Natural Contest: BRAVE

"Die, die, die, die, die, ..."

A naked figure shouted with passion as they repeatedly and brutally pummeled with a heavy bone club, a red giant terrestrial insect.

Skylar after unknowingly heading in the opposite direction to the ancient river, found himself in the middle of a forest-like bush of gigantic black herbs of heights averaging more than 85 meters, a place where the reality of his new situation dawned on him.

The giant herbs naturally contrasting the ant-like figure of sky with their black stems arrayed with big sharp and pointy thorns. Their black leaves the likeness of a large metal blade flaunting a subtle lethality and some of them supporting a blood red hideous fruit, spanned an extremely large expanse of land, which Skylar for a very long time has been unable to find its end.

The time he's spent in the bush that seemed like the garden of a colossal giant were eventful, the experience harrowing, but, he never once regretted the hasty decision that led him here.

At first he didn't encounter any danger, not until his sixth sense failed him for the very first time as he stumbled on the scene of a gigantic rat with horns, a black metallic scale, a pair of powerful fangs, a blood-red eyes, a spiky tail and large sharp claws - one you will find in a horror fantasy, feast on two hideous fruit, a red giant insect and what seems to be a giant spiky worm or a snake.

This view random and frightening gave him the incentive to break his top speed record as he ran to safety like a punctured unsupported balloon loosing its air rapidly.

Though the king rat tried to add him to its collection of delicacies as it chased after him, it didn't work out as it got to understand Skylar, an unreasonable meat.

Skylar knowing he couldn't ever outrun the apex predator gambled on seeking refuge on the very top of a tall plant, an act that gave him the most valuable information about this deadly bush.

Skylar learnt; King rats, the boss of the food chain, though powerful and intelligent can't climb, but will camp below tenaciously any prey that climbs and he also learned a wound from either the thorns or the leaf of any plant in the bush, will hurt like hell, burn, fester, become bigger and will fiercely resist natural healing.

Skylar on top of a plant, experiencing this information, waited sturbbornly while suffering from intense pain, for the figure of this also stubborn predator below to retreat.

After many twists and turns, ups and downs, and trials and errors, Skylar mastered the terrifying giant bush and miraculously avoided a gameover situation.

He learned how to avoid the king rat that can evade his sixth sense somehow; just paint yourself black, since they don't see black as food despite their unnatural intelligence and if they spot you, just escape to the top of a plant and bear the pain, your body will adapt to the plant's poison and toxins, so more pain will help you in the long run.

The other predators; Skylar has a very sharp sixth sense, he will just avoid them before they come close.

Shelter; trade for it from the gaint spiky worm - create fire and they will let you stay, their dugout needs a bit of warmth.

You want food; just like he is doing right now, go after the weakest red giant insect, they can't fly and they are slow. Ambush them from behind; you know, climb on their back quickly and hit them hard on their unprotected neck region till it burst like a water ballon. There you have dinner, roasted and served fresh.

...

"The guys here don't taste as disgusting as the one before, their taste has kind of upgraded a bit, its now palatable to some extent."

Skylar coated from head to toe in black substance passed an audible comment on the almost disgusting looking burnt meat in front of him.

I should travel in that direction, it has the least activity, it should probably be safer, i just hope my sixth sense is not deceiving me again... heaven above i am running out of drinkable water...

Skylar thought as he took a sip of water from inside the cavity of a hollow white bone with a little hole which he drinks from.

Not long after, skylar repacked all his stuff, left the fire burning for the gaint spiky worm chilling at the far end of the dug out, where he temporarily rented out, and also his last stop in this gaint bush and set out on his adventurous journey, his spirit and confidence high.

***

After a very long time;

The picture of a massive blue moon shinning brightly to all corners of the world, hung lower in the sky as Skylar appeared in front of another suspicious vegetation after leaving the dark and gloomy giant bush.

"No matter how i look at this place, it seems like a setup of an elaborate trap, or in here is a very powerful creature i can't sense."

Skylar muttered as he stand in front of an inviting vegetation, a shortcut he deliberate on, if to brave it.

The vegetation, an ocean of fairly large black flower plants with different types of flowers all glowing in different bright colors on them. Their arrangement regular and well spaced, revealing spacious, clean and spotless tracks leading to a depth unknown. The sweet aroma enticing as hell coming from them and as distributed by the gentle wind inducing the swaying and waving of the flower plants like an audience waving.

All this drowend in quietness and invasive tranquility, incorporate together to create a fantastical but eery view, which Skylar now carefully observe.

"Fu.k, who cares?"

Skylar said as he ignored the signs, embrace the tranquility it is offering and like a brave dived into the moonlit vegetation of unknown intention.

As Skylar continued with a slow run, dragging his burden behind on one of the somewhat paved tracks arranged in parallels which are seperated by the flower plants and also presenting no hint of an end. He noticed the dimensions of the flower plants and the glowing flower they support subtly increase the further he went and also notice the glow of the flower reduce in brightness making the warmness of the atmosphere approach a gloomy dullness.

Skylar, now at a point, where the flower plants are skyreaching, there brown leaves thin like needles, and the stems long, thick, sturdy and creeping up like a vine and across like a creeper with all the flowers now super large, identical and glowing dully a very deep purple light.

"I knew something was up when i didn't sense a single living creature."

Skylar said as he gazed up with solemness at the impossibly gigantic daisy-like flower peeping at him from many thousand kilometers away.

