Chapter 1753 The Jungle Predator.
1753 The Jungle Predator.
As Felix and Apollo ventured deeper into the bioluminescent jungle, the air grew noticeably stiller while the vibrant night rays of the flora dimmed down.
Ahead lay a large peaceful blue lake, its surface smooth and unbroken, reflecting the glowing life around it.
In the center of the lake stood a solitary tree, its branches sprawling towards the sky, bathed in a gentle blue light.
As Felix and Apollo approached the edge of the lake, they noticed The Jungle Predator hanging from the tree, suspended upside down much like a bat.
Its long, blade-like arms were folded against its torso while its roots were holding into the tree.
Just as Felix wanted to express his readiness to Apollo with a head nod, the predator's eyes snapped open and instantly disappeared from its perch in the blink of an eye!
Felix and Apollo barely had time to register its movement before it reappeared directly in front of them!
With a horrifying grace, it swung its sharp blade-like arms at them!
Reacting instinctively, Felix and Apollo bent low, ducking under the sweeping arc of the Predator's arms.
Whoosh!!!
The air whistled with the force of the strike, causing them to execute a synchronized backflip, putting some distance between themselves and the creature!
The moment they landed on their feet, Apollo muttered, 'That was a bit too close,'
His eyes never left the Jungle Predator, which now stood motionless in front of them, its red eyes glowing ominously as it sized up its intruders.
'It's speed isn't standardized with the realm.' Felix nodded with a solemn tone.
While Apollo had no problem matching the predator's speed, the same couldn't be said about him.
The worst part? The predator was immune to all laws, which made him realize that he needed to bring his 'A' game in terms of physicality.
After all, there was no way it would stand still and allow him to demonize it.
As expected, without nonsense, the Jungle Predator crouched slightly, its body language indicating another imminent attack.
Then, it launched itself at them again, its sharp blades gleaming under the bioluminescent lights!
This time, they were prepared for its attack even when its movements were a mere blur.
Apollo reacted first and used his dark tendrils attempting to catch the predator and slow down its movement. Alas, the predator sliced through the tendrils without an ounce of resistance.
For the next minute or less, the battle raged back and forth, with no conclusive winner yet. But, that soon changed as the corruption mist finally cracked the predator's defenses!
It had soaked in it for far too long to maintain its identity. Just like the All-Seeing-Eye, its body was demonized after the final burst needed was absorbed.
Its silvery skin turned bloodish red while its gleaming sharp blades had shark teeth covering it from edge to edge. Its roots turned flesh-like, but they remained connected to the jungle's network.
The moment the transformation was done, Felix felt a connection between them.
With a simple raise of a hand, the frenzied predator halted a mere inch away from Felix, its blade was touching his forehead. Then, it recalled its shark-like arms and kneeled before Felix.
Unfazed, Felix ordered it, "Demonize anything you see."
The Jungle Predator slowly stood up...Then, it turned its head towards the native creatures hiding outside of its territory.
Whosh!!
With no words spoken, it started its hunt, leaving behind pained squeals, fearful roars, and barbaric destruction, uncaring about the well-being of its home.
"Let's get the hell out of here." Felix dusted his hands and departed towards the floor's exit on Apollo's darkness cloud, having no desire to prolong his stay.
He shared the news with Commander Bia and without question asked, she ordered her squad to chase after them in a tight formation. Dankin and the rest could only get hauled along.
Sometime later, Felix and Apollo exited the floor at a record speed before getting followed by Commander Bia and her squad.
Meanwhile, The Predator was still slicing, dicing, and demonizing anything its demonic eyes landed on.
With this much disturbance, it was nearly impossible for the other squads not to notice it.
'The Predator...It has gone mad and started attacking the jungle's natives!' Mognki'r exclaimed in shock.
'What the hell? Is the map losing its touch? How come both floor masters aren't following the rules anymore.'
'This is to our advantage! Let's head to the exit swiftly while it is occupied!'
Mognki'r and his squad didn't hesitate to take advantage of the situation and leave the floor from the surface level. Virona, Tempus Vey, and even the Chaosians did the same.
After their prince transformed into a different person right before their eyes, all of them sought to exit the tower as quickly as possible. Alas, the closest tower's exit was still many floors away.
Unbeknownst to them, the only reason Felix hadn't ordered the predator to hunt them down was to keep them as obstacles for his enemies.
While he understood that they wouldn't be able to deal with Eris and Uranus, he believed that if they just bought them a couple of seconds, it would be all worth it.
In the Echoing Tower, where time could either slow down or accelerate from floor to floor, those seconds could be the deciding factor!