Somewhere within the southern edge of the Amazon, where the wilderness met the outskirts of Dravi City, a patrol of four prepared to enter the dense outer forest. The air was thick with humidity, the scent of wet soil and moss mingling beneath the heavy canopy. When they stepped past the treeline, the world shifted... light dimmed, sounds deepened, and the chatter of unseen creatures filled the void.
Leaves brushed against their gear, insects stirred in clouds around their boots, and the rhythmic crunch of their steps faded into the endless murmur of the forest that seemed almost alive, breathing, and watching.
Suddenly, the redhead in their group spat out, "Man, this f*cking sucks! Why did this have to happen to us?!"
"Are you seriously asking that?!" barked the one with messy hair and a faint scar running across his cheek. "Guess who caused this mess for our team? Captain! I'm telling you, this guy needs to be put on probation for ten years!"
"Hey! Don't pin it all on me!" the redhead shot back, glaring.
Following behind them, a blue-haired girl observed their squabble, her sapphire eyes calm and unreadable.
The man at the front stopped and glanced back, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. His voice was calm but carried weight."That's enough. We are all at fault. Remember, we're scouts, not mercenaries playing soldier." The air quieted instantly. The pair's gazes lifted to their captain... A man barely in his twenties, yet the authority in his tone left no room for argument. A blade hung at one hip, a gun at the other, balanced like the man himself.
The girl, with her cold and indifferent expression, seemed completely unfazed by the exchange. Her sapphire eyes barely flickered, her face as calm as still water. But inside...C-Cool! So cool! As expected of Captain…!
She quickly averted her gaze, pretending to adjust her gear to hide the faint warmth rising in her chest. To the others, she was as emotionless as ever. Only she knew her heart was anything but.
But the messy-haired man couldn't hold it in. "B-but, Captain!" he blurted, his voice caught between defiance and concern.
The man's voice trembled, but the captain's sharp gaze silenced him.
"A soldier does not question his superior. Understood?" His tone was firm, every word cutting clean through the air. Then, softer... But no less resolute—he added, "Before I'm your leader… before I'm your captain… I'm your superior. Remember that."
There was no anger in his voice, only discipline, and a quiet concern that lingered between the words.
"Now move—quickly. We need to find it before it recovers. If night falls and it enters its hunting state, we're done for."
As they pressed deeper into the outer forest, the captain's calm voice cut through the rustling leaves. "Still, it's not all bad. We're just following standard protocol."
After a stretch of silence, the blue-haired girl finally spoke, her voice steady and detached.
"Captain… was it really necessary to retreat? It was only a Rank 1 Revolture."
She didn't raise her gaze, yet her words carried a faint trace of dissatisfaction beneath that calm exterior.
"Vaera, you may think of it that way," the captain began, adjusting his glasses, the faint moonlight catching the lenses, "but while we were fighting it inside the DCF, the sensors confirmed it was on the verge of ascending to Rank 2. Protocols clearly state that interfering with a Revolture during ascension only accelerates mutation."
He paused, his voice carrying a calm authority that contrasted the restless jungle around them. "That's why I ordered a retreat. Even if we released it, it would've ended up back in the wild randomly regardless—the DCF itself is within the forest. I'd rather take the blame than risk your lives. Just that finding it will be trouble some. We still manage to injure it severely so it's not a real failure."
The group walked in silence, the crunch of damp soil beneath their boots filling the void. The captain's hand brushed the hilt of his sword as his gaze swept through the dark canopy, ever watchful.
His tone softened, but the weight in it deepened. "If we'd stayed longer, we could've triggered something far worse. And once that thing escapes…" He glanced at the others over his shoulder, eyes shadowed but resolute. "…it won't stop until it leaves a trail of destruction behind."
For a moment, no one spoke. The redhead's usual smirk had faded into unease, and even the messy-haired man seemed reluctant to breathe too loudly. Vaera lowered her eyes, the sapphire glow of her irises dimmed by guilt as the captain's words sank in.
Bowing her head slightly, Vaera spoke first, her voice quiet but sincere.
"I'm sorry, Captain… I shouldn't have questioned you like that. That was thoughtless of me... And insulting to your judgment."
The captain glanced back, the faintest curve forming at the edge of his lips, though he said nothing.
Then, as if trying to break the awkward silence, the redhead and the messy-haired man exchanged a quick glance before straightening up and shouting in unison—
"We're sorry too, Captain! For not understanding the brilliance behind your actions!"
Their voices echoed through the forest, startling a flock of birds from the nearby canopy.
The captain sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, muttering under his breath, "I never asked for your dramatic chorus…" but the ghost of a smirk betrayed his composure.
The captain adjusted his glasses again, the moonlight glinting faintly across the lens.
"And don't feel sorry, Vaera," he said in a calm, steady voice. "It's fine to make mistakes and ask questions. You've only been with our team for—what, a month now?"
Vaera straightened slightly, surprised by his gentle tone.
"In fact," he continued, glancing briefly over his shoulder with a faint, approving smile, "you're adapting faster than most recruits I've had. Keep that up, and you'll be running circles around these two before long."
C—Captain's signature move! Vaera thought, eyes sparkling despite her stoic expression. Adjusting his glasses… witnessed it three times!
Then, as if realizing what she was thinking, her face twitched slightly. W–what am I doing?! I need to get back to Ophis Academy and redeem myself to my familys eyes!
"Hey!" the redhead protested from behind, snapping her out of her inner panic. The captain's quiet chuckle followed soon after, a rare sound that somehow eased the entire group's tension.
