Reënboog Forest (3)

*CROOOOAAC!*

The deafening croak ripped through the clearing, signaling the imminent battle. The three giant frogs fixed their wild, bulging eyes on the soldiers, their anger palpable.

"Shit! You dumbass Schalk! Stick to the plan!" Zander shouted, directing his frustration towards his friend, even though Schalk had been laughing moments before. Now they had no choice but to react! Zander wasted no time, aiming his weapon at the nearest frog and opening fire!

Tap! Tap! Tap!

The bullets zipped through the air toward their target. To their dismay, the rounds seemed to vanish mid-flight, having no visible effect on the frog's tough hide. It was as if the bullets had been absorbed by some invisible barrier.

TUMP!

With a tremendous leap, the frog catapulted through the air, hurtling towards the soldiers with terrifying speed—over a hundred feet in a single bound!

"Engage in close combat, now!" Zander bellowed, tossing his machine gun aside and charging toward the beast. His division quickly adapted, throwing down their firearms and forming four groups to confront the monsters.

Energized by the Qi flowing through him, Zander lunged at the frog. But before he could reach it:

*BRUAGH!*

The giant frog shot out its tongue with alarming speed. The thick, pink, and slimy appendage whipped through the air toward Zander.

With lightning-fast reflexes enhanced by Qi, Zander dodged left, narrowly avoiding the sticky assault. However, his warning came too late for another soldier. The tongue snaked out and struck the unfortunate man in the chest.

"Be careful!!" Zander yelled, but his voice was swallowed by the chaos.

The wet tongue slammed into the soldier's chest, halting him in his tracks. Instead of tearing through his armor, the tongue adhered to it, sticking to the soldier like a fly caught in a web.

"Help! Somebody get this thing off me!" the soldier cried out, panic setting in as he realized what was coming. He thrashed violently, trying to tear the sticky appendage away, but each movement only made the bond stronger. "Heeeelp!"

For a moment, the soldiers stood frozen, staring at their comrade in disbelief. Even Zander hesitated, unwilling to risk touching the frog's tongue, despite his Qi-infused strength.

The moment of paralysis was brief. The frog's eyes gleamed with sadistic pleasure as it opened its maw wider. Suddenly, its tongue snapped back, yanking the soldier off his feet and pulling him into the frog's cavernous mouth. The beast's jaws clamped shut, and the soldier disappeared into its swollen belly. The scene was both horrifying and surreal—how could a man fit inside that grotesque creature?

"Stay away from its tongue! Engage now!" Zander roared, realizing that distance was a death sentence. They had to close in before more of them were swallowed alive. He surged forward, closing the gap in a heartbeat, his eyes locked on the bloated toad.

As he reached the frog, Zander delivered a powerful Qi-infused punch with his right hand, aiming directly at the creature's bloated midsection.

*BANG!*

A dull, hollow sound reverberated through the forest. Zander's fist connected, but it felt like he had struck solid stone. His eyes narrowed as he observed the creature's hide up close—thick, armored scales covered not just its back, but its entire body. It just happened that the scales on its back were bigger. The bumps he had noticed earlier were now clearly visible, adding another layer of defense to that monster.

[This is going to be a problem,] Zander thought, his mind racing for a new strategy. Before he could act, the frog retaliated with a powerful kick from its hind leg, forcing Zander to leap backward to avoid being crushed.

Just then, the rest of his squad arrived, flanking the creature. They unleashed a barrage of Qi-charged punches and kicks, each strike aimed at finding a weak spot in the frog's armored hide.

Fifteen soldiers surrounded the giant toad, attacking relentlessly from all sides.

"Why does this feel so wrong?" Schalk muttered under his breath as he joined the fray, his fist smashing into the frog's side with a resounding thud.

"Its entire body is protected by scales!" Zander shouted, using the brief moment of respite to warn his men through the ARGP-100. "Focus on the joints and eyes—anywhere the scales might be thinner!"

*BANG!* 

*CRACK!*

Perhaps distracted by Zander's warning,a blond soldier was caught off guard by a powerful back kick from the frog. The force of the impact sent him flying several meters, and when he crashed to the ground, his chest armor shattered into pieces. He lay motionless, his condition unknown.

The soldiers adjusted their tactics immediately. Schalk aimed a powerful kick at one of the frog's rear legs, targeting the joint where the scales were less dense. The frog croaked in pain, a sign that they were on the right track.

The creature's eyes darted from soldier to soldier, seeking its next target. Fortunately, its large size and proximity to the squad made it difficult to use its tongue effectively at close range.

Zander wasted no time. Channeling every ounce of Qi into his right arm, he launched himself forward and delivered a crushing punch aimed at the frog's eye.

*BANG!* 

The impact was devastating. The frog let out a guttural croak of agony as its left eye exploded in a spray of green liquid, blinding it on one side.

But Zander wasn't done yet.

"Now, Schalk!" Shouted Zander.

