Sam glanced at Jack, who was barely able to move.
Sam: "What a pathetic state you're in. Are you really too weak to defeat this tree?"
Jack: "You came here just to mock me? Fight it yourself, and you'll understand."
Sam: "I know. I was just joking. Now shut up for a while. I need to concentrate."
Jack: "Don't underestimate it. It can adapt!"
Sam tightened his grip on his sword.
Sam: "Yes. So don't die before we fulfill our contract."
Without waiting for Jack's response, Sam turned toward the creature.
He had no intention of letting it continue attacking Jack. Holding his sword ready, he moved away from the ruined building, deliberately drawing the creature's attention toward himself.
The creature followed.
Soon, the sounds of destruction faded behind them, leaving Sam standing amid the wreckage of what had once been a city. Buildings had collapsed, the ground was torn apart, and enormous roots spread through the sand.
Sam studied the creature.
Sam: "You're quite something. I wonder how you developed such an incredible ability to adapt."
The creature answered by attacking.
Enormous branches erupted around Sam, striking from multiple directions. He twisted aside, evaded one strike, and deflected another with his sword.
But the next attack came faster.
Sam jumped backward as a branch smashed into the ground where he had been standing. Before he could regain his footing, another swept toward him.
He dodged again.
His expression gradually became serious.
The creature wasn't simply attacking randomly. Each exchange made its movements harder to predict, as though it were learning from every action Sam took.
Sam narrowed his eyes.
Sam: "Now I understand why that fool is lying there."
He glanced toward Jack.
It was a mistake.
A branch shot forward before Sam could turn back. The creature closed the distance and seized him.
Sam's eyes widened as its grip tightened.
Blood ran down his body, but he forced himself to raise his sword.
Sam: "You've made a mistake."
He unleashed a powerful strike at close range.
The blade hit the creature.
Yet the attack failed to bring it down.
For a brief moment, Sam couldn't understand what had happened. Then an intense pain surged through his head.
His thoughts scattered. His vision blurred, and his sword arm faltered.
The creature's smile widened.
Sam: "What… did you—"
He couldn't finish.
The creature hurled him into a nearby building.
BOOM!
The structure shook violently as Sam crashed through it, sending debris across the ruined street.
For a moment, everything fell silent.
Then Jikki returned.
She stopped when she saw the devastation. The buildings were in ruins, Jack could barely move, and Sam had disappeared beneath the wreckage.
Before she could approach them, she noticed movement all around her.
Monsters had gathered throughout the surrounding streets, blocking every escape route. Their presence formed a barrier around the battlefield, trapping everyone inside.
Jikki tightened her grip on her weapon.
How did things get this bad?
At the center of the ruined city, the creature stood motionless.
Then it began to laugh.
"Hee… hee… hee…"
But something was different.
The laughter no longer sounded like the mindless noise of a monster. It carried a strange rhythm, almost as though the creature were deliberately imitating a human being.
The sound grew clearer.
More natural.
Then the creature's body began to change.
The enormous branches surrounding it slowly withdrew. Its monstrous shape shifted, its distorted features rearranged, and its silhouette gradually became human.
Everyone watched in disbelief.
Even Jikki couldn't hide her shock.
Moments later, the transformation was complete.
A man stood where the monster had been.
He had black hair, dark eyes, and wore a black outfit. His features were strikingly handsome, but it was his expression that made the sight unsettling.
He looked perfectly calm.
There was no sign of the struggle that had just taken place. No apparent excitement after defeating two opponents. He simply stood amid the ruins, as though everything had unfolded exactly as expected.
His gaze moved across the battlefield before settling on Sam.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
Then he spoke in a clear, human voice.
Creature: "Thank you for the information, Sam."
[End of chapter]