The deeper Leo ventured into the forest, the more alive he felt.
The canopy above filtered golden beams of sunlight through shifting leaves, but the air was thick with danger. The beasts here were stronger—sharper claws, tougher hides, deadlier instincts. But so was Leo.
He crouched low in a clearing as a scaled brute with four legs and thick armor plates thrashed its way into view. Its eyes glowed amber, drool hissing as it hit the ground. The tracker scroll at Leo's side flared slightly—this one was worth four points.
A grin spread across his face. "Let's test something."
The beast roared and charged.
Leo inhaled deeply. Power stirred within him—not just Celestial Energy, but something deeper, ancient, and untamed. Purple flame shimmered faintly along his arms, trailing like smoke. He moved forward in a blur.
His first punch connected with the beast's snout. A blast of purple erupted, burning and forcefully cracking the beast's thick hide. The creature staggered back, screeching.
Leo felt it—the flame obeying him, not resisting. It was no longer wild and untamed like before. It clung to his fists, not scorching but empowering.
He ducked low, rolled under a sweeping claw, and struck again. His fist connected with its stomach, and the purple flame ignited in a spiraling burst that sent the creature flying back into a tree.
Leo stood over it as it groaned, then collapsed.
Breathing heavily, Leo looked down at his hands. The flame slowly receded, leaving only warm trails.
"…It's mine," he whispered. "Finally. It's starting to feel like an actual transmigration now" he says quietly
There was pride in his voice—maybe even joy. Then his expression turns somber remembering the others strength.
An image of Arthur swinging his odachi enters his mind and from inside his spartial bracelet two beautiful black Katanas materialize in his grip, one with a purple hilt and the other a blue hilt.
" Beautiful" he admirers them for a while then sends them back into his spartial bracelet " I'm not ready yet" his tone turns a bit regretful yet laced with understanding
He looks up at the sky between the trees, thoughts drifting beyond this world.
"I still remember skyscrapers. Neon lights. Earth. My world…"
The wind whispered through the leaves.
"But this place… it's starting to feel like home."
---
Elsewhere
Arthur's blade flashed in wide arcs, cutting down two saber wolves lunging from opposite angles. Frost coated the forest floor around him, seeping into their limbs before they hit the ground.
He breathed evenly, movements smooth.
He didn't fight with emotion, but with precision. Each swing was like the stroke of a master painter—elegant, purposeful, and final.
From behind a tree, Alec watched. His own hands still gripped his twin blades, unused for the past few minutes.
Arthur turned, his breath fogging in the air.
"You stalking me again?" he asked, tone flat.
"Just admiring your form. It's decent."
"Still not a compliment," Arthur said, but a faint smirk betrayed him.
" I didn't come to give you one" Alec says gripping his blades tighter . " We have some unfinished scores you and I .... What you say we finish them"
Alec lunges forward but Arthur meets him , sparks flying as their blades clash
******************************
Seth grinned wildly as he streaks across the sky like a gust of wind, fists blazing with energy. Two bird-like creatures swooping toward him, but he spins in midair, launching a spiral of punches that collided with the creatures in a storm of pressure and air.
One creature spirales down smoking, while the other crashes into a tree trunk, wings crumpled.
Seth landed and dusted off his hands.
"Too easy."
Veronica leaps down from a nearby branch with a heavy thud. "You're enjoying this too much."
"Damn right I am!" Seth laughed. "You're just mad your last kill was mine."
Veronica chuckled. "It's not a competition."
Seth cocked an eyebrow. "It absolutely is."
" You know that's what I like about you....
Your fiery attitude"
" Humm so you admitting you like me "
Veronica walks up to Seth her face inches away from his " Don't get ahead of yourself Maxwell," she turns and leaves Seth while hiding a red face.
" Tsk grls"
******************************
Sandra stepped over the corpse of a black-scale panther beast, her breath measured. Her silver dagger shimmered with moonlight—her illusions dancing around her like ghostly ribbons.
Yet her mind wasn't fully on the fight.
She kept replaying moments with Leo—his grin, the way he leapt into battle, the strange warmth he carried even when confused.
Was she falling for him?
"Stupid question," she whispered, watching a butterfly flicker through the air.
A growl snapped her focus back. Another panther, this one larger, leapt from the brush—but it landed on an illusion, slashing at nothing. Luna appeared behind it, blade drawn.
"Too slow."
The creature crumpled seconds later.
******************************
Leo continued pushing deeper into the forest, tracker scroll now reading 14 points. He felt invincible.
Another beast—a twisted boar with tusks the size of short swords—burst from a grove.
"Okay," Leo muttered, tightening his gloves. "Let's go again."
He sidestepped a charge and let instinct take over. The purple flame didn't explode like before—it curled softly over his fists, enhancing his strikes with refined power.
Each punch was calculated, controlled. The boar squealed, wounded by each impact.
Leo danced around it, laughing softly under his breath. Not cruelly—but in wonder.
He felt the air bending slightly when he moved—space itself flexing, subtly. As if the world recognized him now.
After the beast fell, Leo stood tall, breathing hard but triumphant. He looked at his hand again, where a small flame glowed in his palm.
