SSS-Ranked Evolution: Worlds Unbound-Chapter 34: Saving The Lone Tigress (Edited)
"The sun has set, friend. We need to set up camp." Von signalled to Ren after it had become too dark for them to go on. With a weary sigh, Ren took a look around and decided it would be an okay place to set up camp as long as more of those creatures don’t attack them.
They barely had anything on them but were smart enough to make a fire and gather quite a handful of massive leaves to make a small bed enough to hold their weight. The fire burned with a low intensity as Von rested his head on the lead bed, his chest heaving rhythmically as he succumbed to sleep.
Ren on the other hand stared straight into the fire with any unanswered questions plaguing his mind. Of how the corruption came to be, how it infected the beasts and so many more. His eyelids were closing but them sleeping at the same time was not exactly going to be wise as anything could attack them from anywhere. So he kept his eyes open, and glued to the small fire in front of him.
He also thought of Luna, and even daydreamed that she would appear from nowhere and rub herself against him like she always did. But as more time passed, he feared that something terrible might have happened to her. Sparing his friend another glance, he admired him even more for risking his life to follow him on this mission. He was one person he would never forget if he made it out alive. And even if he didnt.
His head drooped a little before jerking it back up, sleep overcoming him. He looked at his leaf bed, "maybe just for thirty minutes." he convinced himself that it would do no harm if he closed his eyes for thirty minutes. Crawling to the makeshift comfort, he placed his head on it, the final person in his vision was the worried tiger queen he had left at the camp. Butt he held fast his promise, not letting anything shake his resolve,
Only a few minutes had passed, Ren seemed to be dreaming, and in that dream, he was with Reina and Rami, drinking and laughing. There was so much merriment until a scream broke through the walls of the palace. Rami and Reina didn’t seem to hear it, but Ren heard it loud and clear. When he tried to ignore it, the scream came through again, and it shot him out of his dream state. His eyes darting hastily, for the source of the sound, even Von didn’t shift in his bed. The man was still sound asleep.
Ren stood to his feet grudgingly, grabbing his sword from wherever he had left it and strolled just a bit away from the campsite. He didn’t plan on going too far, some part of him believed it was sleep deprivation at work but when he heard that scream again. More urgently, his body was forced to wake up.
"There’s someone else here?" his tone sluggish but the realization of life that wasn’t these evil creatures being present made his body jump with excitement. There was someone else alive!
Pushing away leaves and bushes from his view, Ren worked hard to find the person in trouble but also made a mental note not to stray too far from the camp and leave Von vulnerable. But as he got closer to the scream, he got farther away from the site. Moving faster, adrenaline pumping through his veins, his eyes clashed with the life he was looking for. In a quick motion, Ren put himself between her and the beast that had raised a giant rusty blade against her. Their metals clashed, the creature trying to overpower him, but that gave her enough time to bolt.
The creature towered like a walking nightmare, its emaciated form draped in tattered remnants of cloth that swayed like death’s shroud. Its skin was a patchwork of pale, leathery flesh stretched tight over sharp, angular bones. Jagged scars criss-crossed its body, each a cruel story of battles survived. From the depths of its hollow eye sockets, a hellish red glow flickered, as though its very soul was ablaze with fury.
It wielded a blade too massive for any ordinary being, a brutal slab of jagged metal stained dark with old blood and rust. The weapon was not crafted for precision—it was a butcher’s tool, designed to cleave through bone and flesh alike. A heavy chain dangled from the hilt, rattling like the eerie chime of doom with every step the beast took.
Its face was concealed by a grotesque metal mask resembling a skull, the hollow eyes and twisted grin amplifying the horror of its already monstrous visage. Each breath it exhaled was a guttural growl, rattling through its chest like the snarl of a feral beast.
The monster moved with an eerie blend of sluggishness and sudden, terrifying speed. Every deliberate step made the earth tremble beneath its weight. Bloodied fingers gripped the massive blade with unnatural strength, each swipe carving the air with an audible whistle that promised death.
"You shall become like the rest of us." and to Ren’s surprise, it could speak. Its voice mimicked its appearance.
"And become this ugly? Thanks but I will pass."
With a deafening roar, the monster charged, swinging the massive blade in a deadly arc. Ren sidestepped just in time, the wind from the swing brushing against his face. The blade smashed into the ground, sending up a spray of dirt and leaves. Ren darted to the side, his movements sharp and calculated, evading the relentless attacks. Each swing came closer than the last, forcing him to stay on his toes.
