The forest shook with each massive step of the Crusher Crab. Its jagged shell glinted as it advanced, the enormous claw swinging with deadly intent. Adlet and Polo spread out slightly, studying their opponent.
"It's huge," Polo muttered, flexing his tentacles, "but slow. Watch its patterns."
Adlet nodded, feeling the familiar hum of his Aura. He could feel the weight of the fight ahead, his heartbeat quickening as his thoughts raced. He'd fought plenty of creatures, but there was something different about this one. Something in the way it moved, the raw power in each step. It wasn't just a test of his strength—it was a test of his resolve.
"Let's go. Keep it busy; I'll support."
The battle began with the expected rhythm — the Crab lunged, its claw slamming down where Adlet had just been. He rolled aside, feeling the shockwave ripple through the ground. Polo leapt, his tentacles whipping to deflect debris, keeping the beast off balance.
For a moment, the fight seemed straightforward: evade, counter, test the Apex's reactions. But Adlet's mind was sharp, keenly aware of every detail—the slight tremor in the Crab's claw before it attacked, the way its body tensed before a strike. It was calculating, something he hadn't expected from a creature of its size. He wasn't just facing a monster; he was facing a puzzle.
Then the creature paused. It crouched low, Its giant claw closed on a massive rock. The stone groaned under the pressure, cracking until it shattered. A chill ran down Adlet's spine. He could sense the change before it happened—the atmosphere thickened, the beast was preparing something. His instinct screamed at him to move.
A shrill hiss rose, immediately followed by a metallic crack.
Before Adlet could react, the Crab flung the debris with terrifying speed. Each fragment was like a miniature spear, and despite their Aura shields, several struck them, leaving shallow cuts across their arms and legs. The pain was sharp, but not unbearable. Still, the blood, mixing with sweat, made his grip on his weapon slip slightly. It wasn't the pain that rattled him—it was the realization that he wasn't as invincible as he thought.
Adlet gritted his teeth, the sting of the cuts only fueling his determination. He could feel his Aura pulsing, the energy within him rising, but it wasn't enough to shake the lingering doubt. He'd always pushed himself, always tried to be better, but for the first time, he wondered if he was truly ready for what was coming.
"Distract it!" he yelled. "I'll try something!"
Polo nodded, adjusting his stance, tentacles coiling and ready. Adlet darted forward, drawing the Crab's attention with a series of feints and quick strikes. The creature swung its remaining claw, each attack narrowly missing him, focusing entirely on the smaller, faster target.
While the Crusher Crab was occupied, Polo seized his moment. With a burst of strength, he wrapped his tentacles around the massive claw, locking it in place. The Crab roared, the sound vibrating through the forest as it thrashed, trying to free itself.
"Now!" He shouted.
Adlet surged forward, channeling all his Aura into his arms, digging in, and helping Polo wrench the claw free from its hinge. The Crab's roar turned into a scream of pain, the shell cracking under the strain.
They didn't pause. In perfect sync, Adlet leapt to the side, striking a powerful blow at the base of the claw while Polo attacked from above. The force combined tore through the creature's defenses. With a final, shuddering groan, the Crusher Crab collapsed, immobilized. A joint strike from Adlet and Polo sent the beast sprawling to the ground, defeated.
Breathing heavily, Adlet and Polo hit hands, a silent acknowledgment of their teamwork.
"Decidedly," Polo said, wiping sweat from his brow, "ranged attacks are really tricky to deal with."
Adlet's eyes caught the fragments of stone that had cut him earlier. His mind wandered for a moment, the adrenaline of the battle slowly fading. That burst of pain, the sharpness of it... It was a reminder of how far he still had to go. Polo had been there, pulling him through, but it wasn't always going to be like that. At some point, he would need to stand on his own.
"And… why not do the same?" he said with a grin, pointing toward the small projectiles scattered around them.
Polo raised an eyebrow, a smirk forming. "I like that thinking. Let's keep it in mind."
The two boys moved back along the forest path, alert and ready, hearts racing with renewed excitement. Adlet's breath slowed, but his mind was still racing. The fight had been hard, but it wasn't the hardest thing he'd ever faced. He had learned something new about himself today. The thrill of victory had been sweet, but the bitter taste of doubt lingered, pushing him forward.
Ahead lay the Javeline Seagull, waiting to test them once more — and this time, they were prepared to turn its own attacks against it.
It didn't take long. As soon as they stepped into an open clearing, a familiar hiss cut through the air. The bird descended in a sharp dive, its cry echoing like a battle horn. Polo shot upward, darting from trunk to trunk, his tentacles lashing out to propel him higher. Adlet stayed low, moving fast, waiting for his moment.
