Unexpected Beast

Roy unknowingly ventured deeper into the forest, his surroundings growing increasingly foreign. The trees twisted unnaturally, their massive trunks creating an ominous labyrinth. Each step he took brought with it a subtle shift in the air, colder and heavier, as though the forest itself was alive and pushing him forward.

While traversing this unsettling terrain, Roy encountered several beasts, their glowing eyes and massive forms emerging from the shadows. The battles were swift and relentless, each encounter leaving him with more points and a sharper focus. Yet, as he fought, a peculiar pattern began to form. Each beast he encountered, regardless of species or size, seemed to flee or move eastward the moment they disengaged. Even those he defeated appeared as though they had been in motion before keeping his path.

'They're all heading east,' Roy noted, sheathing his daggers after yet another skirmish. His score now stood at an impressive 4,900 points. Despite the growing mystery, he shook his head, dismissing the thought. 'Doesn't matter. As long as they keep coming, my points will keep rising.'

Unbeknownst to Roy, the situation across the forest had grown dire. Contestants in various areas found themselves overwhelmed by swarms of migrating beasts. The sheer number of creatures caught many off guard, their coordinated movement disrupting the trial's balance.

A group of contestants huddled together in a clearing, their backs pressed against each other as a pack of Silver Level beasts surrounded them. Eryk, the stocky boy wielding a large axe, swung with all his might, scattering two of the creatures. "We can't hold them off forever!" he shouted, his voice trembling with strain.

Selene, a girl with auburn hair and a glaive, stepped forward, her weapon spinning in a defensive arc. "We have to. Until help comes!" she replied, her tone resolute, though sweat dripped down her face.

As the beasts lunged again, the sky suddenly flashed with a burst of light. An instructor appeared in a flurry of energy, their blade cutting through the air in a wide arc, scattering the pack. "Fall back!" the instructor barked, their voice carrying authority. "We'll handle this!"

Elsewhere, another group of contestants wasn't so fortunate. A pair of young aspirants found themselves cornered against a rocky outcrop, a massive Gold Level beast bearing down on them. They screamed for help as the creature's claws slashed downward, only to be intercepted by a glowing barrier. Another instructor materialized, pushing the beast back with a surge of aura. "Get out of here, now!" they commanded.

Within moments, multiple instructors sprang into action, their presence felt like thunder rolling through the chaos. Blades and spells flashed as they intervened, saving contestants from certain doom. The head instructor's commanding voice cut through the minds of the other instructors.

"Half of you, find out where the beasts are going," his mental command resonated sharply.

"The other half, save the children."

"Yes, sir," came the unanimous response as the instructors split their forces.

One instructor stationed near Roy received the same message. He observed Roy from a distance, noting the young man's precision and resilience in combat. The faintest smile tugged at his lips. "He'll be fine," the instructor muttered to himself, impressed. "He doesn't need me."

Turning on his heel, the instructor vanished into the forest, moving to assist those in greater need.

Roy, unaware of the larger events unfolding, continued northward, deeper into the jungle. The jagged terrain grew increasingly alien, the sulfuric tang in the air thickened, and the ground transitioned from soil to cracked stone. His instincts whispered warnings, but he pressed forward, the promise of more points driving him onward. His grip on his daggers tightened. 'One more good fight, and I'll break 5,000,' he thought, a determined smirk playing on his lips as the shadows deepened around him.

As Roy pushed forward, the forest began to change even more drastically. The ground cracked and splintered beneath his feet, giving way to a strange glowing moss that emitted a faint green light. The air hummed with a low vibration, an ominous energy that seemed to pulse in time with his heartbeat. His steps slowed as he reached a clearing unlike any he'd seen before. In the center stood a massive creature, easily towering over the trees.

The beast defied classification, a grotesque amalgamation of features. Its body was massive, covered in scales that shimmered like molten metal. Long, segmented legs moved with a spindly, insect-like grace, while jagged spikes jutted out from its back, crackling faintly with energy. Its head resembled a serpentine predator, with glowing, pupil-less eyes and a gaping maw lined with serrated teeth. Mist coiled around its limbs, pooling at its feet as it advanced toward him.

Roy's breath caught. His instincts screamed at him to run, but his resolve held firm. The creature let out a guttural roar that shook the clearing, and the air grew heavy with an oppressive force. Suddenly, Roy tightened his grip on the daggers and crossed them in front of his chest.

