The forest was a thick, breathing entity, damp and shadowy even now, hours after the sun had climbed the impossible heights of the Dragon Mountains. Bai Qi and Kael moved through the undergrowth with a shared, silent efficiency. They were a study in contrasts: Bai Qi, a dark, armored shape of cold discipline; Kael, a younger, slightly more agile shadow, his movements driven by instinct and lingering anxiety.
They ran for a full kilometer, circling the Basin in a wide, sweeping arc. Kael, leading the advance, was low to the ground, his senses entirely devoted to the forest floor. He had left the Basin thinking his immediate task was simple: secure the perimeter and bring back small game—rabbits, birds, anything to put meat in the pot without risking a heavy, noisy hunt.
They finally stopped beneath the sprawling roots of an enormous, alien redwood that smelled faintly of sulfur. Kael dropped his breathing to a military rhythm and scanned the dense brush before turning to the Marshal.
"Marshal," Kael whispered, his voice hushed and tight, catching his breath. "We're covering a lot of ground. If the goal is just small game for dinner, we should slow down. We're wasting too much energy on speed, and we haven't seen anything worth chasing."
Bai Qi was already crouching, his iron-colored eyes examining a shallow depression in the earth. He didn't look at Kael, but his attention was absolute. "Continue to observe the terrain, Hunter. We are looking for something more than rabbits."
Kael frowned, then followed the Marshal's line of sight. He saw a depression, not just of a footprint, but a massive, seared scrape mark on the earth. The soil around it looked scorched, and the nearby foliage was brittle and blackened. He pressed his palm to the area and felt a faint residual warmth.
A sudden, sharp nervousness replaced his confusion. This wasn't the mark of a typical animal.
Kael frowned, then followed the Marshal's line of sight. He saw a depression, not just of a footprint, but a massive, seared scrape mark on the earth. The soil around it looked scorched, and the nearby foliage was brittle and blackened. He pressed his palm to the area and felt a faint residual warmth.
A sudden, sharp nervousness replaced his confusion. This wasn't the mark of a typical animal.
"Sir," Kael said, his voice dropping, "what is this? This whole area, it's too quiet, but not totally empty. I saw a few small, burrowing animals nearby, and the bird songs are light—that means the primary predator is likely nocturnal. But look at these scorches and the size of these claw impressions; whatever it is, it's feline or bear-like and massive. This area is being claimed. The Basin is on the edge of a ferocious beast's hunting territory. If we go any further, we might cross its line."
Bai Qi stood slowly, his face devoid of emotion. He kicked a loose rock into the depression.
"You are correct, Hunter," Bai Qi stated, his monotone surprisingly calm. "We did not choose the Basin despite the threat. We chose it because of it. It offers excellent natural defenses against predictable enemies like Goblins. But it also offers a perfect chokepoint against the unpredictable, massive threats."
Kael's eyes widened, a fresh spike of panic hitting him. "Sir, with respect, are you saying we built a village on purpose near a monster? And we came out here alone? Marshal, we're lacking tools. Two men and two stone knives might not be enough to find or fight the thing that owns this land."
Bai Qi finally turned, his gaze drilling into Kael. "You misunderstand the premise, Hunter. We did leave the base to draw out the beast. But neither of us is the bait."
Kael looked genuinely confused. He glanced back toward the direction of the Basin, then back at the Marshal. "If we're not the bait, sir... then are we the hunters?"
"No," Bai Qi said, starting to move again, his steps deliberate and soundless. "We are neither the bait nor the hunters. We are the distraction. We left the base so the beast would register our absence and perceive the Basin as a viable target. Our objective is to avoid engagement. If we encounter the creature we are looking for, we are doomed. We must ensure we remain undetected."
Kael sped up to keep pace with the General, his mind racing. "Sir, I don't understand. If we're avoiding the fight, but we left the base to draw it out... what is the point of being out here, then?"