---
As they ventured deeper into the outer forest, the signs became impossible to ignore... The calls of animals had grown distant, their movements all flowing away from the direction the team was heading. The once vibrant wilderness now felt hollow, the diversity of life thinning with every step.
Adjusting his glasses, the captain's eyes narrowed.
"This is it," he said, voice low but firm. "We're close. The migration patterns confirm it, we're heading straight toward the target."
The—the fourth time!!
When the captain's words fell, the team's demeanor shifted instantly and she followed suit quickly erasing the thought. The casual air vanished, replaced by sharp focus and discipline. Each member moved into formation, a triangular stance designed to eliminate blind spots and minimize the chance of an ambush.
The captain led at the front, one hand resting on the grip of his sidearm, the other poised over the hilt of his sword. To his left, the redhead carried a greatsword, its broad blade glinting faintly under the moonlight. On the right, the messy-haired man flexed his gloved hands, twin handguns holstered but ready to draw in a heartbeat. Everyone had a belt around their waist carrying Vials of different colors of green, red, etc.
At the center of their formation was Vaera, seemingly protected within the triangle, her sapphire eyes scanning their surroundings with quiet vigilance.
---
As they pressed deeper into the forest following a river they stumbled upon on the way, the air grew heavier. The light that once filtered gently through the leaves was now swallowed by the thick canopy above. The surroundings fell into a dim hush... No birdsong, no rustling of animals, only the whisper of wind brushing against the tall grass and hanging vines.
The redhead broke the silence first. "Where do we go from here, Captain? It feels like we don't have a clear direction anymo—"
Before he could finish, the messy-haired man cut in, tone sharp and restless. "It's close. Has to be. With that size, there's no way it could hide cleanly in a forest this dense. My guess—" he adjusted his gloves, scanning the shadows, "it's holed up in a cave, or tucked away in some secluded spot nearby."
The captain nodded slightly, a hint of approval in his tone. "That's a reasonable deduction, Sereth. Using the terrain to our advantage while considering its size, good thinking."
The redhead's eye twitched. Tch—this bastard got praised by the Captain again! I won't accept that!
He stepped forward, voice louder than necessary. "B-but Captain! If it's really hiding in a cave or some secluded area, finding it won't be that simple!" he declared, crossing his arms in defiance. "Even if we tried climbing these trees, the canopy's too thick to spot anything from above. And considering the humidity and the river flow we've been tracking, any cave system nearby would probably be half-flooded by now."
He smirked, throwing a smug glance at Sereth. "So unless he plans to dive into a swamp, that thing isn't sitting in some cozy cave waiting for us."
Sereth shot him a sidelong look, the corner of his mouth twitching. "Lucen... Are you trying to outsmart the Captain or me?"
The captain exhaled softly, the faintest trace of a smile on his face. "Both, it seems."
Behind them, Vaera maintained her composed, expressionless face... Her sapphire eyes calm and unbothered. But inwardly, she sighed.
Honestly… this idiot's brain must've been swapped with a coconut. Competing for the gloriou— I mean captain's compliments like it's a children's game…
Still, the corner of her mouth almost curved. Though… I guess seeing him this fired up is kinda… cute? No! No it's not! She straightened up, eyes forward, pretending she hadn't thought that at all.
Then, as they continued pressing through the dense undergrowth, something faint reached them... A smell carried by the wind. At first, they ignored it. In a rainforest like this, the stench of decay wasn't uncommon; a dead animal, perhaps, or damp soil festering under the heat.
But with every step forward, it grew stronger... Thicker... Until the air itself felt foul. Lucen flinched, covering his nose with the back of his hand. "Ugh… what is that?" he muttered, his voice muffled.
Vaera, walking behind them, slowed her pace. Her sharp senses caught something off. The smell wasn't just rot... it carried a heavy, metallic trace.
She spoke up quietly, her usual cold tone tinged with unease. "Captain… this isn't the smell of a dead animal." Her sapphire eyes narrowed as she glanced around the dark forest. "It smells more like… rotting flesh."
The captain adjusted his glasses, his tone calm but edged with grim certainty.
"Correct. Such a stench shouldn't exist in this forest unless you pile up dozens of carcasses together…"
He paused, his gaze sharpening as the wind shifted, carrying the smell thicker now metallic, cloying, wrong.
"…which can only mean one thing."
The rest of the team froze. A sudden stillness fell over them... Even the forest seemed to hold its breath.
Then, they saw it.
Flesh.
Scattered across the mossy ground like discarded rags, half-submerged in mud and crawling with worms. Insects buzzed greedily over the remains, feasting on what little was left. The smell hit them like a wall that's sharp, rancid and suffocating.
But the horror didn't stop there.
Lucen's eyes followed a trail of blood that led upward... And his breath hitched.
From the branches above, slabs of flesh hung like grotesque vines, swaying gently with the breeze. Blood dripped steadily from them, painting the forest floor in uneven streaks of red.
And then they saw it — impaled across a cluster of trees, skewered like some gruesome offering... It's none other than the Revolture they were looking for this whole time!
Its tough flesh was torn open, organs spilling out like melted wax, its eyes dull and glassy.
Lucen staggered back, his hand instinctively reaching for his sword.
"W-what the f—" he couldn't even finish. The words died in his throat.
Sereth's voice cracked, his usual composure shattering. "C-Captain, that's— that's the damn target!"
Vaera took a step forward before the sight hit her full force. Her knees trembled. She clutched her mouth and nose with both hands, fighting back the urge to vomit. Her eyes trembled... A mixture of fear, disgust, and disbelief.
The captain alone stood motionless, the eerie glint in his glasses hiding his eyes as he muttered under his breath,
"…This wasn't done by us."