Riven landed on the ground with a thud, prompting the beast to whirl around, its glowing yellow eyes locking onto him. For a moment, neither moved, the tension palpable as they sized each other up. The air between them was thick with anticipation, and the forest seemed to hold its breath. Then, as if reaching the limits of its patience, the Zeltrick lunged again, a blur of red fur and malice.


    This time, Riven was ready. Pink mana surged through his body, quickening his reflexes and bolstering his movements. He darted to the left in a desperate dash, narrowly avoiding the deadly mass of spikes that tore through the space he had just occupied. Gasping for breath, Riven barely registered the sharp hiss of air as needle-like projectiles shot toward him. His heart leaped in his chest as he cursed under his breath and activated Blink, vanishing just as the hail of spikes reached him.


    Reappearing a few feet away, Riven turned to survey the carnage. The ground where he''d stood moments before was skewered with hundreds of spikes, their sizes varying from slender needles to jagged, fist-sized shards. The sight sent a shiver down his spine. Shifting his gaze back to the Zeltrick, he noticed a section of its fur on the left side had been stripped bare, likely from launching the spiky barrage.


    An opening!


    Riven seized the opportunity, blinking to the creature''s exposed flank. His right fist, wrapped in a dense aura of amber mana, crashed into the beast''s side. The impact sent a shockwave through his arm, and he felt bone splinter beneath his knuckles. The Zeltrick roared, its cry shaking the trees, and twisted violently, its spiked body aiming to shred Riven.


    "Not this time," Riven muttered, driving his left fist into its hide before blinking out of reach. He reappeared a short distance away, breathing heavily, a manic grin tugging at the corners of his lips.


    The Zeltrick staggered, its massive frame trembling under the assault. Its movements had grown sluggish, pain evident in its unsteady steps. Nyla, quick to notice the beast''s vulnerable state, darted forward with her spear gleaming in the dim light. Her movements were swift and deliberate, the weapon''s tip plunging into the same spot where Riven had struck. The spear sank deep, burying itself a few inches into the beast''s thick hide.


    The Zeltrick howled in agony, its voice reverberating like thunder. It staggered backward, blood oozing from the wound—a dark, viscous red that pooled on the forest floor. The creature twisted its head toward Nyla, its sharp eyes narrowing with murderous intent.


    Nyla, sensing the danger, launched herself away from the beast, landing gracefully several meters back. Riven couldn''t help but marvel at her agility. His awe, however, was short-lived. The Zeltrick''s gaze fell to the bleeding gash in its side, and something shifted. Its eyes sharpened, gleaming with an unnatural light, and it unleashed a howl that sent a chill down Riven''s spine.


    The air around the beast shimmered with raw energy as its fangs and claws began to glow, elongating into terrifyingly sharp weapons. Its spiked fur relaxed, flowing like molten iron, and an oppressive aura radiated from its form. The air crackled with tension, the scent of ozone filling Riven''s nostrils.


    "Run!" Riven shouted, panic creeping into his voice. He had seen something similar with the Fangleon and knew what came next.


    But his warning came a heartbeat too late. The Zeltrick vanished in a blur, reappearing before Nyla with predatory speed. She barely had time to react before one of its massive, glowing fangs drove through her shoulder. Her scream tore through the battlefield, raw and agonized. She crumpled to her knees, blood spilling down her arm like a crimson river.


    Riven''s breath hitched. His fists clenched as a surge of anger overtook him. Without hesitation, he double-blinked, appearing inches from the beast''s snarling face. Channeling every ounce of amber mana he had left, he swung his right fist upward in a devastating uppercut. The blow connected with a sickening crack, snapping the Zeltrick''s head back and forcing it to release Nyla from its jaws.


    The beast staggered, dazed and disoriented. Wasting no time, Riven grabbed Nyla, intending to blink away, but his mana sputtered and failed. "Damn it!" he growled, realizing he couldn''t carry others with Blink.


    Gritting his teeth, he hoisted Nyla onto his back and sprinted away, the weight of her limp body straining his every step. Clearing a safe distance, he gently lowered her against the trunk of a tree, his hands trembling as he surveyed the damage.


    A fist-sized hole gaped below her shoulder, blood pouring out in relentless streams. Riven''s stomach churned at the sight of torn muscle and exposed bone. Swallowing hard, he forced down the bile rising in his throat. "Stay with me, Nyla," he muttered, his voice barely audible over the pounding of his own heart.


