Episode 4: The Wrong Territory

The dense chemical haze from the smoke grenade expands rapidly through the forest canopy, creating a temporary visual blackout for the pursuing cybernetic units. Molety, her heart rate accelerating beyond normal parameters, drives her legs forward through the thick undergrowth. Every branch rips at her 19s-style military uniform, but she doesn't slow down. Her tactical boots tread heavily over frozen moss and hidden roots until she breaks into a small, isolated clearing.

​Standing in the center of the clearing is an old, abandoned wooden house, its timber weathered by years of temporal isolation. Scurrying up the creaking porch steps, she forces the heavy front door open, slides inside, and throws the iron bolt into place. The interior is dark, thick with dust, and silent. She steps away from the windows, consciously avoiding the perimeter of the Monster Kingdom which lies just beyond the eastern ridge line. She stays grounded in the neutral zone, seeking nothing but absolute concealment.

The Original Earth — The Black Cat Family in the Snow

​Simultaneously, across the dimensional rift on the original Earth, a completely different atmosphere unfolds. The heavy winter storm has blanketed the residential sector in deep, pristine snow.

​Kjo—still trapped inside Kno's sleek black cat body—walks stiffly across the courtyard, wearing the winter sweater and tactical pants. The sheer absurdity of his situation weighs heavily on his mind, yet his physical actions remain perfectly protective. Bound tightly to his chest with a secure cloth wrap is the newborn baby cat, completely warm and silently resting its head against his shoulder.

​A few meters away, the quiet courtyard fills with high-energy laughter. Clickey and Clonky, both proud members of the black cat family, are running through the drifts, completely unbothered by the cold. Clonky’s long black cat tail waves through the air at high speed as he shapes a mound of snow into a defensive fort, while Clickey launches a snowball across the yard. For a brief moment, the heavy military data grids and undercover spy tension disappear, replaced entirely by the simple, chaotic joy of family winter play.

​The Cold Steel Infiltration

​Back inside the abandoned forest house, the silence is shattered with terrifying violence.

​CRASH!

​The structural integrity of the roof gives way entirely as a heavy, metallic chassis tears through the wooden ceiling beams. Splintered timber and ancient insulation shower the main room. Rising from the debris is a Robot Terminator—a unit constructed from an entirely different engineering blueprint than the local Robot Kingdom forces. This machine possesses absolutely no semi-human organic components; there is no biological heart looping energy through its chest, nor are there any human organs maintaining its life functions. It is a cold, heartless frame of reinforced alloy, driven exclusively by pre-programmed administrative commands.

​The Terminator’s red optical sensors instantly whir into focus, scanning the floorboards for heat signatures. It detects the fresh scuff marks left by Molety’s boots.

​Lifting its heavy metallic left arm, it activates the long-range transmitter woven into its wrist plating. The speaker crackles to life with a harsh, synthetic frequency.

​Terminator: "Target localized. I have found the girl within the primary structure."

​The walkie-talkie responds immediately, the voice on the other end cold, distorted, and authoritative.

​Walkie-Talkie Command: "Good. Now catch the girl."

​The Terminator lowers its arm, its heavy hydraulic joints hissing as it takes a step forward. Suddenly, its optics flicker as the thermal trail grows faint near the edge of the master bedroom.

​Terminator: (Its mechanical voice echoing off the bare walls) "Wait... where is she going?"

​Inside the dark bedroom, completely hidden from the machine's direct line of sight, Molety presses her back flat against the cold floorboards. Shifting her weight with absolute silence, she slides her body entirely beneath the frame of an old iron bed, holding her breath as the heavy, metallic footsteps of the pure-machine hunter begin to vibrate through the house.

Underneath the dusty bedframe, Molety’s scanning eyes lock onto a heavy, metallic shotgun forgotten on the floorboards. She moves with desperate speed, grabbing the weapon and pulling it tight against her chest.

​CRASH!

