Primitive Man

This vision in front of her brought back bitter memories back to Baktou's system, but she knew it was too late for her to intervene now.

[Eva, do you remember our promise? I promised back then that I would never forgive you. Dr. Fritz chose you instead of me that day, which proved to me that he wanted you more than me. I loved that old man yet he still chose you.]

She paused for a minute, as she looked at Baktou swimming in the direction of a giant octopus and Megalodon, as if he wanted to fight with them.

*Sigh

[Look at us, once great scientists now restricted to the bodies of these primitive kids so we can achieve our goals. But still, I won't let you touch any of the meteors. I won't let you get close to it, even if I have to destroy everything. Out of all the people you shouldn't hold the power to change things, and I promise- I won't let any of that happen. But right now...I need this boy to be alive!]

Meanwhile, Baktou's eyes glowed with an otherworldly light as he approached the pulsating meteor fragment. The sea creatures around him seemed to react to his presence, creating an eerie atmosphere, but that didn't last for too long as Baktou started to massacre every single fish in his path.

The sea creatures tried to flee from the impending doom, but Baktou's presence seemed to manipulate the very water around him. As he moved, the ocean twisted and contorted, trapping the innocent creatures in a swirling vortex of doom.

A school of vibrant fish swam desperately in all directions, but Baktou's power extended like a malevolent force, striking down every living being in his path. Their once vibrant colours faded to pure red as their blood started to paint the whole ocean red.

[Baktou, you need to snap out of it! This is not just about you; it's about the balance of the entire ocean!]

The system pleaded desperately hoping at least he would turn back because of her words.

Ignoring the voice in his head, Baktou tightened his grip on the weapon, his determination unwavering. "I must protect it! It's calling for me, and I won't let anyone else take it!"

The mysterious woman's voice sighed who was not a mystery anymore, realizing that reasoning with Baktou might not be easy decided to try one last time before deciding to observe everything silently because she knew without a physical body things she could do were almost non-existent.

[Baktou, listen. We don't know the full extent of the powers this fragment possesses. We need to understand its effects before claiming it as yours. This might or might not be the meteor that Eva is searching for.]

But Baktou was resolute. "I can feel its energy. It's like a part of me. I won't let anyone harm it, not even those giants battling over there. Not even Garnt. I'm going to kill him if he tries to take it away from me."

[Baktou, you're not thinking straight. Your connection with the fragment might be distorting your judgment. We need a plan, not blind determination.]

However, Baktou paid no heed, swimming deeper into the heart of the underwater clash, and the system voice slowly started to fade. She decided to observe as Baktou quickly approached the big fight that was happening.

Megalodon roared, its enormous jaws snapping at the tentacles of the Giant Octopus that were wrapped around its body, but at the same time, the Octopus didn't look like it was ready to give up as it produced a lot of toxins that were enough to kill a whole village of human if contacted with.

The Megalodon and the giant octopus who were fighting a death battle with each other, sensing Baktou's approach, momentarily paused their epic battle to turn their attention towards him.

The Megalodon, its eyes fixated on Baktou, let out a guttural roar, while the octopus extended its massive tentacles menacingly to grab him knowing Baktou wasn't normal.

The ocean itself seemed to churn with the intensity of their impending clash.

Baktou, undeterred by the looming threat, brandished the underwater hunting weapon that looked like a harpoon with newfound enthusiasm. "None of you will lay a finger on this fragment! It's mine to protect!" He muttered those words inside his mind, since he couldn't exchange words underwater.

The Megalodon, fueled by primal instincts, lunged forward with incredible speed, aiming to tear into Baktou with its razor-sharp teeth. Meanwhile, the giant octopus, a master of underwater combat, manoeuvred its tentacles with precision, closing in on Baktou from a different angle.

As the three powerful forces collided, the underwater world became a chaotic battlefield. Baktou dodged the Megalodon's ferocious attacks with agile movements, narrowly avoiding the deadly jaws that snapped just inches away. Simultaneously, he deftly navigated the octopus's attempts to ensnare him with its powerful tentacles causing the Megalodon to bite the tentacles that tried to ensnare Baktou.

