Big Bellied Fox

Hugging the Growth Orb, Trey wanted nothing more than to return to the city and use a Cryopad to Level Up. With this Orb and the others inside his backpack—the ones he had personally acquired—he could easily reach Level 6 or even 7!

Once he was done savoring the euphoria of his newfound "treasure," he glanced at the lunatic who had handed it to him. But as Trey opened his mouth to speak, memories of the suffering he had endured under Kael resurfaced.

Should I say thanks or not? Trey hesitated. But he used me as bait, and I almost died because of him. Is it really appropriate to say thanks? F*ck this! It's like being addicted to drugs. Even though it's dangerous, I can't stop relying on him! And in this case, the drug is Kael!

In the end, he let out a heavy sigh.

"Thank y—"

"Can your bag still fit a few more small Growth Orbs?" Kael interrupted.

"Let me see." Trey checked his bag and found it still had space for at least five more Growth Orbs. "I think we can fit six more."

"Good," Kael nodded. "You should hold that Orb."

Kael hadn't handed over the Growth Orb out of guilt for turning Trey into a juggling ball for those RhinoFlocks. It was simply repayment for helping distract those d*mb Behemechs. Kael wasn't inherently evil—or maybe just not right now.

"I will," Trey said, clutching the head-sized Growth Orb closer, as if silently vowing to protect it with his life.

"Is that the Catalyst?" Bach asked, pointing at the Spire in the distance. The structure stood in the middle of the mountain, almost reaching the sky.

"Ah, yes," Trey replied. "We have to destroy it. But the others are still hunting for more loot. We'll be in a lot of trouble if we destroy it right away."

There was an unspoken rule among Primers: if the majority of them weren't near the Catalyst, no one should destroy it unless they were prepared to face the wrath of the others.

"After we fill up your bag, we'll head there," Kael said. From the start, he'd acted like the leader. Although Trey had been annoyed at first, he had no choice but to let the lunatic lead—Kael was undeniably stronger.

"Alright," Trey nodded. His eyes then drifted to the Behemech Kael had just killed. "Is this really your first time inside a Fissure?"

"Who knows," Kael shrugged, his gaze fixed on the frog Behemech.

Hearing this, Trey was left speechless while Bach silently observed Kael.

Both men were curious. Kael was a mystery, especially to Bach, who had found him inside the mine. Seeing the dead Behemech on the ground, Bach couldn't help but be impressed. It was his first time seeing someone without a suit kill an almost Second-Grade Behemech alone—a feat so absurd he'd have called anyone else claiming it insane.

Afterward, they resumed their journey, with Trey and Bach following Kael's lead. They didn't talk along the way as they observed the surroundings closely, afraid hidden dangers might attack them while they stay close to Kael.

"Hide," Kael said abruptly, stopping in his tracks as they entered a forest.

Now that he saved Milan's father, he has another goalm, to hunt more Behemechs, not just to stockpile Growth Orbs but to make his body more efficient in battle. The threat of Anti-Orgs still loomed over the universe, and Kael knew he needed to grow stronger as quickly as possible. Being idle was not an option.

Hearing him, Trey grabbed the old man and pulled him behind a massive tree. Meanwhile, Kael remained standing, his gaze fixed on something ahead.

"Let's watch him, old man," Trey whispered, his eyes glued to the lunatic. Although he'd already witnessed Kael fight, this time he hoped to learn a thing or two.

The two peered from behind the tree, watching as Kael stepped forward.

Kael narrowed his eyes, spotting a Behemech in the distance, gnawing on something on the ground. It was the same round fox that Awer and the other Primer group had fought over earlier, but this one was noticeably smaller.

Still, it was a Second-Grade Behemech—a lot stronger than the frog.

Realizing this, a smile crept onto his face. His previous battle against the Mechanibbits had been too easy and the only reason he managed to kill the round fox from before is because that Behemech is already weakened by Awer and the others, so Kael hoped to find a real challenge. Something that will push him to his limits.

He pulled out the magazine from his sniper rifle and checked its contents. Ten bullets remained.

"This should be enough," Kael muttered as he slid the magazine back in place. He quickly inspected his other weapons, and once satisfied, his gaze returned to the round fox Behemech. According to Trey, this monster was called a Big Bellied Fox, one of the more common Second-Grade Behemechs.

It had the ability to spew high-intensity beams capable of vaporizing normal humans in an instant. Dangerous as it was, the monster had a glaring weakness—it was a coward.

That's why it had tried to flee from Awer and his group, leading to the battle below the mountain.

Kael didn't need long to devise a plan. Shooting the fox from a long distance would only cause it to bolt, unless he could immobilize it with one shot. But that would be difficult, as Behemechs were known for their strong will, especially cowards like this one.

He began to move, walking slowly and deliberately.

Before long, he closed the distance enough to see what the fox was eating. It was a male human, his body half-devoured, with pieces of his Exoskeleton suit scattered around.

Kael's expression didn't waver. He had seen far worse in his time. To him, this was no different from an everyday occurrence.

Taking cover behind a tree, Kael let the monster continue its meal. The sound of crunching bones and tearing flesh echoed through the air, followed by the Big Bellied Fox letting out a grunt of satisfaction as it finished its feast.

Hearing this, Kael peeked from behind the tree. The Behemech had started walking in a specific direction, likely searching for a spot to rest. But there was no way the White Prime would let his Growth Orb and 'training partner' to stroll away.

Kael pulled a grenade from his utility belt—one of his last three—and lobbed it in front of the Big Bellied Fox. The sound of the grenade hitting the ground made the monster pause and turn its gaze toward the object.

The Shockwave Grenade began to emit a beeping sound, the Behemech staring at it in confusion.

Then, the grenade detonated.

A powerful explosion erupted, shrouding the Big Bellied Fox in dust and dirt. The creature let out a pained wail that echoed across the forest.

Kael raised his Pulse Sniper Rifle, aiming at the creature's weak points, and began firing as he advanced. Bright flashes of light filled the air as each bullet struck with pinpoint accuracy, shattering the joints of the Big Bellied Fox.

His shots were precise—so precise that even a centimeter off would have rendered the attack useless.

The monster tried to run, but its shattered joints gave way, causing it to collapse to the ground with a heavy thud.

"This is easy," Kael muttered, a bitter smile forming on his face. He wanted to be challenged, but his opponent is already down. Seems like hitting the joints is overkill.

However, in the next moment, his vision was consumed by a bright light and the bitter smile on his face changed into that of a genuine one, as if he finally got to see what he's looking for.