​The pure-machine Terminator drops its weight down, the heavy iron bed splitting completely as the mechanical hunter slides side-to-side against the frame. Its cold, alloy hand darts beneath the mattress, locking its metal fingers tightly around Molety's throat. Gasping for air, Molety brings the shotgun barrel upward, squeezing the trigger—but the Terminator's auxiliary processor predicts the trajectory. The machine grips her wrist, twisting the weapon out of alignment until it clatters to the floorboards.

​Just as the Terminator lifts Molety to execute capture protocols, a shadow cuts through the broken roof. A heavy iron pickaxe comes crashing down with intense kinetic force directly into the cold steel of the Terminator's spinal plating!

​The machine’s optical sensors flicker wildly as its power relays short-circuit, dropping its heavy frame to the ground. Standing behind the fallen assassin is Uzi the Doorman, her mechanical wings sparking violently from a previous sector battle.

​Uzi the Doorman: (Breathing heavily, wiping dust from her face visor) "Ohfff... ohh! Don't be afraid of me! God damn it, my wings are completely damaged from that high-altitude drop!"

​The Recovery and The God Killer's Intervention

​The reprieve lasts only a second. The pure-machine Terminator possesses zero human organs to fail; its internal backup core undergoes an immediate power recovery protocol. Its red optics snap back to maximum brightness. Standing up instantly with a screeching whine of its hydraulic joints, the machine drives a heavy mechanical kick straight into Uzi's chest, launching her backward through the air. The Terminator fires its jetpack systems, grabs Uzi by the foot mid-air, and hurls her violently into the reinforced timber wall of the structure.

​Turning back toward Molety, the Terminator slides a mechanical compartment open on its right forearm, revealing a high-velocity sleep injection syringe aimed to neutralize the target.

​VREEEEEE-CHUNK!

​Before the needle can deploy, the screaming roar of a high-power combustion engine echoes through the broken ceiling. The nameless person, wearing the iconic smiley face mask, drops directly behind the Terminator. With raw mechanical precision, they drive the heavy Chainsaw Machine straight through the center of the Terminator's back chest plating, completely severing its main computational logic board. The alloy assassin collapses instantly into absolute scrap metal.

​The Silent Offering

​The nameless person pulls the chainsaw from the debris, the blade slowing to a silent halt. With their 100% active vision online, their eyes scan the room, looking down at Molety. They reach down, pick up the heavy shotgun from the floorboards, and sling it securely onto their automated backpack. They turn on their heel, preparing to travel back into the deep forest alone.

​Molety: (Coughing, rubbing her throat as she steps away from the wall) "Hey! Wait... who are you?"

​The nameless person's internal systems remain under the heavy sensory lock; they cannot hear her vocal coordinates, nor can they respond through speech. Yet, looking back through the eyeholes of the mask, their unlocked eyes process Molety's defenseless state. Thinking quickly, the entity reaches into its automated tactical pack, pulls out two heavy metal axes and a compact defensive pistol, and sets them firmly onto the floorboards for her.

​Without a sound, the bone-less wanderer steps through the shattered doorway, vanishing completely back into the shadows of the neutral forest line.

Back on the original Earth, the thick winter snow continues to coat the ground in bright, clean white layers. Kjo—still trapped inside Kno’s black cat body—stands near the porch, carefully cradling the small newborn baby cat against his shoulder. A few meters away, the courtyard is alive with movement as Clickey and Clonky, their black cat tails waving rapidly through the crisp air, laugh and throw handfuls of snow into a growing pile.

​In Kjo's arms, the baby cat tilts its head back, greedily finishing the last drops from its warm milk bottle. Gulp, gulp... pop! The bottle completely empties.

​The baby cat cannot speak full sentences yet, but looking up into the face of its caretaker with wide, bright eyes, it lets out its very first, tiny vocalization:

​Baby Cat: "Mom..."

​Kjo (In Kno’s Body): (Gasping slightly, completely shocked to hear the voice, then softening his tone) "Ohh... your milk bottle is empty. It's time to sleep now, my sweet son."

​The Failed Lullaby and the Tactical Adjustment

​Trying his absolute best to play the proper maternal role so the kids don't discover the mind-swap, Kjo clears his throat and begins to softly sing a gentle baby lullaby. He sways back and forth in the snow, hoping the melody will close the infant's eyes.

