nodded.

"Right!" The beast struck again. This time Vale knew. There would be no dodging. It had already adapted, deliberately reducing its speed just enough to guarantee an interception no matter how he moved.

"Damn it!" He drew his second blade. The creature crashed into him head-on. Steel shrieked. The impact launched Vale sideways into the trunk of a colossal tree, splintering the ancient wood beneath the force. Before he could recover, the beast was already above him. One enormous claw rose into the air...... and came crashing down. Vale twisted away at the final instant. The claw pulverized the tree instead, snapping the massive trunk in half before it collapsed directly onto the creature.

Using the brief opening, Vale threw himself backward, rolled across the forest floor, and landed in a low crouch. For the first time... The creature stopped hiding. For the first time... He truly saw it. His eyes widened.

"So that's what you are..." It resembled an enormous reptile, though calling it one felt almost insulting. He had expected something roughly human-sized. He couldn't have been more wrong. The beast towered over even the forest drake that accompanied their expedition, its colossal frame rising several meters into the air despite its unnaturally lean proportions.

Brown scales shimmered like weathered bark, blending seamlessly with the surrounding woodland, while jagged bone-like horns erupted across its shoulders, spine, limbs, and tail like the exposed ribs of some ancient skeleton. Its countless hungry eyes remained locked solely upon Vale. Then he noticed something even stranger. The scales...... were moving. The protruding bones shifted beneath its hide. Some thickened. Others lengthened. Entire sections of its armored body rearranged themselves before his eyes.

Understanding struck him.

"Nym!" He pointed toward the ravine.

"Get to the ravine, now!" He never took his eyes off the monster.

"This thing... it adapts. It evolves to counter every attack we use." His expression slowly shifted into a dangerous grin.

"If we keep fighting it the same way... we're dead."