A group of panthers approached us, with eyes glinting with menace. These weren’t ordinary panthers. Rather they were Saber-toothed Flame Panthers, with their fiery fur shimmering in the dim forest light. They exude an aura of raw, untamed blood lust.
Freya glanced at them, her expression cold and confident. "Don’t die while I handle this. I’ll take them down easily," she said, scoffing.
Before anyone could respond, she leaped forward with a grin leaving parting words stung with arrogance, "I’m not here to babysit you so just crawl back and survive.
Ryan immediately raised his hammer and chased after her, shouting, "Miss Freya, wait! Let me help!"
The guy was hopeless, always trying to impress her.
I turned to Talia, who gave me a helpless look. "We should probably follow. Just... stay out of her way," she muttered, twirling her throwing daggers nervously before rushing after them.
Watching them charge ahead like reckless kids, I let out a long sigh. "For God’s sake... does anyone here even know the meaning of the word ’team?’" I muttered.
Instead of chasing after them, I decided to save myself the headache.
A team that consisted of an arrogant bitch, a simp, and a fearful helpless girl.
"Whatever, if things proceed as usual, I might strike big."
Summing up the calculation, I took out an emergency charm that was parchment with a small runic circle and placed it in my left pocket.
I sat cross-legged on the forest floor, closing my eyes and taking a deep breath.
Usually, this was a stupidity that one shouldn’t commit. Still, I did cause I have the senses to warn me of danger.Secondly the parchment would act in case of a sneak attack.
Also if someone managed to bypass Freya her ego would be hurt so in a very rare case something would sneak out but..
"On second thought, she is quite arrogant and conceited at the beginning so I can’t put my hopes on her.I am 99.99% sure that she is gonna be sneak attacked."
Looking at wild frenzy, I pulled up the blades and kept closer at gripping distance and began to train.
Forests like this were dense sources of mana and best to practice channeling the mana.
Around me, the air felt heavy with the remnants of death, faint traces of energy lingering in the shadows of the trees. This place was perfect for what I wanted to practice.
I focused inward, trying to sense the mana within me. It was like searching for a faint flicker in the dark. Deep in my core, I felt a cold, subtle pull a strange energy that was neither solid nor liquid. Slowly, I reached for it, imagining my mind as a hand grasping the mana.
"Alright, just pull it out. I can do this," I muttered to myself.
I raised my finger and tried to guide the energy upward. At first, it felt like nothing was happening. The mana slipped through my control, scattering before it reached my hand. Frustration bubbled inside me, but I shook my head. " Try again."
What I was trying wasn’t just to extend my mana outside but rather to form a thin thread that can be welded.
Doing this with plain mana but impossible because it required extraordinary finesse, precision and quality. Compared to it, death mana is heavier and forms thick puddles, unlike the formless pure mana.
"I need to upgrade my imagination."
This time, I focused harder. I pictured the mana as a thread, weaving it in my mind and pulling it toward my finger. I painted the scene countless times in mind roughly sizing up the thickness of it.
This content is taken from freeweɓnovel.cѳm.
A faint sensation tickled my palm—progress. But just as I thought I had it, the mana fizzled out again, leaving my hand empty.
"Damn it!It’s scattering easily" I growled, clenching my fists.
I took a deep breath and tried again, refusing to let failure stop me. Over and over, I reached for the mana, each attempt feeling like a small battle against myself. My mind ached from the strain, and sweat dripped down my temples, but I kept going.
Finally, after what felt like forever, I felt the mana respond. It was cold and dense, like a heavy mist in my core. Slowly, I drew it upward, guiding it past my wrist and into my finger. This time, I didn’t rush. I shaped it carefully, letting it stretch out into the air.
When I opened my eyes, a thin, black thread extended from my fingertip. It shimmered faintly, pulsing with a life of its own. A rush of excitement surged through me. "I did it," I whispered, my voice shaking with disbelief.
