{ Trial Grounds – Inner zone }
Noah burst into the clearing mid-sprint, grinning like a maniac. Behind him, the Wind and Shadow Hydra heads tore through the treeline, their roars shaking the earth.
Jin-Seok and Kaleon froze mid-argument, their battle with the Golden Head forgotten.
Noah skidded to a stop between them, chest heaving but smile intact.
"Yo." He jerked a thumb over his shoulder. "Wanna trade your golden head for mine?"
Jin-Seok and Kaleon stared. "Who the hell are you?!"
"I'm Noah. And guess what?" His grin widened. "I just brought some guests for you."
The Wind and Shadow Heads crashed into the clearing.
---
{ Panic Mode }
Kaleon's eyes went wide. "Guests?! You brought a damn storm and a ghost?! Why would you bring two bosses at once—are you crazy?"
Jin-Seok whipped around, incredulous. "Why the hell are two heads chasing you?!"
Noah shrugged. "They liked my vibe. Started following me."
The Golden Head roared, joining its siblings in a triangle of death around the trio.
"Oh, come on!" Kaleon threw his hands up.
---
{ The Chase Begins }
Jin-Seok grabbed Kaleon by the collar. "Move!"
All three bolted in different directions—only to converge seconds later as the Hydra heads gave chase.
The Wind Head sliced trees in half with air blades.
The Shadow Head warped between patches of darkness, appearing and disappearing like a nightmare.
The Golden Head charged like a lion made of burning light, leaving molten tracks in its wake.
Behind them, the terrain exploded into chaos.
---
{ Running Commentary }
Kaleon gasped between breaths. "This is madness! I'm a merchant, not a marathon runner!"
"Then run faster, you idiot!" Jin-Seok snapped.
Noah laughed, dodging a shadow tendril. "See how fun this is? We should do this more often!"
"NO WAY!" Jin-Seok and Kaleon shouted in unison. "And stay away from us!"
"Best. Trial. Ever." Noah pumped his fist.
---
{ Collateral Damage }
They tore through monster dens, triggering traps and stampeding beasts. Other climbers saw them coming and panicked.
"ARE THEY LURING THE HYDRA TO US?!" one screamed.
"MOVE! RUN! DON'T EVEN LOOK AT THEM!" another shouted.
The poor climbers scattered—and got wiped by the passing storm.
---
{ VOX Commentary Box }
**VOX Announcer** *(laughing)*: "Ladies and gentlemen, we have a new sport: Hydra Tag! Leading the game? Noah Varnok, followed by his unwilling teammates Jin-Seok and Kaleon!"
The crowd roared, placing bets on which head would catch them first.
---
{ VIP Room – Meanwhile }
Daman and Azhrel burst into laughter watching the chaos unfold.
Lyra Varnok sipped her wine, shaking her head. "That idiot... Still making a mess."
---
{ Golden Generation Reactions }
Zephyr watched from a distant cliff, arms crossed. "Idiots. All three of them."
---
{ Evara & Zayna – Mid-Battle }
Fire and Water Hydra heads clashed around them. Trees exploded as Noah's chaotic parade sprinted through their battlefield, dragging the three-headed storm behind him.
Zayna dodged a water jet, snarling. "What in the actual hell was that?!"
Evara snapped open her fan, flames coiling around her fingers. "That was Noah."
"He brought three heads with him!" Zayna half-scoffed.
"He tends to attract trouble..." Evara's tone was deadpan. "Or make it worse."
Zayna blocked another attack. "Is he insane?!"
"Unquestionably." Evara flicked a flame dagger. "And unfortunately for us—he's stronger than he looks."
"But he looks like a lunatic."
"He is."
Zayna gritted her teeth. "You mean you can't beat him?"
Evara's eyes narrowed. "I didn't say that."
Zayna chuckled, then shouted over the din. "Great! A lunatic with three heads chasing him. What next?!"
"Don't tempt fate." Evara's flames danced. "He might circle back just to say hi."
---
{ Rokhan & Dante – Brotherhood }
Stone and Crystal Hydra heads roared as Rokhan slammed a boulder with his bare fists. Dante hurled a tree trunk like a javelin.
The ground shook—then they paused.
A blur shot past them. Noah, laughing. Jin-Seok and Kaleon, screaming. Three furious Hydra heads in pursuit.
Dante paused mid-swing, watching the mayhem. "Yo, look at those guys. They're having fun!"
Rokhan calmly twisted a Hydra horn until it cracked. "That's Noah for you."
"That's the guy with the wind head, right? Nuts." Dante ducked a crystal swipe.
"He's reckless, unpredictable..." Rokhan grinned slightly. "But strong. Very strong."
"Stronger than you?"
Rokhan locked eyes with the Crystal Head. "He's not the type you compare. He's a different kind of storm."
Dante's grin widened. "I want to fight him."
Rokhan nodded once. "So do I."
