Operation Enigma (2)

The squad moved cautiously towards the forest's edge, their steps synchronized. The men felt their hearts beating heavily in their chests, heavier than their metallic steps.

Lieutenant Zeechi led the way, his eyes scanning every shadow and movement. He felt the weight of the mission pressing down on him, but he kept his expression resolute and calm - not that they would be able to see it as the armor completely covered his face.

Behind him were Zander and Schalk, along with the rest of the team, following with a mixture of determination and apprehension. Their training had prepared them for many things, but the unknown dangers of this alien forest were something entirely different. Each step they took deeper into the jungle felt like a step further away from the safety of their camp and closer to an unpredictable peril.

As they crossed the boundary from the known world into the mysterious realm of towering trees and dense undergrowth, the air seemed to thicken, and a palpable tension settled over them. At first, they were met with nothing but silence. The rustle of their metallic boots in the tall grass was the only sound, as if there was no life inside the mysterious place.

Yet, at the same time, the sight left them speechless. As the sunlight shone through the treetops, it illuminated the place with a variety of colors from the rainbow. They noticed that the abnormality occurred as the light passed through the colorful leaves, which radiated mystery and holiness.

It was as if the forest had a light of its own, the soldiers felt like they were iin an endless twilight.

Despite the trunks of the trees being thick, they were far apart from each other, making it easy to move around and for the squadron to maintain formation.

Zander, however, sensed something more. As he accompanied the squad, he circulated the Qi around his body to calm himself down, and he became even more surprised: the Qi density was different here!

[How can it be!? The Qi here is at least ten times denser than outside!] Zander was astounded, his mind racing as he absorbed this revelation. [Doesn't that mean I could cultivate faster here? Wait... Is that why the animals came here? Can they sense the Natural Energy? If so, could they cultivate!?] The implications were staggering, and a sense of unease crept over him as he realized the potential dangers lurking within this mysterious forest.

Just as Zander was coming to this troubling realization, the squad stopped abruptly. The ground in front of them was covered in blood, but no corpse could be seen.

"Stay alert!" Zeechi warned, walking towards the pool of blood. He bent down and inspected the blood with his finger. "Still fresh, it happened a short time ago. I don't know if the last squad was attacked here, but we need to look for tracks."

"Sir. I found some shells!" Another soldier reported after a few seconds.

Not wanting to be taken by surprise, the lieutenant was cautious. He could feel sweat trickling down his forehead. Some soldiers had trembling hands, not knowing what they would find. The worst enemy was always the unknown one.

"Yes, sir!" The squad moved efficiently, forming a circle within seconds.

"No matter what happens, I'll cover your back, bro," Schalk said, patting Zander's shoulder.

"Same here, man." Zander smiled behind his helmet, though Schalk couldn't see it.

Soon, one soldier broke the silence, his voice trembling slightly as he pointed to their left.

"Sir, look at that smaller tree."

Everyone turned their heads in the direction he indicated. There, standing out among the towering giants, was a smaller tree about two meters tall with purple leaves that shimmered in the dappled sunlight. From its lowest branch, a deep black fruit hung enticingly, glistening as if it held the secrets of the forest within its dark flesh.

The squad momentarily stunned by the sight, their disciplined formation faltered. The fruit's allure was palpable, almost magnetic. One soldier, unable to control his temptation, broke ranks and moved towards the tree, his eyes fixed on the fruit.

"No! Come back right now!" Lieutenant Zeechi's voice cut through the air like a whip, filled with urgency and authority. But his warning came too late.

As the soldier reached out to grab the fruit, a sudden movement above caught everyone's attention. In a flash, a black shadow descended from the tree, landing on the soldier with terrifying speed and precision. The squad watched in horror as the soldier was engulfed by the shadow, a creature that seemed to blend seamlessly with the darkness of the forest.

"Shoot it now!" Lieutenant Zeechi's voice cut through the tense air, commanding urgency and determination.

Without hesitation, the squad obeyed. They aimed their rifles at the shadowy figure that had descended upon their comrade, their fingers tightening on the triggers.

*TAP* *TAP* *TAP* *TAP*

Blood splattered, but it was not the shadow's; it seemed impervious to the barrage of gunfire. The protective armor, designed to withstand high caliber bullets, offered no defense against this otherworldly assailant. In a horrifying display of force, the shadow effortlessly shattered the soldier's helmet, crushing his head with brutal efficiency.

Before they could react, the shadow darted with lightning speed, evading their gunfire as if it were merely a nuisance. It moved with unnatural agility, weaving through the air like a phantom, closing the distance to the squad in a blur of motion.

