The forest was unnervingly quiet as Lyerin moved through its shadows, his sharp eyes scanning the dense undergrowth for signs of movement. He wasn''t dragging a corpse this time—there was no bait, no carefully constructed trap. He was simply walking, his senses attuned to the faintest disturbances in the atmosphere. His frustration simmered beneath the surface, a mix of disappointment and growing anticipation.


    He came to a halt in a clearing surrounded by towering trees, their gnarled branches intertwining to form an ominous canopy overhead. The air was heavy, charged with an energy that sent a chill down his spine.


    "You''re here," he murmured, his voice barely a whisper. His grin returned, slow and deliberate, as he felt the oppressive weight of a predator''s gaze settle on him. "Finally, something worth my time."


    The underbrush parted with a low, guttural growl, and the creature stepped into view. It was massive, its muscr frame dwarfing even thergest of the beasts Lyerin had fought before. Its body was covered in jagged, obsidian-like scales that shimmered faintly with an inner light. Each step it took left deep impressions in the ground, the earth trembling beneath its weight.


    Its eyes, glowing with an unnatural blue hue, locked onto Lyerin with a predatory intensity. It bared its fangs, rows of razor-sharp teeth glinting in the dim light, and let out a roar that shook the trees.


    Lyerin tilted his head, his grin widening as he took a step forward.


    "You''re a big one," he said, his tone mocking yetced with genuine excitement. "Let''s see if you''re more than just size and teeth."


    The beast didn''t wait for him to make the first move. It lunged with incredible speed, its ws shing through the air. Lyerin barely had time to react, ducking under the attack as the force of the swipe sent a gust of wind past him.


    "Fast, too," he muttered, his grin never fading. "Good. This will be fun."


    The beast wasted no time, following up with a barrage of attacks—swipes of its massive ws, snapping bites with its powerful jaws, and a tail thatshed out like a whip. Lyerin moved like a shadow, dodging and weaving through the onught with precision and grace.


    He refused to use his eldritch magic, determined to fight this beast with only his physical prowess. Every movement he made was calcted, every strike of his de aimed with deadly intent.


    He leapt forward,nding a solid punch against the beast''s side. The impact sent a shockwave rippling through the air, but the beast barely flinched. Its scales were like armor, absorbing the blow with ease.


    Lyerin''s grin widened. "Tough hide," he said, stepping back to avoid another swipe. "Let''s see how long you canst."


    The forest became their battleground, the two of them moving with such speed and ferocity that the surrounding trees were reduced to splinters. Lyerin''s strikes grew faster and harder, each punch and kick amplified with just enough energy to challenge the beast''s durability without resorting to magic.


    The beast retaliated with relentless aggression. It reared back on its hind legs and brought its ws down with enough force to shatter the ground, sending debris flying in every direction. Lyerin darted to the side, using the momentum of his dodge to deliver a spinning kick to the creature''s jaw.


    The impact echoed like a thunderp, and the beast stumbled slightly, shaking its head as if to clear its vision. It roared in defiance, the sound reverberating through Lyerin''s chest.


    "Not bad," he said, rolling his shoulders. "But you''ll need more than that to bring me down."


    As the fight dragged on, the beast began to change its tactics. It started to anticipate Lyerin''s movements, adjusting its attacks to corner him. A swipe of its ws forced him to leap into the air, but its tail was waiting for him,shing out with deadly precision.


    The tail struck Lyerin squarely in the chest, sending him crashing through several trees beforending in a heap on the ground. He coughed, wiping blood from his mouth as he pushed himself to his feet.


    "Now we''re getting somewhere," he said, his grin returning despite the pain radiating through his body. "Show me what else you''ve got."


    The beast charged, its massive form barreling toward him like a freight train. Lyerin stood his ground, waiting until thest possible moment before sidestepping and delivering a devastating uppercut to the creature''s jaw.


    The beast staggered, but recovered quickly, its glowing eyes narrowing as it let out a low growl.


    The longer the fight went on, the more intense it became. Bothbatants were covered in wounds—Lyerin''s clothes were torn and bloodied, and the beast''s scales were cracked and scorched from the force of his blows.


    Despite the damage, neither of them showed any signs of backing down. Lyerin''sughter echoed through the forest, a sound of pure exhration as he threw himself into the fight with reckless abandon.


    "You''re the best I''ve faced in ages," he said between breaths. "Don''t disappoint me now!"


    The beast roared in response, its glowing eyes zing with fury as it lunged at him once more. Lyerin met the attack head-on, his fist colliding with the creature''s w in an explosion of force that sent shockwaves rippling through the air


    The fight reached its peak as Lyerin and the beast traded blow after blow, their movements a blur of speed and power. The ground beneath them was torn apart, craters forming with every impact.


    Lyerin''sughter grew louder, almost manic, as he pushed himself to his limits. His muscles burned with exertion, but he ignored the pain, his focus entirely on the battle.


    The beast let out a final, deafening roar and charged at him with everything it had. Lyerin braced himself, nting his feet firmly on the ground as he met the attack head-on.


    Their collision was cataclysmic, a sh of raw power that sent shockwaves rippling across the forest. For a moment, everything seemed to freeze—the world holding its breath as the twobatants stood locked in a stalemate.


    When the dust finally settled, Lyerin stood alone in the clearing, his chest heaving as he caught his breath. The beasty at his feet, its massive form motionless and its glowing eyes dimmed.


    Lyerin stared down at it, his expression unreadable. He reached down and extracted its mana stone, a massive, pulsating gem that glowed with an intensity that made the others pale inparison.


    Despite his victory, a sense of dissatisfaction lingered in his chest. He held the mana stone up to the light, examining it closely before letting out a sigh.


    "Still not enough," he muttered, his toneced with disappointment. He tucked the stone into his pouch and turned away, his gaze shifting back to the forest.


    "There has to be something stronger out there," he said, his voice tinged with frustration. "Something that can really push me to my limits."


    With that, he disappeared into the shadows, his hunt far from over.


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