"The flame's obeying," he said, turning toward a rustling sound. "Even space is reacting… its like the world is accepting me…"
A flash of an old life hit him—city lights, video games, human faces he couldn't name anymore.
He smiled to himself.
"This world… I didn't ask to be here, but maybe I was always meant to be."
******************************
Unknown Location
From atop a cliff overlooking the distant edge of the forest, a figure cloaked in crimson watched Leo's movements through a floating obsidian shard.
"He's growing stronger. Too fast," the voice muttered.
A second figure stepped from the shadows. This one had silver hair and bore a half-mask etched with bone symbols.
"Let him. We'll break him later. Strong prey makes the hunt fun."
Behind them, six more figures emerged silently. The rest of his group
Watching. Waiting.
******************************
The wind changed.
Leo froze in the middle of a clearing, tracker scroll still faintly glowing in his satchel. It wasn't the birds that stopped singing or the rustle of the trees—it was the stillness. The absolute, crushing silence.
His purple flames flickered in response, almost like they sensed it too.
A branch snapped.
Leo turned sharply—and the world erupted.
A titanic beast exploded through the tree line, shattering trunks and hurling a wave of dirt and leaves into the air. It was massive—easily fifteen feet tall on four legs, with charcoal-black fur, a spiked mane, and golden eyes that glowed with terrifying intelligence.
A primal roar shook the forest.
The tracker scroll sparked violently. The beast was so strong it overwhelmed the reading.
Leo's breath caught.
"A high-ranking Nobel beast?" he whispered, pulse racing. "Why the hell is something like this here?"
The monster lunged.
Leo barely dodged, launching himself into a roll. The beast's claws raked the ground, carving up a trench of dirt and stone where he'd just stood. Its presence was suffocating, heavier than anything he'd fought.
He clenched his fists. The purple flame ignited—but flickered uncertainly, reacting to the immense energy before him.
"No… I'm not backing down."
He roared back and charged.
His first punch hit the beast's flank, flames bursting outward—but the creature twisted and slapped him away with a massive paw. Leo crashed through two trees before skidding to a stop, coughing.
Pain radiated through his ribs. Blood trailed from his lip.
"Okay…" he groaned, rising shakily. "That actually hurt."
The beast didn't charge again. It circled him slowly, eyes watching—studying.
Like it knew.
Leo grit his teeth. "You want a challenge? You got one."
He stepped forward, gathering World Energy. The flames around him shifted—now wilder, like living shadows. The purple hue deepened, coiling along his arms and shoulders, then another energy stirred space rippled as it answered his call.
" Nice"
He struck again, launching a furious barrage of punches that sent shockwaves through the trees. The beast staggered, but didn't fall.
It howled—and its mane ignited in dark red energy. It was adapting.
Leo's eyes widened. "It's a Nobel beast after all . I high ranking one at that ."
The fight turned brutal. Blow after blow, they traded raw power and speed. Leo's knuckles bled. The beast's hide cracked under the heat. Trees collapsed around them, birds fled, and the forest became a warzone.
But Leo was slowing.
He gasped for breath, kneeling. The flame sparked faintly now. His energy reserves were dropping fast.
And still the beast stood.
The demon inside stirred.
"Weak…"
Leo flinched as the voice echoed through his mind—not fully formed, but present. Watching.
"Shut up," Leo muttered. "I'm not done."
He stood again. His body screamed in protest. But his heart… his heart was beating stronger.
The flame lit again, brighter this time.
"You're not the only monster here," he whispered.
He flared his aura, purple energy wrapping around him like wings of smoke. His hair shimmered under the light. A faint shimmer of space energy rippled beneath his feet.
The beast charged—and Leo met it head-on.
Their clash cracked the earth. For a moment, the entire clearing lit up in purple, blue and crimson.
******************************
Arthur looked up sharply, hand tightening around his odachi.
"Did you feel that?" he asked, his battle with his brother momentarily stopped
Alec nodded. "A battle. A big one."
Seth's voice crackled through the group's shared communication bracelet. "Leo's fighting something nasty. I'm heading toward his coordinates now."
"I'll join," Arthur said without hesitation.
Sandra s voice followed after . "More powerful beasts are showing up …"
"Is this still part of the test," Arthur growled.
A chilling aura is felt beside them as a large serpentine creature appears locking eyes with Arthur and Alec
" Looks like we will be late Leo " Arthur says his grip around his blade
******************************
Sandra paused mid-fight, a low thrum echoing in her chest. Her illusion flickered as her focus shifted.
"Leo…"
She turned, darting through the trees, ignoring the flashing of her scroll. A deep fear settled in her chest. It wasn't just worry—it was connection. Something powerful and unseen.
******************************
Leo fell again, his vision blurring. The beast panted now—wounded, but still towering.
He spat blood and grinned. "Still standing. Still mine."
And then—
A glimmer of light descended from the forest canopy. A ripple. Then two figures landed beside him, same as the beast in his front yet smaller and less domineering
"Damm it" his glare turns colder " Calling for help I see" his aura burns brighter a mix of purple and blue.
Another figure appears by him, illusions disappearing to reveal Sandra, power burning around her.
Both glance at each other, a smile crossing their lips.
" Let's dance" Leo says his voice renewed with resolve