The boy was clinging to the top of the tree, looking down with pure fear.
Beneath him stood a massive, lizard-like beast covered in scales. A row of bony spines ran down its back, and it had four powerful legs. It was lashing out with three tails; one thick one was slamming into the ground, while two thinner ones swished menacingly behind it.
The monster lifted its heavy tail and smashed it against the tree trunk with brutal force. The whole tree shook violently as the creature stared the boy down.
All of this was unfolding while Soli watched from a distance, hidden silently in the bushes.
He started backing away slowly. Then, he turned around and walked off, step by step, without ever looking back.
"Ahhh!... Aahhh!"
The boy screamed, clinging to the tree branches with all his remaining strength.
Below, the massive beast slammed its heavy tail against the trunk, letting out distorted, cackling sounds, closer to the bark of a hyena than a laugh. Four yellow eyes stared up at him, unblinking.
Suddenly, the boy's foot slipped. He lost his grip and tumbled down from the tree, landing right in front of the creature.
The beast loomed over him, its double-layered mouth gaping open—an outer jaw with four massive fangs, and an inner maw revealing rows upon rows of other sharp teeth.
The boy raised a hand to his injured shoulder, staring into the monster's mouth with wide, terrified eyes.
He couldn't even scream anymore... only a choked whimper trembled in his chest.
"Hey!... Get away from my delivery boy, you ugly lizard!"
Soli's voice cut through the air from behind. A sharp yell as he charged straight toward the beast.
He pulled his right arm back, clenched his fist tight, then slid forward with sudden speed—
Punch!
Soli's fist slammed directly into the beast, his confidence in his own strength absolute… but the punch didn't even budge a single scale.
The monster didn't flinch. It didn't stagger. It was completely unfazed.
Soli took a step back… then another… staring at his own fist as if it didn't belong to him.
His eyes went wide.
"What in the actual hell?"
A punch like that should have been enough to take down the biggest creatures out there… even ones bigger than the freak in front of him.
A few seconds passed, with Soli still staring at his hand, unable to process what had just happened.
The beast slowly turned towards him, letting out that same distorted, cackling sound from its closed mouth.
Soli looked up at it and retreated another step, his movements heavy, slow… filled with utter disbelief.
Then suddenly—
The monster let out a deafening roar and lunged at Danny.
Soli froze for a split second… before diving out of the way at the very last moment.
He rolled across the ground and sprang back to his feet just as the creature whirled around to attack again.
"Dammit!"
The boy ran toward Soli, but as he got close, Soli swiftly slapped him across the face and gestured sharply for him to get away.
"You lizard... you're one ugly piece of work!"
Danny yelled,waving his arms to taunt the beast.
The monster lunged at him. Soli jumped sideways, but the thick tail was faster—
It slammed into him,knocking the wind from his chest and sending him flying. He crashed to the ground with a choked groan.
Those distorted, cackling sounds erupted from the beast's throat, as if mocking him while he staggered back to his feet.
Something was stinging in his chest…
Four dark scales were embedded in his skin.
He pulled them out with his hand and watched the wound slowly close…then vanish as if it was never there.
Soli looked up at the beast, panting, then his hand automatically moved to his waist…
Empty.
He looked down at the ground.
There.
The old,worn stone dagger was lying beneath the beast's foot. A moment later, the creature stomped down, burying it completely under its heavy claws.
Soli's eyes lifted back to the monster, and they slowly widened.
He smiled wickedly.
"You're clever... but are you smart enough? "
Soli scrambled backward, his steps hesitant, then suddenly spun around and bolted at top speed into the trees.
The beast didn't hesitate for a second—it was right behind him, its hot breath ghosting against his neck.
Soli ran in erratic zigzags, trying to throw it off. A massive fallen tree loomed ahead. He sprinted straight for it and nimbly leaped over.
The beast mimicked him, all four tons of muscle and scales launching into the air.
But Soli immediately jumped again, this time toward the trunk of a nearby tree, using it to pivot and launch himself back the way he came.
The monster, caught completely off guard by the change in direction, slid over the fallen log and crashed heavily into the ground. It roared in fury, surged back to its feet, and resumed its chase.
It got closer… and closer…
But it was too late.
Soli had finally reached the dagger. He bent down, snatched it, and whirled around just as the beast charged at him like a freight train.
Using the soft, wet soil and the creature's own momentum to his advantage, Soli ran straight toward it, the dagger held out before him.
The beast faltered for a split second upon seeing the weapon raised against it, but it had built up too much speed—
It slid directly onto the blade.
The creature's massive body slammed into both Soli and the dagger at once. The monster let out a final, guttural scream, then toppled over onto its side.