"Right, Bro!" Schalk responded without hesitation. He gathered all the Qi he could muster—far less than Zander's, but enough for the task. With a burst of speed, he appeared in front of the writhing beast and unleashed a powerful punch.

*SPLASH!*

More green liquid sprayed across the ground as Schalk's blow connected, sending the frog into a violent thrashing fit. Its legs spasmed uncontrollably, and another unfortunate soldier was caught in the chaos. The soldier managed to block the kick with both arms, but the force shattered his armor and broke his arms, sending him hurtling through the air.

Despite the carnage, there was no time to hesitate. The frog was still alive, and Zander knew they had to finish it off. He spotted an unprotected area on the frog's chest—no scales to shield it.

With no time to waste, Zander drew on the last reserves of Qi in his dantian. He lunged forward, his fist aimed straight at the frog's exposed chest.

This time, his punch connected with devastating precision, tearing through the frog's flesh and shattering its heart. The creature convulsed violently, then collapsed, lifeless, onto the ground.

Zander barely had a moment to catch his breath when he heard panicked shouts nearby. He turned just in time to see another giant frog lashing out with its foul-smelling tongue, aiming straight for Pyong Tay.

"Careful—!" Zander tried to warn, but it was too late.

Or so he thought.

In a fluid, almost effortless motion, Pyong Tay, the squad's ninja, evaded the tongue's deadly reach. With a graceful twist of his body, he dodged to the right, drawing his blade in a flash of steel. In one swift, precise movement, he sliced upward, severing the frog's tongue cleanly in two!

"Amazing!" one of the soldiers exclaimed, awestruck by the display of skill.

"Let's go! We need to help them!" Zander commanded, rallying his group. Without hesitation, the remaining soldiers charged forward, their spirits bolstered by the victory over the first frog and the hope that they could overcome the remaining threats.

*********

A few minutes later, the Pathfinder Division found themselves out of breath, their chests heaving with the effort of the recent battle. Although the fight had ended quickly, the exhaustion was palpable. For most of them, this had been their first real combat experience using Qi, and it had taken a toll. It might not have been the most glorious battle of their lives, nor one that would be remembered in the annals of history, but they had accomplished something significant. They had defeated three monstrous toads and completed their mission.

The cost had been steep. Eight men were lost, their bodies now lying still on the forest floor. Despite the heavy losses, Zander considered it a victory. They had faced an unknown enemy, a creature never before seen by human eyes, and emerged triumphant. Now, with the battle behind them, they turned their attention to the spoils of their quest.

In addition to the samples they had collected, they had obtained two items of particular interest: a small, white flower and an old book.

Zander carefully examined the flower, holding it gently in his hands. It was a thing of rare beauty, with delicate, translucent petals that seemed to shimmer with an ethereal glow. The flower's stem was slender and almost fragile, yet it pulsed with a potent energy that Zander could feel even without concentrating. The petals themselves were soft to the touch, like the finest silk, and they exuded a subtle, sweet fragrance that filled the air around them. Despite its delicate appearance, Zander sensed a powerful force within the flower, a concentration of natural energy that was almost overwhelming. Unsure whether it was a gift of nature or something more dangerous, he decided it was best to hand it over to the scientists for further examination.

But it was the book that intrigued him the most.

The captain held the old tome with both hands, cradling it as if it were a priceless artifact. Its yellowed cover was worn and weathered, the edges frayed from the passage of time. Yet, despite its age, the book emanated a mysterious aura. The soldiers gathered around him, their curiosity piqued. They craned their necks to catch a glimpse of the book's contents, eager to see what secrets it held.

To satisfy their curiosity, Zander read the title aloud, his voice carrying a mix of reverence and excitement.

"Five Palms of Fire, Battle Technique!" he announced.

A murmur of awe rippled through the group.

"Oooh… that sounds incredible!" One soldier exclaimed

"Yeah… Can we take a look Cap?" another chimed in, his voice filled with eager anticipation.

The soldiers were buzzing with excitement. They all knew the significance of a cultivation book, but this—this was a battle technique. None of them had ever heard of such a thing before, but the possibilities it suggested were thrilling. Could this book hold the key to unlocking even greater power? The thought was intoxicating.

"Let's first return to base, and then we can discuss it." He dismissed their eager requests with a wave of his hand. "Remember, we're still inside the forest. Stay alert and get back to your positions."

Without waiting for a response, Zander turned and began walking ahead, his focus shifting entirely to the mysterious book in his hands. Ignoring the soldiers' disappointed murmurs, he carefully opened the ancient tome and began flipping through its pages. Schalk, ever the loyal second-in-command, fell into step behind him, keeping a watchful eye on their surroundings.

Zander knew that once they returned to base, the book would likely be taken for analysis by the higher-ups, and he might never see it again. This was his only chance to absorb its contents. 

As they walked, he glanced up briefly and called out to his men, "Don't forget the bodies!"

The soldiers exchanged confused glances. "The giant frogs or our fallen comrades?" one of them muttered, unsure of Zander's intent.