Beast Evolution Forge

As Vell's smile widened, Jon and Mira tensed, sensing a sudden shift in the atmosphere. In one fluid motion, Vell raised his hands, and two sleek katanas materialized from what seemed like thin air.

The moment the blades appeared, Jon and Mira exchanged a look of instant recognition. These weren't ordinary weapons. The air around him became charged, his previous playful demeanor evaporating completely.

"Oh shit," Mira muttered, "This just got real."

The katanas were unlike any weapons they'd seen before. They had a strange air to them, their edges shimming with an almost liquid-like quality that defied normal metallurgy. Where Vell had been moving quickly before, now he seemed to exist in multiple places at once—a blur of potential motion that made tracking him nearly impossible.

Jon's grip on his energy staff tightened. "Mira, spread out. Don't let him—"

But he was cut off as Vell moved.

It wasn't just movement.

It was something between teleportation and impossibly fast combat stride. One moment he was standing still, the next he was behind Mira, one katana trailing dangerously close to her neck—not quite touching, but close enough that she could feel its cold steel, ready to end her.

"Still think this is going to be easy?" His voice was a whisper, laden with a predatory confidence.

Mira didn't freeze.

Instead, she dropped and rolled in the same motion, her rifle coming up in a practiced defensive maneuver. The tracking rounds fired instinctively, but Vell was already gone, dancing between the trees with a grace that seemed to defy the laws of physics.

Jon's staff crackled with energy. "Mira, focus! These aren't standard tracking tactics!"

But they both knew something had fundamentally changed. This wasn't just a target they were hunting anymore. This was a predator who was now playing with his prey.

The forest around them seemed to blur, Vell's movements creating multiple phantom images that made it impossible to determine his true location. The katanas left trails of light, cutting through space itself.

"He's using some kind of advanced movement technique," she called out, her professional composure barely maintained. "Not just speed—something more."

Jon nodded grimly. "This is getting troublesome for the pay we are getting."

He managed to block one blade with his staff, electricity crackling where metal met energy. But the second katana was already arcing towards him, forcing him to dive sideways.

"We need a new approach," Mira called out, her rifle tracking Vell's movements. "He's reading us too easily."

Jon rolled back to his feet, staff at the ready. "Any brilliant ideas?"

Vell chuckled. "Not so confident now, are you?"

She didn't answer. Instead, she switched tactics, firing a burst pattern that covered a wider area. The forest filled with the sound of her rifle, but his laughter cut through the noise.

"You're wasting ammunition," he said, suddenly appearing on a branch above them. His katanas caught the filtered sunlight. "And my time."

Jon spun his staff, creating a defensive perimeter of crackling energy. "We can still walk away from this. The contract didn't mention your new abilities."
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"Too late for negotiations." He dropped from the branch, his body seeming to split into three identical images before merging back together as he landed. "You made your choice when you took the job."

Mira rolled behind a thick tree trunk, changing her rifle's settings. "Jon, I need ten seconds."

"You'll get five," Jon grunted, lunging forward to meet Vell's advance.

The clash sent sparks flying. Jon held his ground for four seconds before Vell's second blade found an opening, slicing through his armored vest.

He stumbled back, blood seeping through the cut. Not deep, but enough to hurt.

"Time's up," he said, turning toward Mira's position.

But she was done preparing. Her rifle now glowed with a different kind of energy, and when she fired, the shot didn't track movement—it bent around the tree Vell had used for cover.

His eyes widened as the energy round clipped his shoulder, sending him spinning.

"Got him," she said, her voice level despite the strain.

"Don't get cocky," Jon warned, pressing his hand against his wound. "That just made him angry."

Vell straightened, looking at his injured shoulder with something like respect. "Interesting modification. Show me more of that."

Blood trickled down his arm, but the wound was already closing. The metallic plates beneath his skin shifted, pushing out the fragments of the energy round.

She cursed under her breath. "Regeneration. You didn't mention that either, Jon."