"Clank!" A metallic sound rang through the area as one of the beast's limbs struck him at incredible speed. Roy's resistance was futile; he held on for less than a second before the sheer force launched him into the air. His back slammed into multiple trees, shattering them in the process. Finally, he collided with a boulder, which cracked under the impact and stopped his trajectory.

"Cough, cough," Roy sputtered, blood spilling from his mouth as his vision blurred. He groaned, his body refusing to move. After several agonizing moments, he managed to push himself out of the indentation in the boulder but collapsed onto the ground again. His head spun, his ears rang, and pain radiated through his chest. The attack had left him severely wounded, his ribs screaming in protest.

The beast, however, did not press its advantage. Instead, it stood motionless, its serpentine head tilted slightly as it watched Roy. A deep, guttural snarl echoed from its throat, almost as if taunting him to try again.

Roy wiped the blood from his lips, a grin spreading across his face despite the pain. "Oh, you are so dead," he muttered. Drawing on his remaining aura, he healed the worst of his superficial wounds. His legs and arms bulged as he infused them with energy, the aura wrapping around his arms and legs like a second skin.

With a burst of speed, Roy disappeared from view, reappearing beside the leg that had struck him. He slashed at it with all his strength.

"Clank!" The sound of metal meeting metal echoed again as his attack barely scratched the beast's molten scales. The creature retaliated, moving with incredible speed as it spewed a barrage of molten lava bullets from its maw. Roy ducked and ran, zigzagging to avoid the fiery projectiles. Each one hissed and sizzled as it struck the ground, melting everything it touched.

Roy dove behind a boulder for cover, but the rock began to melt under the heat of the lava. His mind raced as he considered his options. 'How do I hurt something like this?' he thought, beads of sweat trickling down his face. After a moment, he steeled himself and dashed out, moving in a zigzag pattern to confuse the beast.

This time, he approached one of its legs as if preparing to attack, but instead, he darted under its massive frame. Jumping upward, he drove his daggers into its exposed underbelly. Black, viscous liquid oozed from the wound as the beast roared in pain. Roy landed back on the ground, his chest heaving as he prepared for another strike.

But the beast was far from finished, it moved rapidly and the mist around its limbs thickened, spreading rapidly until it engulfed the entire battlefield. Roy's vision was completely obscured, and the mist clung to his body, restricting his movements. He struggled against the oppressive fog, his instincts screaming at him to stay alert.

A sudden shift in the air warned him of an incoming attack. Roy reacted instantly, his daggers moving in unison to block as the beast's massive tail whipped toward him with ferocious speed. The impact reverberated through his arms, forcing him to slide back several meters, his boots digging furrows into the ground. His aura, which had significantly bolstered his limbs after the earlier assault, held strong, allowing him to remain standing. Though he stayed upright, his muscles burned with exertion, and he could feel his strength gradually slipping away under the relentless pressure of the fight.

For fifteen minutes, the battle raged. Roy darted and slashed wherever he could, but his attacks barely penetrated the beast's defenses. His body bore the brunt of the creature's relentless onslaught, accumulating cuts, bruises, and burns. Blood seeped from his injuries, and his ribs felt like they might crack at any moment.

"Fuck! Should I just run?" Roy thought, despair creeping into his mind. His confidence was shattered. He had failed to inflict significant damage on the creature, and the beast's overwhelming power left him feeling utterly outmatched.

He decided to retreat, channeling his remaining aura into his legs as he bolted toward the edge of the battlefield. But the beast anticipated his move. The spikes on its back crackled with energy, discharging a massive lightning bolt. Roy barely sidestepped, the bolt grazing his clothes and burning them. "Fuck! Seriously? Another power?" he growled, his frustration mounting.

The beast started shooting lightning bolts like they were on a 100% off sale. As he dodged the barrage of lightning bolts, the beast's tail suddenly swept toward him from the front. The sheer size of the creature allowed it to cover an incredible range. The tail struck Roy in the chest, sending him flying through the air, beneath the beast's massive belly, he emerged on the other side before hitting the ground hard. Momentum from the impact sent him skidding across the ground, his body jolted violently by the speed and force.

"Argh," Roy groaned, his body wracked with pain. Blood soaked his clothes, and his vision blurred. His ribs ached, his breathing labored. Despite his injuries, he pushed himself to his feet, his body trembling but defiant. "That's right," he muttered. "Running was never the answer. If I run now, how will I annihilate the Demonic Blood Sect? How will I find the truth about my parents?"