The daisy colored sunflower-looking flower; its color at its partly revealed center part, a very deep purple. Blocks totally the heavens behind it like a setting sun and gazed downward at the intetesting creature that accepted its invitation.

As Skylar went deeper towards the colossal lord of the region where the exit probably is, on the tracks which are now becoming narrower. He failed to notice some of the other giant purple flowers that also look like a sunflower hanging on the tendril-like stems climbing the sky beside him open up at the center to reveal a serrated ring of sharp black teeths bordering a blood red opening, dripping with hot blood like liquid and housing a long curled up black tongue. He also failed to see their thorns and narrow leaves slowly grow longer and sharper.

Skylar also didn't see as the colossal monstrosity ahead, the lord of the region opened at their their enormous purple eye swimming in a sclera of red liquid at their center.

Something is going on...

Skylar thought with a serious expression and tensed muscles as he noticed the illumination around him dimming gradually.

Skylar who stood confused noticed a sea of purple fog approach him from all sides like a tide, which then drown him as it create a strange and eery atmosphere in the world glowing purple it now formed around him side.

What are they...

From the purple fog appeared figures having a human appearance, their skin pitch black, there hands and feet replaced with a cluster of sharp pointy spikes and on their face only an opening ringed with spiky black teeth and a red hot liquid dripping along with a lolling long black tongue.

This dangerous creatures surrounded Skylar who for some reason is calmer than ever as he carefully observed them.

Idiots...

Suddenly Skylar like a cheetah pounced at the creature right in front of him with a clenched fist which hit and removed the stunned creature's head by bursting it.

So weak...

Skylar with a clear plan continued his assault on the clueless creatures in front of him, with which their quick elimination provided him a temporary opening he escapes through, leaving the hordes of clueless creature behind

Where to now...

Skylar who have left behind his burden and naked, ran on a straight path inside the purple fog with no destination in mind.

Fu.k, i need to dodge that...

As he ran, attacks from any angle and at any time came for him. Most he were able to evade and the others successfully made their marks on his body, leaving bleeding cuts, wounds and gashes, a tragic sight to behold.

I understand now, my body heals super fast when my adrenaline peaks, and i just need to maintain this condition for a little while...

Skylar running and dodging thought as he hyper focused and as the wounds and cuts on his body fade at a visible speed while their numbers also increase from the strange attacks.

"Hi, hi, hi, eh, eh, ... , you, cut, prey, fight, stupid, hi, hi, hi, eh, eh..."

A voice that put a pause to the attacks from the dark echoed in Skylar's mind, a voice which also made him put a sudden halt to his pointless run.

Something completely inhuman... I couldn't even sense it...

In front of Skylar and from the purple fog, a hooded creature revealed itself and skipped close to the standing figure of Skylar recovering his breath, stamina and other recoverable with a calm expression.

Is this something real... Can a super computer create this...

The creature removed their hood and revealed the face of a youn girl, a cosmic level beauty; with her hair and eyes glowing purple, her features small, delicate, cute and unrealistically perfect.

And her plastic looking skin reflect a soft daisy glow and her mesmerizing expression reads 'i am definitely up to something crazy'.

Where is she...

Suddenly, the figure of the creature faded and at the same time a light painful cut appeared on Skylar's shoulder.

Fu.k its painful...

This creature who appeared behind Skylar faded again, and a new painful cut was added to Skylar's body soon after, which definitely originate from this creature disappearing and appearing.

She is insanely fast...

Skylar groaned, screamed and cried as he experienced intense pain coming from the cuts the creature left on his body.

"Hi, hi, Not, me like, you, spirit go, go..." The voice of the creature echoed in Skylar's mind after which he felt a very heavy hit on his stomach and back, which brought him to his knee as his hands cradles his stomach while an intense pain course through his body.

This is fu.king unbearable...

"Little solo, my little solo..."

This new and familiar soothing voice echoed in Skylar's mind, which made him raise his head to look at this new person in front of him, calling out.

How is she here, no...

This person, a familiar young girl in front of Skylar, spread their arms probably expecting the kneeling Skylar to dive into it and seek comfort.

"Hey, motherfuckers, i don't do this kind of play."

Skylar's deep and stern voice laced with a warning tone echoed a bit loudly as he looked fiercely ahead.

"Why, my little king, why..."

The pampering voice of the young girl continued as she approached Skylar with her arms spread.

"Why will people do foolish thinghs that will just get them destroyed, just..." Skylar with a battered and bloody figure, still on his knee muttered as he bowed his head.

The familiar young girl not understanding Skylar's message stop right in front of him with her arms still opened and mouthed.

"My..."

"Hey, do i look like i am playing to you"

A voice that seen to originate from the unknown, beyond the cosmos reverberate as Skylar lifted his head.

This voice inexplicable yet still doing its job echoed in the depth of the young girl's spirit, no, creature's spirit, undoing her disguise.

Just then the creature bewildered, looked carefully ahead and saw a pair of eyes containing nothing and yet everything and in it is the beginning and the end of all creation, a sight no mind without exception can ever comprehend, the eyes of a ...

And the creature stood paralyzed on the spot with the most primeval terror invading their spirit and extreme fright squeezing their mind as they caught a miniscule forbidden knowledge in the eyes before them.

They screamead, their scream carrying terror with it as it traveled across all the land, to the endless ocean and to the world beyond.

"Idiot."

And the cosmos collapsed and vanished after this utterance of mysterious origin.