The Seagull screeched, wings spread wide, and once again unleashed a storm of razor-sharp feathers. Polo spun between the deadly rain, using the trees for cover while keeping the bird's focus squarely on him. "Come on, look at me!" he shouted, his Aura flaring bright as he lunged from one tree to another.
But the bird was too agile, darting through the air with cruel precision. When it gained enough distance, it hovered, readying another barrage — exactly what Adlet had been waiting for.
Hidden among the roots, the boy crouched low, a stone gripped tight in his hand. His Aura thrummed in his chest, a raw, pulsing force. The stone was small in his hand, but in that moment, it felt like the weight of the world. His heartbeat synchronized with the rhythm of his breath—focused, clear. He wasn't just aiming for the bird. He was aiming for something greater.
He drew his Aura inward, condensing it in his arm until his muscles trembled. A sharp twist of the waist, a clean rotation — the stone shot forth like a thunderclap.
It sliced through the air and struck true. The monstrous bird gave a single strangled cry before collapsing mid-flight, crashing into the forest floor with a thud.
Adlet rose slowly, catching his breath, as Polo landed nearby, eyes wide with exhilaration. The two exchanged a grin and smacked their palms together.
"That was perfect," Polo laughed.
Adlet nodded, a proud smile on his face. "Next time, I'm letting you throw."
As they dragged the carcasses of both the Crusher Crab and the Javeline Seagull back to the ship, Adlet felt a wave of quiet satisfaction wash over him. But beneath it, there was still that gnawing feeling. It was a sense of progress, but also a reminder. A reminder that each victory brought him one step closer to something much bigger, something he wasn't sure he was ready for yet.
They sold Apex materials as usual—shells, feathers, even meat had their value. By dusk, the crew had reassembled on deck, torches flickering in the salt-scented wind.
Polo, however, couldn't rest. He stood over the massive crab claw, eyes gleaming with curiosity. "There's something to learn from this," he murmured. With careful precision, he pried the shell open, clearing fragments and channeling his Aura through the inner chamber.
A sharp whine built up, then a loud pop — the recoil echoed across the deck, startling everyone. Polo jumped back, then burst into laughter. "Ha! It works! Now all I need is a projectile!"
Adlet grinned, plucked a feather from the fallen seagull, and held it out. Polo froze for a moment, surprised by the gesture, then accepted it with a grateful nod. He loaded the feather into the claw, aimed toward the island, and focused his Aura.
The claw whistled again, firing the feather at tremendous speed — it missed the target completely and buried itself in the sand. Polo's laughter broke the silence. "Fantastic! It just needs a bit of adjustment."
"Incredible," Adlet said, shaking him by the shoulders.
The crew decided to remain on the island for several more days. Polo was determined to find more Javeline Seagulls and Crusher Crabs — both to study their remains and to test his new weapon.
This time, however, the two boys fought separately. Each facing their own opponent was more than just a test of strength—it was a test of who they had become. Adlet could feel the difference now—his movements sharper, more instinctual, his Aura more attuned to his will. But the weight of each fight was also heavier. Every clash wasn't just about defeating the enemy. It was about confronting himself.
They grew sharper with every encounter, more attuned to their Aura and their instincts. And with each victory, there was that whisper—a voice in the back of Adlet's mind—reminding him that this path wasn't just about power, or pride. It was about mastering what lay beneath. Polo spent the entire voyage honing his creation, fine-tuning its mechanics with the same intensity he applied to his training. Adlet watched, intrigued by the way Polo immersed himself in the process, as if the world around them ceased to exist when he was working. Each new trial brought a spark to Polo's eyes—an obsession with perfection, as if this weapon, this creation, could somehow define him.
Adlet, on the other hand, focused inward. He could feel the difference, a subtle but undeniable shift in himself. His Aura, once a chaotic surge of power, now felt controlled—focused. He moved with a fluidity he hadn't known before, and his senses were sharper, more attuned to the world around him. He had pushed himself to the edge of Rank 2, and with each passing day, the weight of that achievement settled deeper within him, like a new skin that was both alien and familiar.
The Neraid Sea stretched endlessly before them, its surface a mirror of pale blue beneath the sky's soft glow. There was something about the vastness of the sea that made everything feel small, insignificant—even the weight of his new strength. For the first time in what felt like ages, Adlet felt truly free. No longer confined by the expectations of others or the rigid structure of his training, he was a Protector not just by title, but by choice. He had become the master of his own fate—guided by discovery, by friendship, and by the pull of the horizon.
But even in this newfound freedom, a question lingered—Was this enough? What would he do when the horizon no longer held answers? What if the path he had chosen required more than he was willing to give? As the ship cut through the water, the quiet hum of the sea was the only sound, and Adlet found his thoughts wandering. He wasn't just a boy anymore, chasing the distant shores of his childhood dreams—he was becoming something more. But whether that was a Protector, a leader, or something else entirely… that was still unknown.