Chapter 14: Back To The Basics

In the galaxy neighboring the milky way, a beautiful planet resided. It gave off a beautiful golden hue. The waters were pink and mirrored the color of the sky. There were no massively populated cities or kingdoms. The entire world was a collection of jungles, plains, mountains, rivers, and oceans.

Far above the clouds, between the atmosphere and space, was a single man. He floated in place, a frown adorning his cold face. His hands typed on a holographic keyboard.

'Planet: Gord. Necessity Level: Medium. Threat Level: -'

While looking at the empty threat level, Taz clicked his tongue. His unique abilities hadn't returned since he unleashed his solar energy. It would take a while to recharge. Unfortunately this made it impossible for him to assess the sentient life with his supervision.

'Looks like I'll have to find out the old fashioned way.' He thought.

Without wasting any more time, he descended onto the planet. The elite soldier landed on a massive rock structure overlooking the jungle. The environment was a glorious yellow, giving a sublime aura to the place. From the leaves of trees to bushes and flowers, the plant life was golden.

Taz viewed the skyline for a second. The golden foliage mixed with the pink sky made for an unexpected combo. He was tempted to immediately mark the world for takeover. Of course, it would be reckless to not check the threat level first.

"Tch."

The young viltrumite jumped off the structure and landed in the forest below. His walk began. It only took a few minutes for him to discover the wildlife. There were plenty of animals similar to those on Earth. Rabbits and deer were prevalent here as well.

'The gravity here is a bit stronger.' He thought.

Time passed while Taz explored the planet. His speed of travel increased in order to find more land. As he flew deeper into the country-sized golden forest, he eventually heard noises. He stopped a few paces away to listen.

"Blah blah blah. Heard it already. Don't care." A loud voice exclaimed.

"Jak reckless. Stop being so impulsive! This why never be chief." A feminine voice responded.

"Guys no fight. Just find food." A third voice interjected.

"Jak not reckless! I'm the strongest there is!" Jak roared.

"Okay, Jak." The feminine voice responded.

The conversation continued as they slowly reached Taz's position. They eventually arrived. The elite soldier finally laid eyes on them when they stepped into the clearing. His head rose up in order to fully see them.

Each of them were humanoid in shape. Their skin was a dark green color. The surprising thing was the height of these natives. They cleared nine feet easily, making them giants in their own right. There were two males and one female. Taz mentally noted that these life forms possessed two genders. All of them were muscular.

Each of them were barefoot and only wore animal skins to cover their privates. The first male was extremely buff, his muscles bulging with veins able to be seen. He possessed short black hair and green eyes. The man beside him was also extremely muscular. The only difference between the two was that he was bald.

The woman was also tall. Fortunately, her muscles fitted her body in a different way. She was more lean, her body seemingly specialized in agility. The female humanoid had long curly black hair which went unattended. Upon seeing her curves, he also noted that interspecies viltrumite reproduction might be an option here. The offspring may even become giants as well. This would be a massive boon to the empire's forces.

All in all, the main species of the planet were still in the prehistoric era. Technology didn't even exist yet here. The way it was looking, the threat level would be extremely low. Taz would have to investigate further. Upon seeing the young soldier, the giants froze.

"Puny little man! Hahaha! Jak never seen puny one like you!" The muscle headed giant said. The bald headed giant pulled out a spear from his back. They were hunters. The viltrumite assumed it was for their tribe.

"Maybe food?" The bald one suggested.

The two males cautiously approached from both sides. It was obvious to the stoic soldier that they were going for a pincer attack. Meanwhile, the woman noticed the cold expression on Taz's face. She quickly realized something was off. He stood with his arms crossed.

"Jak! Bol! Wait!" She exclaimed. Bol stopped while Jak continued.

"Hahaha! Scared of little man? Not me!" He said. The young viltrumite finally spoke.

"You are the puny one. All that height just to be a weakling." He said. Jak frowned.

"Little one…Don't make me mad. When Jak mad, not good!" He roared. Taz cracked his neck.

"I'm waiting, hulk man." He said.

Jak no longer held any caution. He strutted right over to the viltrumite and towered over him. Both of his fists raised high into the air, planning to smash the foe into meat paste.

"I smash you. Then we eat you." He declared. His fists hurtled down.

