Chapter 10: Worth It

Arden stepped forward slowly, the ground crunching beneath his boots as the mutated lynx circled him with eerie silence.

Its eyes burned with a faint gold light, muscles twitching with energy, the embers on its tail flaring every few seconds in a steady pulse.

So this is what a mid-rank beast looks like when it's not thrashing around, he thought, cracking his neck. "Let's see how far I've come."

The lynx made the first move, bursting forward with a sudden jolt of speed that caught even Arden a bit off guard. He dodged, barely, shifting sideways while activating Infernic Drift.

His body slipped between trees like smoke, his outline trailing a flicker of burning afterimages. One exploded behind him, drawing the beast's attention for just a second.

He didn't waste it.

Arden slammed his elbow into the lynx's side as he flashed behind it, igniting the Ignition Vein Surge. Heat surged through his muscles like wildfire, and he drove a knee into the beast's ribs, sending it sprawling across the clearing.

"That's two hits already. You're not untouchable after all."

The lynx didn't roar. It just rolled to its feet, the glowing veins along its body pulsing faster, releasing bursts of heat that warped the air. Arden could feel it, the Pulse Conduction trait at work, drawing in ambient warmth and cycling it through its limbs.

It leapt again, faster this time, claws gleaming.

Arden didn't move away. Instead, he waited, eyes locked on the beast.

And just as the claws reached his throat, he triggered Infernic Drift, phasing through the strike and leaving an afterimage that burst mid-air, staggering the lynx for a split second.

Arden twisted mid-flip, planting a kick to its head as he landed behind it.

His fighting style was fluid, instinctive, built on timing rather than brute strength.

He didn't just react, he adapted, weaving each movement around the other like a rhythm.

But even with his edge, the energy drain was catching up fast.

"Damn… I've got maybe one or two more bursts left before I run dry."

He slid back, hand pressed to his side.

His lungs burned, his limbs already heavy. He needed to finish this.

Then, an idea sparked.

He feinted to the left, letting the lynx lunge, and then triggered Infernic Drift again mid-motion, vanishing and appearing right beneath the glowing fruit's stem. The lynx turned sharply, confused for a second. Arden grabbed a nearby rock, infused it with a last flicker of his Ignition Vein Surge, and launched it at the lynx's head.

It flinched.

And that was enough.

Arden kicked off a tree, shot through the air, and slammed both fists- burning hot into the lynx's head as it turned toward him. It screeched, buckled, and collapsed in a cloud of dust and sparks.

He stood over it, panting, skin singed and knees nearly buckling. Then he laughed.

Not a soft laugh. A full, relieved, wild one.

"This… this is the life I wanted," he said, shaking his head. "I could get used to this."

And right on cue, the system chimed.

Life energy absorbed

Gained Life Signature: Ember Pulse Resonance

Description: Temporarily links the user's life energy with environmental heat sources, allowing for accelerated regeneration and burst power during battle. And can briefly tap into enemy body heat to delay their movement or dull their reflexes.

Arden's jaw dropped slightly.

"Okay… that's actually broken."

The sensation of the energy weaving into him was as addictive as ever, and this one felt like it expanded his reach beyond just his own body.

He flexed his fingers, already imagining how he could use this in future fights. The possibilities spun through his head.

Too bad mutated lynxes didn't grow on trees.

But that didn't mean this was the end.

Because Arden had only just begun.

He wiped the blood off his hand and leaned back on his heel, eyes still on the lynx's lifeless body.

After a moment, he crouched and got to work. The beast was tougher than anything he'd fought, so there had to be something worth harvesting, he wasn't about to let all that effort go to waste.

He worked quickly, pulling out its core, claws, and a few flame-marked fur patches. They might come in handy later

But he couldn't linger. The fight had been loud, the energy wild. Something, or someone was bound to come sniffing soon.

He turned toward the glowing plant he had seen earlier. It still pulsed gently, like it breathed on its own. The air thickened as he moved closer, the energy becoming warmer, sharper, and more refined. Arden squinted at it, frowning.

The heat wasn't like anything he'd felt before, it was clean, calm, but powerful, as though the plant was holding something back.

Just as he reached out, the system chimed in.

Plant: Pyrefire Bloom

A rare, radiant flame-infused plant that blossoms only once every few decades when exposed to the right life force.

Radiates a pure fire affinity, rich in ambient energy

Draws heat energy from fire-aligned beasts to grow and mature

Fruit effect:

Acts as a natural affinity conductor for fire-based energy

Boosts absorption of fire-aligned abilities

Stabilizes flame-based life signatures, improving control and efficiency

Arden's brows rose slightly. "Well, damn," he muttered, staring at the fruit that still clung to its stem, faintly glowing but clearly not ripe. "Of course it's not ready yet."

He glanced around the clearing, knowing time wasn't on his side.

The last thing he wanted was to meet another curious elemental user—or worse, a beast that found the scent too inviting to resist.

Then an idea came. It was risky, but his gut told him it was the only shot he had.

"If it feeds on fire energy… then maybe mine will do."

He closed his eyes, exhaled slowly, and placed his hand against the plant's base. His life energy, still shaky from the fight, surged forward in a slow stream. At first, nothing happened. But then, the plant responded. Its glow intensified, and Arden felt something tug back, like it was drinking.

The link formed quickly. The Pyrefire Bloom hungrily absorbed every drop of heat and fire energy he fed it, pulling it straight from his core. He winced, sweat dripping down his face, his knees nearly buckling from the strain.

But he kept going. Minute after minute.

And then, the fruit flashed, now bright, clear, and alive.

He reached out, plucked it gently, and let out a breath of relief.

The glow faded immediately and the plant shriveled in seconds, blackening at the base and turning to ash.

Arden wiped his forehead and stared at the fruit in his palm. It was warm but not burning, steady in his hand like it had been meant for him.

He didn't need a system prompt to know it was something special.

"Worth it," he said quietly, before stashing it deep in his satchel.

He turned and bolted from the area, weaving through trees as the shadows grew longer.

Every second he stayed was another chance for trouble to find him. He had what he came for and it was time to disappear.

Before the night fell, he was already on the route that led back to the cave, with his presence masked.

Not long after, two figures emerged into the clearing Arden had just left.

Both dressed in muted gear, eyes sharp, expressions soured as they stepped into the empty space where the Pyrefire Bloom once stood.

"Tch," one of them spat. "It's gone."

The other knelt beside the withered roots, then glanced around at the torn-up ground and scorched bodies scattered across the field.

"Someone got to it first," he muttered. "A human… and a strong one."

"Any trail?"

The second man stood, frustrated. "None. Bastard covered his tracks."

They looked around once more, then vanished into the woods, their hunt unfinished.

A/N:

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