Morning mist lingered beneath the towering canopy as the Nutrition Guardians ventured deeper into the ancient forest.
Massive leaves blocked out almost every ray of sunlight. The air was warm and heavy with moisture.
Silence surrounded them.
An unnatural silence.
It felt as though the entire forest was listening to every breath they took.
Arga led the group.
The MBG lunchbox in his hands radiated a gentle warmth. Inside, the fifteen glowing grains of rice pulsed with a slow, steady rhythm.
This time, however, it wasn't a warning.
It was something else.
A strange ache settled deep inside his chest.
Almost like longing...
For a place he had never been.
He couldn't explain why.
Suddenly, Kai stopped.
"Wait."
Sinta turned immediately.
"What is it?"
Kai narrowed his eyes.
"I can feel something."
"It isn't an ordinary threat."
"It's ancient..."
"...and it's aware."
A faint tremor rippled beneath their feet.
RUMBLE...
Bimo raised an eyebrow.
"Please don't tell me..."
A deafening crack echoed through the forest.
KRRRAAAK!
Towering trees swayed violently.
Farhan glanced at the energy readings on his laptop.
The numbers skyrocketed.
"The Core's energy is spiking!"
Lila stared at her tablet, her face turning pale.
"No..."
"It's moving."
A massive shadow emerged from behind the trees.
Heavy footsteps shook the earth.
BOOM.
BOOM.
BOOM.
Bimo swallowed hard.
"Great..."
"I already hate the size of that shadow."
The forest parted.
And then...
It appeared.
A colossal bear, as tall as the ancient trees themselves, stood before them.
Its enormous body was covered in moss, vines, and tangled roots, as though the forest itself had grown over its flesh.
Its golden eyes burned like twin suns.
At the center of its chest, an ancient glowing symbol pulsed steadily...
Like a living heart.
Ursa Vitalis.
The King of the Ancient Forest.
The gigantic beast slowly lifted its head.
Then it roared.
ROOOOOOOAAARRR!!
The sound wave blasted through the forest.
Leaves exploded into the air.
The ground cracked beneath their feet.
The mist shattered like a wall of smoke.
Rani instinctively stepped backward.
"Is... that the Core Guardian?"
Farhan stared at his trembling energy graph.
"It's not standing near the Core..."
"...the Core's energy is coming from it."
Silence fell over the team.
Pak Rahmat couldn't take his eyes off the glowing symbol on the creature's chest.
The color drained from his face.
"No..."
Bu Maya looked at him.
"You know what it is?"
He answered in a whisper.
"The first generation of researchers wrote legends about it..."
"Ursa Vitalis isn't the Core Guardian."
He swallowed.
"...it was the first vessel."
Nobody moved.
Arga stared at the giant bear once more.
The Third Core wasn't hidden somewhere inside the forest.
It was alive.
Ursa Vitalis didn't attack.
Instead, it looked directly at Arga.
Its golden eyes glowed brighter.
At the same moment, Arga's MBG lunchbox burst into light.
The fifteen grains vibrated rapidly.
Then—
A vision flashed through his mind.
A small boy stood in the forest.
He smiled as he fed an injured bear cub.
He laughed.
He wasn't afraid.
And just as quickly...
The vision disappeared.
Arga stumbled backward.
"What... was that?"
His chest tightened.
For a brief moment, the creature before him no longer felt like a monster.
It felt like someone...
Who had once been incredibly kind.
Without hesitation, Sinta stepped in front of him.
Just as she always did.
Bimo glanced at her.
"Do you realize you're basically our human shield?"
Sinta never looked away from the creature.
"If I take even one step back..."
"...all of you could lose far more."
Arga heard every word.
And suddenly understood.
Sinta's unwavering resolve wasn't simply part of her personality.
It was how she survived.
Then—
BOOOOM!
An explosion ripped through the forest.
Ancient trees crashed to the ground.
A massive armored vehicle burst through the undergrowth.
Blue lights illuminated the forest.
Its synthetic energy generator roared to life.
Standing atop the vehicle was the Dominion Leader.
Calm as ever.
A faint smile spread across his face.
"Magnificent."
"So the Core Guardian has finally revealed itself."
Bimo pointed at him in disbelief.
"Why does this guy always show up like the final boss?"
The Dominion Leader ignored everyone else.
His gaze settled directly on Arga.
"I finally understand why every Core responds to you."
He lifted a handheld device.
A holographic screen appeared, displaying DNA data.
Farhan froze.
"That's..."
"Arga's biometric profile?!"
The man smiled.
"We've had it for a very long time."
Arga stiffened.
"What do you mean?"
The answer came quietly.
"You weren't placed on our list by coincidence."
"You were created to be found."
Silence.
Pak Rahmat stepped forward immediately.
"That's enough!"
Arga looked at him.
The older man's face was filled with guilt.
Another secret.
And somehow...
Every one of them led back to him.
The Dominion Leader raised the device high into the air.
The synthetic generator reached maximum output.
WHOOOOOM!
Blue energy spread throughout the forest.
Ursa Vitalis reacted instantly.
This roar wasn't born of rage.
It was agony.
ROOOOOOOAAARRR!!
The forest shook violently.
Gigantic roots erupted from the earth.
Birds dropped lifelessly from the sky.
Lila gasped.
"The synthetic frequency is damaging its living Core!"
Kai narrowed his eyes.
"They're not trying to defeat it."
"They're trying to drive it completely out of control."
Farhan stared at the incoming data, his face turning pale.
"If Ursa Vitalis collapses..."
"...the entire forest will die."
Arga tightened his grip on the MBG lunchbox.
Golden light blazed brighter than ever.
He looked at Ursa Vitalis—
A creature consumed by pain.
Wounded.
Alone.
Then he turned toward Dominion.
His voice was quiet.
But unwavering.
"No."
"We're not fighting the Guardian."
He stepped forward.
Sinta grabbed his arm immediately.
"Arga, it's too dangerous."
He met her eyes.
They trembled with fear...
But not with hesitation.
"If everyone chosen by this power is destined to become a monster..."
"...then I have to find a way to save them."
Slowly...
Sinta released her grip.
Behind them, Dominion pushed the generator beyond its limit.
Ursa Vitalis rose to its full height.
Dark clouds swallowed the sky above the forest.
Ancient roots climbed toward the heavens like towering pillars.
And at that moment...
The King of the Ancient Forest had truly awakened.