Taz lazily floated to the side, watching as the fists slammed into the dirt. He couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. The impact of his fists caused the ground to crack and fragment. He seemed to have a bit of strength. It mattered not.

The elite soldier kicked the back of his leg, causing him to fall to his knees. Once he was down, a heavy fist crashed down onto his chin. Jak's body instantly flattened on the ground.

"Experience true horror." Taz said.

After stepping on his back, he grabbed the giant's shoulder with one hand and his head with the other. Then he slowly began to pull.

"AHHHH!!!!" Jak cried in pain.

He could feel his bones snapping. The tendons and muscles began to tear. His skin stretched. Jak could feel his limit being reached. The viltrumite soldier used more strength.

RIIIIIP

The muscle-brained giant was torn in half. His innards spilled onto the floor. Green blood soaked the dirt, becoming fertilizer for the plants. The other giants watched it happen, their bodies frozen due to primal fear. The gruesome scene wasn't something they were used to.

Taz stood up before turning to Bol. The giant looked as if he would shit his pants. Before the bald green hunter could blink, the demon was upon him. An arm pierced his heart.

"Ug-" His death scream was cut short when another hand crushed his jaw.

Taz pulled his hand out of the lifeless giant's body. He then turned to the final person. The female hunter had tears in her eyes as the fear dominated her brain. The powerful man walked toward her. Realizing that her death was close, she turned to run. The only problem was that she was too scared. The green woman tripped and fell to the floor. When she looked up, she saw the demon staring down at her.

The female giant curled up while putting her hands forward. Tears streamed down her face.

"Mercy! Oh god! Forgive me…please. Forgive…Forgive!" She pleaded.

Taz crouched down in front of her. His bloody hand caressed her face, wiping her tears. There was now blood all over her cheek.

"Crying and begging will not save you. Throw away your fear. It makes you weak."

The green woman whimpered from his touch. She wouldn't stop shaking as she stared into his cold eyes. Taz gently moved a strand of her hair behind her ear.

"What's your name?" He asked.

"D-Dola." She responded.

"Dola…take me to your tribe." He ordered. Dola froze. Her head shook back and forth continuously. The elite soldier tilted his head with a frown. His face neared hers.

"Dola…be good. Dola is a good girl. Right?" He spoke slowly. His face was extremely cold. His bloody finger caressed her cheek again.

The green woman glanced at the nearby corpses before looking back at him. She finally nodded. Taz patted her head before standing up.

"Good. Let's go."

The stoic viltrumite had learned a lot about intimidation during his time on Viltrum. A disgusting show of force was a great way to instill fear. It would make it easier for the aggressor to fulfill his wishes.

The two traversed through the foliage for a good while. Dola was extremely scared the entire time. Taz could care less about her worries and floated beside her. Eventually, they came across a plethora of wooden totem poles. They had arrived.

As they went through the entrance, the giant villagers quickly noticed the small sized man next to Dola. Some of them noticed her trembling figure. Others focused on Taz.

"Woah! Floating little man!"

"Hmmm?"

"Never seen small man. Maybe child?"

"Mmm…Birdman?"

Taz whispered in Dola's ear.

"Where is the chief?" He asked.

The woman pointed toward a corner of the village. A wooden hut covered in animal skins could be seen. The viltrumite floated over to the home with Dola. Upon entering, he raised an eyebrow.

Sitting cross legged in the room was an old shredded green man. He was bald and had an extreme amount of white facial hair. It formed a type of beard hairstyle, making it seem like he wasn't even bald. Golden beads wrapped around his neck along with golden bracers on his wrists. The chief was even more ripped than all of the males combined.

The man looked up to see a panicking Dola. He immediately stood up. It was then that he noticed the smaller man.

"Dola? Who is this? Where is Bol?" He asked. The woman glanced at Taz before staring at the ground.

"Bol…" She trailed off. Noticing her glance, the chief turned to him.

"Little one. Do you know where he is? Why are you two covered in blood?" He continued. The young soldier ignored his question. After crossing his arms, he spoke.

"You are the chief. Why don't you show me your strength? If it's inadequate you might end up like Bol." He spoke eerily.

The chief's face fell. His muscles shifted. He couldn't help but clench his fists.

