Chapter 17: First Soul

Dune ran for his life, heart pounding as Jake pursued him relentlessly. "Dammit, why didn't the poison work?" Jake fumed, his anger fueling his speed. "We were so close!"

"Stop running, bastard! Come here, and I'll make it quick for you!" Jake shouted, his voice echoing through the forest.

Dune pushed himself harder, trying to outrun Jake, but it was useless. Jake was closing in, his footsteps pounding closer and closer. Dune's mind raced, desperation clawing at him.

Just then, a creature leaped from the bushes. It was a wolf, but Its fur was a deep, menacing red, and three glowing eyes stared at him with a predatory gaze.

Jake caught up, and they were about to clash when more wolves emerged from the underbrush.

There were over twenty of them, their red eyes gleaming with hunger. Jake skidded to a halt, his eyes darting between Dune and the wolves.

"Looks like you've got friends," Jake sneered, drawing his sword.

The wolves lunged. Jake swung his sword with brutal efficiency, decapitating one wolf in a single stroke.

Blood sprayed as he fought, his orange Neba enhancing his strength and speed. But for every wolf he cut down, two more seemed to take its place.

Not even a single wolf had attacked Dune. Even he was shocked by this turn of events. Nearby, Jake fought fiercely, his orange Neba sword slicing through the air.

One of the wolves lunged at him, its jaws closing around his arm. Jake shouted, "Dammit!" and with a swift motion, he sliced the wolf in two.

Jake glanced at his arm, expecting to see blood or at least a scratch. But there was nothing.

Instead, he felt a strange sensation, a loss. It dawned on him that the wolves weren't after flesh or blood; they were after Neba energy. He could feel a portion of his own Neba, his spiritual energy, being drained away.

Dune watched as realization hit Jake. These wolves fed on Neba, not on physical matter. Suddenly, everything made sense to Dune too. The reason the wolves hadn't attacked him was because he had very little Neba.

His Neba was so weak, so inferior, that it wasn't even worth the wolves' attention. It wasn't just that he wasn't a threat; he wasn't even considered as food.

A mix of emotions surged through Dune. Relief washed over him, knowing he was safe from the wolves, but a deep sadness also settled in his heart.

He felt insignificant, almost invisible. His Neba was worse than useless, not even green, the lowest tier. It was pathetic.

Jake, meanwhile, was furious. He swung his orange Neba sword with renewed vigor, Each strike was precise, deadly, cutting through the wolves with ease.

The sword's glow intensified with each swing, illuminating the dark forest with a fiery light. Despite his skill and power, the wolves kept coming, drawn to the strength of his Neba.

"Dammit all... why aren't they attacking you?" Jake shouted, his frustration boiling over. He fought desperately, his anger fueling his attacks, but the wolves' relentless hunger for Neba made them a formidable foe.

Jake was exhausted. He had almost completely depleted his Zeten, and his Neba was running dangerously low. These wolves were a nightmare, every part of their bodies could absorb Neba and Zeten aura. Even touching them was perilous.

After Jake finally killed the last wolf, he had only a few precious seconds to catch his breath before a red-blooded katana slashed toward him. It was Dune. He had finally decided to attack.

Dune was still some distance away, but Jake could barely move. He was utterly spent. Dune attacked, and Jake, with his remaining strength, caught the katana with his bare hands.

He took Dune's sword and Dashed towards him, Even in his exhausted state, Jake's strikes were relentless, and Dune struggled to block them.

Wounds started to appear all around Dune's body…Jakes attacks even in this state were overwhelming.

"Why aren't you using your Zeten?" Jake shouted.. but Instead of giving him answer , Dune taunted Jake. "Why would I need to use my Neba or Zeten against you? You are a pathetic loser. I can beat you even without using my powers ."

Fury surged through Jake. He dashed forward with all the speed he could muster, wielding both Dune's katana and his orange Neba sword.

Dune, anticipating this, dodged Jake's strike, but the blade still grazed his shoulder. When Dune tried to counterattack, Jake was ready. He lunged at Dune, and they both tumbled to the ground.

Jake ended up on top, his sword vanishing from his right hand and reappearing in his left, ready to stab Dune in the heart. But then, suddenly, the orange sword disappeared. He had run out of both Zeten and Neba.

Jake was bewildered. How had this happened? Then Dune's mocking laughter cut through the confusion.

"The blood of the wolves is still on your hands," Dune said. Jake looked at his bloodied hands and remembered—he had caught Dune's sword with them.

"Arrogance is the reason why you die now, Jake," Dune sneered. He grabbed Jake's collar and then kicked his head, smashing his nose and sending him sprawling.

But Dune wasn't done. He picked up his katana and slashed at Jake, cutting his hand off, Jake screamed but he also didn't give up.

He lunged forward, grabbing Dune by the neck and choking him to the ground. Dune stabbed Jake with the katana again, but Jake's strength remained superior.

Dune was passing out, he tried to move the katana deeper into Jake's stomach . Jake didn't react; all he wanted was to kill Dune.

Dune tried to remove the katana from Jake's body, but Jake wouldn't let him. Finally, Dune gave up protecting his neck and with both hands he put all his strength into pulling the katana out of Jake's stomach.

He managed to free it and swung to cut Jake's hand, but Jake let go of his neck just in time. Dune gasped for breath.

Jake started to run away, but Dune wouldn't let him go, there wouldn't be a better chance for him. He stood up quickly and chased Jake through the trees.

Jake thought he had escaped, but suddenly, a katana stabbed into his stomach from behind. Dune had thrown it with deadly precision.

Jake fell to the ground and began to crawl, but Dune was relentless. He walked slowly, his face bloodied, his body exhausted, but his resolve unbroken.

He reached Jake, pulled the katana from his body, and delivered the final slash, severing Jake's head as he lay on the ground, still struggling to escape.

Dune fell to the ground, utterly exhausted. Every muscle in his body screamed with fatigue, and he felt as if he were on the brink of death.

But he knew Nely was still out there, battling a much stronger opponent. He couldn't rest yet.

Drawing a deep breath, Dune forced himself to stand. He glanced around, looking in one direction and then another, trying to find something.

After a few seconds of catching his breath and summoning the last remnants of his strength, he dashed off to find Nely and lend his aid.