​However, the baby cat's internal sleep cycle is completely out of sync. Having already been awake for several hours today, its energy levels are high. It blinks rapidly, staring blankly up at Kjo's face, completely refusing to doze off.

​Kjo (In Kno’s Body) [Thinking]: Oh, come on... please just go to sleep! I don't know how many more baby songs I can remember!

​Realizing the lullaby is a complete failure, Kjo stops singing and sighs, looking down at the wide-awake bundle in his arms.

​Kjo (In Kno’s Body): "Ohhh, you are not sleeping at all, huh? You've been awake for hours now, so that means you just want to play."

​Deciding to change his strategy entirely, Kjo walks back onto the dry porch. He reaches into the gear locker and pulls out a specially designed, heavy-duty baby backpack carrier. He carefully slides the small baby cat into the padded pouch, strapping the secure harness tightly across Kno's shoulders. With the infant safely secured to his back, Kjo calibrates his comm-link to reconnect his data stream directly to the main tactical grid.

Standing on the snowy porch with the infant securely strapped into the heavy-duty baby carrier, Kjo adjusts his stance within Kno’s physical frame. Feeling a slight weight shifting inside the pockets of Kno's tactical pants, he slides his black-furred fingers down into the fabric. His hand emerges clutching a sleek, high-grade leather military wallet stamped with the official insignia of the high-ranking 10th Class Command Structure.

​He flips the ledger open, his optical systems scanning past identification badges, clearance passes, and encrypted security keycards until they land directly on the primary personal savings balance readout.

​Kjo (In Kno’s Body): (Squinting at the digital credit balance display, whistling low through his teeth) "Hmm... Kno’s personal wallet, huh? Let’s just see exactly how much money we're dealing with here. Damn, even though she’s an active military captain, this salary pool is incredibly high. Yes... it is definitely time to utilize these resources."

​Before he can calculate how to route the credit nodes into his own discrete operational accounts, the tactical tracking watch on Kno's wrist begins to flash with a harsh, high-priority purple frequency light. The automated video link connects instantly without his authorization, projecting a clear holographic interface into the cold air.

​The Secure Line Interception

​The projection stabilizes to reveal Kno, currently operating within Kjo’s large, muscular physical body, standing amid the brightly lit aisles of the luxury commercial plaza on the alternate Earth. Her eyes narrow as the camera feed maps Kjo's current actions back home.

​Kno (In Kjo’s Body): (Crossing her arms across Kjo’s broad chest, speaking with an authoritative, sharp tone) "Oh, look at that—the baby cat is awake and listening. But wait a second, why exactly are your fingers digging through my personal wallet? Listen to me carefully, Kjo: if those hands touch my funds, you are restricted to low-budget purchases only. Don't you dare touch my primary military capital or—"

​Before she can finish her warning or outline her security protocols, Kjo moves with practiced military speed. He snaps his wrist downward, slamming his thumb directly against the kill-switch on the tracking interface, forcing an immediate hard disconnect on the communication line. The holographic projection shatters into static particles, plunging the porch back into quiet winter silence.

​Kjo (In Kno’s Body): (Scoffing aloud, stuffing the high-salary wallet safely back deep into his tactical pant pocket) "Yeah, yeah... I know exactly how your rules work. Now go do your shopping and leave the tactical management to me."

Molety moves silently through the deep, neutral forest zone, her fingers tightly gripping the grips of the twin axes and the compact pistol left behind by the nameless person. As she navigates past the ancient tree lines, her vision locks onto a tall, reinforced steel structure rising above the canopy: a Monster Kingdom Sniper Tower. Seeking a high-ground tactical advantage to scan for the pursuing forces, Molety sneaks up the exterior ladder and stops right at the threshold of the top watchtower door.

​Inside the tower, a Monster Military Soldier—a massive creature equipped with a heavy, swinging tail and six glowing eyes—is monitoring the area while listening to his main communications radio.

​Radio Frequency: "Status check, sniper outpost. I am cutting the primary sector line for maintenance."

​Monster Soldier: (Clicking his jaws together) "Okay, okay, alright. Roger that."