"What did you do with my son…"

"Dak! No!" Dola exclaimed. The image of her friends being slaughtered had left her with trauma. There was no winning against the demon in her mind. The powerful little man would rip everyone apart.

In an instant, Dak was in front of Taz. His speed was phenomenal. A leg was already about to connect with the viltrumite's chest. His eyes widened and he raised his arms to block.

BOOM

Taz's body flew out of the hut and village. The forest trailed below him as he cleared the area. A few seconds later, he was flying over a mountain range. The viltrumite held onto the air, killing his momentum.

'Strong.' He thought.

In the distance, he could see the chieftain leaping off the ground. He would sail through the air before falling back down. It would only take a few more leaps to reach the young soldier. Taz immediately accelerated toward the hulking giant. Sonic booms could be heard as his speed increased. Shockwaves were released behind him.

In an instant, he was upon the old man. The powerful viltrumite crashed into the chief.

BOOM

Their bodies sped back toward the village. It only took a second for them to arrive. Taz slammed into the ground with the old man in tow. A crater was left from the impact. Pressing the advantage, a deadly chop struck his side.

A cracking sound could be heard as some of the old man's ribs broke. The soldier didn't let up. Multiple fists reigned down on the chieftain elder.

BOOM BOOM BOOM

In an attempt to end the fight early, his hand pierced toward the green giant's chest. The attempt failed. A massive fist struck his side, launching him through the village. Dak was instantly back on his feet, sprinting toward him. He flipped in the air like a martial arts grandmaster before whipping out a bullet kick.

KRACKOOOM

The force behind the blow caused the surroundings to shatter. Countless huts and structures disappeared. Villagers flew back and crashed into each other. Fortunately Taz blocked the attack. He spun around the chief, his elbow hurtling toward the old man's knee.

Another cracking sound was heard as Dak's leg bent in the wrong direction. There was no painful cry. The battle continued. Both warriors knew that the winner had to dish out more pain than they received. There would be no pauses in a high level fight such as this. It was too bad that the young viltrumite had yet to feel any pain.

The old man used his good leg to flip once again. Taz wouldn't allow it to happen. He tackled the green giant, taking them to the floor once again. Activating his flight, he dragged the chieftain across the ground, throwing rocket punches all the while.

They left the village again, crashing through the forest. The stoic man let loose a heavy uppercut, sending him to the sky. He caught up immediately, another punch launching him even higher. Dak could only block since he lacked the ability to fly.

Taz sent the man higher and higher until they reached the clouds. The old man flipped in the air, struggling to find his balance.

"Nnnaaghhh!" He grunted with frustration from the effort.

The viltrumite caught up once again. This time, he wouldn't miss the killing blow. His hand straightened. Wasting no time, he impaled Dak from behind, his arm going through his stomach.

"A valiant effort. I enjoyed the slight workout." Taz commented.

Raising his foot, he pushed on the wound while his arm pulled. The chieftain choked on his own blood for a second. Right before he lost control of his functions, he spoke.

"My son…" He muttered.

"He is dead. You will join him right now. Be grateful, your people won't see your death. I can't say the same about your corpse." After speaking, Taz used more strength.

RIIIIIIP

Dak's body was ripped in half from the stomach. A rain of blood fell from the sky, along with intestines and organs. The young elite was soaked in more blood. After reveling in the afterglow of battle, Taz flew down and grabbed both pieces of his body.

Eventually, he returned to what was left of the village. Throwing down the corpse in the middle of the place, he waited. A few minutes passed as all of the villagers finally surrounded the dead body.

Time passed before Dola finally appeared. She gazed into the soldier's eyes with dread. Taz wrapped his arm around her shoulder before clearing his throat.

"Eh-erm! Everyone, Dola is your new chieftain. I am leaving. But I will return with my tribe." He declared.

The other villagers watched him with fear. The young soldier then ignored them and cupped Dola's chin. More blood had gotten onto her. Leaning into her ear, he spoke.

"Be good until I return. Understand?" He whispered. Dola nodded frantically.

"I'll be good. I'll be good!" She repeated.

Taz released her and flew to the sky. A sonic boom could be heard as he eventually left the planet. All of the blood burned off his body in an instant. Once he reached space, he typed into his holographic keyboard.

'Threat Level: Medium - Tribe Leaders. Marked For Takeover.'

With this, his mission was complete.