Ashen continued searching for the Elderwood Beast, as if nothing had happened.
But when he found it, he froze. Its appearance left him stunned — completely different from when he had faced it at the base.
On top of that, the creature was injured, moving slowly and heavily. Every time it lifted a foot, a thick trail of black blood dripped onto the ground. Yet despite its bleeding body and staggering gait, it kept moving forward — toward its nest.
Ashen scanned the surroundings. No signs of another creature. No corpses either.
He was still pondering what it had fought against... when suddenly, he teleported out of hiding.
It turned out the Elderwood Beast had already caught his scent and had just thrown a punch toward his location.
When it saw Ashen, it froze, its eyes widening. Rage and fear flickered within its gaze. But it didn't attack. It simply stared at him.
One man, one monster, facing each other in a moment of intense tension.
Ashen blinked — and was suddenly inches from the creature's face. His hand touched it. Flames burst forth across its face.
He landed, but was startled to see the fire quickly snuffed out by vines sprouting from the creature's body.
The flames... hadn't harmed it. Instead, the fury within the beast seemed to intensify, as if stoked by the very thing that should have made it cower.
Ashen gritted his teeth and turned to run. There was no other choice. The Elderwood Beast roared and charged after him, its footsteps tearing into the earth.
As he ran, he thought:
"Fire didn't work... That leaves only one option — lead it to that other creature."
He glanced back.
"I have to lure it... but I can't teleport too many more times."
Ashen muttered: "Three more times at most…"
And so, the beast chased after Ashen without a shred of suspicion, blinded by its own rage.
Before Ashen, the ground began to rise and fall, dotted with massive holes — gaping like the mouths of unseen titans.
Ashen dashed into the heart of the area. Once he had lured the Elderwood Beast into the perfect spot, he turned and said:
"Enjoy your evening… with Terrosk."
Then he vanished.
The beast skidded to a stop, confused.
And then — the ground trembled.
From one of the nearby pits, a colossal creature emerged. Its size rivaled that of the Elderwood Beast, and every motion it made cracked the earth beneath it.
Terrosk had the form of a centipede mixed with a scorpion, its body long and serpentine. Its mouth brimmed with layers upon layers of razor-sharp teeth, like a monstrous blender. Two massive pincers extended forward, ready to crush its prey. Its exterior was covered in jagged stone armor, forming a natural shield that protected it from nearly any assault.
The two monsters locked eyes, then roared — a declaration of dominance.
Ashen took the opportunity to retreat toward a pitch-black tree. Without hesitation, he plunged his hand into its trunk. His arm sank in as if the tree were made of something soft, not wood at all.
When he pulled it out, he held an axe — a weapon he had hidden inside.
The battle began.
The Elderwood Beast roared, its massive hands clenching. Vines from its back coiled around its right arm, forming a rough new layer of armor. That arm swelled with bulging muscle, and then it struck — delivering a blow like thunder crashing into Terrosk.
The ground cracked beneath the impact, a deep boom echoing through the forest. Terrosk was thrown back, its enormous body wobbling. But there was no blood. No cry. The blow had only stunned it momentarily — not a single wound was visible.
The Elderwood Beast growled, ready to strike again. But Terrosk retaliated. Its tail — long and spear-like — lashed out, driving its tip into one of the Elderwood Beast's eyes. A howl of pain rang through the forest. The agony made it pause, just for a beat.
And in that moment, Terrosk lunged. Its blender-like mouth opened wide and clamped down on the Elderwood Beast's right arm. A sickening crunch rang out as the limb was nearly torn off.
But the Elderwood Beast wasn't just brute strength. Even in pain, it stayed cunning. Remaining vines quickly coiled together into a jagged spike. Like a spear, it thrust it into Terrosk's lower jaw.
For the first time, the monstrous creature screamed in pain and released its grip.
But it didn't stop. Instantly, it lunged again, its massive pincers slamming into the Elderwood Beast's chest, producing a sound like metal striking stone.
The impact drove the Elderwood Beast backward, crashing into a tree and snapping it like a twig. Black blood gushed from its chest and arm, dripping to the ground like sap from a dying tree.
Yet it didn't fall. It dropped to one knee, then suddenly launched itself forward like a living log. Its remaining arm swept wide, smashing Terrosk away. The ground erupted, as if countless roots had been ripped free.
Terrosk tumbled through the air and landed hard. It scrambled to its feet, the meat-grinder of a mouth still spinning, shrieking with a ghastly whine. Cracks appeared in its stone shell, revealing glowing veins beneath, as if heat was building inside.
Seizing the moment, the Elderwood Beast slammed its hand into the earth. Vines shot forth, hundreds of them like serpents, rushing toward Terrosk. But it roared, its tail whipping in a wide arc — slicing through the vines like grass.
The clash of metal and rock echoed. The two monsters charged once more.
Claws battered stone. Tails pierced vines. Two colossal rages colliding in the heart of the forest — each strike powerful enough to obliterate a lesser creature instantly.
The battle was more than brute force. It was instinct, savagery, and an ancient hatred born from creatures that could never coexist.
Every blow, every slash, every roar resounded through the forest like a ritual — a ritual of the strong… and the doomed.