Limitless: New Dawn

The forest lay eerily quiet in the aftermath of the battle. The shattered trees and craters were silent witnesses to the destruction wrought by the clash between Arthur and the wyvern. 

Amid the devastation, the victorious wyvern stood over Arthur's lifeless body. Its emerald and obsidian scales shimmered in the dim light, marred by scratches and cracks from the brutal fight.

With a guttural snarl, the wyvern lowered its massive head, jaws snapping open to seize Arthur's head. The crunch echoed across the clearing as it devoured the remains, the rest of Arthur's broken body following soon after. 

Blood spattered the ground, staining the moss and earth a vivid red. Sated but wary, the wyvern spread its vast wings and, with a powerful leap, took to the air. It circled once, scanning for other threats, before gliding back to its nest atop a rocky outcrop less than 100 meters away.

…

Minutes ticked by. The forest remained still, save for the occasional rustle of leaves or distant calls of nocturnal creatures. Then, a strange phenomenon began to unfold.

The blood that soaked the forest floor began to stir, as though caught in an invisible breeze. Droplets defied gravity, lifting into the air and coalescing into a swirling sphere of crimson. 

The sphere floated a meter above the ground, pulsating like a living heart. From within the mass, new bones began to form, white and glistening, shaping themselves into a skeletal structure.

First came the spine, curling and extending, followed by the ribs that encased a burgeoning chest cavity. Limbs sprouted, fingers and toes articulated with uncanny precision. 

The skull materialized last, crowning the ethereal construction. Organs followed suit, weaving themselves into place with eerie fluidity. Veins and arteries sprawled across the skeleton like a map, pumping newly formed blood through the system.

Muscles wrapped themselves around the frame, taut and denser than ever before. Layer upon layer of flesh and sinew knit together, forming a body more powerful than its predecessor. 

The skin regenerated next, its texture impossibly smooth but now three times more durable. Finally, strands of hair emerged, completing the transformation.

The reconstructed body hung suspended for a moment, radiant with an unearthly energy, then it slowly touched the ground. Then, after some moment, Arthur's chest heaved, his eyes stirred, and he finally opened them. 

…

Arthur pushed himself to his knees, his hands crushing the ground where he touched the earth. "I... I died again?" he muttered, his voice rasping but filled with a strange vitality. He clenched his fists and felt an immense strength radiating from every fiber of his being.

He stood slowly, flexing his fingers, rolling his shoulders. The pain and fatigue of his last moments were gone, replaced by an almost euphoric energy. His eyes roved over his surroundings, taking in every detail with newfound clarity.

He saw the caved ground and was surprised to see the result of his unintentional application of force.

To test it again he crouched low and placed a hand on the ground, pressing lightly. To his astonishment, the earth beneath his palm cracked and caved, the sheer force unintentional. 

"My strength increased by this much?" he wondered aloud, his voice tinged with disbelief.

He inhaled deeply, his chest expanding like a bellows. "I feel like I could punch a mountain into dust." A grin spread across his face, though it was just a feeling due to an abrupt increase in strength and he would actually not be able to do that yet. 

"Let's not get ahead of myself." 

Arthur's attention turned to his reflection in a small puddle nearby on the night of the full moon. He looked the same, yet somehow different, his features sharper, his posture exuding power. Every inch of him felt fortified, his very existence resonating with a newfound resilience.

…

His musings were interrupted as his gaze shifted toward the wyvern's nest, visible through a break in the trees. The beast had returned there after their battle.

Arthur's grin widened, a glint of mischief in his eyes. "You thought you'd seen the last of me, huh?" He glanced down at himself and realized he was stark naked. "Right... clothes. Can't go into round two like this."

He searched the clearing, finding remnants of vines and leaves that had survived the battle. Fashioning a makeshift pair of pants, he secured them tightly and tested their durability with a few movements. Satisfied, he turned his focus back to the nest.

"I should make a few spare ones, I am losing them frequently."

Arthur stretched, his muscles rippling under his taut skin. "This time, it's different," he said, cracking his neck.

He began to walk toward the nest, his steps deliberate and unhurried. Each stride felt lighter, as though the earth itself propelled him forward. 

His thoughts were singular, his resolve unshakable. The wyvern was less than 100 meters away, and payback was imminent.

The forest seemed to hold its breath, the air charged with anticipation. Arthur's grin widened, the thrill of the challenge invigorating him. "Round two, you oversized lizard," he muttered under his breath. "Let's see how you handle this."

