The afternoon sun casts its rays over the region, revealing distant volcanoes spewing massive columns of smoke that rise into the sky, signs of battles I know are happening far away. Far-off explosions, flashes, and violent winds echo across remote areas, signaling clashes between powerful monsters.

  The sky is filled with giant birds. Even so, these creatures flee the moment they sense something approaching through the air. A massive red-feathered bird cuts across the sky, a powerful phoenix. The flames surrounding its body shift between shades of yellow and deep crimson. Clutched in its talons is the prey of the day: a large ogre, dead from burns and puncture wounds. The phoenix moves away, flying straight toward one of the volcanoes.

  Moments later, perched atop the canopy of a tree, I watch the phoenix disappear beyond the horizon.

  I turn my head from side to side, searching.

  "Where…"

  Soon, I spot the five silver mountains.

  "There."

  At last, I find them. For a moment, I feared I had lost sight of them, but it’s impossible to mistake them for anything else in this environment. I mentally trace the route I need to follow and leap from the tree, landing firmly on the ground. Knowing exactly where to go, I begin to walk.

  My eyes fall on my left shoulder. The large tear in my cloak stretches all the way to my chest. When I touch my back, I feel another tear, even larger, exposing part of my trapezius muscles and running almost to the middle of my spine. I grab the hood and pull it taut, seeing that it looks like a sieve, full of holes and cuts.

  I sigh, discouraged.

  "Haaa…"

  "I still remember how vibrant and beautiful you were. Even as a black cloak, you carried a rare kind of beauty."

  "But now…"

  "My dear clothing… just look at you. Time here is not kind, and we both know that."

  This cloak has been with me since the moment I awoke. Without its mystical protection, I would have perished, forgotten in this forest. Even worn and tattered, it still shields me through every battle.

  My gaze sweeps the surroundings.

  "..."

  A quiet breath escapes me as I glance over my shoulder.

  "You can come out. I know you’re there."

  I hear the bushes moving toward me. Leaves and branches are pushed aside, but I can’t make out anything, they’re still invisible. Even so, I know exactly who they are.

  Two green figures begin to materialize right in front of me. Little by little, they reveal themselves as the same two green tigers from before. They stare at me in silence for a long moment before approaching. They circle me slowly, brushing their massive bodies against mine.

  Despite the affection, I still remember the fight we had yesterday and how they were responsible for damaging my cloak even further. My face remains neutral. I even consider pushing them away to make them back off. But when I hear the deep purring, any resentment dissolves like morning mist under the sun.

  I try to pet their heads, but they’re too tall. I stretch my arm as far as I can, only managing to reach their foreheads. Realizing how pointless the attempt is, I switch to scratching under their chins.

  We exchange affection for a few moments before I resume my path toward the silver mountains. The two of them follow closely behind. I know a lot happened last night, enough to erase whatever differences we had. Still, I don’t understand why they decided to accompany me. Maybe they see me as an ally, since we hid together in the cave. That’s just speculation.

  I pick up the pace a little. I dodge exposed roots, leap over natural obstacles, and keep moving forward. The tigers do the same.

  I glance back several times.

  "The monsters here also have an absurd healing factor, almost comparable to the forest itself."

  I realize the tigers are completely fine. Elegant steps, no limping, strong bodies without a single mark of injury or burn. Their green fur is thick and healthy, streaked with yellow strands, and their tails have returned to that intense yellow color. Anyone seeing them now would never believe they’re the same ones from last night.

  Since leaving the cave, I haven’t seen the yellow tiger or the chromed bear again. Even so, the trails of destruction they left behind are unmistakable. Comparing that battle to the fight I had against these two tigers would be like comparing a campfire to a flamethrower.

  I walk for kilometers observing nothing but signs of devastation. Even so, the forest had already begun to regenerate. It was possible to watch it recover with the naked eye.

  I stop for a moment when I notice a tree slowly growing, yet far too fast when compared to the trees of my old world.

  I stand there, watching as it grows until it nearly reaches my height.

  "Even after seeing this so many times, it never stops amazing me."

  ***

  An ogre appears ahead. Large and powerful, with muscles that radiate strength and intimidation. His dark green skin and height, easily reaching three meters, make it clear just how dangerous and powerful this monster is.

  But he is badly injured. Deep cuts are clearly visible across his body. Even though he is still a threat, he looks to be at his limit.

  His black eyes burn with fury. He lets out a loud roar to instill fear. In his right hand, he wields a heavy wooden club. Flames emerge and engulf his body. With another roar, the fire condenses and is fired like a blazing cannon. At that same instant, a massive wave of water intercepts the attack, extinguishing the flames and slamming the ogre into the ground.

  This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

  He rises with difficulty, staggering, but manages to steady his feet on the earth. The ogre glares furiously at the small creature before him.

  I take a few more steps forward, stopping directly in front of the ogre.

  Tough little bastard to bring down.

  The ogre charges. I immediately summon more water and fire a high-pressure stream. He manages to endure it, but I increase the flow and knock him down once again.

  The flames around his body intensify. My water begins to boil and evaporate. I take a few steps forward and move my hands, forcing my Skill to maintain its temperature. The water still evaporates, but now far more slowly and under control.

  The ogre rises once more and charges, about to strike me with his club, now sheathed in flames. I react quickly, sealing water around him and forming a massive liquid sphere, with the ogre trapped at its center.