"Wasn't in the file," he muttered, backing up slowly. He reached into his vest and pulled out a small device. "Plan B."

Vell tilted his head, curious. "Always with the tricks."

The forest floor erupted beneath him as buried charges activated, creating a cage of energy. For a moment, Vell stood frozen within the barrier, his movements slowed.

"Now!" Jon shouted.

She fired three shots in rapid succession. Each one struck his body - shoulder, leg, chest. But instead of penetrating, they stuck to him, expanding into web-like restraints.

"Nanite suppressors," Jon explained, his breathing heavy. "Should neutralize whatever you've got pumping through your system."

Vell looked down at the restraints spreading across his body. His expression shifted from surprise to amusement.

"Clever," he said. "But I already went through something like this."

His body began to vibrate at an impossible frequency. The nanites sparked and smoked against his skin before dropping away like dead insects.

"My turn," he said, stepping through the energy barrier as if it were nothing more than a light mist.

Jon threw himself at Mira, knocking her sideways as Vell's blade cut through the air where she had been standing. They rolled together down a small embankment, bullets and energy blasts firing wildly upward as they fell.

"This isn't working," she hissed, coming to a stop behind a fallen log. "We need to retreat."

Jon's face hardened. "...Dammit, I hate to admit it but we can't beat him with out current weapons."

Above them, Vell stood at the edge of the embankment, watching. "I can hear you, you know. Do you really think you can escape me?"

He jumped down, landing silently despite the fifteen-foot drop.

"Let's end this game," he said, walking toward them with unhurried steps. "I have questions and you're going to answer them."

Jon's eyes met Mira's for a brief moment. They didn't need words to understand their situation was dire.

"On my signal," he whispered, reaching into his pocket. His fingers closed around a small, metallic device.

She nodded, her rifle already positioned. She steadied her breathing, preparing herself.

"I'm curious," Vell said, walking closer. "What did they tell you about me?"

Jon's jaw tightened. "Three," he counted under his breath. "Two..."

"Because they clearly didn't tell you enough about me," he continued, spinning one blade idly. "or maybe they only know about outdated stuff."

"One!" Jon shouted, throwing the device at Vell's feet.

The forest erupted in blinding light and deafening noise. A smoke screen billowed outward, dense and impenetrable.

"Move!" Mira shouted, already scrambling away through the underbrush.

Jon followed, limping from his wound but pushing through the pain. Behind them, they heard Vell's laugh echo through the trees.

"That buys us minutes at best," Jon panted as they crashed through the forest. "We need extraction."

Mira pressed a button on her wrist communicator. "Command, this is Field Team Seven. Emergency extraction required. Target is—" She paused, looking back over her shoulder. "Target is beyond our containment capabilities."

The communicator crackled. "Extraction denied, Field Team Seven. Complete your mission."

Jon cursed, stumbling over a root. "They can't be serious."

"Dead serious," came Vell's voice from directly ahead of them.

They skidded to a halt. Somehow, he circled around and now blocked their path.

"Did you really think smoke would stop me?" He asked, his head tilted with genuine curiosity. "I can sense your mana signatures. You might as well be carrying beacons."

The katanas disappeared, "I was actually thinking of letting you go, buuuuut, you saw something that I don't want known yet." He transformed his hand into a long steel blade, "I am still working on it you see, so I can't have you spreading information about." He looked at them with murderous intent.

"Do you get what I mean?"

Of course they did, seeing how he just transformed his body and the look in his eyes, they realized that this was never a fight. He was just toying with them.

'Dammit, if only we brought our real gear, this would have been a piece of cake.' Jon thought, trying to think of any possible way to escape but even he knew better.

"Girl, come here." Mira stared at him without responding. "I said, come." His tone carried power that sent chills down her spine. Before she even knew it, she was already standing in front of him, body shaking. He brushed a hand against her chick, sending small amounts of mana into her body.

"I am sorry about this but," he got close to her ear, "you will wish you were dead." Dark veins spread across her face and blood began coming from everywhere. The pain was so excruciating it took her a few seconds to react.