Shop n' Jungle

Keni hated saunas. It irritated his skin too much.

This time, the room was even hotter than a sauna. It was not an exaggeration that it was more like an oven than a thrift store. Clothes slowly burned like firewood inside, and mannequins quickly melted into molten plastic.

He was running with all his might, sweat and drool pouring from his body, towards the back of the burning building. There were no windows to jump out of, no vents that led outside, or corridors leading to rooms.

It felt like an endless space with only concrete walls, beams, racks, and fire within sight.

Keni ducked, avoiding yet another swinging speaker. Then, he slid under fallen cabinets while whipping his head around to find an exit.

<BANG!>

The fight between the demon and drake continued. Their flames were still devouring the structure faster and hotter. It even sent shockwaves that shook the air around him. It kept Keni on his toes as he ran around the enclosed hellscape.

But then, an explosion flung him into the air. It carried his body at an extreme velocity towards the fallen metal racks headfirst.

Keni felt his consciousness ebbing away like a low battery. Fragmented images suddenly flooded his retina.

[His skin grazed on branches.]

Keni felt his lungs burning from the heat. It was also hot to grip the metal bar in his hand.

[He passed by vines, tree limbs, and leaves.]

Another explosion erupted, and his body was still getting thrown. It was no mistake that his vision got blurry with each passing blink.

[The smell of evening dew was sweet.]

He could smell the ash while his body traveled through the room like a projectile. His legs were like noodles, out of strength.

[Then he crashed headfirst into mud.]

***

Another night, another day.

A boar fell squarely, too high, from the tree tops. It was an unusual catch.

It had porcupine-like hair standing along its spine. And teeth resembling a carnivore's. It had two tusks pointing downwards with a texture almost obsidian.

However, it didn't die from the fall. Despite its tough hide and bear-sized body, sharp stones dug deep into its belly, causing wounds that spilled green fluid. It had little bruises from the impact, and the tree trunks it collided with were even scraped off their wood.

When the corpse crashed on the bed of forest grasses, nearby roots started to slither away. Its blood acted like a repellant, withering the grasses of their healthy color.

Suddenly, something moved above the trees, overlooking the fresh corpse.

"Good catch," Boi muttered. He clung to a tree limb while gripping a spear in one hand. His body was covered in overgrown hair that was easily mistaken for moss.

Under the dark environment covered beneath the jungle canopy, no moonlight or stars pierced the thick branches. It was practically impossible to see with human vision. However, Boi had it differently.

He licked his chapped lips after spotting his dead quarry. His eyes had evolved nocturnal vision.

Boi jumped down several meters after surveying that the ground was safe. He was sure it was safe to land, noticing that no territorial markings were around. That was the only thing he was wary of tonight.

He landed on the bed of grasses beside the corpse. It was still spilling green blood when Boi touched its rough hide.

'Five minutes,' Boi guessed. Five minutes before the meal gets cold.

Quickly, his hands ripped the boar's belly. His sharp nails tore the flesh apart from its thick bones. He immediately stuffed his mouth with the meat, blood, and sweat. Honestly, it was no fun taste. In fact, he would have vomited from the gamy flavor and greasy texture wrapping his tongue.

But if Boi had to survive in this harsh jungle, he needed to set aside his desire for cooked goods. There was no point when dangerous beasts, sensitive to magna, would wake up from a sudden fire or appetizing smell.

He continued to devour the odorous meal like an anxious beast. His senses were focused on finishing his dinner. Though, this didn't distract him from the rustling noise approaching from behind him.

"Well..." Boi licked his fingers. His senses told him his time was out.

His hands were still bloody green from eating his dinner, but now he held his spear—a makeshift weapon of bones, rocks, and sticks. His body started shimmering a faint glow, the barely visible film wrapped above his fur like a suit.

"Ha..." He sighed. The bushes stopped rustling after Boi leaped in the air. He glanced below him. Boi readied to throw his spear at full strength. Pouncing with sharp claws, a reptilian creature threw itself toward the corpse. It had a Godzilla-like appearance and moved nimbly like a cat.