"The point," Bai Qi said, his eyes scanning the tree canopy high above. "Is the clock. Cao Cao and I noticed this anomaly from the hill. The monster that owns this land is large, territorial, and based on the light, fire-scarred soil, it hunts during the night, resting at this hour. This means it is the most dangerous threat to the village, which is defenseless in the dark."
He stopped again, turning toward Kael. "We need to eliminate this immediate threat to the Basin before sunset. If we had stayed in the Basin, our presence would have warned it off. It would have simply waited for its moment. By leaving, we communicate that the prey is vulnerable. This was a trap."
Kael swallowed hard, the realization hitting him with the force of a blow. He suddenly understood the difference between the civilian survival instincts he possessed and the cold, terrifying strategic foresight of the two generals. He knew then why these men were champioms.
"Marshal," he asked, his voice now steadier, driven by purpose. "What is our objective, then? What is the flaw?"
"We are going to find the beast's den," Bai Qi stated, his gaze fixed on the deepest, darkest sections of the forest. "We need to confirm two things: first, if it lives alone, or if it has more of its kind. And second, we need to know the depth of the rabbit hole before we decide how to collapse it."
He gave Kael a rare, intense look. "Now, let's hurry. I need your expertise in locating the home of the beast. Show me the paths only a massive creature would take."
"Yes, sir," Kael replied, his voice grave. He pushed aside the fear and focused entirely on the grim task. One wrong move, he knew, and the newly born Kingdom of Man would be over before the sun set on its first day.
***
Far above Pangea, in the timeless expanse of the Divine Asylum, Loki, Jesus, and Buddha watched the subtle movements of the two men in the dense, alien forest. The entire scene of their resurrection, transport, and the current strategic gambit was playing out on a single, shimmering pool of cosmic energy.
Loki watched Bai Qi's expressionless face as he directed Kael into the dangerous thicket. He let out a slow, satisfied sigh. "No wonder they are so ruthless to their enemies. They are just as ruthless to themselves. Sending the hunter to track a den they have no intention of fighting. Pure, cold strategy."
The Buddha, his light radiating ancient wisdom, nodded calmly. "Just like they said before they left, Trickster. It was all for survival. They will sacrifice anything—even their immediate safety—to secure the future state."
Jesus, his eyes holding a familiar sorrow, commented, "Gaia chooses her champions well for the task. But I am deeply concerned for her. The sight of her light dimming so quickly is troubling."
The Buddha agreed, his eyes twitching slightly. "The degree of her weakening is too much. It exceeds the cost of a standard resurrection and transfer."
Loki chuckled, the sound sharp and theatrical. "Well, we all know that Cao Cao is a dragon among men and would naturally require Gaia a huge deal of her divine power, simply to contain that ambition and intellect. And Bai Qi, while requiring less than the Chief Minister, still demanded a significant price. But her deliberate choices of the civilians—that's what drained her more."
The Buddha steepled his fingers, performing a quick, mental calculation of divine expenditure. "Indeed. If we put it into numbers, if Cao Cao required 20% of her divinity, and Bai Qi required 15%, each of those five civilians—the tailor, the herbalist, the hunter—required 5% each instead of the standard 1%. That alone left her with only 40% of her divine power."
Jesus added, his voice soft but firm. "The desperate energy expended on the transportation also decreased her divine power by another 10%. She intentionally overspent to ensure their immediate survival on Pangea."
Loki stretched languidly, a grin splitting his face. "Isn't she a loving goddess?"
Hearing the question, the Buddha's eyes twitched again, a fleeting memory of Gaia in the earlier, less maternal years crossing his mind.
Jesus looked at the Buddha and then back at the shimmering pool. "This change in her, this profound, sacrificial nurturing, is because of the love she had learned for her creation. But still, we must approach the King for some clarification. At this state, Gaia is in a precarious condition. She can't sustain the effort if the trial demands further intervention."
The Buddha nodded, the wisdom in his gaze now mixed with strategic concern. "I will speak to the King of Gods. The rules must allow for a temporary retreat and recovery, lest Gaia's light fail entirely."