Piercing through the rough terrain of the Ancient Beast Mountain Range, Mira's group continued their venture. Every beast they encountered was killed, and Mira made sure to harvest the vital Blood Essence from each formidable creature. The journey was not without its peril, but with every battle, they could feel themselves growing.
Eventually, after a few more battles, the time came for Mira to undertake a crucial task – to complete the Hell of Gravity. A challenge that demanded her to connect deeply with the energies of the world around her, to find a balance within the profound gravity of her environment, her Mass of Energy, and herself.
"Watch my back," Mira instructed the group, her voice firm as she prepared to focus on her breakthrough. The others nodded in understanding, creating a protective perimeter around her.
Mira took a deep breath and closed her eyes, connecting her consciousness with the environment. She felt the heavy force of the planet's gravity and the equal but opposite pull of her Mass of Energy. Slowly, she began to manipulate her Qi to create a resonating frequency between herself and these two powerful forces.
She set the mass of Energy at the correct distance to neutralize the force of gravity she was experiencing.
Inside her, a whirlwind of energies began to converge, swirling and colliding like cosmic forces in a celestial dance. Each element harmonized with the others, building in intensity, creating a crescendo that reverberated through her being.
The energies finally found their equilibrium. It was a delicate balance, like a tightrope walker keeping steady on the line. But for Mira, this was a breakthrough.
A surge of energy exploded within her, and with it, numerous benefits came.
First, she shot up to the peak of the 6th Stage of the Nascent Soul Realm.
Secondly, her weight increased massively, cracking the ground beneath her.
Third, the quality of her Qi improved.
Lastly, insights into the force of gravity entered her mind and body. She didn't suddenly gain an affinity for Gravity, nor were the advantages of this immediate, but Mira felt she'd have to keep it in mind whenever she created techniques in the future.
Feeling the tremendous weight of her enhanced body and the heightened quality of her Qi, Mira opened her eyes, a newfound understanding reflecting in them. Gravity, which had always been an intangible, immutable constant, was now something she could perceive in a much deeper sense.
The accomplishment was monumental, but it was just the first step. This new understanding of gravity would undoubtedly prove invaluable in her future battles, and she was eager to explore the potential of these insights.
However, there was no time for contemplation.
Her breakthrough must've stirred the owner of this territory as a terrifyingly powerful aura charged at them from a distance.
Celaine and Asami blanched in horror, feeling the power behind whatever was coming toward them. While the others all gripped their weapons tightly, serious expressions painting their faces.
"...I think we may have traveled too deep," Nova commented, her hands twitching, but it was too late for regret. Everyone agreed with her words, but nobody dared to make a sound.
A moment later, the beast emerged from the shadows, revealing itself—a magnificent creature known as a Shadowfang, or in other words, a panther that had gone through numerous evolutions.
Towering over the group, it stood on four muscular legs, its sleek body resembling that of a panther but with a menacing Low-Stage Rank 9 aura. Its jet-black fur shimmered with an ethereal sheen as if touched by the darkness itself.
The beast's long, curved tail flicked with a sense of controlled power while its sharp claws glinted in the dim light. Its feline features were accentuated by a pair of luminescent eyes glowing with an eerie, otherworldly blue. These eyes held a piercing gaze filled with both intelligence and a hint of predatory instinct.
For the first time in their journey, they found themselves face-to-face with a beast that they didn't kill before it communicated with them.
"What are humans doing in my territory?!" the beast's voice echoed, its tone thunderous. Its rage was as palpable as the pressure it emitted bore down on them with increasing intensity.
However, while it glowered down at them, Mira felt its greed-filled yet bewildered gaze remain on her.
'Haaa… These damn beasts and their obsession with my bloodline.' Mira sighed, feeling a hint of frustration building within her.
None of the humanoid races ever cared much about her bloodline or race. No, rather than saying they didn't care, it was more like they were curious and fearful. Legends of all sorts of mythical beasts, including 9-tailed foxes, have existed in the culture since time immemorial.
