CHAPTER 105: A BRAVE NEW WORLD

Liam looked around his surroundings, having completely no idea where he was. He was surrounded by nothing but countless tall trees, and there was no soul in sight.

The last thing he remembered was choosing a planet while standing in deep space. Then he disappeared and found himself in this eerily silence and large forest.

"System, where am I?" He asked in a very voice, that was almost a whisper.

Unfortunately for him, he got no response.

Lucy? He tried to contact her through the Gear Glass, but she also wasn’t responding.

The device has lost connection with the Dimensional Space. I should set up an access point fast.

He looked around his surroundings and wass about to designate the spot as an access point, but the atmosphere made him rethink his decision.

But he knew that he had no choice and he decided to go ahead with it. Immediately after doing that, he heard Lucy’s voice.

"Sir? Master? Sir? Master Liam?" She called out repeatedly.

Yes, Lucy. I can hear you, he said, smiling in relief.

"I’m so glad you’re safe, sir. I was scared when you vanished and I lost connection with the device," Lucy said.

Liam could swear that he sense sadness, relief and happiness from her voice. Also, if he didn’t know better, he would had said that she had actually sighed in relief.

"Well, I’m safe but I have absolutely no idea where I am," he muttered.

"I’ve tried to pinpoint your location using GPS but I can’t find you anywhere," Lucy said. "I’ve also scanned your immediate surroundings through the device but I have no data matching the trees and plants around you."

"It’s fine. It will be weird if you can actually identify them," Liam said, as he bent down to pluck a plant.

But right before he was about to pluck it, he heard a roar and his hand froze just inches from the leaf he had been about to pluck. His fingers hovered midair, the roar still vibrating in his chest like distant thunder.

The roar was a powerful cry torn straight from the guts of some creature far larger than anything he had ever encountered on Earth.

He swallowed hard, his eyes darting in the direction of the sound, though the thick canopy and endless rows of giant trees made it impossible to see more than a dozen meters ahead.

Curiosity burned inside him, yes. But instinct — cold, unshakable instinct — told him to stay away.

He slowly pulled his hand back from the plant, clenching it into a fist. "Not smart, Liam. Not smart at all," he muttered under his breath.

The forest around him was massive. The trees weren’t normal by any stretch—they towered like skyscrapers, their trunks so thick that it would take ten men holding hands to encircle just one. Their leaves, bathed in the faint silver glow of the full moon above, rustled in a rhythm that seemed almost... alive.

"Sir," Lucy’s voice came again, softer this time, as though she too feared disturbing the silence. "That roar... you should return to the Dimensional Space? It would be safer."

Liam exhaled slowly, his breath curling faintly in the cool night air. "No. Not yet. If I return now, here will be consider this spot my entry point. And the next time I come back, I’ll just reappear here again."

"So you mean—"

"Exactly," he said, cutting her off. "I need to find a safer place. Somewhere open. A landmark hopefully. This forest... feels like a trap."

Someplace I can set as a proper access point or capture with my eidetic memory.

Lucy hesitated. "...Understood, sir. But please, proceed with caution as it’s night time."

He gave a faint smile. "I will. Thanks for worrying about me, Lucy."

"You’re my master. I have to worry about you."

Liam smiled and turned his gaze skyward. The moon hung heavy and bright, casting ghostly light through the canopy. Shadows stretched long and thin, distorting with every breeze.

He picked a direction — north, he guessed, though in truth he had no idea — and began moving, careful with every step.

His enhanced body carried him silently. His stamina stat meant fatigue was a distant concept, his agility kept him steady even on uneven ground, and his sharpened senses picked up the faint crunch of leaves, the soft flutter of night insects, the far-off groan of wood as a tree swayed.

But the silence after that roar was oppressive. It pressed on him like a heavy weight between the ribs.

Minutes stretched, then it came again: another roar.

But it was closer this time. Also louder. And this one wasn’t pain-filled. It was pure rage.

The sound rattled the trees. Birds—if they were birds—exploded upward in a storm of beating wings, vanishing into the night sky.

"Shit," Liam muttered, quickening his pace. He didn’t sprint but his walk shifted into a purposeful jog, weaving between roots and fallen logs. He didn’t need anyone to tell him this wasn’t good.

