Savage-Ranked Beast

Its daunting figure wasn't human in any way. Its movements were unnatural—a slow, deliberate sway that evoked primal fear in anyone who was unfortunate enough to witness it.

Its sheer size was astonishing, towering high above the forest floor like an ancient sentinel.

Kenan crouched low behind a cluster of thick bushes, his sharp gaze locked onto the Savage beast as it moved in eerie, calculated patterns. The dim light filtering through the canopy highlighted the unnatural shimmer of its surface.

From the way it swayed, it was clear the creature had lost sight of him. Its 'steps', if it could be called that, were slow and deliberate as it slid forward, leaving the cover of shadows. Its towering form loomed fully into Kenan's line of sight.

The creature's name suited it perfectly: a Blood Bloom. At first glance, it resembled a plant, though no natural vegetation could be so grotesque. Its twisted, snake-like stem rose high above the underbrush, its girth as thick as a small carriage wheel. Deep,

blood-red leaves adorned its body, trembling faintly as though alive, casting flickering, foreboding shadows across the ground.

At its apex sat five black, curved petals, each threaded with fibrous veins that glowed faintly with a sickly green light.

The air around it rippled and distorted, as though the very atmosphere recoiled from its presence.

Kenan's eyes narrowed as they settled on the creature's maw, between the petals-a gaping orifice lined with pristine, razor-sharp teeth.

Droplets of acidic saliva dripped

from its teeth onto the forest floor. The acid released a cloyingly sweet aroma, one that grew stronger with every drop that hissed against the soil. The smell was sickeningly pleasant, like overripe fruit left to ferment.

At the base of its stem, whip-like tendons slithered through the air, their sucker-tipped ends writhing like living creatures.

Thick roots snaked deep into the earth, throbbing

with a strange vitality that seemed to pulse in rhythm with the glow in its veins.

Kenan's pulse quickened as he crouched lower, every cell in his body screaming at him to remain unseen.

The Blood Bloom looked nothing short of a nightmare incarnate. A being that defied all natural logic. Its tendrils stretched outward, feeling the air, seeking prey.

Kenan's mind was in disarray, however…

His hand drifted to the ring Jim had given him, its smooth surface left a comforting weight

on his finger. With a steadying breath, he whispered the activation code: "JMS."

The ring shimmered with a faint blue light, and a dim holographic interface flickered into existence above it. Kenan wasted no time, swiping hurriedly through the options until his eyes landed on what he needed - a katana.

"This will do," he muttered, lightly tapping the holographic screen. 

The blade materialized in his hand in a flash of light.

It was heavier than it had looked in the hologram. Pulling him down, the weight of the weapon a stark reminder of what lay ahead. The edge glimmered sharply as he lifted it once again, and he could feel its promise of lethality as he gripped the hilt tightly.

The Blood Bloom shifted. Though it had no eyes or ears, Kenan felt its awareness sweep toward him. Its tendrils stiffened, with the sensory hair all over its body quivering like taut wires ready to snap.

Without a second thought, Kenan sprang to his feet and bolted in the opposite direction. His boots pounded against the forest moist soil as he wove through the dense underbrush, his katana clutched tightly in his hand, ready to take on the defensive.

The Blood Bloom followed, its serpentine stem slithering across the ground with an unnatural grace. Though it couldn't move quickly, its steady pursuit was relentless, the sweet aroma of its acid growing stronger as it closed the distance.

Kenan pushed himself harder, leaping over roots and ducking beneath low-hanging branches. He avoided dry leaves and brittle shrubs that might betray his position with a crunch.

Finally, the sound of the Savage beast's movements faded, and Kenan slowed to a stop, pressing himself against the rough bark of a tree. His chest heaved as he tried to steady his breathing, his ears straining for any hint of pursuit.

The oppressive silence was broken only by the taint rustling of leaves above. He risked a glance back and saw the Blood Bloom looming in the distance, its form swaying gently in the dim light.

Its tendrils twitched, reaching into the air, but the creature remained rooted to the spot. Its black petals unfurled once again, revealing dozens of smaller, newly grown, razor-sharp stamens hidden within. The petals quivered, releasing another wave of that

sickly-sweet aroma, which clung to the air like an invisible fog. Even though it could sense Kenan, it remained in its spot.

Kenan's skin crawled, and he tightened his grip on the katana. The Savage beast wasn't moving but he could still feel the lingering danger.

He turned and ran once more, the eerie hum of the creature fading behind him as he plunged deeper into the forest. But the respite was short-lived.

As he rounded a bend, he stumbled into a clearing and froze.

Dozens of smaller Blood Blooms dotted the area, their wiry stems coiling around the trunks of unmoving trees. They trembled and writhed, their fibrous veins glowing with a sickly green light.

One of the smaller blooms flared suddenly, its black petals peeling back to reveal jagged, knife-like stamens. It lunged at Kenan, spitting acid that hissed as it struck the ground.

Kenan reacted on instinct, swinging the katana in a wide arc. The blade severed the Blood Bloom's stem in a single stroke. Its hum ceased abruptly, and it collapsed to the ground, a thick, clear liquid oozing from the severed pedicel.

The liquid splattered onto his sleeve, and a sharp, burning sensation made him recoil.

He shook his arm frantically, trying to dislodge the caustic fluid before it burned through his cloth.

[You have killed an Unevolved Blood Bloom.]

'Was that their mother?' Kenan thought as he took a quick glance behind him. 

More Blood Blooms stirred, their stems twitching as they sensed the death of their kin.

One by one, they lunged at Kenan, their acidic saliva hissing against the ground. And in response, he fought with all his might, slashing as fast and as hard as he could.

[You have killed an Unevolved Blood Bloom.]

[You have killed an Unevolved Blood Bloom.]

[You have killed an Unevolved Blood Bloom.]

"Your mother didn't succeed, what makes you think you will?" Saying this, he dodged a Blood Bloom and slashed its stem. They were no stronger than small animals, hence, notifications poured in continuously.

The air grew heavy with the cloying scent of their acid, mixing with the faint tang of ozone.

But for every Blood Bloom he cut down, two more seemed to rise in its place. His arms burned with exertion, and his breath came in ragged gasps as he realized the futility of his efforts. The wave of Blood Blooms seemed unending and his weak, non-athletic won't last for any longer.

Then, from the underbrush, a larger Blood Bloom emerged. Smaller than the one he had escaped from but far bigger than the others in the clearing. If the smaller Blood Blooms were the size of a basketball, then this one was just a few inches shorter than Kenan. It radiated a menacing presence.

Its stem pulsed faintly, and its tendrils writhed with unnatural energy. Kenan raised his katana, ready to strike, but as the blade connected with the stem, a horrifying realization dawned on him.

If he spent another second in this clearing, a bigger Blood Bloom would be his next opponent and they won't stop coming until he dies.

His gaze darted around the clearing, taking in the branching stems and the glowing veins that connected the smaller blooms.

He needed to get out of the clearing as soon as possible and so he did. Running in the opposite direction from whence he came.