They were often seen as beings akin to gods or sometimes even above gods. Who in their right mind would attempt to kill a god for no reason?
Thus, other than the fact that Mira preferred isolated regions, most people left her alone.
But beasts didn't care. She was THE golden goose in their eyes.
"I didn't know the whole mountain range was your territory," Mira retorted, the faint hint of a smirk playing on her lips. "Then again, what more would you expect from a dumbass beast?"
She already knew a fight was going to break out. Even though it seemed more intelligent than the other beasts they'd come across, it was still a beast at the end of the day. She can't remember the last time a beast hadn't tried to kill her on their first meeting. So, she might as well mock it while she still had the chance.
The Shadowfang's luminescent eyes narrowed at her words, its powerful body tensing for a confrontation. The predatory gaze directed at Mira was unblinking and filled with a palpable sense of animosity and greed.
A heavy silence descended, punctuated only by the tense breathing of Mira's group and the low growl of the Shadowfang.
As the moment stretched, Mira's words hung in the air, the challenge clear and the potential for violence escalating with each passing second.
Despite the oppressive aura of the Rank 9 beast and the clear threat it posed, Mira's group readied their weapons. They were no strangers to perilous encounters, and the grim determination in their eyes showed that they wouldn't go down without a fight.
The Shadowfang roared, its voice echoing through the mountains as it made the first move. Its muscular body lunged forward, claws tearing at the ground, and aimed straight for Nova. With a twirl of her flaming spear, Nova parried its claw, sparks flying as the two clashed.
However, her strength meant little to the beast as it swiped its other paw at the distracted Nova.
Seraphina was there in an instant, her sword striking the incoming claw while her shield blocked the debris flying from the creature's ferocious assault.
Suddenly, a barrage of arrows flew from behind their line, each glowing with the wind's force.
The Shadowfang snarled, its body twisting mid-air, evading most of Eden's projectiles. A few found their marks, but they merely bounced off of the beast's fur, not enough force behind them to even come close to penetrating its thick hide.
Seeing an opening, Celaine darted forward, her wind-infused saber a blur. But the Shadowfang was quick, its tail sweeping out to knock her back. She flipped in mid-air, using the wind to cushion her fall, but just the shockwave of its tail was enough to fracture a few ribs.
"Watch out!" Rayna shouted, something nobody among them had ever seen before. A dark mist descended upon the battlefield, and seeing her chance, Asami waved her fans to help spread the poison.
The Shadowfang paused, its keen eyesight hindered. Using this moment, Rayna slipped into the mist, her poison-coated daggers ready.
In the midst of the smoke, the beast suddenly roared, a wave of shock running across the ground, causing everyone to stumble and become disoriented. It used a Qi technique!
Mira was quick to react. Using her earth Qi, she stabilized the ground beneath them, preventing them from losing their footing.
"Attack now!" Mira commanded, her voice echoing on the battlefield.
Everly's hands glowed, gathering Fire and Lightning around her.
'Thunderfire Destruction!' She mentally shouted, raining down thin beams of pure devastation onto the beast.
It roared in annoyance, its fur singed. At the same time, Seraphina rushed forward, her shield raised.
Seeing this, Mira's eyes flashed.
Raising her scythe, she channeled her ice Qi, freezing the moisture in the air into sharp swords and shot them at the beast. The swords found their mark, piercing through the beast's fur into its hide, but nothing more. However, she did her job.
Now, the beast was staring in her direction. Merging with the shadows, it appeared before Mira, in the blink of an eye slamming its paws into her as if to crush her.
Mira was unable to react due to its insane speed and had to tank the hit head-on! Wrapping her golden tail around her body, she braced for impact.
*BOOM!"
Its massive paws slammed into Mira, sending her flying. However, it seemed hell-bent on killing Mira now that she'd re-caught its attention and chased after her.
Taking advantage of the beast's hyper-focused state, Rayna darted out from the shadows, her daggers slashing across its flank. The Shadowfang howled as the poison began to seep into its pores.
Now, it was forced to look away from Mira and back onto the group.
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