Atlas slammed hard against the ground after being struck by a massive vine.
The impact knocked the air out of his lungs. Dust and broken leaves scattered around him as his body rolled across the forest floor. For a moment, he could only lie there, staring up at the towering canopy above while trying to breathe.
He coughed and pushed himself onto one elbow, chest rising and falling heavily.
Two hours.
It had taken him two full hours to finally bring down that stupid monster.
Two hours of constant pressure. Two hours of dodging, climbing, jumping, tearing through layers of vines inch by inch. He had been forced into a brutal battle of endurance, slowly breaking through the Colossus's defenses while preserving his own stamina. Every punch had to count. Every movement had to be efficient.
In the end, the monster gave in not because it lacked power, but because it ran out of stamina first.