---
{ Elina & Joshua – Crossfire }
Deep in the jungle, Elina maneuvered with calm precision against the Forest Head. Joshua dueled the Venom Head with cold focus.
Then the ground trembled.
Branches snapped overhead. A storm of motion burst through their battlefield—three figures at full speed, three Hydra heads crashing after them.
The trio tore straight between their fights, cutting through like a rogue hurricane. Trap detonations erupted. The Hydra heads startled. Elina and Joshua nearly lost their balance.
Joshua stepped back, irritated. "...What just ran through us?"
Elina scanned the shredded trees. "Trouble."
A long pause as chaos faded into the distance.
"I'm surrounded by idiots." Elina's voice was ice-cold. "And those lunatics? I'm staying far away. Who knows what else they'll drag in."
---
{ Lucien's Hiding Spot }
Nestled behind a thick root wall near the Hydra's Core, Lucien Arkwright was in peak survival mode. Curled like a worm, barely breathing, invisible to all.
*Rule one: Stay hidden. Rule two: Let the muscleheads wear themselves out. Rule three—don't move unless something's on fire or screaming.*
The jungle was quiet. Too quiet.
Sunlight dappled softly on the ruined stone. A breeze whispered through the trees.
*See? Smart always wins. They'll be clawing each other's eyes out while I sneak my way to the end.*
Then—
**BOOM. CRACK. WHOOSH.**
The entire jungle exploded.
Three maniacs. Three Hydra heads. Zero brakes.
They blasted through like a cannonball shot through hell—Noah, Jin-Seok, and Kaleon leading a Hydra stampede directly into his peaceful hideout.
"Oh no—"
**KRA-KOOM!**
The shockwave launched him from cover like a leaf in a cyclone. He hit the ground, rolled, then—instinct kicked in.
Now Lucien was running for his life.
In front of the trio.
---
{ The Collision }
Noah squinted through the chaos. "Oh hey—someone's in front of us! FASTPASS!"
His eyes widened in recognition. "Wait—is that Lucien?!"
He started laughing. "Yo, going fast! Love the hustle!"
---
{ Lucien's Horror }
*Wait... familiar voice... Noah?! Why... why does it have to be him? He's a walking disaster zone—*
Lucien glanced over his shoulder.
Three heads. Still chasing. Not slowing down.
"WHY AREN'T YOU STOPPING?!"
---
{ The Fly-By }
Jin-Seok caught up beside Noah. "Who's this guy?"
Kaleon's eyes were wide. "He looks like he's seen death."
"Friend I made in the Trials!" Noah called cheerfully.
*WHICH FRIEND TRIES TO KILL YOU ON SIGHT, YOU LUNATIC?! AND WHY BRING BACKUP?!*
They barely slowed.
Jin-Seok glanced back. "Welp—see ya!"
Kaleon saluted. "Good luck, mystery man!"
And they were gone.
Lucien skidded to a stop, panting, blinking, almost relieved.
*Okay... okay... that was weird. But they're gone. I'm safe. I think.*
He slowly turned around.
---
{ The Ignored }
The ground trembled.
The wind howled.
Three colossal heads—Shadow, Wind, and Golden—barreled toward him.
"Oh COME ON—this isn't fair—!"
The Shadow Head lunged overhead, jaws snapping shut just feet above him.
The Golden Head roared past his right like a gilded freight train.
The Wind Head sliced by on the left, hurling debris in its wake.
Then... nothing.
They didn't even glance at him.
The heads blasted past, fully focused on the trio ahead.
Lucien stood frozen. Eyes twitching. Breathing hard.
Not. A. Single. One. Looked. At. Him.
"...They didn't even flinch."
---
{ VOX Commentary – Peak Comedy }
**VOX** *(dramatic)*: "AND THERE IT IS, FOLKS! Lucien Arkwright, surviving what no other man could... by being completely unimportant! What a strategy!"
**VOX** *(mock-hype)*: "Is it luck? Is it stealth? Or is the Hydra just too terrified of whatever chaotic energy this man emits?!"
**VOX** *(snickering)*: "Three deadly heads. One lone climber. Not a single bite. The Hydra saw him and said: 'Let's save our appetite for someone more nutritious.'"
---
{ Audience Explosion }
The Colosseum erupted in laughter.
"He really got skipped like an NPC!"
"Bro's aura screams 'side character'!"
"Even monsters have standards!"
Even the VIPs cracked rare smiles.
---
{ Lucien's Breakdown }
*I... I WAS READY TO DIE. I POSED. I EVEN CLOSED MY EYES.*
*I braced for death and got ghosted by reptiles.*
He stumbled back, whispering, "I'm surrounded by idiots... and who were those two other lunatics anyway?"
Glaring at the direction the trio had vanished, he muttered, "I'm staying far away. Who knows what kind of cosmic punishment they'll drag in next…"
_________________________________________________
{An Original Series by Celestial Raven}