Soren pressed himself tighter against the thick bark of the tree, eyes flicking between the thrashing centipede and the spiked gorilla. The jungle floor shook with every strike, leaves raining down around him. His hands itched for the sword on his back, but even the thought of drawing it felt reckless. One wrong step and either of these monsters could turn him into something unrecognizable. He ran through options in his head, trying to plan the safest path forward without revealing his presence. The centipede's tail whipped against a nearby trunk, splintering wood, and Soren flinched. The gorilla's roar followed, a deep, vibrating sound that seemed to rattle the very air
Soren poked his head past the tree he was hiding behind, 'I need to create more distance and when both of them are fully going at it then I'll strike'
The centipede's body twisted and snapped, mandibles snapping forward with terrifying precision. Its segmented carapace glimmered in the dim light filtering through the canopy, black and red plates clashing against the jagged spikes on the gorilla's arms. Each strike sent splinters of wood and soil flying in all directions, the ground trembling under the weight of their clash. The gorilla responded with a swing of its massive spiked forearm, shattering the centipede's armoured segment with a sickening crunch. Dirt and debris scattered like rain, and the jungle echoed with the deafening sound of battle
Soren pressed himself against a thick root, ducking under a swaying branch. His boots sank slightly into the soft soil as he kept his eyes locked on the two combatants. The gorilla moved with alarming speed for its size, pivoting on spiked feet to strike again, and the centipede coiled its body, whipping its tail like a living whip. The creature's mandibles clicked threateningly, snapping mere inches from where Soren had been standing a heartbeat ago
'God, they're relentless,' Soren muttered, his hand brushing the hilt of his sword. 'I need to wait… wait until one of them is badly hurt, until I can actually make this count'
He moved slowly, calculating each step, forcing himself to stay calm as his senses stretched across the chaos. The gorilla had begun to dominate the fight, pushing the centipede back with brutal, precise strikes. Soren watched as the centipede's segments cracked and splintered, its movements growing slower, less coordinated. The gorilla let out a guttural roar, swinging with deadly intent, knocking another section of the centipede into a tree, splintering it
The scent of blood and broken wood filled the air, mixing with the damp, heavy smell of the jungle. Soren's mind raced, measuring distance, timing, and angles. He was far enough to be out of immediate danger, but close enough to see the injuries accumulating on both creatures
'Now!'
He flexed his fingers, feeling the faint pulse of blood magic thrumming through him, waiting for the moment. His heart pounded as he imagined the trajectory, the speed, and the destructive force of the attack. Every muscle tensed, every sense sharpened as the centipede writhed desperately, trying to coil around the gorilla, but its strikes were slowing, its once lightning-fast reflexes dulled by damage. The gorilla, muscles flexing with brutal efficiency, forced the centipede onto its back, slamming it into the earth with a force that made Soren stagger slightly backward. Tiny droplets of his own blood surfaced at the tips of his fingers, bursting outward with a soft hiss as he condensed his mana around them. The pain was sharp, but by now he had grown accustomed to it
With a surge of force, he released the spell. The blood railgun shot forward, a streak of red and black energy slicing through the thick jungle air. The trajectory wavered slightly his aim was sloppy under pressure, but the projectile tore through the centipede's segmented legs with brutal efficiency. Several limbs were shredded mid-strike, snapping and twisting as the creature shrieked, its body spasming uncontrollably, writhing in pain and fury
The gorilla seized the moment. Its massive hands gripped the weakened centipede mid-body and with one brutal heave, it lifted the creature high above its head. Soren watched as the gorilla's muscles coiled, spikes glinting, before it tore the centipede clean in half. The sound of snapping chitin echoed like thunder through the jungle, and the ground shook beneath the impact
"Shit, I missed the gorilla. Whatever. I'll hide myself now and take the remains of the centipede when that monster leaves here" Soren muttered under his breath, pressing himself against a thick tree trunk as the gorilla thrashed and roared, its massive form still dominating the clearing
Then it stopped
The air shifted, a subtle change that made the hair on Soren's neck stand on end. The gorilla's gaze snapped toward him, pinpointing the exact spot where he crouched. It was unnerving, its head tilted slightly, eyes narrowing as if it had smelled or sensed him through the undergrowth. Soren froze, unsure if it had tracked his mana or something else
'Why is it looking here?' he thought, panicking. 'Is there another monster behind me?'
He twisted his head slowly, scanning the jungle behind him. Nothing. Not a single shape or movement
The gorilla's lanky, spiked body remained there, unmoving, but its gaze felt like it was piercing right through him and then their eyes met Soren's and the gorilla's. The green and black stripes rippling along its fur, the unnatural shape of its torso, the spikes catching the dim light, it was almost like staring at a predator that understood every move he might make. Soren's heart leapt, adrenaline spiking as the massive beast lunged forward, its clawed hands tearing through undergrowth in a blur of green and black
"Shit!" Soren yelled, sprinting as fast as his legs could carry him, weaving through roots and fallen trees. He clenched his fingers, condensing mana at their tips, the familiar sting burning like fire as he prepared another railgun attack while on the move
Soren's eyes darted over his shoulder just in time to see the gorilla's form shimmer, green and black stripes rippling unnaturally as its outline blurred and faded. The massive limbs and jagged spikes seemed to dissolve into the air, the enormous torso flickering as if reality itself couldn't hold it
Despite the visual disappearance, the ground shook beneath him with each heavy step, the deafening thuds echoing through the jungle, sending vibrations up through his boots. Soren's chest tightened, his fingers clenching the railgun position instinctively, but he could see it vanishing right in front of his eyes, the impossible sight colliding with the undeniable sound of pursuit
"What?!" he muttered, panic tightening his throat. Every instinct screamed to run, to put distance between him and the near-invincible predator that seemed to bend the rules of reality itself. The rustle of leaves and the pounding vibrations were the only proof it was still behind him, yet his vision kept flicking to the empty space where the hulking gorilla had been just a moment ago
The railgun hummed in his hands, the tip of his fingers throbbing from condensing mana, and Soren forced himself to sprint faster, weaving through roots and fallen branches, trying to use the chaos of the jungle to his advantage while his mind screamed
'Of course. Of course it can turn invisible!' The thought barely registered before Soren's pulse quickened, his mind snapping to the reality of it. The massive gorilla had vanished from sight, but the sound of its heavy footsteps still reverberated through the jungle, each one a reminder that it was coming for him
He stretched his senses outward, pushing his intent magic to its limits, trying to detect the invisible predator. Every leaf, every root, every slight shift in the air was analysed, but the gorilla remained undetectable, an unseen force pressing closer with each step. It was as if the jungle itself had swallowed the creature whole
Then, without warning, a massive fist erupted from thin air, swinging down where Soren had been only moments ago. He reacted instinctively, firing the railgun attack he had prepared, spreading the condensed mana outwards reverting it into his explosion spell
The force propelled him backward, the shockwave slamming into the jungle floor and splintering the surrounding trees just as the fist struck the empty space he had occupied
Soren rolled, landing on his feet, heart hammering, eyes scanning frantically. The gorilla's form was still invisible, but its presence pressed down on him like a storm. Every instinct screamed at him that it was waiting, watching, anticipating his next move
He tightened his grip on his sword, the railgun humming faintly at his fingertips. The space between hunter and beast seemed to stretch impossibly, the jungle holding its breath, waiting. The beast and Soren locked eyes once again and this time Soren made the first move