The Alpha Attacks

Kalum sensed the beats rapid approach but that did not allow him to dodge. The massive Demon Beast knocking Kalum back into a tree. Kalum managed to dodge the next charge as it had a lot less momentum. This was the Alpha of the Yellow Fanged Foxes that he had just dispatched!

"Come Beast, I shall slay you here and now!" Kalum yelled out a battle cry.

Charging right at the Demon Beast to gain the initiative in this fight, Kalum was able to tear a swath into the Alpha's fur before quickly jumping into a nearby tree to ready his next strike. Seeing this cowardly action, the alpha let out a giant sound blast that knocked Kalum right out of the tree.

Kalum landed on his feet with practiced technique before taking another stab at the mourning fox alpha. His attack was immediately responded to by the foul creature, who unleashed a flurry of quick scratched that drew blood. This beast must be the same realm as him! If it was higher he might have even died! Shaking off his negative thoughts Kalum resumed the fight with the fox alpha.

For the next thirty minutes the two beings fought one another, both picking up wounds that would cripple a mortal human or beast. The forest turning into a scared battlefield bereft of peace and harmony. Until at last, after over an hour passed, the Alpha of the Yellow Fanged Foxes lay defeated on the forest floor, it's majestic fur losing much of it's shine.

[Host has killed a 4th Qi Gathering Realm Beast, The Yellow Fanged Fox Alpha. No multiplier has been added. Host has received a 7th Qi Gathering Realm Purple Tailed Panther Demon Beast Core.]

"Not as good as before, but certainly better then I normally get so I should not complain!" Said Kalum.

Demon Beast cores were only useful for one realm above or below their realm in regards to cultivation. Absorbing a Demon Beast core that was too weak would have an incalculably small effect on the Cultivators progress. However, absorbing a Demon Beast core that was too strong for you was even worst, as the power contained could either cripple your cultivation or even outright kill you.

Many Cultivators would use the Demon Beast cores to directly cultivate. Although many people with an impressive profession would find this wasteful beyond words, these cores still allowed cultivators to progress much faster. Unfortunately, each core would not simply give instant cultivation progress even after absorbing all their Qi. There were legends that grand formations could channel the Qi into a cultivator more effectively, but to Kalum these were just tales told by mercenaries, adventurers and low life's when they had drunk a bit too much.

After confirming that no other ambush was about to befall him, Kalum slowly picked himself off the forest floor and fought through the pain to harvest the cores of the slain. It would be best if Kalum could find a cave or safe haven to cultivate, the trading village was too far away in his current state.

"Can't be helped." He mirthlessly shrugged, before instantly regretting that decision as his shoulder wound flared up.

Now the roles were reversed, instead of finding as many beasts as he could Kalum instead avoiding them like the plague. Although his speed was limited it was not enough to make him inferior to any low realm beasts that inhabit the huge frozen hellhole of a forest.

It did not take long for him to find a safe haven, relatively speaking at least. A shallow cave that he checked to be empty. Upon seeing there where no stones to block the entrance, he went with the fall-back option of collapsing the cave entrance entirely. As a cultivator he could easily breach it when recovered, as could many Demon Beasts, but with his scent trail cut off it would be unlikely they would even try. Beasts of such low cultivation barely qualified as sentient and couldn't understand the thoughts of humans.

After sitting down in preparation to cultivate and recover, Kalum examined his gains so far. He had plenty of cores he could either sell or cultivate with. He estimated that with a week or two of cultivating he could even push into the next minor realm! However, right now money was more important in the short term, if he was able to purchase improved gear and techniques it would offer a far quicker short term power boost then cultivating. It would also reduce the chance of theft of such precious Demon Beast Cores.

"In the end everyone is greedy aren't they?" Kalum asked himself once more, a common theme for someone who is starved of contact in this frozen hell.

Rather then lament on the problems of the human race or the excruciating pain he was currently in, Kalum took out the fox alpha's core he got from the Beast Hunting System. After making sure that he was safe and everything was in order he began to diligently cultivate.

It took nine days for him to recover, with a small break to consume another Qi Attracting Pill. He had not yet managed to enter the next minor realm. Cultivators like him who suffered such tiny wounds were able to heal from them without the need of pills or potions, if it was any worse he would most likely have had to fork over a large sum to gain such an item.

Kalum blasted apart the collapsed cave entrance and decided to make his way to the closest large city, he needed to sell off the cores and what better place to do that then the sects or auction house? The large cities normally had representatives of the nearby sects so it would be easy to sell to them. He had no good or bad feelings with the sects of this world and was just a customer and a seller to them.

Once he reached the city he would sell off his profits and then purchase some gear to improve his combat power further, then he could go out hunting safer and more efficiently. Who knows what he would be able to obtain in such a city as their wares change daily.

Either way it promised to be a fitting adventure.