    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings."Damn it, I don''t know how to deal with wounds," Riven muttered through gritted teeth, his voice barely audible over the pounding of his heart.


    A piercing howl shattered the tense silence, and Riven''s head snapped toward the beast. Its glowing yellow eyes burned with fury as they locked onto Nyla''s unconscious form. Despite the gaping wound in its side, it showed no signs of slowing. It pawed the ground, coiling its powerful muscles for another lunge.


    Riven froze, his mind racing. What do I do? He could blink away, but if he left Nyla, she would surely perish. Logic and desperation warred within him, leaving him rooted to the spot.


    I could try to drag her away, but it''s faster than me...


    His fists clenched, and he instinctively tried to channel the amber mana—but nothing came. He cursed under his breath, remembering how he had burned through it earlier.


    The beast''s body tensed, preparing to dash and Riven narrowed his eyes in defiance.


    "Die, you beast!"


    The shout rang across the battlefield, followed by a high-pitched screech. Riven turned just in time to see a large, glowing metallic arrow pierce through the Zeltrick''s forehead.


    "What the—" Riven murmured, staring in disbelief.


    The beast''s glowing eyes dimmed as it let out one last guttural snarl. Its legs buckled, and it collapsed to the ground, lifeless, as if its strings had been cut.


    A sudden surge of energy coursed through Riven, filling his soul space. His vision blurred for a moment, and when he blinked, he found himself inside his soul space, surrounded by the familiar swirling gray mist. He focused on the orb representing his bond with Luna, watching as the energy swirled toward it, condensing into a denser, more vibrant form. Then, unexpectedly, the energy split into two streams, each flowing into separate cores.


    Does this mean I have to fill both to rank up? Riven frowned, studying the process before the sound of footsteps brought him back to reality.


    Opening his eyes, he turned to see Jack and the others emerging from the tree line, running toward him and Nyla.


    "What happened?" Jack asked, panting, his face pale and strained. His worried gaze darted to Nyla''s prone form.


    "That bastard had one last trick, and she couldn''t dodge in time," Riven explained, craning his neck to ensure the beast was truly dead.


    Wendy knelt beside Nyla, pulling a small red vial from her pack. The liquid inside shimmered like molten rubies as it caught the last rays of sunlight. She uncorked the vial and carefully tipped its contents into Nyla''s mouth.


    For a tense moment, nothing happened.


    Riven opened his mouth to question the potion''s effectiveness, but before he could speak, Nyla''s body twitched. Her muscles and blood vessels began to knit together, the bleeding finally stopping. The potion, however, wasn''t strong enough to fully heal the wound. Wendy pulled out gauze and bandages, expertly wrapping Nyla''s injured shoulder.


    The group sat in silence, their breaths heavy, as they waited for Nyla to stir. Riven kept his gaze on the beast''s corpse, his thoughts racing.


    A sharp gasp snapped his attention back. Nyla had woken, slowly sitting upright, her legs crossed beneath her. She winced, her hand instinctively hovering over her bandaged shoulder.


    "Relax. Don''t move," Wendy said in a calm, soothing tone, gently placing a hand on Nyla''s uninjured shoulder to keep her still.


    "What about the beast?" Nyla asked, her voice tinged with worry.


    "We took care of it. Just rest," Wendy replied, her tone firm but kind.


    With a sigh of relief, Riven stood and walked to the beast''s corpse. His eyes narrowed as he examined the gaping hole in its head. The arrow had gone straight through, exiting cleanly out the back.


    "Good job, Riven. Couldn''t have done it without you," Jack said, approaching with a small grin.


    A somber smile flickered across Riven''s face as he turned to meet Jack''s gaze. "Thanks, but I barely scratched it. You''re the one who took it down."


    Jack chuckled, clapping Riven on the back. "Your job was to tank it, distract it, not take it down. And you did that perfectly. Besides," he added, extending a hand, "you saved Nyla''s life. Thank you."


    Riven hesitated, then smiled genuinely and shook Jack''s hand. "I did what I could."


    With a nod, Jack returned to the others, checking on Nyla as she leaned against the tree trunk. Riven glanced back at the beast''s lifeless form, when suddenly a faint glow appeared from the center of the body. Shards of light floated up into the air, hovering infront of him. What''s going on?