Chapter 6: Unexpected Encounters


    The dense forest of Rin stretched endlessly under the night sky, shadows shifting with the rustling leaves. Luke moved carefully through the undergrowth, his sharp eyes scanning for any movement. He had excused himself from camp, telling the others he needed to relieve himself, but his real goal was different.


    He had noticed something earlier—they were being watched.


    As he slipped behind a thick tree, he focused, waiting. Then, in a blur, he lunged forward, grabbing the two small figures hiding behind the bushes.


    “Got you,” he said calmly, pinning them down.


    To his surprise, the two figures weren’t older warriors or trained scouts—they were just kids. No older than ten, maybe younger.


    Or so he thought.


    Before he could react, one of them—a boy with short brown hair—thrust his hands to the ground. The earth trembled beneath Luke’s feet. A sudden pillar of stone shot him into the air.


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    The second kid, a boy with messy black hair, smirked as he formed a fireball and hurled it at Luke.


    Luke twisted mid-air, barely avoiding the blast. Sparks crackled around him as he activated Lightning Strike, boosting his movement. But his control wasn’t perfect yet—his body moved faster than he intended, and he stumbled as he landed.


    “Tch… Still need to work on that,” he muttered.


    The two kids rushed at him, but Luke wasn’t about to get embarrassed again. This time, he relied on pure skill. He dodged, swept his leg, and in one smooth motion, pinned both of them down again.


    “You guys are strong,” he admitted. “But not strong enough.”


    The kids struggled but couldn’t break free. Eventually, they sighed in defeat.


    “Fine! You win,” the brown-haired boy said. “I’m Yosh.”


    “And I’m Josh,” the other added.


    Luke loosened his grip but kept his guard up. “What’s your deal? Why were you spying on us?”


    “We weren’t spying,” Yosh protested. “We were just checking out the competition.”


    Josh nodded. “We’re in the tourna


    ment too. Our team has a Club card.”


    Luke blinked. That meant they weren’t immediate enemies—each team needed to collect three different symbols, not duplicates of their own. He saw an opportunity.


    Instead of fighting them, he could turn them into allies.


    “You guys are strong for your age,” Luke said. “Maybe we should talk.”


    Yosh and Josh exchanged glances. “About what?”


    “An alliance.”


    Before they could respond, the bushes ahead rustled violently.


    A deep, guttural hiss echoed through the trees. The ground shook slightly as something massive slithered into view—an anaconda, easily over 20 feet long, its thick body covered in dark green scales.


    Its golden eyes locked onto them. It was hungry.


    Luke immediately dropped into a fighting stance, lightning crackling at his fingertips.


    “Yeah,” Josh muttered, stepping back. “Let’s talk later.”


    The anaconda lunged.


    — End of Chapter 6