All of them were sleeping peacefully, bones compiled next to the extinguished campfire. Suddenly, they were awakened by a strange, non-human scream. Kenji sat up and looked at the sky, seeing something flying around them. It was like a shadow under the sun. Kenji couldn't quite determine what it was. The others also sat up. Kenji stared until he had a clear view: it had pointy ears, a bald head, no eyes, a snout, a bloody mouth with sharp teeth, a dark, hairy human body, and bat wings. This was no human or bat. The creature turned and glided in their direction. Kenji immediately grabbed both daggers, pointing them at the creature.
"I've been waiting for this opportunity to try this out," he whispered, glaring at the creature. He stood still, closed his eyes, and heightened his senses. He could feel the air, smell the forest, hear the leaves blowing. A drop of water marked the area. He envisioned his enemy. As the creature came closer, he slowly moved his dagger, slicing through it like butter. Kenji froze as the creature crashed into a huge branch, cut in half. Everyone was shocked and impressed.
"What just happened?" Bel asked. Their attention broke as they heard a sound from a distance. More creatures were coming. They all took out their dual daggers and ran to the edge, jumping down. They started sliding down the huge tree using the daggers to slow their fall. The creatures glided, attempting to catch them. One attacked Fenny, who smiled, jumped away, and landed on one of the creatures. It struggled to fly due to the weight and crashed to the ground. Smoke rose from the crash site. Another creature attacked Hender, who leaped, sliced it up, and stuck his daggers back into the tree to slide down. One by one, they reached the ground.
The group were about to run when a humanoid creature appeared in front of them. It had the same features as the flying one except this creature has a huge body and lacked wings. The creature charged, but Grey stepped in front, catching it by the waist. Grey's body enlarged, his muscles becoming visible, and his suit tightened to match his opponent's body. The others watched as more creatures appeared, smaller and walking on four limbs. One jumped at Bel, who quickly grabbed her daggers and swung, wounding it. Bel followed up with a kick to its stomach. The creature squealed, hurting their ears. They defended themselves from the attacks. Grey used all his strength to lift the huge humanoid, his suit ripping, and threw it into the smaller ones, giving them time to flee.
Kenji slashed his opponent before going after his friends. They ran, avoiding traps. Hundreds of creatures chased them, activating traps that killed many. Despite this, the creatures kept coming. Fenny joined them, and they leaped from trees and ran on the ground, entering a tall canion. The creatures followed, some running on top of the stones, some chasing on the ground. All of them stopped at a dead end, standing back to back, daggers ready. The creatures surrounded them. Huge creatures approached, flying ones in the air. Kenji noticed a huge cave beside him and informed Hender. Hender nods in approval and notifies the other to run into the cave on his cue.
"1..." he whispered. The others tightened their grips on their daggers. "2..." They swallowed hard. "3!!" They were about to run when a giant bear appeared from the huge cave, slashing everything in its path. The giant creatures attacked the bear, but its thick fur made it invulnerable. Using this opportunity, the group ran into the cave to hide.
It was dark inside, but branches were scattered everywhere. Kenji picked up one of the branches and used his skill and talent to create a fire in just a minute. The fire revealed a huge cave filled with bones and skulls of all kinds of animals. They knew they had to get out before the bear returned. Roars and snorts came from outside. They explored the cave, looking for an escape. Bel found a passage going deeper into the cave.
"Umm, guys, come look at this," she shouted. They surrounded the passage, leading to an endless void. They walked aimlessly for 30 minutes, the passage leading to another cave. The fire revealed ancient drawings. They studied them: civilizations, a bear chasing humans with spears, humans hunting a deer. Kenji noticed a serpent swallowing its own tail.
Kenji moved the torch, lighting up the shadows. He saw a huge set of human bones in a sleeping position. Fenny noticed light from the other side of the wall. He climbed the rocks and saw the sky through a hole.
"I need an extra hand here," he shouted. The others joined him, moving rocks aside until the hole was big enough to fit through. They stepped outside, finding themselves on top of a mountain, with a dense forest below and mountains everywhere. Kenji almost stepped off a waterfall, but Hender stopped him. It was a tall waterfall, the bottom a deep void of water. Birds flew in the distance. But they didn't have time to admire the view as the flying creatures were still lingering.
The group climbed down the mountain, jumping from one branch to another. The forest was already dark, as if a shadow had swallowed them. Kenji remembered that tall dark creature which transported them to this world, making their lives miserable. They bravely moved silently in the dark despite the danger of traps and creatures. Denber and Fenny led the way, with Bel and Grey in front of Kenji to ensure Denber and Fenny wouldn't be attacked. Meanwhile, Kenji and Hender brought up the rear, making sure no one would attack them from behind. Hender was slightly behind Kenji, watching his back. A memory flashed in his eyes—an image of Kenji standing still as he sliced the creature up.
"Is he stronger than me by any chance?" Hender ground his teeth, envying Kenji's strength.