Humans and Beasts

"Damn it... ended up in this place again!"

He was a white man with a messy mop of curly hair, bare-chested, wearing nothing but an absurdly oversized pair of tattered trousers, and barefoot.

If such a disheveled figure were to appear in the slums of this country, it might be understandable.

But this was the heart of the Amazon Rainforest, a "forbidden zone for humanity." For an ordinary man—though fairly sturdy, clearly possessing the air of a scholar—to appear here in such a state was practically a death wish.

"First, I need to find a water source..."

The man took a deep breath. Though his expression was weary, there was little agitation; it seemed as if this wasn't his first time encountering such a situation.

He exhaled slowly, carefully distinguishing the sound of flowing water. Even though the Amazon River hid terrifying piranhas, caimans, and anacondas, he didn't seem concerned.

On his stubbled face, the weariness gave way to an expression so indifferent it bordered on cold.

He didn't care at all whether he could walk out of the rainforest alive.

No, it wasn't that he had a death wish.

It was simply that, in his eyes, the dangers of the rainforest weren't even worth mentioning.

A fierce sense of self-confidence and a crushing sense of frustration seemed to intertwine in his stumbling silhouette.

"Rustle..."

Bruce Banner stopped in his tracks.

He held up his trousers with one hand and gripped a thick branch used for scouting in the other. Hearing the sound, he shook his head with a bitter smile.

"So soon this time... and I'm not even that far from the riverbank."

Fine vines were descending from the massive ancient tree diagonally in front of Banner, and the thickest among them were visibly slithering toward him...

It was a giant anaconda, thicker than his own thigh!

He was already very close to the riverbank, and this environment was exactly what the anaconda, known as the "King of the Swamp," favored.

However, this was the first time Banner had encountered one this thick.

"Grrr..."

A low growl sounded. Banner frowned; an anaconda in front, and now a jaguar had appeared behind him?

Two of the Amazon Rainforest's top predators, both encountered at once. It looked like there was going to be a massive commotion again.

"Thump-thump, thump-thump, thump-thump..."

His heart rate began to accelerate. Banner gripped his chest tightly and took a deep breath:

"No... wait a little longer. I must reach the riverbank so I can follow the water to find a human settlement..."

This wasn't the first time Banner had faced such a situation. He pursed his lips, intending to ignore the threat behind him and continue toward the river—but he had clearly underestimated how delicious he looked.

The jaguar seemed incensed by his indifference. If this guy—who didn't even look like he'd be hard to tear through—was snatched up by that stinking long worm first, wouldn't that be a disaster?

So, it decisively launched its attack!

The next instant, amidst a thunderous roar, the king of the Amazon Rainforest, the apex predator, was sent flying backward like a ragdoll.

Before it could even let out a whimper, the poor creature was struck in the chest by a massive green fist, its ribs shattered instantly.

It vomited blood and promptly passed out cold.

"ROAR--!!!"

Hulk punched the jaguar away, then immediately lunged for the anaconda, which was scrambling to escape.

"Hiss-ha!!"

The anaconda wailed in agony. When had it ever seen a bipedal animal that treated a rainforest king like a whip??!

"BOOM!!"

Hulk used the anaconda like a whip, lashing out wildly at the vines and tree trunks ahead. Under the terrifying brute force, the spine of the six-meter-long snake was shattered to pieces.

But suddenly, Hulk, who had been swinging the whip madly, stopped.

He tossed the dying anaconda aside like trash and turned to look vigilantly at a clearing beside a cluster of bushes.

There was nothing there, but Hulk's wild instincts told him something was present!

And... it posed a threat to him!

A few seconds later, Hulk grew impatient. He lunged forward and slammed his hands together with all his might!

"BOOM--!!"

The violent wind pressure plowed through the clearing, and the invisible thing finally revealed its true form...

"Shit! That move is too cheap!"

Oaks was almost blown away by the wind pressure from Hulk's clap; it was only by entangling his limbs with several roots that he managed to anchor himself in place.

However, stealth was no longer an option; he was already in combat.

Seeing yet another jaguar, Hulk let out a cold snort and stepped forward with a punch!

Perhaps Banner would have wondered why a cheetah, which should inhabit the grasslands, was in the tropical rainforest, but Hulk didn't care about such things.

But the next instant, his green eyes widened.

"BOOM--!!"

A massive bear paw collided fiercely with his fist, the resulting wind pressure clearing a patch of open ground instantly!

"Got some kick..."

A fervent look flashed in his eyes. Oaks had been lying low for all these years, and he wanted to see just how strong he could be in the Amazon Rainforest, which he considered his home turf!

And the legend of strength before him, the Hulk, was the perfect litmus test!

Oaks's bear form was the largest bear on Earth—the Kodiak Brown Bear.

However, unlike a real Kodiak Brown Bear, which only reaches a maximum length of three meters and weighs one ton, Oaks, empowered by the forces of nature, reached an astonishing four meters in his bear form and weighed two tons!

In this state, Oaks and the Hulk were practically cut from the same cloth.

The same super-defense, the same super-strength, the same wild instincts, and the same growth potential—

The more they were beaten, the higher their rage.

The higher the rage, the stronger their combat power.

And so, two behemoths began a primal, savage contest of strength in the heart of the Amazon Rainforest!

The Hulk's fists had the power of cannonballs, and he frequently used tree trunks and rocks as weapons.

While Oaks could not use weapons in his bear form, his claws, reinforced by the power of nature, were the strongest weapons of all!

His fur, hardened like steel by the infusion of natural energy, made the Hulk feel as if he were punching a bed of nails!

The Hulk could use his immense jumping power to quickly disengage and re-enter the battlefield, while Oaks could launch a charge at any moment to interrupt the Hulk's wind-up for a major attack!

In terms of raw attack power, Oaks was clearly inferior to the Hulk, but in terms of defense and evasion, he held the advantage.

Coupled with the application of nature magic—vines for entanglement, stuns, short-term defensive buffs, and special roars that shook the opponent's spirit to weaken their attacks...

The green humanoid beast and the brown ursine human poured their burning rage upon one another.

The Hulk's stamina was practically infinite, and Oaks could use his rage to recover his own strength; this battle was exhilarating and unrestrained!

Day turned to night, and the morning sun rose again; in the blink of an eye, this unparalleled savage battle had lasted for nearly a day and a night!

A square kilometer of the rainforest had been completely devastated. Looking down from high above, the site of their battle looked as if it had been plowed over by the artillery fire of main battle tanks!

Without the cover of the rainforest, the light of the morning sun awakened the two monsters, whose stamina and endurance were nearly infinite—they had become completely lost in the fight.

The ancient kings of the rainforest and the apex predators at the top of the food chain had long since fled for their lives.

For many years to come, this patch of forest would remain an inescapable shadow in their minds.

Two figures brimming with wild power bathed in the morning sun, standing in a silent standoff; for a moment, the very air seemed to freeze.