Chapter 31: A good hunt

The rest of the day flew by.

As afternoon classes wrapped up, Yumei received a short, expressionless message from Jin Minhe:

[I'll meet you at the parking lot. 10 mins. – Jin]

She was mid-run when the alert blinked across her ring interface.

They were doing it now—between classes, before and after meals—weight training laps around campus. Maxius had his wing weights, Lufei carried slim qi-bracelets at the base of each leg, and Yumei herself wore reinforced training bands across her calves, forearms, and core.

It wasn't fast.

But it was effective.

"Team stamina and endurance," she muttered between breaths. "If we don't prep now, we'll burn out when it counts."

They ran for twenty minutes—four miles through winding walkways, up two flight tiers, and across the long skybridge toward the Sky Beast Resting Zone.

The clouds above shimmered in layered gold.

And floating quietly on a cushion of thunder and golden mist—

Mystic.

In her solid whale form, resting belly-down atop a compressed cloud-bed. Two long, graceful pectoral fins on each side swayed gently with the breeze, catching golden light in smooth arcs. Thin lines of static flickered across her hide—harmless, playful arcs of lightning dancing across her scales.

Above her, a hovering cloud rained down steady, cooling currents—not a gentle mist, but a true, invigorating downpour. Mystic, harnessing her wind affinity, adjusted the airflow from her body to swirl and shift the cloud into a rotating shower—letting the rainfall arc across her broad back with precision.

Her eyes were closed in a lazy, contented way.

She cracked one open as they approached.

The cloud above her dispersed instantly.

In its place descended a new structure—golden cloud stairs, soft and shimmering, spiraling downward toward the platform.

Maxius zipped ahead—wings slicing air as he darted through the fading mist, letting the rain splash down his feathers. He twisted suddenly mid-air and skimmed low—sending a full-body spray toward Lufei.

The emerald deer squealed, tail flicking, and stomped a hoof indignantly.

"Maxius—!" Yumei warned.

Too late.

Mystic lifted her tail.

SQUOOSH.

A sudden spout of water burst from her blowhole—nailing Maxius mid-drift and catching Lufei full in the flank. Yumei got a generous faceful, too.

They all froze, dripping.

Mystic rolled slightly, glowing eyes full of mischief.

Yumei wiped her face slowly and gave Mystic a sharp, commanding look.

The great cloud whale rumbled in what could only be described as laughter—but she behaved after that, rotating her body to lower her side for boarding.

"Let's go," Yumei muttered, climbing the cloud-steps with Maxius and a soggy, grumpy Lufei in tow. "We're picking up Jin Minhe. Then…"

She tapped her interface.

"Grocery run."

Mystic snorted.

"Or maybe…" Yumei amended, eyeing her team's post-run state, "…a short beast hunt. We could use high-energy meat. Something nutrient-dense for recovery."

Maxius clicked his beak in approval.

Lufei didn't complain.

As they settled into the soft platform of Mystic's back, Yumei reached forward and patted her side.

"Also," she said aloud, "we're signing you up for size-adjusting control technique classes."

Mystic turned one luminous eye toward her.

"Seriously," Yumei said, her tone softening. "I hate leaving you behind all the time. You're part of the team. If we can get you to shift size safely and efficiently, we won't have to keep stashing you in cloud zones or restricted airspace."

She leaned forward, elbows resting on Mystic's back.

"I'll get you enrolled soon. You'll pick it up fast. And I'll stop feeling like a horrible person. Plus—let's be honest—it'll probably save me from going bankrupt when you crack another skybridge."

Mystic blinked, then made a low, indignant puff from her blowhole.

"Yeah, yeah," Yumei smirked. "Let's just both agree it's in everyone's best interest."

Mystic rose into the air with a pulse of qi, golden clouds curling behind her as she banked toward the far side of campus—her four fins gliding in rhythm, her body weightless, but her presence massive, regal, and proud.

⸻

✦ Beast Team Assembly

They picked up Jin Minhe outside the dorm lot, where he stood quietly beside his Glutton Panda. He said nothing as he stepped onto Mystic's back—but his gaze lingered on the storm-charged runes across her hide and the subtle precision with which she adjusted her flight angle.

"…Cool," he muttered.

"We're going hunting," Yumei said. "Short trip. Wild Zone near my family line's boundary. Let's see what's lurking on the outskirts."

⸻

✦ The Hunt Begins

The Wild Zone was quiet at first—broken tree clusters, low grass, and thick-bellied birds skittering between tall reeds.

Then—movement.

Yumei gave a silent signal. Maxius veered right, Lufei flanked left, and Mystic stayed overhead—her glow dimming as she coasted through the mist layer.

The first beast lunged—two-star E-class armored mongoose.

Lufei dropped her Veil of Serenity, shielding Maxius as he surged forward.

"Phantom Blade."

Maxius cut through it with an invisible arc, drawing a confused hiss from the beast as it collapsed—never knowing what hit it.

Three more followed.

Yumei's commands snapped out like clockwork:

"Lufei: Mindroot Pierce."

"Mystic: Sky Cloud Domain."

"Maxius: Shadow Lockdown."

They moved like a veteran strike team—eliminating nine threats in total. The strongest, a three-star C-class lightning wolf, tried to resist—but Mystic dropped behind it and fired a Thunder God Strike.

Ashes.

⸻

✦ Sky Beasts Strike

As they collected beast meat and cores, Mystic tensed—eyes rising skyward.

"Above!" Yumei shouted.

Sky beasts. Four of them. Long-winged raptors with silver flame beaks and razored talons, diving from the high cloudline like living thunderbolts.

Maxius shot upward—

"Sky Ascension Counter!"

He met the lead raptor mid-dive, invisible wing slashing clean through its throat.

Lufei raised a Mirror Vine Wall, deflecting a second bird's talon strike and pinning it just long enough for Mystic to pulse a localized Storm Burst.

One more dove, angling in hard—but Jin Minhe's Glutton Panda burped, expanded, and slammed its full bulk into the bird with a surprisingly well-aimed belly-flop.

"…He's getting better at aim," Jin muttered.

⸻

✦ Recovery and Roots

Later, they followed Mystic's cloudform through a narrow canyon rich with elemental mist. The cliff walls sparkled faintly—qi-rich vines trailing downward like threads.

Yumei's eyes narrowed.

"Star-level herb region."

She crouched beside a patch of glowing, red-veined sprigs.

"These sell high. Stuff the academy uses in pill-forging for elite ranks."

Maxius and Lufei began gathering carefully. Mystic used micro-cloud lifts to shift soil without disrupting roots.

Yumei bent down and yanked at a stalk—

Snap.

Behind her, Jin flinched.

"Stop."

She turned.

"…What?"

"You're butchering the roots," he said, a rare edge in his voice. "They won't survive storage like that. You're destroying the meridian lines."

He knelt, fingers pulsing with clean, controlled qi. With care, he traced a spiraling line down the stalk, pressed into the soil—and lifted the entire root structure cleanly, leaves glowing brighter than before.

"…Okay," Yumei muttered, backing up. "You win."

Even Lufei was doing it better, hooves surprisingly precise. Maxius pretended not to notice.

"Want some for yourself?" Yumei asked, watching him. "You're a Refiner. Could sell extras or trade for beast gear."

Jin paused, fingers still dusted in light.

"…That makes sense," he murmured. "Thanks."

They fell into quiet rhythm after that—Jin guiding, Yumei adjusting, and the beasts working like a coordinated harvesting unit.