He wasn't going to let this chance fade, so he quickly tried to finish the Megalodon since it was the fastest and most threatening enemy for him, but things didn't go as expected.

"Damn it!" He muttered inside his mind, as he realized that his harpoon wasn't sharp enough to full pierce the giant fish's skin. He knew he would have to rely on something stronger, and faster.

[Try to use your speed and combine it with harpoon. Even a dull weapon can be useful if you attack with the right speed.]

The system who remained silent until now decided to help since she at least wanted him to leave this place alive. Baktou also took her advice to his mind, and quickly escaped the incoming tentacles that tried to grab and took some distance from the two giants.

In the midst of the struggle, Baktou's connection with the pulsating meteor fragment seemed to intensify. The very water around him shimmered with an otherworldly glow, indicating the potent energy emanating from the mysterious stone.

[So this is it! It is the same reaction as that day and the same colour as that day. Eva, we found what we have been searching for. You're going to come here sooner or later to get this stone, At first, I thought that chicxulub meteor might be on the other side of this land when we cross the sea and that's why I wanted to make sure you won't have the luxury to find it, but now that it is here, I'm going to change everything.]

The system's voice echoed in Baktou's mind, but his determination remained unyielding, as if he understood what his system was talking about. "I can't let go! I won't let anyone take it away from me!"

Baktou, fueled by a surge of determination and the advice from the system, swiftly maneuvered away from the tentacles of the giant octopus. With a burst of speed, he propelled himself towards the Megalodon, his harpoon aimed like a javelin.

As he closed the distance with incredible velocity, he focused on the weak point he had identified earlier—the eye of the Megalodon. With a precise and forceful thrust, Baktou managed to pierce the eye of the massive predator.

The Megalodon let out a deafening roar of pain, its thrashing movements becoming more erratic but it wasn't just Megalodong that got injured by it rather, one of the tentacles that was wrapped around the front part of Megalodon's face also got pierced by the harpoon causing reaction from both of the enemies.

"Yes!" Baktou celebrated too early, but upon getting a closer look Baktou realized that the harpoon, despite finding its mark, didn't penetrate as deeply as Baktou had hoped.

The Megalodon's tough hide proved to be a formidable challenge. Yet, the impact caused significant damage, and both the Megalodon and the octopus recoiled in pain.

Seizing the opportunity, Baktou tried to pull the harpoon back, but it was stuck. The octopus, enraged and wounded, extended another tentacle, seizing Baktou by the leg and throwing him away with tremendous force. Baktou sailed through the water, struggling against the powerful current.

"Ahhhh!" The pressure of the water was too much, that Baktou felt like his organs were about to be explode, but finally when the pressure of the water went away, Baktou felt his mind clear.

The distance from the meteor fragment allowed his mind to clear, free from the distorted influence of its energy. As he was thrown a considerable distance away, the chaotic battlefield faded into the background.

The system's voice echoed once more, now with a sense of urgency.

[Did you come back to your normal sense? Do you understand what's happening?]

She asked hoping to confirm, and the system couldn't help but sigh knowing that Baktou regained his free will back.

"What was I doing?" He questioned because his memory was slightly hazy, but soon he realized that things were not looking great for him, as he saw the distant figure of the gigantic sea animals grouping up around the meteor killing each other.

[Baktou, mark this spot and come later when all the fishes kill each other...]

Baktou wanted to listen, but as soon as his body calmed down and his DNA stopped reacting to the meteor, he started to feel the lack of oxygen in his body, mainly because of his human side and held his neck while releasing water bubbles.

[Damn it! Damn it! Quickly swim back to the surface. I can't have you dying here,]

Baktou struggled, but he knew that if he didn't swim back to the surface, it would be the end of his life. Using his legs, he propelled himself upward and upward until he couldn't feel his legs anymore, and his vision started to get blurry. Soon, the light of the surface came into his vision, but before he could reach that light, he felt like something was dragging him down.

"I can't-I can't go more. Is this the end for me? Is this where I die? If I die here, who will protect my brother, my kid and Telvi?" He started to question his life, until he felt something pulling him back to the surface.