Soli didn't wait. He lunged forward to finish it—
But the thick tail moved with a sneaky intelligence, lashing out like a whip at the last second.
THWUMP!
The tail struck him in the side with crushing force, hurling him against a tree.
His back slammed into the trunk, the air exploding from his lungs along with a spray of blood from his mouth.
The tail's spiny scales were left embedded in his chest.
"Ghh… aack…"
Soli staggered on the ground, the sky swimming dizzily above him. The beast was already regaining its footing, readying for another attack.
The predator stood again… completely unharmed. There wasn't a single wound or scratch on its body, as if the stab had never happened. The dagger now lay useless on the ground in front of it.
Before Soli's body could even finish healing—
The beast was on him.
It caught him by the torso in its double-layered jaws and clamped down with enough force to shatter any other man.
Soli screamed in agony, raining blows on the creature's head with his fists, but they bounced off harmlessly, useless.
The beast lifted his body high and shook him violently before slamming him into the ground like a ragdoll.
In the next instant, it planted a heavy claw on Soli's chest and pressed down…
It pressed until the air was crushed from his lungs,until his vision began to flicker and swim.
The predator opened its layered jaws again, leaning in to bite…
Soli screamed in agony,fighting just to stay conscious.
With immense effort, he reached a trembling hand toward the beast's eyes.
He tried to gouge them out…but he couldn't. The scales protecting them were too hard, tough as stone.
But then… he remembered something.
Those dark scales the tail had left embedded in his chest.
His hand shaking violently, he grabbed one of them and ripped it from his own flesh with indescribable pain.
He raised it toward the monster's eye,trying to stab it in—
But it wouldn't pierce.
The creature pressed down harder, its weight threatening to shatter his ribs.
Summoning the very last of his strength…
Soli raised his hand high—
Then drove the scale downward with everything he had left.
It sank deep into the beast's eye.
The predator roared and reeled back, stumbling on its legs as it thrashed its head wildly, trying to dislodge the agony now raging inside it.
And in those few precious seconds…
Soli crawled.
He tried to stand, blood trickling from his mouth, his regeneration slowed to a crawl by the immense trauma he'd just endured.
His eyes darted around, frantic… and then he saw it. A nearby tree.
He dragged himself toward it with everything he had…
The desperate speed of a dying man fighting to live.
He struggled to climb, his fingers slipping on the wet bark, but he finally managed to grab the higher branches, clinging on with the last of his strength.
Below, the predator shook off the pain Soli had caused it, its remaining eyes locking onto him.
It began slamming its heavy tail against the tree trunk. Each impact shook the branches violently, each jolt bringing Soli closer to falling.
His body had finally healed… but the exhaustion left him barely able to hold on.
He gritted his teeth, staring down at the enraged beast directly beneath him… at its injured eye… at the tail cutting through the air like a whip.
He needed a way out. Now. Before the next blow sent him tumbling down.
Heavy minutes passed, in which he managed to gather a tiny shred of strength.
The beast was still below,circling, roaring, and relentlessly pounding the trunk.
Soli took a deep breath, crouched on the branch, locked his eyes on the beast… and jumped.
The predator opened its massive jaws to swallow him whole, but at the last second, Soli slammed his foot down on its lower jaw, forcing it shut and using the impact to push himself sideways.
He tumbled to the ground, landing behind the creature.
The beast whirled around instantly, but Soli was faster.
He sprinted toward where the old stone dagger had fallen, the monster thundering after him, closing the distance with furious, ground-eating strides.
The creature landed directly in front of him, cutting off his path, but this time, Soli was ready.
He lunged at it. He grabbed the sharp spines on the creature's back and hauled himself up, screaming in agony.
The moment he was stable on its back, he raised the dagger with all his remaining strength—and drove it deep into the beast's already wounded eye.
The creature erupted. It bucked and twisted, trying to throw him off, but Soli held on for dear life, his grip like iron on the spines.
Gritting his teeth so hard he thought they'd crack, he shoved the dagger further, sinking it deeper into the monster's eye.
The beast let out deafening roars, thrashing and slamming into trees, shaking the very forest around them, but it couldn't dislodge him.
Soli was stuck to its spikes as if he were a part of them…
Then,he pushed the dagger one last time. This time, it slid smoothly, deep into the creature's skull.
The beast shuddered. A low, final gurgle escaped its throat. Then it collapsed to the ground, motionless.
Soli slid off the creature's back, landing unsteadily on the trembling ground, gasping for air… He had slain the beast… and in a strange, terrifying way, he had now become the predator himself.
But before he could even begin to process what had happened, a black screen materialized in front of him.
The symbols on it began to shift and change, slowly, deliberately…