Chapter 8: Blood and Awakening

Lian Shi felt the energy coursing through his veins like molten fire. The pain had not yet subsided, but he could already sense the changes within himself. His muscles tensed, his skin prickled, and a new, unfamiliar force surged in his limbs. He clenched his fists, breathing heavily, allowing his body to adapt to the latest power he had plundered.

"What is this ability...?"

He closed his eyes, focusing on the sensation. His body suddenly felt lighter, as if his bones had lost some of their weight, yet his strength had not diminished. Instead, he felt an eerie agility, a swiftness that had not been there before.

The beast he had slain lay lifeless before him, its once-mighty form now nothing more than a husk. Lian Shi knew that this power must have belonged to the creature. It had moved with uncanny speed during their fight, and now, that very swiftness was his.

But as he stood there, reveling in his newfound ability, a chilling presence emerged from the shadows of the forest.

A second beast.

Lian Shi's eyes sharpened. This one was different. Its scales were a deep obsidian, gleaming under the moonlight like polished stone. Its eyes burned with a crimson glow, filled with something more than mere animalistic hunger—intelligence.

"A high-tier beast... No, even stronger."

His body tensed instinctively. The encounter with the previous beast had already drained him, and the pain of absorbing its power still lingered. If he fought now, it would be a gamble.

But retreat was not an option.

The beast let out a low, guttural growl before lunging forward, its claws slicing through the air with terrifying speed. Lian Shi barely had time to react, his body moving on instinct. His newfound agility kicked in, allowing him to dodge by a hair's breadth, but he could feel the wind from the strike graze his skin.

He landed a few feet away, heart pounding. His mind raced. Direct confrontation would be suicide. He needed to find a weakness—something he could exploit.

The beast was fast, but was it faster than him now?

Lian Shi took a deep breath. He had no choice but to test his limits.

With a burst of movement, he dashed forward, weaving through the darkness like a phantom. The beast snarled, turning to meet his charge, but this time, Lian Shi was faster.

He feinted left, then twisted right at the last second, slipping past the creature's defenses. His hand ignited with the power of Plunder as he struck at the beast's side.

A direct hit.

The energy surged into the creature, and it let out an ear-splitting roar. But this one was different from before. This time, Lian Shi felt something pushing back against his Plunder. A resistance.

His vision blurred. His head felt as if it would split apart. His body convulsed as if something foreign was rejecting him from within.

The beast's eyes locked onto his, and in that moment, Lian Shi understood.

This was no ordinary beast.

It was a predator that had survived countless battles, consuming and adapting. And it was fighting back.

Lian Shi gritted his teeth, forcing himself to endure the pain. If he backed down now, he would die. He pushed forward, pouring everything he had into the Plunder.

The beast thrashed wildly, its cries growing weaker. And then—

Silence.

The enormous body collapsed. The crimson glow in its eyes flickered, then faded into darkness.

Lian Shi dropped to his knees, gasping for breath. His body was drenched in sweat, trembling from the ordeal. But he had done it.

The power of a beast unlike any he had faced before was now his.

And with it, a new path had opened before him.