"It's too fast! Watch your angles!" Zeechi shouted, his voice strained but commanding. Unfortunately the men weren't even able to spot it as the shadow flashed in their direction. 

The squad scrambled to adjust their positions, their hearts pounding with fear and adrenaline. The forest seemed to close in around them, shadows dancing eerily among the trees as the unseen threat closed in. They fired again, aiming at the elusive target that moved with uncanny speed, but their bullets found nothing.

In mere seconds, the blurred figure took another man's life, leaving three large scratches on the man's chest, which pierced the Alpha Project's armor like butter and blood spurted from the wound.. 

Before they could process the horror unfolding before them, the shadowy entity advanced once more, this time targeting Lieutenant Zeechi himself.

"Careful, Commander!" Zander's warning cut through the chaos, his senses heightened by Qi.

Reacting swiftly, Kwame Zeechi used his gun as a shield, trying to fend off the creature.

*CLANK!*

His weapon broke apart in one hit!

The lieutenant's hands went numb and he staggered back from the impact. Unfortunately for him, with a vice-like grip, the thing seized his shoulders, overpowering him. Taken by surprise, he lost his balance even more and fell!

A gaping maw filled with razor-sharp teeth loomed over him, a chilling final sight before darkness claimed him.

"Damn it! Open fire, now!" Someone's panicked voice pierced the frantic scene as the squad descended into chaos. They screamed and fired wildly, desperation mounting as they tried to fend off the relentless assailant.

As the creature paused to savage Zeechi's lifeless form, the soldiers finally got a clear look at their adversary. The 'animal' was weirder than the forest itself: It resembled a black panther at first glance, but its six legs and spiked tail set it apart. Its two-meter-long body was cloaked in jet-black fur, its feral appearance enhanced by two gleaming white fangs protruding from its jaws.

As the soldiers stood stunned, the beast struck swiftly, claiming the lives of two more soldiers. Panic gripped the remaining squad members.

"Everyone! Behind me now!" Zander barked, taking command amidst the chaos.

The line of command was already broken, but Zander felt compelled to act. Amidst shouts and gunfire, the soldiers scrambled to regroup.

To their disbelief, the beast stopped and yawned, appearing almost relaxed.

Zander positioned himself at the front with the remaining six soldiers. Discarding his gun, he prepared to strike. Channeling his Qi as taught in the book, he locked eyes with the creature. The beast's silver eyes glinted with a predatory intelligence, narrowing as it sized up its new challenger. Muscles tensed, the two adversaries stood in a deadly standoff, each waiting for the other to make the first move.

"Come at me, beast!" Zander challenged, his voice echoing through the tense silence.

"What are you doing!? Trying to punch that thing!? Are you crazy!?" Schalk's voice rang out from behind.

Ignoring the skepticism, Zander awaited the creature's move. To the other soldiers but to him, the beast blurred into motion once again. The Qi hand enhanced his body and also his senses. The beast was fast, but he could somewhat accompany it with his eyes.

In mere seconds Zander saw the beast flash in front of him, he would be the next victim of its bloody sharp teeth!

*BANG!*

With lightning reflexes and a surge of Qi, he delivered a powerful punch squarely to its face! He felt the impact reverberate up his arm, Zander took a step back, the armor protecting his right arm shattered completely.

As for the beast, the force of the blow sent the creature hurtling backward, crashing into a tree ten meters away!

Growling softly, the beast staggered to its feet, blood trickling from its forehead, visibly injured yet far from defeated. 

It was barely hurt! The black panther looked intently in Zander's direction, its silver eyes filled with anger. The entire squad held their breath and shivers ran down their spines, no one dared to move a muscle!

"Grrraw!" the beast growled softly, as if complaining about something.

Seconds seemed like an eternity for the squadron, sweat was pouring down Zander's forehead. Suddenly, the weird black panther turned and vanished into the depths of the forest.

"HA! Shit, we did it!" A soldier exclaimed, breaking the tense silence that had enveloped them.

"Wow, t-that was unexpected." Schalk muttered, still in disbelief.

"Keep your eyes open! We're still deep in the forest, we don't know if it'll come back." Zander cautioned, feeling exhausted but somewhat relieved. "Let's end our mission here, let's gather our fallen comrades and get the hell out of here."

Zander breathed a sigh of relief, realizing that his single punch had drained all his Qi, if the creature had decided to attack again, they would have all died. Now, he just wanted to get away from this damned forest.

He turned to Schalk, patting his friend's shoulder with a smile.

"See… I told you I got stronger!"