Omega Man stirred from his restless sleep, his body barely holding itself together. With a groan, he forced himself to his feet, the effort alone draining what little energy he had left. The forest around him, dense and humid like a jungle, seemed endless, and every step he took was a battle against the crushing weight of exhaustion.
As he walked, the burning ache in his body grew unbearable. Those two cursed bullets lodged in his chest were sapping his strength, draining away any energy he managed to absorb. He could feel it—how the life coursing through him leaked out as if the bullets had become parasitic anchors in his body.
Omega Man’s thoughts were a chaotic mix of rage and desperation. “Those damn bullets…,” he muttered through gritted teeth.
A TRAIL OF CARNAGE
When he felt his legs could no longer support him, he stumbled upon the charred remains of a Magma Corps soldier. His weary mind briefly wondered what could have caused such destruction, but his immediate need for energy outweighed any curiosity. With trembling hands, he tore apart the soldier’s damaged weapon, extracting the Micro Astro and absorbing it.
The sudden influx of power reinvigorated him, enough to keep him moving forward. Yet, it was only a temporary reprieve—he knew the energy would soon fade, consumed by the bullets embedded in his chest.
As he ventured deeper into the forest, the carnage grew worse. Scorched vehicles and lifeless bodies littered the trail. Omega Man continued scavenging what he could, breaking apart weapons to extract their Micro Astros. Each burst of energy allowed him to push forward, but the effort of pulling the energy from the weapons was becoming harder, the bullets greedily draining more each time.
Desperate to rid himself of the bullets, he clawed at his chest, trying to pull them out. The pain was excruciating, his entire body trembling from the strain. Each attempt only seemed to worsen the drain, the bullets glowing faintly as if mocking him. After several agonizing tries, he slumped to the ground, defeated.
“Damn it…,” he hissed through clenched teeth. “That… princess. She’s the only one who can fix this.”
He forced himself to his feet once more, his resolve hardening. He needed to find a functioning scanner to locate the princess. Scanning the wreckage, he searched the soldiers’ corpses for working equipment. But every device he found was shattered or melted, rendered useless by whatever had caused this devastation. Frustrated, he sighed and pressed on, following the trail of destruction.
Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.
A DEADLY ENCOUNTER
The forest’s oppressive silence was broken by the wet sound of dripping blood. Omega Man stopped, his sunken eyes narrowing as he noticed a fresh trail of gore leading deeper into the trees. His instincts screamed at him to turn back, but desperation overrode caution.
“Whatever caused this… it’s close,” he muttered.
He quickened his pace, ignoring the pain wracking his body. His legs threatened to give out with every step, and his vision blurred. Just as he felt he might collapse, a sudden burst of firelight illuminated the dark forest.
Cautiously, he crept closer. The source of the flames soon came into view—a Fire Rex, its massive, blazing body towering over a pile of corpses. The creature’s glowing maw lowered to the ground as it began devouring the remains of Magma Corps soldiers, the fire surrounding it crackling loudly.
Omega Man froze. He wasn’t in any condition to fight such a creature. He needed to be careful. Silently, he scanned the area for any intact scanner among the wreckage. Moving as stealthily as his battered body allowed, he crept closer to the pile of debris, avoiding the Fire Rex’s glowing gaze.
A COSTLY MISTAKE
His caution wasn’t enough. As he stepped forward, his foot came down on a discarded gun, the metallic clatter echoing through the forest.
The Fire Rex’s head snapped in his direction, its fiery eyes locking onto him. With a deafening roar, the beast lunged forward, its massive jaws clamping down on Omega Man’s scorched arm.
A scream of pure agony tore from his throat as the creature’s fiery bite seared what little flesh remained on his body. Desperation took over, and he lashed out, driving his fist into the creature’s glowing eye with all the strength he could muster. The blow stunned the Fire Rex for a moment, forcing it to release him.
Clutching his injured arm, Omega Man scrambled to grab a scanner from the wreckage. It was damaged, but it appeared functional enough. Without wasting another second, he turned and fled, his weakened body barely able to keep up with his frantic pace.
A NARROW ESCAPE
The Fire Rex roared in fury, its blazing form crashing through the trees as it gave chase. Omega Man ran as fast as his failing body would allow, the scanner clutched tightly in his hand. Pain radiated through him with every step, but he forced himself onward, desperate to escape the infernal beast.
The forest blurred around him as adrenaline took over, his focus narrowing to the singular goal of survival. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the Fire Rex’s roars faded into the distance. Omega Man collapsed against a tree, his chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath.
He glanced down at the scanner in his hand. It was damaged but potentially usable. A flicker of hope ignited within him. If he could locate the princess, he might have a chance to rid himself of these cursed bullets.
For now, though, he needed to rest. His body couldn’t take much more. Clutching the scanner, Omega Man allowed himself a brief moment of respite, his skeletal frame slumping against the tree as he prepared for the next stage of his grim journey.