Episode 3 - Scene 3: First Encounter !

Location: Northern Beach Edge of the Macchabé Forest – Zero Island

The earth groaned, then split with a thunderous roar—raw terror distilled into sound.

The shockwave slammed through the ground, sending a violent tremor beneath William's feet.

It rattled his bones and shook the very air.

The world seemed to draw in a breath, holding its suspense as if nature itself were preparing for its final, cataclysmic exhale.

William lifted his gaze, eyes narrowing, heart pounding in sync with the deep, primal rumble that tore through the island. In that fleeting moment, everything froze. Time staggered, suspended—until the ground cracked wide open.

A torrent of sand exploded into the air. A colossal silhouette—no, a living mountain—rose from the depths of the earth. A crab, but not like any crab William had ever seen.

It was a nightmare, an ancient titan forged in malice. Its black shell gleamed like molten metal, jagged spikes jutting from its back—natural weapons poised to rend the sky. The thing surged forward, its immense body dragging a trail of sand behind it, as if the very island bowed beneath its weight.

Each of its claws rose with a deafening screech—massive, like fallen trees, capable of shattering anything in their path. The ground quaked beneath its every step, the very air warping with the force of its presence. William's heartbeat hammered in his chest, each thud louder than the last. A cold shiver slithered down his spine. There was no hesitation now. No retreat.

The dimensional veil sprung to life around him, a palpable force isolating him from the world. The crab, in its colossal momentum, came to a sudden, still halt. Time fractured around him, suspended within this bubble of intense quiet, the world locked in place.

Two seconds. One chance. Only one.

— Iris (her voice steady, but sharp with an edge of urgency): "Enemy identified: Coconut Crab. Ultra-resistant shell. Claws capable of crushing a tree trunk. Danger level: High. Tactical behavior: Territorial."

William's eyes blazed with focus as he scanned the beast. The shell was nearly invulnerable, its claws were living weapons, but there had to be a weakness. He found it—its underbelly. The Nexus.

— William (a dark smirk curling on his lips, his voice low, almost taunting): "A zone boss. Feels like an old-school RPG. Let's see how you handle a real fight."

But deep inside, his gut twisted—an icy vice clenching tight around his insides. Not now. Not this time. He shoved the fear down, forcing it aside. He had no room for doubts. This was it.

The first claw came down with a deafening crack. The earth beneath him exploded. A tree trunk shattered like a twig beneath its weight. William's body moved before thought, fluid, instinctual—a roll that barely skimmed the ground as the massive claw scraped the air where he'd just been. Sand whipped around him like a storm, blinding and stinging, tearing the earth apart in the aftermath of the attack.

— Iris (her voice distant, but the faintest hint of approval): "Excellent work, Master William. The dimensional veil slowed the impact within the bubble. Time remaining: 1.7 seconds."

The ground continued to shake, the world around him a blur of chaos. William twisted, springing to his feet. His muscles, every fiber of his being, coiled with the anticipation of the next strike. The world narrowed. There was no time for hesitation.

— William (his voice tight, breath ragged, but steady): "I don't have time. What's next, Iris?"

— Iris (her tone now sharp, tinged with urgency): "Your window is two seconds. It can be extended with further training and combat experience."

William's mind raced. Two seconds. Not enough. The air grew thick with the pressure of it. His skin hummed with the raw weight of the moment. Sweat stung his eyes, his pulse pounding in his temples. But he wasn't backing down.

His gaze sharpened, narrowing in on the enemy. There. The weakness. The Nexus. He didn't need more time. He just needed to be faster.

— William (a cold, predatory grin pulling at his lips, eyes flickering with anticipation): "Perfect. I've got this."

The air around him seemed to warp, bending under the intensity of his focus. The sand beneath his feet solidified under his will, melding together into something far deadlier. Earth, stone, energy—all fused into a single, lethal spear.

The crab's second claw descended with a brutal roar, the earth quaking under the impact, sand flying in every direction. But William was already in motion, a blur of movement that seemed to slip through time itself. The veil stretched, slowing the world around him, granting him a brief instant to strike.

With the grace of a predator, he slid beneath the descending claw, his body fluid, a shadow in the midst of chaos. The spear in his hand surged forward, a single, decisive strike. The weapon plunged deep into the crab's joint, the impact reverberating with a sound like metal being torn apart. A shriek of pain tore through the air as the creature's shell cracked, a violent cascade of sparks flying in every direction.

For a moment, everything stood still. The beast trembled, its eyes widening in shock. William held his ground, his breath shallow, but his body poised. He wasn't finished. Not yet.

But the crab wasn't done either.

The creature staggered back, furious, its enormous form lurching with terrifying force. Its eyes, once dull and lifeless, burned with unadulterated rage, and the very earth seemed to recoil under its wrath.

The ground trembled again, but this time, it wasn't just the crab. Two shadows, smaller but just as deadly, erupted from the depths of the sand, their eyes gleaming with malice. They stalked forward, hunger in their gaze, prepared to tear William apart.

— William (his voice barely a whisper, his heart skipping a beat): "That was too good to be true…"

Before he could react, the earth split again, and two new horrors emerged—more enemies, more destruction. The real fight had only just begun.