​Wanting a secure connection, the six-eyed creature switches over to an auxiliary system, adjusting his heavy headset to sync the new radio waves.

​Monster Soldier: (Grumbling under his breath) "Oh, come on, please connect to the main frequency."

​Molety steps completely into the room, keeping her voice low and steady as she eyes the heavy defense rifle mounted by the window ledge.

​Molety: "Can I get the sniper rifle?"

​Monster Soldier: (Answering automatically without turning around) "Yes, take it... wait. Who is that?"

​The monster soldier spins his massive torso around, his six eyes widening as they instantly track Molety’s 19s-style military uniform.

​Monster Soldier: (Lifting a heavy Submachine Gun and pointing it directly at her chest) "Hey! Hands up! Who are you? You don't look like our local robotic forces, and you definitely don't look like a standard citizen of the Monster Kingdom. Tell me exactly where you come from!"

​Molety: (Raising her hands slightly, keeping her axes tucked away) "Hey! Hey! Please, just tell me... what is this place?"

​Monster Soldier: (Gripping the SMG tighter, his tail slamming against the floorboards) "I said hands up!"

​Suddenly, the active radio on the desk starts blaring with high-priority static interference.

​Radio Command: "Hey! Hey! What is happening over there? Report your status, tower unit!"

​Molety glances past the monster's large shoulder, out the reinforced glass window toward the deep woods. Her eyes lock onto a bizarre phenomenon in the distance.

​Molety: "Hey! Look at that tree out there! It’s completely glowing!"

​Monster Soldier: (Scoffing, keeping his weapon locked onto her) "No! You're just trying to trick me to escape!"

​Molety: "No, I'm serious! Look! There is really something strange growing on it!"

​The sheer urgency in her voice causes the monster soldier to hesitate. Driven by his tactical instincts, he quickly cuts his gaze backward toward the window to check the horizon.

​BANG!

​The glass shatters instantly. A high-caliber projectile cuts through the air from an entirely different sector, striking the monster soldier directly in his shoulder plating.

​Monster Soldier: (Roaring out in pain, stumbling back) "Ahhh!"

​Molety immediately hits the deck, dropping flat beneath the console desk as splintered glass and sparks rain down across the metal room.

The radio desk erupts into total chaos as the command line broadcasts automated red-alert protocols across the entire forest grid.

​Radio Command: "Hey! Hey! Can you hear me, sniper outpost? All units, alert! Go to check the coordinates of the tower immediately!"

​Miles away, positioned perfectly on a high ridge line with his custom targeting matrix online, a specialized Robot Sniper lowers his smoking barrel, speaking directly into his integrated chassis microphone with a cold, digital chuckle.

​Robot Sniper (Over Mic): "What did you think, huh? You thought you could just hide up there in the open? Target locked."

The entire perimeter around the metallic sniper tower erupts into a calculated tactical crossfire. From across the dense valley, the automated Robot Kingdom strike force launches a heavy, synchronized barrages of suppressive fire. High-velocity energy rounds and physical ballistic shells slam randomly into the remaining structural framing of the guard tower.

​SHATTER! SMASH! PING!

​Every remaining window pane completely disintegrates under the mechanical onslaught, showering the room in heated shards of structural glass and melting insulation. Below the control console, Molety presses her back hard against the reinforced steel chassis, shielding her face from the flying debris.

​As the primary dust cloud clears slightly, her eyes lock onto the heavy-duty long-range sniper rifle that had been dropped by the wounded six-eyed monster soldier. Crawling forward with swift, low-profile tactical movements, she grabs the stock of the massive rifle and drags it underneath the cover of the desk line.

​Analyzing her structural environment, she realizes the danger of the overhead afternoon sun. If she pokes the rifle barrel out through the open window frames, the bright sunlight will bounce off the glass optic lens, causing a bright sun reflection flare that would instantly broadcast her exact location to every automated sensor array on the ridge line.

​Acting with immediate tactical ingenuity, Molety takes the butt of her compact pocket pistol and strikes the glass optic assembly of the sniper scope.

​CRACK!

