Chapter 2: Passing the Trial
As Caleb Li vaulted over a tree branch, a deafening roar echoed right behind him. He shuddered, beads of sweat dripping from his forehead as he landed with a desperate thud on the uneven forest floor.
The ancient tree trunk behind him shattered into pieces, obliterated by the destructive force pursuing him.
From the corner of his eyes, he glimpsed the Dark Beast closing in with alarming speed, its massive body seemingly unaffected by the chaos it left in its wake.
His heart pounded in his throat, and Caleb Li pushed his body to the absolute limit, racing with every ounce of strength he could muster.
The terrain was treacherous and uneven, demanding split-second decisions to navigate.
To his surprise, this didn't hinder his speed; in fact, he moved with an agility and swiftness that seemed otherworldly, a stark contrast to the limitations of Earth's gravity.
His body, as if a potent mix of steroids and adrenaline, defied earthly boundaries. The massive ancient trunks that would have posed insurmountable obstacles became mere hurdles, effortlessly cleared with the skill of an expert hurdler on a well-practiced track.
As he sprinted through the dark forest, he couldn't help but recall the memories of the previous Caleb, realizing the immense strength that had been bestowed upon him.
His body responded to his commands seamlessly, reminiscent of the military training that once defined his existence.
Despite the exhilarating rush of newfound abilities, racing through the dark forest was simultaneously intimidating and disheartening.
He felt the weight of the unknown pressing upon him, running blindly with the ominous presence of the Dark Beast relentlessly chasing him.
In the midst of the chaotic pursuit, Caleb Li's battle-honed instincts kicked in, a silent warning pulsing through his senses.
His body moved instinctively to the left, a fluid and precise motion as he leaned back just in time.
Bang!
A deafening sound reverberated through the forest as a projectile whizzed past him, narrowly missing its mark.
Caleb Li gasped in shock when he realized the Dark Beast was closer than he had anticipated. Without dilly-dallying, he turned and escaped frantically.
This time around, he wasn't complacent. He tried to squeeze all the energy in his body to escape. Unfortunately, his body was already at his limit.
Realizing his predicament, his body was covered in sweat when he noticed the Dark Beast on him.
"What should I do! What should I do?!" He shouted and jumped over a massive tree trunk.
In the distance, he saw a slight opening under a tree and didn't hesitate. He pushed himself to the limit and slid with powerful momentum under the root of the tree.
Bang!
Right behind him, he heard the sound of massive destruction. He didn't need to think twice to know what caused the havoc. A loud, terrifying shriek came from the Dark Beast when it realized it once again missed its prey.
In its fury, it destroyed the massive ancient tree, turning it to rubble. When the beast destroyed the ancient tree, Caleb Li had already escaped from the other side.
As he was breathing a sigh of relief from putting a considerable distance between him and the Dark Beast.
Suddenly, a sharp whistling sound came from his right side. The sudden attack was too quick for him to perform any evasive maneuver.
Still, his instinct kicked in. He didn't blink, holding his breath, maintaining his momentum, and jumped to the sky, performing a perfect acrobatic turn in the air.
His body was just about to escape from the sudden attack when the tail-like scythe changed direction mid-air and slammed into his body.
Ahhhhhh!
He let out a miserable scream, crashing into an ancient tree with the sound of his ribs shattering. He gagged as blood and some of his innards flowed out of his mouth. His face pallid and dizzy.
Caleb Li had never felt this kind of pain in his life. When he was in the military, he underwent many tedious and sustained many ghastly painful injuries. Compared to what he was feeling now, it was child's play.
Through his bloody eyes, he saw two powerful Dark Beasts closing on him at an alarming speed. He knew if they caught up to him, he should forget about forging a new path for himself in this new life.
He gritted his teeth, exhaling and inhaling. Furthermore, he forced himself to stand up with a miserable anguish escaping his mouth.
All the nerves in his body were screaming in pain, but he didn't care. With a strong will and perseverance he learned from the military, he turned and escaped with all the energy in him.
Blood flowed down from his chest to his thigh. His muscles were trembling from too much overexertion, but that didn't stop him from pushing himself forward.
Covered in blood, he failed to see the long web of roots that protruded from the ground.
Ahhhh!
He fell down, but instead of stopping, he kept on rolling forward. His miserable, anguished cry echoed in the dark forest as his head hit various rocks.
When he finally stopped, he had various degrees of dents on his head. He was in so much pain that he wanted to leave this forsaken trial immediately.
Yet, covered in blood from head to toe with various degrees of injuries on his body, he struggled to stand up.
Ahhhhhh!
A miserable shriek escaped from his mouth when he rested on his dislocated legs. His left leg twisted at an impossible angle, with a tree root lodged deep into his thigh.
Howl!
From the top of the cliff, he saw the two Dark Beasts racing toward him once again.
"Fuck you!" He cursed.
He looked at the root lodged into his thigh and ground his teeth and forcefully removed the root in one swift motion.
Caleb Li groaned, sucking in a cold breath. Getting use to the pain pulsing through the fiber of his nerves, he turned and limped off.
He was in so much pain that he wanted to stop and allow the Dark Beast to kill him, but he persevered. He refused to be a failure in this life, and this was his only chance.
Caleb Li was getting dizzy by the seconds while the Dark Beasts closed in on him. There was only a couple of meters separating them.
Just as he limped past a massive ancient tree, he saw light in the distance.
"Is this what I'm thinking…" He screamed and pushed himself beyond his limit, not caring about the pain pulsing through his body.
With renewed vigor, he limped forward with all his might. Slowly, the light was getting brighter as he got closer.
Roar!
The Dark Beasts howl behind, and his heart stopped for a moment. Quickly, he recovered from the beast cry and made the last push.
Whoosh!
He limped out of the Dark Forest and collapsed on the ground. He had used the last bit of strength in his body to make the last push, and now, he had run dry.
Apart from getting exhausted, he didn't know whether the Dark Beast could come out of the Dark Forest, but that didn't concern him. Since he had lost consciousness.
While he was unconscious, the ancient Spirit Voice resounded in his mind.
'Congratulations for passing the trial.'
Just as the voice of the Ancient Spirit disappeared from his mind, another sound echoed.
[Ding!]
******
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Creating My Own Empire In The Apocalypse
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