His red eyes glowed like embers in the darkness, "Either it's you or it will be me," Roy declared, his voice a low growl. His killing intent surfaced , engulfing him in thick, black energy that radiated outward in waves. The mist recoiled slightly, the two opposing forces now vying for dominance. The air grew colder as the tension thickened, the beast growling in response. Its pupil-less eyes seemed to narrow, dismissing Roy's defiance as a futile gesture, fully confident that this human could not harm it.

Roy channeled his aura again but this time focusing on his bones and muscle fibers individually instead of covering the whole arm or leg as one entity. He pushed his limits, his body straining under the intense energy. Roy was entirely focused on becoming as strong as possible. His immediate desire was for a powerful body and an even stronger weapon. As he meditated, the aura flowing through his body reached his fingers and began seeping outward. To his astonishment, the energy moved of its own accord, wrapping around the edges of his daggers as if responding to his deep longing for strength.

This phenomenon was extraordinary; like Kevin before him, Roy was achieving something deemed impossible before reaching the Qi Cultivation stage. Slowly opening his eyes, Roy looked at his daggers and was shocked by what he saw. Their edges gleamed with a radiant, shimmering light, a manifestation of the aura coursing through them. Even he could hardly believe what he had just accomplished.

With his aura flaring and his killing intent radiating, Roy launched himself at the beast. His movements were faster, more precise. The beast unleashed another barrage of lava and lightning, but Roy dodged with minimal effort, weaving through the onslaught. Roy slid near its left limbs, his daggers glinting with energy. With a precise slash, he attacked the thickly scaled legs.

The beast didn't react at first, confident in its defenses, but Roy's daggers, now aura-infused, sliced through the scales as if they were butter. The leg severed cleanly, and before the beast could even feel the pain, Roy was already at the next leg. Moving faster than before, he severed five more legs in rapid succession, each cut delivering a shock of pain that caused the beast to howl in fury.

As the beast collapsed, its massive frame faltering without its limbs, Roy darted backward, his breathing heavy. The creature growled low, struggling to lift itself with its remaining legs. Its glowing, pupil-less eyes flared with anger as it directed its energy into the spikes on its back. The spikes began to hum and glow ominously, gathering power into a pulsating ball of energy.

Roy's gaze locked onto the growing sphere. The air around it crackled with electricity, the very space distorting as the energy condensed further. Sparks of electricity shot outward in all directions, scorching the ground and creating a deafening hum that filled the battlefield.

'This is bad,' Roy thought, tightening his grip on his daggers. His aura reserves were dangerously low, and he knew he had less than 30 seconds to act. He couldn't run, and he couldn't hesitate. His focus sharpened, and with a steely resolve, he whispered, "It's now or never."

Roy didn't stop. With less than thirty seconds of aura remaining, he sprinted toward the beast's head. 

The beast unleashed the attack,a massive lightning bolt shot toward Roy with unrelenting force. Gritting his teeth, he leapt into the air, keeping his dagger in front of him to intercept the attack. The impact was immediate, a surge of heat scorching his hands as the energy burned against his blades. 

"ARRRGHHHHHH!" Roy bellowed, his muscles straining as he poured more of his dwindling aura into the daggers. The crackling energy threatened to overwhelm him, but his determination held firm. Slowly, the aura-infused blades began to cut through the lightning bolt, splitting it apart.

With a final push, the attack cleaved into two, the split bolts tearing through the battlefield behind him. Twin paths of destruction stretched out across the ground, leaving scorched earth and smoldering debris in their wake. Roy landed heavily, his body trembling but still defiant, the shimmering aura around his daggers flickering like a dying flame.

The beast hesitated, its movements growing sluggish because of using huge amount of energy. Roy channeled the last of his aura into his legs and arms, his killing intent flaring even brighter. Chains of black energy wrapped around the beast, holding it in place. With a final burst of speed, Roy leapt onto its head, gripping his daggers together in a double-handed strike.

"It's over!" he roared, driving the blades down with all his remaining strength. The daggers pierced through the beast's scales, skull, and into its brain. A massive shockwave erupted, forming a crater beneath them as the creature let out a final, deafening roar. Its eyes dimmed, and its massive body fell with a resounding crash.

"Huff, huff, huff," Roy panted, collapsing onto the beast's lifeless body. Blood soaked his clothes, and his vision blurred from exhaustion. He pulled the daggers free, their aura now completely gone, and rested his head against the creature's cooling scales. "If anyone attacks me now," he muttered with a weak smile, "I'm dead".