  The sphere floats in the air. Inside, he thrashes, roars, and intensifies the flames. Steam begins to form, but I force the water even harder, keeping him restrained. My arms tremble as the pressure builds, controlling the water like this is far harder than attacking.

  I bring my hands together in a single sharp motion. The sphere compresses, becoming smaller and denser. The ogre screams in pain; I can even hear bones breaking.

  He struggles with increasing violence and desperation, but soon his strength fades. In the end, air bubbles escape from his mouth. He is being drowned and crushed by the pressure.

  His movements slow… until they stop. I believe it’s over.

  Then, suddenly, the ogre’s eyes snap open, turning red. The temperature of the water rises abruptly. Steam builds up inside the sphere, and I lose control. The sphere expands and explodes, releasing a violent burst of steam pressure that hurls me backward.

  I roll across the ground as I land.

  Oh no.

  I lost control of the water.

  I quickly get back to my feet and look at the ogre. Once again, flames emerge around his body, but they soon fade, it seems he no longer has the strength to use his Skill. He’s still standing, but can barely keep his balance. Water pours in liters from his mouth and nose; his lungs must be completely flooded.

  I’m about to attack again when a violent current of wind slams into him head-on. Even deeper cuts open across his body, and he falls flat on his back. Before he can react, two powerful bites sink into his thick neck.

  The ogre trembles and lets out weak groans for a few seconds. His eyes slowly close.

  Then he dies.

  As soon as the body goes completely still, two green figures reveal themselves, one on each side of the ogre’s neck. They are the green tigers. They release their fangs and stare at me in silence.

  I look at the tigers.

  Wait… are they waiting for me?

  Indeed, it seems they are waiting for my permission before eating. I gesture with my hands and tell them they can feed. I don’t know if they fully understand, but they soon begin devouring the ogre. Each bite pierces the thick skin, tearing away large chunks of flesh.

  The fight ends with us as the victors, and since I neither see nor sense any danger nearby, I sit on the ground and watch them. As they eat, I analyze their strength based on what I know so far. Their Skill to create wind, and their capacity for invisibility.

  Their invisibility is impressive. The ogre never even noticed their presence. At the very start of the fight, he had already suffered deep cuts across his body without ever knowing where the attacks came from. Just like what happens with me now, I only notice the tigers when they’re extremely close or when they choose to reveal themselves. It’s not just invisibility, it’s presence concealment.

  I examine their bodies carefully, and a suspicion begins to form. Their fur is predominantly green, but there are many yellow strands, and their tails are also yellowish. On top of that, their physiques are very similar to that of the yellow tiger.

  Not to mention that both these green tigers and the yellow one from that day share the same Skill to create and manipulate wind.

  Everything about them pointed in the same direction: the wind, the fur, the resemblance. It felt less like coincidence and more like a natural progression.

  I narrow my eyes.

  Very suspicious...

  Do they evolve into yellow tigers?

  Like the ripening of a fruit…

  Maybe.

  Before long, the two tigers finish devouring the ogre. Only the skeleton remains. Even so, I can tell they’re not satisfied. A three-meter-tall ogre clearly wasn’t enough. I stand up, and we move on to another hunt, without straying from the path toward the silver mountains.

  ***

  Night falls, offering a perfect view of the moon and the stars to anyone hiding among the treetops.

  Between branches and broad leaves, the green tigers lie down, gnawing at the body of a massive venomous snake, covered in jade-green spikes.

  At the top of the tree, leaning against the trunk, I observe the five silver mountains, still very far away. I turn my gaze to the sky, contemplating its beauty, speckled with countless stars. I fix my eyes on the moon, large and bright, and extend my hand as if I could touch it, but as expected, I can’t. Even so, my expression remains calm.

  Several comets cross the sky. A faint smile appears on my face.

  The wind sways the leaves of the trees, and the cold air passes over my body, but it doesn’t bother me.

  ***

  A few weeks have passed. The sun slowly sets on the horizon. Together with the two tigers, I share many moments along the way. Even though the forest is dangerous, it doesn’t stop us from having moments of lightness. The tigers even manage to draw a few smiles from me during the journey.

  My presence is important to them as well. With my help, they manage to hunt prey that was once impossible for them. With three members, the group becomes far more efficient, gaining access to prey rich in energy, the Source.

  But, as they say, happiness doesn’t last long.

  The tigers lie down on the ground and lower their heads deeply, allowing me to pet them.

  "Yeah…"

  "I guess this is goodbye…"

  I stay there for long minutes, running my hand over their heads, fully aware that this may be the last time. When I step back, they stand up and look at me. They don’t understand my words, but they understand my intentions.

  I express, through gestures and actions, that we must part ways. They seem confused at first, but soon grasp the feeling behind the decision. They respond in their own way. I can see the sadness in their expressions. They lightly tap their paws against me, as if asking me not to leave without them, but my decision is firm.

  Seeing that I won’t allow them to come with me, they turn around and run into the forest. They activate their invisibility and disappear from my sight.

  There was no way for them to continue with me. My journey leads through paths far too dangerous for them. I can rely on my high regeneration and on the protection of the cloak. They cannot.

  With every different biome we crossed, the tigers suffered from something new, making the journey slower and more dangerous. The worst part isn’t the delay, that’s easily ignored, but the risks. The day before yesterday, they almost died in a lightning storm. I could survive something like that. They might not.

  I look at the path ahead and move on, alone once more.