Reënboog Forest (2)

Zander opened his hand, inspecting the small splinter of wood with a subtle smile. His hypothesis appeared to be correct: Within the Rainbow Forest, only Qi-infused strength could damage its surroundings. Whether it was the ferocious panther he had faced before or the ancient trees towering around him, ordinary means were useless here.

The splinter was no bigger than his little finger, a sliver of wood that had taken all his might to break free. How much Qi would it take to fell an entire tree like this? The thought alone was staggering, beyond the limits of his current imagination.

As Zander turned the piece of wood in his hand, he noticed a faint golden line running through it, only to vanish a moment later. He glanced back at the tree and was shocked to see no trace of damage where he had taken the splinter. The tree stood as if untouched, the forest itself almost mocking his efforts.

"Incredible…" Zander muttered, momentarily lost in thought before remembering the scientist beside him. "Here, take this."

He handed the splinter to the stunned scientist, who carefully placed it into a glass container, treating it like a rare artifact. As Zander surveyed the scene, he noticed the soldiers around him staring in awe—not at the splinter, but at the sheer amount of Qi he had unleashed. His display had revealed something else: Zander had already reached the Second Stage of Body Tempering!

The realization rippled through the ranks. Some soldiers hadn't even achieved the First Stage yet, and the gap between them and their captain seemed insurmountable. Schalk, Zander's ever-loyal companion, observed the scene with a knowing look. He could see the newfound respect in the eyes of the soldiers.

[Did he do this to assert his strength?] Schalk thought, recognizing the deliberate nature of Zander's display. The show of power wasn't just to take a splinter from a tree; it was a statement. [When did my friend become so cunning?]

Zander's commanding voice snapped Schalk out of his thoughts. "I think we've accomplished what we needed here," Zander announced, his tone sharp and resolute. "Stay in formation. We're moving deeper into the forest. Scientists, stay close to me."

"Yes, sir!" the soldiers responded in unison, their voices echoing through the ARGP-100.

They advanced cautiously for five minutes, the forest growing denser and more foreboding with each step. When they arrived at the location where Zander remembered the last attack, something was off. The scene was eerily pristine—no bodies, no blood, not even a disturbed blade of grass. Zander's unease grew, and he quickly raised his hand.

"Stop, close the circle, now!" ordered Zander. He felt a tightness in his chest, uneasy, his instincts were screaming at him

Yes, sir!" The soldiers responded with disciplined precision, though they exchanged uneasy glances..

Dropping to one knee, Zander inspected the ground, running his fingers through the untouched grass. There was nothing—no sign of the carnage that had occurred here before. [There was blood here last time. I remember it clearly.] He recalled how the squad was halted at the sight of a bloodstain, but now… nothing.

Suddenly, the ground began to tremble beneath their feet. A low, rhythmic vibration, like the pulse of something massive.

Thump! thump! thump!

*CRROAAAC!* *CROAAAAAC!*

The soldiers reacted on instinct, snapping their rifles into position and aiming toward the source of the sound. But as the eerie croaks grew louder, their hands began to tremble.

"What the hell is that sound?" one of them whispered, fear creeping into his voice.

The tension in the air was palpable as Zander scanned the dense foliage. The unsettling sounds reverberated through the forest. Every soldier's heart pounded in their chest as they awaited what came next.

"Sir, I don't want to sound like a weirdo, but... it sounds like some kind of frog?" one of the soldiers muttered, his voice trembling as he hesitated to voice his thoughts.

*CRROAAAC!* *CROAAAAAC!*

The deep, resonant croaks echoed once more, louder this time.

"What!? Damn it, it really sounds like a toad..." Zander replied, perplexed. Of all the things Zander thought he'd find today, frogs didn't make the list. "But what kind of frog makes that much noise? Stay sharp, and follow me."

Curiosity gnawed at Zander despite the rising tension. Ignoring the instinct to retreat, he motioned for the squad to follow, moving cautiously toward the source of the sound. Moments later, they emerged at the edge of a clearing, and what they saw made them freeze in place.

In the center of the clearing stood three enormous green figures, perched on four muscular legs. Each creature was nearly five feet tall, their backs covered in small, rough scales. Their eyes bulged grotesquely, and from their wide mouths, slimy tongues dangled lazily. There was no mistaking it—they were giant frogs.

