When Ashen arrived, the sight before him was absolute chaos.
Two massive beasts had collapsed in the middle of a war-torn battlefield. Blood soaked the ground, bite marks and torn scales lay scattered along with broken vines. Trees had been crushed, and the earth was sunken and cracked in multiple places. On one side was the Elderwood Beast, its body in shreds, skin dry and brittle as if it could split apart at any moment. On the other side was Terrosk—a scorpion-centipede hybrid with a stone shell—growling in pain but still holding a threatening stance.
Ashen observed.
Inside, he wished for Terrosk to win.
Not because it was the better creature. Not because it was less terrifying. But because... it didn't hunt relentlessly like the Elderwood Beast did. Terrosk was dangerous, brutal, but it had boundaries. The Elderwood Beast did not. Once it locked onto its prey, there were only two outcomes: kill or be killed.
Ashen stepped back a few paces, quickly hiding behind a moss-covered boulder. He held his breath, staying perfectly silent. From his vantage point, he could clearly see the brutal clash taking place. Blood, dirt, and shattered scales flew in all directions.
Though both creatures were gravely wounded, he knew one thing for sure—their predatory instincts and danger levels had not diminished. One wrong move, one careless step... and he could become the next prey.
Ashen wasn't in a hurry. He continued watching, waiting... waiting until only one of them remained standing.
He could hear their ragged breaths and painful growls. The thick stench of blood filled the air, mixing with the scent of crushed grass and something burning.
The Elderwood Beast shifted its weight heavily. One of its hind legs was nearly torn off. Its sunflower-like face was now shredded, exposing layers of raw muscle and slimy bone, with one eye completely lost. Yet, in its remaining eye, rage still burned.
Terrosk, with its midsection clawed open down to the flesh, growled menacingly. Despite the severe wound, it forced itself upright, pincers curled, ready for a final assault.
Ashen held his breath. The air seemed frozen.
Then... a hiss tore through the silence—a blur of motion—both creatures lunged at each other again, without hesitation, as if death was the only acceptable outcome if they couldn't destroy the other.
This time, Terrosk's agility and speed gave it an edge. With the Elderwood Beast's injured leg slowing it down, Terrosk struck like a living spear. Its sharp claw pierced straight into the Elderwood Beast's gut.
It didn't stop there. Terrosk unleashed its brutality. Its jagged, tooth-filled maw clamped down on the Elderwood Beast's right arm. A sickening crack echoed—the arm was ripped clean off.
The Elderwood Beast let out a soul-wrenching scream, its voice shaking the very air.
Ashen thought to himself, unable to hide his excitement:
"Perfect."
Yet the Elderwood Beast refused to die.
It wanted to live. It wanted to win.
That survival instinct flared wildly, twisting the sunflowers on its back. Thick vines burst out, not to heal but to bind Terrosk.
They wrapped tightly around its massive body, coiling bone-deep. Under immense pressure, Terrosk's rock shell cracked, black blood gushing out like ink.
Terrosk roared in pain.
In that instant, its bladed tail slashed upward, severing the vines wrapped around it. One, two, three strikes—each cut was sharp and precise, slicing through the bindings like a viper.
Terrosk broke free.
Now enraged, it suddenly burrowed underground, vanishing from the battlefield.
The Elderwood Beast didn't relax. It knew Terrosk wasn't retreating—creatures like that never backed down. Its lone eye stayed fixed on the ground, its whole body on alert.
Then...
"SHHHK!"
A slicing sound erupted behind it. The Elderwood Beast spun and launched an attack.
But it wasn't Terrosk.
It was Ashen—who had made the sound as a distraction. In that split second, from the left, Terrosk erupted from the ground like a living spear.
This time, it aimed for the Elderwood Beast's remaining arm.
But the Elderwood Beast made a move no one expected: it shoved its own arm straight into Terrosk's mouth.
At first, it seemed foolish. Then the truth revealed itself—from within its arm, sharp thorned vines exploded, burrowing into Terrosk's insides.
The spikes punctured deep into Terrosk's head. Its body convulsed violently, flesh twitching like it was about to burst. Then—it collapsed, seemingly defeated.
The Elderwood Beast withdrew its arm, eyes half-closed, as if victory had been achieved. It turned its head, ready to leave the battlefield...
But then—a faint sound echoed behind it.
Terrosk... was still alive.
Slowly, terrifyingly, it began to rise. Its damaged shell creaked as molten lava leaked from its cracks—burning red like blood, filling the air with blistering heat.
Not just from the cracks—but from its mouth too. Lava dripped onto the ground, mixing with its jagged, monstrous teeth, making Terrosk look more terrifying than ever.
The heat around Terrosk became unbearable. Even from afar, Ashen felt it on his face, sweat breaking out on his brow.
His eyes never left the two terrifying monsters.
The Elderwood Beast still stood. Unafraid, unyielding. With only one arm left, it stepped forward.
No hesitation. No rest.
It was ready for Round Two.