The profound, resonant growl intensified, reverberating through the very soles of Kael's feet. This was not the typical shriek of a mutated creature or the snarl of a conventional predator; rather, it was an intrinsically unnatural sound, yet one possessing an unsettling familiarity. The rhythmic thrum-thrum-thrum emanating from beneath the ground escalated in urgency, akin to the pulsation of a monstrous heart.
Orion's hand firmly grasped Kael's arm, his grip unexpectedly strong, his abyssal black eyes widened with a complex mixture of trepidation and compelling fascination. "Kael, that is not... that is not merely a mutant," he murmured, his voice strained. "The energy signature emanating from it is exceptionally high, indicative of extreme power. Furthermore, it is profoundly chaotic. Such raw power." Orion's luminous blue lines visibly fluctuated, reflecting the perceived energetic instability.
Without further verbal exchange, propelled by an urgent, mutual understanding, they advanced. They pushed deeper into the dense undergrowth, moving towards the origin of the escalating tremors. Branches snapped underfoot, and leaves rustled, yet the overwhelming growl subsumed these minor sounds, drawing them inexorably towards a destructive epicenter. The air became dense, heavy with the metallic tang of unrestrained energy, a distinct scent Kael now recognized as profoundly hazardous.
They abruptly breached a final barrier of thick vines, inadvertently entering a small, devastated clearing. The spectacle that confronted them caused Kael to halt, frozen in place, momentarily deprived of breath.
The entity they encountered was not a novel monstrous creature. It was, unequivocally, Jax.
However, this was not the Jax with whom they were familiar. This form represented a nightmarish escalation of his crimson manifestation, a terrifying apotheosis of unbridled power. His physique had expanded to colossal proportions, readily twice his prior size, with muscles bulging and sharply defined beneath skin that was no longer merely scarlet but rather covered in jagged, crystalline formations. These formations bore a striking resemblance to thick, rough rock skin, dark and volcanic in appearance, interlaced with veins of pulsating obsidian that emitted an internal, furious orange luminescence. His hands had transmuted into monstrous, multi-jointed claws, each digit terminating in a spike of the identical dark, crystalline rock. His visage was a contorted mask of pure, unadulterated rage, the jagged obsidian gem embedded in his chest now manifesting as a gaping, raw maw that pulsed with an unwholesome hunger, seemingly drawing in all ambient light from the clearing. His glowing red eyes, deeply set within the stony ridges of his transmuted face, burned with a feral, unthinking fury, fixated upon an unseen objective.
Jax, in this terrifying berserker form, was no longer merely expelling uncontained wrath but appeared to be experiencing the concluding phases of a colossal rampage. The ravaged clearing, characterized by ancient trees torn from their roots and widespread debris, served as undeniable evidence of his destructive force. As Kael and Orion observed, he began to move, no longer with uncontrolled blur, but with a slow, deliberate majesty, advancing from the deeper forest towards the central area of the devastated clearing.
Subsequently, a new phenomenon commenced. From his rock-skinned physique, dense plumes of dark, acrid smoke began to emanate, coiling around him like a shroud. As the smoke intensified, Jax's colossal, rock-skinned form visibly began to diminish in size, rapidly, his immense bulk receding. The jagged obsidian 'rock skin' perceptibly softened and reverted to its smooth, crimson hue. The roar that had permeated the jungle subsided, replaced by the distinct hiss and crackle of dissipating energy.
"Jax!" Kael gasped, propelled forward by a confluence of profound concern and utter bewilderment. He observed the smoke as it thickened, almost entirely obscuring his companion. The image of the beast-like Jax, devoid of intellect and prone to destruction, starkly contrasted with the quiet, almost solemn process of his reversion.
And then, Jax emerged. Slowly, with an almost majestic poise, he stepped forth from the swirling smoke. His crimson skin gleamed, his physique restored to its powerful, yet familiar, human dimensions. His red eyes, still radiating an intense glow, surveyed the clearing, eventually settling upon Kael with an inscrutable expression.
However, Kael and Orion were not the sole observers in the clearing. As the final wisps of smoke cleared, the survivors previously rescued, who had followed them, stared with wide eyes, not at the dissipating energy, but directly at Jax himself. Their already pallid faces turned a shade whiter, then flushed a deep crimson with evident embarrassment. One of the mutated survivors, a woman possessing elongated fingers, promptly covered her mouth to suppress a subdued chuckle.
Jax, perceiving their sudden, unusual silence, furrowed his brow, his glowing eyes scanning their faces. "What?" he inquired, his voice still somewhat rough, retaining a faint echo of the roar he had just unleashed. "What is amiss with you all? Have I overlooked something?"
Kael, struggling diligently to suppress an unbidden burst of laughter, indicated with a trembling finger. "Jax... you are... you are unclothed, sir!"
Jax's eyes, wide with confusion, slowly descended to inspect his own body. He observed his perfectly smooth, crimson skin, now entirely exposed. His powerful hands instinctively moved to conceal himself. "WHAAAAAT?!" he bellowed, an exclamation of pure, mortified shock that resonated throughout the otherwise silent jungle, significantly louder than any beast's growl.