DinoFelis

Another three hours passed and Levi has finally finished the array imprint. It was not that hard because the array system is just the reverse of the former. When she woke up from her meditation, it was already breaking dawn.

Birds started twittering across the forest. Levi could see the horizon veiled with clouds but at the farthest side of east is the red-orange rays of the sun. She exhaled in relief. She thanked the God for giving a new day.

Finally, she could stand up. She stretched her legs to remove the stiffness, and so with her arms which are very much flexible. She smiled when she saw her left arm.

"Let me try it."

Activating the array imprint through her qi, runes glowed on her arm and it moldevized into a saber.

"Nice!"

She activated the runes again and the saber turned into a left arm.

"It's time for training."

She reached the stream where beasts are lining up to drink from. Her eyes almost popped out wide when she saw the faces of such animals now as gruesome than anything she'd ever seen. The goat for instnace, has three eyes and an exta short horn in the middle of its forehead. It looked three times as huge as ordinary and looked more threatening than any herbivorous animal. The boar was also another thing. It has evolved into a gigantic monster with a body the size of an adult bull. It looked threateningly fierce and would stomp on anything blocking its way. Even though these animals were not hurting each other, the atmosphere between them is intense. A fight would undoubtly break out if anyone makes a wrong move.

Levi was amazed how different they look. The once ordinary mammals like chicken and dogs are no different from the wild ones. Whether they grew in size or they grow fangs. Levi would not dare test how large their strength or speed has evolved.

"Master, what happened to them? Why does it seem they evolved or mutated?"

"This was the result of hell energy leaking from the ruins. Now thinking of it, it has been a millenia since the ruins is resealed. It must be starting to open up once more. Anyway, since heaven energy is particularly nonexistent, dark energy invades the wilderness. Unlike heaven energy, dark energy is much more easier to cultivate as it doesn't apply any restrain to anyone. Even a kid can cultivate it and become a demon cultivator. These animals, however, are directly contaminated by the qi that spreads through the plants and the water. Once they refine this energy, they can learn how to absorb it themselves until they can form monster cores. Having monster cores is equivalent to having powers. Once they harvested enough qi, their bodies will mutate, becoming stronger, faster hunters. They would feed of in anything that maybe source of qi, whether animals or humans. I deduce that something must be in that stream that all of them are eagerly lining up to take a drink. It also seems they are waiting for something to appear and take the first drink. Kiddo, you better get out of there now. More beasts are coming this way."

Levi silently withdrew from the bushes and made her way away from the area.

Grrrrr....

Gasp!

A long crocodile was staring at her. Unlike the crocodilian she met yesterday, this thing is enourmous. Measuring about ten feet from head to tail, and very much fatter. It growled, showing its perfectly white teeth gleaming with intent to kill. Anyone of those teeth can crush her bones just as how easy she can crush an apple.

"No please. I am a young lady. Please have mercy."

GRAAAAAA!!!

She barely evaded the loud snap of its mouth which came to her as quick as lightning. She ran to the forest in a fearful spree.

"Now stop running all the time. Face your problem like a real man.... or woman. Whatever it takes, you must defeat it. Do not let fear control your life anymore!"

She braked her feet and turned around. The crocodile is chasing behind now ready to sprang up once again to a snap at her pretty little head. But she was not showing any more panic. Instead, her eyes blazed with the desire to kill. When the crocodile sprang up, she took an open stance and unhesitatingly thrusting her left arm which glows with magical runes. As the mouth now fully opened was just waiting to devour the tiny victim, it felt a sudden stinging pain struck its throat. It immediately screeched in pain and wanted to stop its momentum. However, its massive body further accelrated it and it was stabbed right through the sharp blade.

Levi was pushed aback by its inertia but she hardened her grip on the blade and forcefully braked. The saber from her left hand was deeply planted to the crocodile's mouth.

Pushing it with all her might, the saber struck its skull and further penetrated its brain. It finally fell to the ground with a loud thud. Levi cutched her left shoulder which was bleeding again. The sudden force and transformation has abruptly ripped her arm of her shoulder. It delievered a massive jolt to her spine. She fell on her knees as she stared at the carcass.

The crocodile was still alive. Despite its brain damaged, it was still alive. It moves it limbs wildly.

"Hurry. Destroy its core before it recovers back. The core must be in its heart or belly."

Levi tried to recover the blade but it was deeply embedded to its thick skull. She decided to use her qi instead. She directed her consciousness to her palm and she forcefully ignited fire in bare thin air. The flames of Nirvana immediately reacted to the appearance of fire, they surged madly from her dantian and flowed to her arms to devour it. However, she directed their qi to the blade. The flame qi overfilled the saber and it burst out to flame. The temperature of 30, 000 celcian was enough to melt through the beast's thick skull like a paper. The crocodile wriggled its head and tried to extinguish the flame with its own saliva. But it was not long until its whole head was burnt to ashes.

"Hyaaaaaahhh!!" She raised the saber high up in the air and brought it down in a single, strongest chop she could muster. The blade easily penetrated it into half, and even the soil was split like butter. But she can't take the overwhelming draw of power; and so she abruptly stopped the flow of qi. The flame vanishes without a smoke but its heat on the air is still clearly evident to be scorching hot. Levi collapsed on the ground. Her palm is in a third-degree burn.

"Disciple, you must take it easy. The flames of Nirvana is not a toy. It is very destructive. Lei Jian has reinforced your body and even I had casted a protective barrier over it. But this flame is just not anything could stop. If you had not quickly cut its source, you might be burning alive right now. Poor you. I really pity you. It seems the heavens are not going to stop until you die. Come on! Get up and take the monster core. And get out of here. Some beasts might have sensed something wrong and will be here in no time."

Despite trembling in shock, she got up and retrieved the monster core. As she touched the blade, she was burned by the lava-like temperature. It was too hot.

"Beware. Someone is coming."

As he said so, the bushes jiggled and out came a wild mammal.

"Classified as the fastest hunter of the Feline Cats group, this Dinofelis is quick and agile, nimble and flexible, and its claws are perfect weapons for assassination. Kid, you can't hope of running away from it. You could only fight it to death."

It walked closer and closer while Levi moves backwards. It's claws are retracting with every step. This cat have no sharp fangs but its teeth are certainly able to penetrate the skin easily to tske a chunk.

"What do I do? I have no weapon."

But his Master wouldn't respond. In times like this, he can't just rely on his Master everytime. He must use his own brain and brawn if he truly wanted to survive. Fighting the Dinofelis is difficult especially since she don't have her left arm. But it was a better option that trying to run away from an enemy which could surely overtake her. Since she can't go anywhere, she can only choose to fight.

The cat attacked as soon as she stanced herself. It leaped right into her face, claws fully unleashed and slashing to the air created a swishing sound. It attacked extremely fast and Levi could only see afterimages before she was slashed to her face. But in response to that, she raised her arm for punch.

"You won't be able to eat me!!"