Then, faintly, he heard something else.

It was voices.

At first, they were low, indistinct. But as he moved toward them, they sharpened. Urgent. Panicked. And then—

A scream. Human scream.

It cut through the night, and it sounded raw, and terrified, before ending in a choked gasp.

Liam’s pulse spiked. He slowed, listening, creeping forward until he pushed past a thick clump of ferns.

And there—

Three figures burst into view, running down a narrow animal trail between the trees.

Two women, one man. Their clothes were strange — robes tied with sashes, boots reinforced with some kind of leather Liam didn’t recognize. The three of them each clutched a short blade that glimmered faintly in the moonlight.

For a moment, Liam froze. The scene was so surreal it might as well have been a movie. But then the man spotted him.

His eyes widened, and he shouted something, his words sharp and foreign—except Liam understood them perfectly.

"Ironblood Bear! Run for your life!"

Liam blinked in shock. "What the—"

But before he could even process the miracle of understanding a completely alien tongue, the forest answered as the roar returned.

This time, it was so close the ground shook. Branches snapped, trees trembled, and a storm of noise rushed toward them.

Liam barely had time to turn when the thing burst into view.

A bear?

But it was like no bear he had ever seen on Earth.

It was colossal and easily twelve feet tall at the shoulder when it stood upright, its body rippling with muscle under a coat of dark, matted fur. Its eyes glowed faintly red, burning like coals in the moonlight. Foam flecked its jaws as it bared teeth longer than knives.

It saw Liam and roared again, the sound deafening at this distance, and it charged.

"F*ck!" Liam shouted, the word escaping before he could even think.

The ground shook as the beast thundered forward. Some small trees around splintered as it barreled through, roots tearing free from the earth and soil exploding into the air.

Liam’s body reacted before his mind did. His instincts screamed at him to move, and he did — diving to the side as the bear’s massive paw slammed down where he had been standing. The impact cracked the earth, sending shards of stone and dirt flying.

He rolled, came up to his feet, and looked at the beast with wide eyes.

His stats were high. His strength, agility, stamina—all over 100. He also had telekinesis now. But he had never fought something like this. Heck, he has never been in any type of fight before.

The bear turned its head toward him, saliva dripping from its jaws, and growled low. Then it lunged again, faster than something that size had any right to move.

Liam’s hand shot out on instinct. His mind screamed a single command.

Stop!

The bear’s momentum faltered mid-stride. Its body jerked unnaturally, as though invisible chains had wrapped around its limbs. Dust swirled in the air, leaves shuddered, and for a brief second, the beast hung in place.

Liam’s temples throbbed instantly. His skull pulsed with pressure, his vision blurring at the edges. The raw force needed to hold something so massive was staggering.

"Move, dammit!" he hissed, focusing with all his will.

The bear roared in defiance, straining against his telekinetic grip. Its claws gouged trenches into the soil as it forced itself forward inch by inch, muscles bulging against invisible restraint.

Liam grit his teeth, sweat already beading on his forehead. He had no idea how long he could keep this up. Seconds? A minute, maybe?

"Sir, retreat!" Lucy’s voice rang in his mind, sharp with urgency.

"I know!" he snapped back, though his feet refused to move.

His pride, his shock, his raw disbelief all held him in place. This was his first real test. His first real fight. He doesn’t want to run away from it.

The bear roared again, breaking part of his hold, and surged forward another step. Liam stumbled back, his concentration slipping.

"Sh*t—!"

He flung his other hand out, summoning every ounce of telekinetic strength he could muster. Small rocks tore free from the ground, ripped upward, and hurled themselves at the beast.

They smashed into its head, its chest, its legs—thudding against muscle and fur with brutal force, but it was like the creature’s body was made of steel. But they did something as the bear staggered, momentarily slowed, but not stopped.

And then its eyes locked onto Liam again, burning brighter with more rage.

It bellowed, a sound that tore through the night, and lunged once more.

This time, Liam knew—he couldn’t just hold it back. He had to fight.

His heart hammered as the beast closed the distance, its shadow swallowing him whole.

"Alright then," Liam muttered, bracing himself, a grin breaking across his face despite the fear coursing through his veins. "Let’s see what I’m really capable of."