Steel clashed as Ren’s short sword finally met the beast’s blade. The impact jarred his arm, sending shockwaves up to his shoulder. The monster’s strength was overwhelming, pushing him back with ease. Ren’s feet slid against the dirt, and his grip nearly faltered. Gritting his teeth, he shoved away just as the monster raised its weapon for another strike.
Diving to the side, Ren lunged forward with his sword, the blade slicing into the monster’s side. It let out a guttural snarl but didn’t stop. If anything, the attack seemed to enrage it further. The monster swung again, forcing Ren back. Step by step, it drove him toward a massive tree.
Ren’s back hit the bark. There was no more room to evade. The monster raised its blade high, ready to cleave him in two. At the last moment, Ren dropped to the ground, rolling to the side as the massive weapon tore through the tree with a deafening crack. The trunk split clean in half, toppling to the forest floor with a resounding thud.
The brief pause gave Ren his chance. He surged forward, slashing at the monster with quick, precise strikes. Each cut drew blood, but the beast seemed unfazed, its movements still strong and aggressive. Ren pressed on, using his speed and agility to stay just out of reach of the monster’s blade. When the creature swung wide, Ren ducked under the blow and landed a fierce kick to its wrist. The massive weapon fell from its grasp with a thunderous clang.
Ren moved to capitalize, but the monster lunged at him with terrifying speed, tackling him to the ground. The impact knocked the wind out of him, and his sword was sent skidding across the forest floor. The monster’s weight pinned him down as it snarled, its jagged teeth snapping dangerously close to his face. Ren struggled, using all his strength to hold the beast back, but it was too strong. He could feel the heat of its rancid breath as it growled inches from his skin.
Suddenly, a feral snarl echoed through the chaos. The tigress leapt onto the monster’s back, her claws sinking deep into its throat. The beast howled in pain, twisting and thrashing as the tigress held on, tearing at its flesh with relentless ferocity. Blood sprayed across the forest floor as the monster tried in vain to shake her off. 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂
"Move!" Ren shouted, scrambling to his feet. The tigress growled but obeyed, leaping off the beast just as Ren hefted the monster’s fallen blade. The weight of it was immense, but adrenaline surged through him. With a roar of his own, he drove the massive weapon forward, impaling the monster through its chest and pinning it to the remnants of the tree behind it.
The monster thrashed violently, its claws scraping at the blade as blood poured from the wound. But its movements slowed with each passing second until it finally slumped forward, lifeless. Ren held the blade firmly, ensuring the creature wouldn’t rise again.
The forest fell silent. Ren’s heavy gasps were the only sound, his chest heaving as he leaned against the blade for support. His body ached, bruised and bloodied from the fight. Finally finding the strength to stand upright, his eyes locked with the tigress who was equally trying to find her breath. They stared at each other, so many thoughts running through their minds. Slowly, they took steps to close the distance, Ren’s hand glued to his side, using that to support his weight. But the more steps they took together, the more her eyes closed and Ren could see she was about to fall.
"No no no!" with the last of his energy, he sprinted to her, using his body as a cushion. She lay on him unconscious, tapping her cheeks multiple times, she didn’t wake up. Her skin was pale and cut in so many places, but she was alive. And he had planned to keep her alive.
"Friend! Where did—" the support Ren needed came just in time as Von jumped through one of the bushes to meet him on the floor with another being. One that wasn’t human. His eyes widened as he bent down to have a closer look at them, "she—is a beast!" It was the first time he was seeing one face to face and not in a book.
"We need to keep her alive. Let’s take her back to the camp." With new strength found, he lifted her with the help of Von, and they took her back to their camp ground. When they got there, they laid her on one of the leaf beds and immediately, Von started checking her body for any bleeding or pressure point. Ren on the other hand, went to get her water and once she drank a little and some was sprinkled on her face, she began to come around, coughing gently.
"Space." Both boys scooted back, both on their knees, waiting for her to rise, their eyes never leaving her. They all looked a mess, tested to their limits in the dangerous land of monsters. When she opened her eyes, she thought she would be reunited with her people in heaven but alas, she was still on this forsaken land. Sitting up gently, her hazel eyes met with the boys, their eyes wide with anticipation and slowly, her lips parted.
"Food."
