The ox beast was massive, a wall of muscle and bone covered in thick, matted hair. Its horns were aimed directly at Roran's chest.
Roran had no time to think. He twisted his body, relying purely on the reflexes he had sharpened during the four-month grind for Mana Circle 2. The horns scraped past his side, tearing into the air where he had been standing. The new battle armor was already useless.
He lunged forward with the fine sword his father had given him, aiming for the beast's neck. But the ox beast was too fast. It reacted with terrifying speed, not with its horns, but with a massive, club like foreleg.
The blow landed squarely on Roran's side. The force was crushing. It was like being hit by a galloping horse. Roran flew through the air, crashing hard into the trunk of a dead, black tree. The impact bounced him forward, leaving him coughing blood and struggling to breathe. His vision swam.
He tried to push himself up, gripping the sword handle, but his body wouldn't obey. His internal injuries were severe. The ox beast, sensing the kill, charged again, its hooves shaking the bloody earth.
Is this it? Roran thought, staring up at the shadow of death. I didn't even last a minute.
Just as the beast lowered its head for the final, deadly gore, a sound like a tearing thunderclap split the red sky.
A flash of brilliant, searing fire exploded from the mist!
A majestic, glowing bird, wreathed in roaring orange and red flames, swooped down. It was huge, its wingspan covering the entire clearing. It was a creature of myth.
The fiery bird grabbed the ox beast in its sharp talons. The ox roared in pain, its thick hide instantly smoking and burning. The fiery bird carried the massive ox beast high into the sky, then dropped it onto a distant mountain peak. The air shimmered with heat.
Roran's blue status screen, already flashing red warnings about his vital signs, updated with new information:
WARNING: HIGH-LEVEL ENTITY DETECTED
NAME: Phoenix (Infant) LEVEL: 8 RANK: Core Beast (Legendary Grade) DANGER LEVEL: APOCALYPTIC. Avoid all contact.
A Level 8 Core Beast, Roran realized, the cold terror shocking him into consciousness. The creature that had just saved his life was an Infant that could destroy entire legions. This place isn't just dangerous. It's suicide.
He watched the magnificent, fiery bird disappear into the blood-red sky. He was alive, but only because a Level 8 monster had decided to clear the area.
Roran slowly, painfully, got to his feet. Every movement was agony, but the fear of the beasts around him was stronger than the pain. He walked with heavy caution, the sword his only support.
He hadn't gone far when the very ground began to shake, not with the crash of hooves, but with deep, rumbling explosions. It was a terrifying, continuous roar, like the world itself was tearing apart. Roran moved toward the sound, hiding behind the black trees.
Through a break in the woods, he saw a sight of impossible power. Two monsters, each the size of a small house, were tearing into each other with power Roran couldn't comprehend. One was a fierce, gold-striped Tiger, and the other a massive, razor-winged Eagle. They were not just fighting; they were using raw power that bent the air and cracked the ground.
The status screen didn't even try to read them. It just screamed:
ERROR: LEVEL 10 BEASTS DETECTED.
RETREAT IMMEDIATELY.
Roran was stunned by the pure, terrifying display of destruction. He knew that even his Grandfather (Circle 9) would struggle against a Level 10 Beast. These creatures were beyond the peak of human strength.
Then, the final, earth-shattering collision happened. The Tiger and the Eagle slammed together, creating an explosion of raw power and light.
BOOOOOM!
The shockwave hit Roran like a physical wall, throwing him backward. Roran immediately turned and ran blindly, pushing his shattered body to its limit.
Suddenly, a massive, jagged chunk of rock the size of a carriage was blasted from the fighting and crashed directly in front of him. Roran stopped instantly, his heart slamming against his ribs.
The stone hit the ground with deafening force, creating a massive, black hole where the earth had cracked open. Roran, unable to stop his momentum, tumbled over the edge and fell into the dark void.