Panic was an icy knot in Leo's stomach, but his body moved with a clarity that surprised him. Every step was a calculated decision: swerve around a tuft of blue flowers, leap over a protruding root, maintain a pace that was as fast as possible without becoming a careless sprint. The grey dot on his radar closed in relentlessly, a digital predator hunting its prey.

Behind him, he heard the sound he dreaded: the snap of twigs and the dull thud of heavy boots crushing the undergrowth. Kael wasn't following the rules. He didn't care about the silence or the flowers. He was plowing straight ahead, a brute force of metal and determination against the sanctity of the forest.

As he ran, Leo noticed something strange. The whispering of the leaves behind him grew more agitated, almost angry. Thin vines seemed to subtly shift, stretching across the path where Kael was about to step. The woods were reacting to his disrespectful presence, and Leo felt a spark of hope.

The woods do not like uninvited metal, the Guardian had said.

An idea, born of pure desperation, began to form in Leo's mind. He couldn't fight Kael. He couldn't outrun him forever. But maybe... maybe he could get the forest to fight for him.

He glanced at his radar. The portal, his only exit, was less than a hundred meters away. Kael was just twenty. He wasn't going to make it. It was time to gamble.

Leo stopped abruptly, turning to face his pursuer. Kael emerged from between the trees, his expression a mask of cold annoyance. He had a scratch on his cheek from a branch, and his boot was stained with the luminous sap of a crushed blue flower.

"The chase is over, amateur," Kael said, his voice low and threatening. "You're only delaying the inevitable."

"Why go to all this trouble for one delivery?" Leo panted. "Aren't there other jobs?"

"This isn't about the job. It's about the principle," Kael said, closing in, his aura of competence pressing down on Leo. "It's about order. Couriers like you are an anomaly, a glitch in the system that needs to be corrected. You don't belong in this world."

As Kael spoke, Leo dropped his delivery bag to the ground, as if surrendering. Inside the bag, he had placed the [Trueflame Scale]. He focused on the item, remembering its warmth, its fiery energy, an aura that was the polar opposite of the forest's tranquil, life-giving energy. He was betting everything on a single sentence from the Guardian, praying that the woods' aversion was stronger than its indifference.

Kael saw the gesture and smirked. "Wise decision."

He took a step to grab the bag. The moment his gloved hand was about to touch the fabric, the woods reacted.

It wasn't subtle this time. It was violent.

Thick roots like snakes erupted from the dirt floor, wrapping around Kael's ankles with crushing force. The ground beneath him trembled. The blue flowers around him glowed intensely, releasing a cloud of luminous pollen that made Kael cough and recoil, his eyes watering. The whisper of the leaves became a furious roar that echoed through the forest.

Kael was caught off guard. He pulled, and the roots tightened their grip. He drew an energy knife from his belt, its blade humming with a blue glow, and began hacking at the roots. But for every one he severed, two more grew in its place, thicker and stronger.

"What is this?!" he yelled, his composure finally breaking.

"I guess it doesn't like uninvited metal," Leo said, grabbing his bag.

He didn't wait to see the outcome. He turned and ran the last few meters to the portal, the image of Kael fighting an angry forest etched in his mind. He burst through the storage room door and slammed it shut, his heart hammering against his ribs.

He was safe. For now.

He leaned against the door, taking deep breaths, the familiar smell of his office calming him down. He had survived. He had used his wits. He had won. But the victory tasted bitter. He hadn't beaten Kael; he had provoked a force of nature to do his dirty work for him. He had made an even more determined enemy.

His smartphone vibrated. He expected a message from Yuki or maybe even another order. But it was neither. It was a notification from the 'Portal Express' system itself, one he had never seen before, with an icon of two crossed swords.

RIVALRY ALERT! Courier Kael (Cosmic Grub) has initiated a 'Delivery Acquisition Duel' against you. Acquisition Target: Next Alpha-Tier or Higher Delivery. Duel Terms: The first to complete the target delivery claims all payments and a portion of the loser's Karma Points. Refusal to participate results in a severe rating penalty. The Duel is now active. Good luck, courier.