Before I could celebrate, a cold, wet sensation fell on my hand. I looked down, confused, and saw a dark red drop splatter onto my skin. My vision swam, and dizziness crept over me. I touched my face and felt the sticky warmth of blood running from my nose.
"Great. I Overdid it," I muttered, forcing myself to steady my breathing. Shaking off the haze, I looked at the thread again, still hanging faintly from my fingertip.
Despite the blood and the pounding headache, a small smile crept onto my lips. I’d failed so many times, but I’d done it. I’d drawn mana into the world. This was just the beginning.
Wiping the blood from my nostril I was about to begin my mana circulation when my senses caught up to a warning and immediately pulled up my dagger.
A massive wild cat lunged at me with terrifying speed. It was larger than any bobcat I’d ever seen, its broad body rippling with muscle and sharp claws ready to strike. Its eyes locked on me, and I could feel its predatory gaze.
CLANK
Its claws raked toward my chest. I quickly raised my daggers in a cross to block the attack. The force sent a jolt through my arms, but I held firm.
CLANK CLANK
Before I could even regain my stance, the cat attacked again, moving faster than I thought possible. It came at me with relentless speed, claws slashing, aiming for my throat.
’Focus, Lukas,’ I told myself. ’You’ve got this.’
The instructors might be watching so it’s very unlikely to die , but I didn’t want to rely on my shadow skill just yet, so I kept moving, blocking with my blades. The wild cat’s claws were sharp and fast, and I was barely managing to hold off its attacks.
The cat’s next move came from my left, aiming straight for my side. I quickly sidestepped, narrowly avoiding the deadly claws as they swiped past me. But the beast was fast—it spun around and lunged again, trying to catch me off guard.
CLANK THUD
I blocked with one dagger, but the force of the strike was stronger than I expected. The cat’s tough hide deflected my counterattack, sending a sharp pain through my arm. I gritted my teeth, refusing to show weakness.
’This is harder than I thought,’ I mused, feeling the sting in my muscles. ’But I can’t give up.’
CLANK CLANK
The cat didn’t stop. It kept attacking relentlessly, and I kept blocking, my arms beginning to ache. I couldn’t afford to stop. Others were finishing their fights, and I wasn’t going to fall behind.
I focused, channeling my mana into my daggers. This time, they glowed with a blue aura, a sign that I was ready for a more powerful strike.
’Don’t think too much just act,’’ I reminded myself, tightening my grip on the daggers.
A surge of speed rushed through me, my movements becoming sharper and more precise. I was faster now, reacting before the wild cat could fully commit to its attacks.
’Keen Eye.’
I activated the skill, that sharpened my vision and I could clearly see the weaknesses in the wild cat’s defenses. The rib cage, the throat, the exposed areas between its claws.
These were the spots I needed to target.
I feigned an opening, letting the cat think it had a chance to land a hit.
SWOOSH
It took the bait, lunging for my throat, but I was already one step ahead. I sidestepped smoothly, my body moving with the speed of my skill.
In that instant, I struck, driving my daggers into the cat’s exposed side. I targeted the spot beneath its ribs, where its defense was weakest. The blades sank deep, and the wild cat howled in pain, stumbling back.
HOWL
SWOOSH SWOOSH SWOOSH
CLANK CLANK CLANK
The wild cat’s movements were slowing, and desperation flickered in its eyes. It couldn’t keep up with my speed, and it knew it. But it refused to give up. The fight wasn’t over yet.
I didn’t stop, not for a second. I pushed through.
Finally, with one last powerful strike, I plunged both daggers into its heart.
SHRIEK
The cat’s scream echoed through the clearing as it collapsed, lifeless, to the ground with a heavy thud.
THUD
I stood over it, swinging a dagger to get rid of blood.
Looking up, I watched the conspirator who allowed the cat to sneak through. Just as I wondered about the next step, I caught the glimpse of a shadow approaching Freya subtly while she had let down her guards.
’FUCK! I knew it.’