The First Dragon God-Chapter 147: Behemoth-Sized Monster

Leo and his group pushed deeper into the forest, the dense canopy above blocking most of the sunlight, leaving the ground beneath them in a perpetual twilight.

The air was thick with the scent of damp earth and foliage, but underneath that, there was the lingering stench of blood and beasts.

Fiona's ears twitched, her nose flaring slightly. She let out a low, guttural growl, signaling danger ahead.

"We've got company," Ves muttered, her fingers already curling into fists.

Leo exhaled, tightening his grip on Nightshade. They had been expecting this. The deeper they went into the wilderness, the stronger the creatures became. And now, the first challenge of the day had found them.

From between the thick trees, the ground trembled as massive creatures emerged from the shadows.

They were hulking brutes, standing at least ten feet tall, covered in thick, rock-like armor plating that made their bodies resemble moving boulders. Their eyes glowed a deep amber, their mouths filled with rows of jagged teeth, dripping with a dark, viscous liquid.

Leo scanned them quickly, counting at least a dozen.

"Cragbeasts. Tough hides. Slow but dangerous. Watch for their charge," Tatiana said from the front.

Before she had finished speaking, one of the Cragbeasts let out a deafening roar and charged forward, its enormous frame barreling toward them with terrifying speed.

"Um... That's not slow!" Mia said, when she saw the beast's charge.

Miguel stepped up first, his entire body tensing, his muscles hardening like steel. As the Cragbeast swung a massive claw, Miguel didn't dodge as he met it head-on.

The impact shook the ground, but Miguel held firm, with his feet digging into the earth as he absorbed the force.

"Hah! That all you got?" he grunted before slamming his battle-axe into the beast's chest, sending cracks rippling across its thick armor.

Leo didn't waste time. He activated Shadow Step, his body blurring in and out of existence as he reappeared behind one of the creatures.

Nightshade sliced cleanly into the exposed joint behind its knee, severing ligaments and tendons. The beast let out a howl of pain, staggering before falling to one knee.

Mia moved next, lightning-fast, her daggers flashing as she struck at the exposed gaps in their armor. Each one of her strikes found its mark.

Ves kept to the backline, supporting with well-timed attacks, targeting the eyes and joints of the Cragbeasts, forcing them into defensive positions.

Tatiana was deadly as ever. She weaved through the battlefield, using her blood art to form razor-thin spears that shot through the air, piercing the soft flesh beneath the creatures' armor.

Despite their overwhelming numbers and brute strength, the Cragbeasts were not invincible.

One by one, the creatures fell, their massive bodies crashing against the earth, shaking the very ground beneath them.

The last one let out a final roar, its eyes blazing with defiance before Leo drove Nightshade through its skull, ending the battle.

The clearing fell silent, with the only sound that could be heard being their heavy breathing.

Miguel wiped blood from his face. "That was intense in a way."

Tatiana smirked and looked away.

Leo looked at the fallen creatures, his mind already racing. They were getting stronger, but was it fast enough? He pushed the thought aside.

"We keep moving."

....m

Hours passed as they pushed deeper and deeper into the forest. The creatures they encountered grew fiercer, and the battles more grueling.

They fought packs of predatory beasts, with each one being more cunning than the last. They clashed with serpentine creatures that slithered through the shadows, their poison deadly enough to melt stone.

Each fight pushed them harder, forced them to adapt, to improve.

The group were moving through a part of the forest when they came to huge clearing and they saw a something on the floor.

At first, it didn't move.

Leo thought it was part of the terrain as it looked like a massive boulder, resting beneath the thick shade of the trees.

But as they drew closer, he realized it was breathing.

And that's when he felt it. The sheer pressure.

Tatiana's expression immediately darkened. "That thing… it's at the Evolved Rank."

But that wasn't the reason her expression darkened. The reason was because the creature was already close to the Exalted Rank.

Leo's heart pounded in his chest. Even without Tatiana's confirmation, he could feel the difference. The raw power emanating from it was suffocating.

The creature was colossal. A monstrous reptilian behemoth, easily the size of the giant lizard from Earth. Its body was covered in obsidian-black scales, jagged and sharp like blades, and its tail alone was as long as three men standing end-to-end.

Its head was broad, crowned with two massive horns, and its mouth was lined with countless serrated teeth. Even though the mouth remained closed as it slept, its slow and deep breathing was loud, with the sound reverberating through the ground beneath them.

Leo's instincts screamed at him.

This was not something they should fight.

Tatiana took a slow step back. "We need to turn around. Now."

Everyone began stepping back, their movements careful and controlled.

For a moment, Leo thought they had avoided disaster.

And then, Fiona stepped on a dry branch.

The sharp snap echoed like a thunderclap in the heavy silence.

The monster's eyes snapped open.

For a second, it didn't move. Its slitted pupils locked onto them, its nostrils flaring.

Then it growled.

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A deep, bone-rattling sound that sent a shiver down Leo's spine.

And then, it slowly stood up.

Its full size became horrifyingly clear as it rose onto four massive legs, its head towering over the treetops.

For a split second, no one moved.

And the next moment, it lunged.

"RUN!" Tatiana shouted.

Leo and the others turned and bolted, trees shattering behind them as the massive reptilian beast barreled forward, tearing through the forest as if the massive trees were nothing but twigs.

The ground shook violently, each thunderous footstep sending shockwaves through the dirt.

Leo pushed himself harder, with his heartbeat becoming a frantic drum in his ears.

The monster was was fast. Too fast!

Despite its impossible size, the beast was closing the distance, its sheer mass crushing everything in its path.

Miguel cursed. "It's gaining on us!"

Tatiana spun mid-run, her hands weaving crimson threads before launching them into the trees behind them. The trees collapsed, forming a makeshift barrier.

But it barely slowed the monster down.

Leo glanced back and he saw the creature's eyes burning with hunger.

Ves snarled. "We need a plan! Running isn't going to work!"

Tatiana gritted her teeth. "We have to split up! It can't chase all of us at once!"

Leo knew she was right. They wouldn't last like this.

But before they could act, the creature roared and the next moment, something terrifying happened.

A shockwave of sheer force exploded outward from the beast's mouth, sending Leo and the others flying.

Leo hit the ground hard, the wind knocked from his lungs. As he struggled to get up, the massive shadow of the beast loomed over him.

It was too late to run.

Leo's grip tightened around Nightshade.

If they couldn't escape… then they'd have to fight. And he won't go down without a fight.