Every time one of the frogs leaped, the ground beneath them trembled slightly, sending ripples through the earth. The sheer size and presence of the creatures were unnerving, but what was even more fortunate was that the frogs seemed blissfully unaware of the squad's presence—at least for now.

"Oh my gosh! Are those scales on their backs?" one of the soldiers asked, his voice tinged with disbelief.

"Damn, is it some kind of genetic mutation?" a scientist murmured to his colleagues, his eyes wide with a mix of curiosity and fear.

Zander clenched his jaw, his mind racing. These weren't just oversized amphibians; they were something else entirely, a product of this strange forest. The question was, how dangerous were they?

He gestured for his men to hold their positions, not daring to move. "Stay quiet," he whispered, his voice barely audible. "We don't know what these things are capable of. We wait and observe.

"Hey, Captain, look over there. Right among them… there's a book!" one of the soldiers whispered urgently, his sharp eyes catching something unusual.

Zander's heart skipped a beat as he followed the soldier's gaze. Amid the giant frogs, lying incongruously in the middle of the clearing, was an old book. Its yellow cover, adorned with red writing, seemed to glow faintly in the dappled sunlight filtering through the forest canopy. The book emitted an aura that made every soldier's pulse quicken.

[A cultivation book!?] The thought raced through everyone's mind. Those books were worth millions in the outside world!

"Good eyesight, Josh," Zander complimented, but his attention was drawn to something else. Near the book, a small white flower was growing, its delicate petals standing out against the verdant backdrop. There was something almost sacred about it, and Zander couldn't shake the feeling that the frogs weren't guarding the book, but the flower. [Are they protecting it?]

"These frogs will make excellent samples for experiments…" the bald scientist mused aloud, his voice betraying his excitement.

"And that book will be a nice bonus for us," added Schalk, a grin spreading across his face as the soldiers exchanged eager glances.

Zander's mind was already working, trying to piece together the puzzle. The book and the flower were clearly valuable, but the presence of these enormous, scaled frogs complicated things. They needed a plan—one that didn't get them all killed in the process.

Surveying the situation, Zander felt a strange confidence. The frogs, though enormous, didn't provoke the same fear as the six-legged panther he had encountered earlier. Perhaps it was that comparison that made him feel they could handle this. However, he noticed the unease in his soldiers' eyes. Many of them were still inexperienced in Qi cultivation, not even reaching the First Stage of Body Tempering. The tremors caused by the frogs' movements shook their confidence.

Either way they were trained soldiers and would follow their captain's orders.

"Just follow my lead, and we'll get through this," Zander reassured them, his voice steady. "The plan is simple: we'll split into groups of fifteen and engage the frogs from different angles. The rest of you will protect the scientists and cover our retreat if needed."

He paused, thinking through the mechanics of their weapons. "I'm pretty sure firearms won't be effective against these things. We'll need to rely on close combat and channel our Qi into our attacks." He turned to one of his soldiers. "Pyong, I noticed you carry a sword, and your file says you can channel Qi into it. Have you tried doing the same with a bullet?"

Pyong Tay, a young soldier from the South Korean army, stepped forward. He was short in stature but carried himself with a quiet confidence. His sword, an illustrious metallic weapon, hung at his side. His file had highlighted his exceptional skill in both swordsmanship and firearms.

Pyong nodded, but there was a hint of regret in his eyes. "Yes, Captain. I tried it once, but the bullet exploded before I could fire. I almost lost my hand." He held up his hand, revealing the absence of his middle finger.

"Oh…" Zander was momentarily taken aback.

Beside him, Schalk struggled to contain his laughter. "Pfft… Now you can't tell anyone to f**k off! Hahaha! At least it wasn't your little thing down there!" Schalk teased, unable to resist the jab.

A few soldiers snickered, trying to hold back their laughter. But the tension had already broken, and soon they were all laughing, the sound echoing through the otherwise silent forest. Even Zander couldn't help but chuckle, grateful for the brief release of tension.

"Hahahaaha!" In the end they were just simple soldiers. Suddenly, they were laughing out loud in the silent forest.

Their laughter, however, was abruptly silenced by a deep, resonant-

*CROOOOAAC!*

The sound was deafening, disorienting them as it reverberated through the trees. The frogs, now fully aware of their presence, turned their massive, unblinking eyes toward the squad, their earlier indifference replaced with hostility.

"Damn it, they've noticed us!" one of the soldiers muttered, gripping his weapon tighter.