​The outer scope lens shatters cleanly away, eliminating the risk of accidental sun glare reflection. Next, she turns her attention toward the thick, weathered wooden door leading out to the tower's observation deck. Drawing one of the sharp metal axes from her tactical belt, she makes a calculated, precise thrust into the middle of the panel, creating a small, discrete peep-hole through the timber.

​### Part 15: The Blind Shot from the High Ridge

​Molety presses her eye directly against the freshly carved opening in the wooden door, completely bypassing the shattered, exposed windows. Her view cuts straight across the misty canyon floor, magnifying the opposite rock face. Her tracking sub-routines lock onto the distant Mountain Camp outpost of the Robot Kingdom.

​Through the broken scope tube, she spots the subtle metallic glint of a specialized Robot Sniper unit. The machine is positioned on a high ledge, its hydraulic legs anchored into the stone, searching the tower’s open windows for her silhouette.

​Molety aligns the heavy barrel of the captured rifle with her small peep-hole, stabilizing her breathing against the heavy chassis. She adjusts for the valley wind, locks her grip, and pulls the heavy trigger mechanism.

​BOOM!

​The massive recoil vibrates through the entire floorboards of the tower. The high-caliber round streaks cleanly through the tiny opening in the wooden door, cutting across the canyon with immense velocity. On the distant mountain ledge, the bullet strikes the Robot Sniper unit directly in its core processing node. Sparks and blue synthetic fuel erupt from its metallic frame as the machine falls forward off the rocky cliffside, tumbling into the deep canyon below.

​Molety drops the smoking weapon slightly, her shoulders aching from the raw physical force of the weapon system.

​Molety: (Breathing heavily, clearing the acrid gun smoke from her face) "Ohfff... handling a high-tier sniper rifle like this is incredibly hard."

​The Strategic Retaliation Order

​Back at the Robot Kingdom's mountain camp terminal, the sudden destruction of their primary ridge-line spotter triggers an automated system diagnostic override. The remaining patrol units scan the tower, but their optical sensors show no movement at the open windows or broken frames. The origin coordinates of the lethal shot remain completely hidden.

​Inside the tactical communication room, the lead Robot Military Commander slams his metallic fist onto the control desk, his internal biomechanical heart pumping rapidly as his system updates the threat level indicator to maximum.

​Robot Military Commander (Over Wide-Frequency Mic): "Attention! All units, alert! The target is utilizing hidden firing positions within the structure! She is shooting from complete cover! Deploy the mobile tracking units and lock down every sector of that tower!"

Molety pulls back the heavy bolt handle of the captured sniper rifle to chamber another round, but a sharp, hollow click echoes through the metal chamber. She shakes the weapon, checking the feed ramp, but the mechanical indicator shows absolute zero.

​Molety: (Dropping the heavy rifle to the floorboards) "Wait... the ammo is completely gone!"

​Peeking back through her small wooden peep-hole down toward the valley trail, her eyes track a massive cloud of dust rising over the ridge line. Emerging from the brush are several armored Military Jeep Cars belonging to the Robot Kingdom, swarming the base of the structure.

​At the exact same time, a heavy ground squad from the Monster Kingdom arrives at the clearing, weapons drawn as they discover the wreckage of their perimeter. The massive six-eyed Monster Military Commander looks at the advancing robotic vehicles, his tail slamming against the dirt in pure fury.

​Monster Military Commander: (Roaring through his headset) "Hey! You metallic fools! You killed my tower scout, didn't you?!"

​Robot Military Driver: (Amplifying his vocal chassis over his vehicle's loudspeaker) "Negative! We did not initiate that strike! Use your own eyes and look up at the tower! The rogue infiltrator is hiding up there right now!"

​The Hijack and the Reverse Impact

​As the two massive kingdom factions begin to argue and point their heavy armaments at each other in the clearing below, Molety realizes the tower is about to become a total trap. She moves to the balcony edge, scales the structural frame, and waits for the perfect microsecond.

​With a desperate leap of faith, she drops straight down from the lower support beams, landing hard directly into the open driver's seat of one of the idling Monster Kingdom military Jeeps.

