New Wings

[You have killed a variant beast.]

[You have received a variant essence stone.]

Cliff observed the creature in his hands for a moment. He didn't need to use force—his grip was firm and absolute. With a precise motion, he let his aura infuse the tip of his finger, gently caressing the beast's neck.

A shiver ran through the creature, then its neck fell, cleanly severed.

Without wasting time, Cliff ran his fingers down the beast's torso, slicing through its flesh with surgical precision. It was as if his own hands had become sharpened instruments, capable of opening a carcass with unsettling ease.

With a fluid movement, he plunged two fingers inside and extracted the essence stone, observing it under the cold light of the sky.

In his other hand, the lifeless remains suddenly began to crackle. A white flame erupted, enveloping the carcass and slowly consuming it, reducing flesh and bone to ashes.

Within seconds, nothing remained.