The spear glowed faintly in Boi's grip. It shot towards the creature's head like a heavy bullet, almost invisible in its speed. However, the reptile curled its body, dodging the quick spear that crashed into the ground, hissing angrily. The creature retaliated by whipping a nearby boulder toward him.

It hit Boi in the chest before breaking into numerous fragments. The glow was heavily concentrated on his furry torso. Hundreds of rocks suddenly aimed towards him after the boulder failed.

"F*ck..." Boi cursed. He wrapped his arms and legs with a thin film of magna, strengthening his limbs, then kicked midair. It made him as agile as a fish swimming in the wind...

He grabbed a nearby tree limb and used it to propel himself to another limb. Collecting sticks while sharpening them into daggers was a headache. Rocks were still showering from below as he doggedly jumped from tree to tree before the reptile started climbing.

A stray rock almost grazed his nose when he hid behind a branch. Looking closely, he realized the rocks were thick thorns shot from the reptile's back. They pierced whatever thick wood they hit.

Suddenly, the trees swayed, and the reptile was climbing below. Maybe Boi had overused his strength, as he could almost feel his body collapsing from fatigue. However, there was no time to rest. Boi knew he had to keep moving to survive this encounter.

He quickly threw the daggers at the reptile clawing from below. However, another boulder-sized thorn launched toward him. It hit him in the chest, propelling him into the air. He instinctively grabbed vines and branches to slow his momentum.

"Sh*t! I'm spent..." His body was overburdened. He had lost most of his energy by strengthening his body with magna. Nevertheless, it didn't fade the smirk creeping on his lips. Boi was used to these dangerous situations, and despite the exhaustion, he couldn't help but feel a rush of excitement. The thrill of survival kept him going.

Immediately the reptile pounced toward him. Boi calmly gazed at the beast, his hands gripping the web of vines hanging around him. Then, his hands glowed. The vines moved like tendrils and wrapped around the beast, constricting the reptile like a snake.

Boi had injected his last strength to control the vines; coughing blood and burdening his body was a worthy price to kill this predator. The reptile thrashed and struggled—trying to break free from the tightening grasp. But Boi held on, channeling all his remaining energy into maintaining the hold.

It wriggled on the thick vines crushing its body, recklessly shooting its thorns in an attempt to escape. Boi's vision blurred, and his body trembled from the strain, but he refused to let go. And what almost seemed forever, the reptile finally stopped moving, lifeless...

Boi panted. His lungs felt like they were burning in flames. The fatigue had his heart drumming like an athlete sprinting for hours.

Then, he smelled ash. His consciousness was fading between vines and flames. His thick fur was also thinning into a mess of clothing, while on his hand—a metal bar weighing half his weight.

He recognized his head was propelling towards the fallen metal racks, but he smirked, wrapping his body in a thin film of magna.

"Fudge, this is easier..."

*

Somehow, Keni felt his body was swimming in the air. Despite the immense fatigue torturing him, he believed that if he could twist his body and kick lightly in the air, he could stop his momentum.

"What the fudge!" He screamed in surprise.

To his astonishment, it worked like magic. He was floating in midair as the flames crawled around him. He glanced at his hands, covered by a faint glow.

["Answer: Magna."]

In a moment of excitement, he accidentally threw his metal bar behind the metal racks in surprise. The bar flew at sonic speed, obliterating the wall behind it and revealing an empty street beyond.

Keni grinned. He never realized he was swinging on the barely hanging speakers on the ceiling like a modern ape. His eyes were focused solely on escape, and his ears remained attentive to the fight between demon and drake.

"Damm, that was tough. I thought I'd die burning in there." Keni panted, relieved that he had escaped from the oven-like store that threatened to burn him in flames.

<BANG!>

Suddenly, the ground swayed like jelly. It collapsed the store and nearby structures before a brilliant light blinded everything. The ground slowly devoured Keni, pulling him downwards like quicksand...!

["Answer: Magna detected. Type: Gate."]