​Molety: (Gasping as her hands scramble across the heavy dashboard array) "Oh no... I don't know how to drive a military vehicle! Hmmm... okay, let me just try hitting this lever!"

​She grabs the heavy mechanical gear shift and slams it backward with all her strength. Her hand accidentally engages the reverse gear.

​SHHH-CLUNK!

​The engine roars to life as the high-torque tires grip the loose dirt. The Jeep rocketed backward at high speed, the rear steel bumper colliding directly into two advancing Monster Kingdom soldiers who were moving up to secure the perimeter.

​Molety: (Struggling to hold her balance as the vehicle shakes) "Oh no! These monsters are coming straight at me! I need to change the gear right now!"

​The Uncontrolled Flight

​Panicking as more units turn their weapons toward the moving vehicle, Molety hits the transmission lever once more, trying to find a neutral position. Instead, she slams it completely into high-drive.

​The heavy Jeep pivots, its nose dipping as it launches straight forward toward the remaining monster defensive line, scattering the ground units as it hits maximum acceleration. Molety grips the metal steering wheel, but the power steering overrides her input, causing the front wheels to wobble wildly as the vehicle goes into a full-speed, uncontrolled spin right out of the primary clearing.

​The main Robot Military Officer watches the dust cloud erupt as the vehicle barrels blindly down the uncharted forest path, breaking through the dense brush.

​Robot Military Officer: "The asset is escaping! All units, ignore the border grid! Follow the mud tire prints immediately! I can see exactly which direction she is heading!"

The chaotic, high-speed ride through the thick brush finally comes to a sudden halt deep in the dark woods. The heavy engine sputters, coughs twice, and completely dies as the dashboard lights flicker out. Molety lets go of the out-of-control steering wheel and steps out of the idling vehicle.

​Molety: (Breathing heavily, looking down at the dark dashboard) "Oh no... the car fuel is completely empty. I have to go on foot now."

​Leaving the stalled Jeep behind, she begins to walk cautiously through the shadows of the silent forest, keeping her hands near the weapons left by the nameless person. After traveling a short distance, her boots step onto a clearing where the natural dirt abruptly ends. She stops, looking down at a massive, perfectly straight marking painted across the terrain.

​Molety: (Squinting in the dark) "Wait... what is this white line on the ground?"

​Before she can take another step or retreat, the night sky completely vanishes. A dozen high-powered stadium searchlights mounted on massive border walls snap to life instantly, pinning her silhouette in a blinding, concentrated beam of white light. She has walked directly onto the heavily fortified boundary dividing the rival nations.

​The Capture

​SWOOSH—CRACK!

​Before Molety can draw her defensive pistol, a heavy-duty robotic capture drone drops from the security grid above. A blunt mechanical strike collides directly with her tactical helmet. The kinetic force knocks her off balance, sending her sliding onto the cold ground as her vision darkens and her eyes close into complete unconsciousness.

​The pursuing ground forces from both kingdoms converge on the white line at the exact same moment, their weapons lowered as the border alarms blare across the sector. The Robot Military Commander steps forward, signaling his units to power down their jetpacks.

​Robot Military Commander: "Alright, stand down. Go back to your own border, monsters. The asset has been neutralized on our side of the grid."

​The six-eyed Monster Military Officer steps up to the edge of the white line, his heavy tail twitching as he stares down at the unconscious girl in the 19s-style uniform.

​Monster Military Commander: "Fine. But who exactly is this girl? Can you tell us what sector she belongs to?"

​Robot Military Commander: (Scanning her biometric signature, receiving an absolute error code) "Internal records show nothing. I don't know where she came from. Hey, logistics units—carry the girl immediately and transfer her directly to the high-security sector prison."

​Two heavy labor drones lift Molety's unconscious form from the dirt, marching her away toward the metallic skyscrapers of the Robot Kingdom as the heavy blast doors slam shut behind them.

​[Episode 4: The Wrong Territory is End]

Episodes

Download

Like this story? Download the app to keep your reading history.
Download

Bonus

New users downloading the APP can read 10 episodes for free

Receive
NovelToon
Step Into A Different WORLD!
Download NovelToon APP on App Store and Google Play