…

The wyvern perched nearby, licking its wounds, its massive form coiled in wary rest. It turned its piercing eyes to him, and for the first time, an expression of surprise flickered across the beast's visage.

Arthur smirked, rolling his shoulders. "Surprised?" he muttered, his voice carrying a confident edge. "Let's finish this."

The wyvern roared, a deafening bellow that shook the forest to its roots. 

"SKREEEEEEAAAHHHH!" 

The sound echoed like thunder, the sheer force rippling through the air. Arthur didn't flinch. Instead, he launched himself forward, his speed more than doubled since their last encounter. 

In a blur, he was upon the beast, his fist driving into its snout with a force that sent the massive creature sliding back several meters, uprooting trees in its path.

"That's more like it," Arthur thought, his muscles surging with newfound strength. He leaped into the air as the wyvern lunged, narrowly avoiding its jaws. 

The beast's teeth snapped shut with a sound like grinding steel. 

"CLANK!" 

Arthur landed on the wyvern's back, grabbing its neck with both hands and slamming its head into the ground. 

"THUD!" 

The earth quaked from the impact, a crater forming beneath the wyvern's skull.

The wyvern snarled, twisting its massive body to throw Arthur off, but he clung on with an iron grip. "Nice try," Arthur said, a hint of mockery in his tone. 

The wyvern's tail whipped around, spikes glinting in the sunlight. Arthur released his hold and flipped over the tail, landing gracefully on his feet. The tail slammed into a tree instead, shattering it with a resounding "CRACK!"

Arthur darted forward again, ducking beneath a swipe of the wyvern's claws. This time, he didn't just dodge, he caught the claw mid-swing. 

"Let's see how strong you really are," he muttered. With a roar of effort, he twisted, flipping the 80-ton beast onto its side. The wyvern let out a guttural screech, flailing to regain its footing. 

Arthur didn't give it the chance. He grabbed its wing, muscles bulging as he swung the creature like a giant hammer. 

"WHAM!" 

The wyvern's body slammed into a line of trees, obliterating them in a cascade of splinters.

The beast rose shakily, its scales battered and cracked. It lunged at Arthur, jaws wide. This time, Arthur didn't dodge. He stood his ground, allowing the wyvern's teeth to clamp down on his arm. 

"CRUNCH!" 

The sound was less dramatic than before, the wyvern's bite failed to pierce his skin. Arthur's smirk deepened as he flexed his arm, the pressure forcing the wyvern to release him. "Not bad," he said. "But you'll need more than that."

Arthur's counterattack was swift and brutal. He drove a punch into the wyvern's chest, the impact reverberating like a cannon shot. 

"BOOM!" 

Scales shattered, and the beast staggered. Arthur followed with a flurry of blows, each one breaking through the wyvern's once-impenetrable armor. 

"CRACK!" "SMASH!" 

Each hit pushed the beast back, its roars turning from fury to desperation.

"You're tough," Arthur thought, watching the wyvern struggle to rise after another devastating punch. "But I Am stronger . You're not a challenge anymore."

The wyvern spread its wings, a last-ditch effort to take flight. Arthur wouldn't allow it. He leaped onto its back, grabbing the base of its wings and pulling with all his might. 

"RRRIP!" 

The wyvern screeched in agony as its wings tore, the membranes shredded beyond repair. It crashed back to the ground, writhing and roaring in pain. 

"SKREEEEEE!"

Arthur stepped off the crippled beast, his expression calm but determined. He circled the wyvern as it struggled, its movements growing weaker. 

"This ends now," he said, his voice steady. He raised his fist, with a final, earth-shattering punch, he drove his fist into the wyvern's skull. 

"BOOOOOM!" The ground split beneath them, the force of the blow ending the wyvern's life instantly.

Arthur stood over the fallen creature, his chest heaving. The forest was silent once more, save for the creak of damaged trees and the rustle of falling leaves. He wiped the wyvern's blood from his face and looked down at its massive form. 

"Goodbye….and thanks," he muttered, crouching to lift the beast. He hoisted the 80-ton wyvern onto his shoulders with ease, his new strength making the feat feel effortless.

As he jogged back toward his cave, the ground trembled beneath his steps. "Time to eat," he thought, a faint smile playing on his lips. 

The forest had been his battlefield, and now it bore witness to his triumph. Arthur's journey was far from over, but for now, he carried his victory, literally, on his shoulders.

***