Terror gripped Louskas's heart.
Above him, to his sides—giant apes, larger than adult bears, with steel-like muscles and monstrous bodies. Beneath him, a brutal war between green beasts and black birds.
And in the middle… was him. A lone cat surrounded by a hundred starving dogs.
But Louskas… was no ordinary cat.
Cold crept into his bones. He thought about repeating his usual tactic—but this time, the danger was far greater. One wrong move… and he'd become a shredded meal.
He needed a better plan. But all he found… was madness.
He turned his head to the ape sitting beside him—and smiled.
Boom!
He gently punched the ape's cheek. It was weak, barely a scratch, and on purpose. But the psychological impact? Like a thunderbolt.
The ape's eyes flared with rage. It roared—and lunged.
Louskas didn't wait. He jumped, with all his strength, down.
Screams filled the forest. The apes howled like a furious storm.
Branches shook, trees trembled. Some apes leapt after him. Others climbed like mad beasts, racing downward. If anyone had looked up—they would've seen a tidal wave of brown fury falling from the sky like a deadly rain.
The canopy cracked and trembled. The red light above vanished, blocked by massive bodies. Leaves twisted in the air like a hurricane had slammed into the forest.
And in the middle of this chaos, Louskas fell—his small body spiraling through the air, surrounded by destruction. Below, the battlefield was no better—blood soaked the ground, screams echoed, and dust clouded everything.
He gritted his teeth. No room for mistakes.
He vanished mid-air. Reappeared further away.
He considered fleeing. His plan had flipped against him. He was now in serious danger.
"But the greater the risk, the greater the reward."
He ran toward the heart of the battle. His shard was his trump card—he couldn't waste it unless absolutely needed.
As he ran, the yellow ring around his neck glowed. His white robe and blue scarf disappeared, replaced by black clothes. A violet sword appeared in his hand.
He charged into the battle like a beast, dancing through it with terrifying speed. His strikes were sharp, cold, and merciless.
Some monsters ignored their enemies to attack him instead. Many were only in the first tier—but they were still monsters.
Behind him, the earth quaked.
The apes landed. Hundreds of them crashed down with thunderous force, sending dust flying. The earth howled beneath their weight.
He was close to them—so he fought harder, faster, wilder. Blood coated him. The red light above grew more intense. He looked like… a demon reborn.
Some monsters began to avoid him. They had seen too many of their kind die in seconds.
Louskas pushed forward, heading toward the two clan leaders.
But the falling apes stirred a storm of dust—he could barely see. Then suddenly… he felt the air shift.
He looked up.
A massive black bird hovered above him, its white beak dripping blood. A second-tier beast. Its sharp eyes locked onto his.
It dived.
Louskas reacted—jumping to the right, barely dodging its blade-like wings.
But—A strong strike hit his left side.
It didn't kill him, but it threw him backward hard. He hit the ground. His body screamed in pain.
Before the bird could finish him—
Boom!
The ground exploded beneath it. Hundreds of apes landed at once, crushing the bird without mercy.
The battlefield fell into madness. The enraged apes attacked everything in sight. Blood flew. Bones snapped. Monsters howled in agony.
In the center of it all—only one ape searched with burning eyes.
The one Louskas had punched.
It hadn't forgotten the insult.
Its blood-red eyes were locked on the lone boy in the middle of hell.
And it was ready to tear him apart… piece by piece.