Levi rushed through the primordial jungle like a shadow. His clothes fluttered wildly as he dashed through the dense alien forest with astonishing speed.
Trees and strange, glowing fungi blurred into a continuous streak of color at the edges of his vision as he moves. He pushed his Rank 4 body to its limits, his powerful legs propelling him forward in explosive bursts.
Despite his incredible speed, his face was extremely dark. That was because the tiny little beast that had stolen from him was actually faster than him despite increasing his strength to the limit!
The speed of the little thief was insane. Despite its short legs, it moved through the thick grass and roots with insane agility, transforming into a brown-and-grey blur that was difficult to keep track.
He had been chasing the little crystal-snatcher for ten minutes straight!
Finally, just as Levi was contemplating whether he should just give up, the little thief slowed down. Up ahead, nestled in the side of a large, moss-covered rock formation, the dark, secluded entrance of a cave appeared within his line of sight.
The little creature, seeming to have noticed Levi closing in, stopped at the mouth of the cave. It glanced back at him, the grey dimensional crystal still held firmly in its mouth, and then pointed a tiny paw at the cave entrance, letting out a few low, insistent chirps.
Levi skidded to a halt a hundred meters from the cave, his cleaver held firmly.
He frowned, his anger faded slightly to be replaced by suspicion. He stared at the little thief, then at the dark entrance of the cave, pondering what its intentions were.
Was this a trap? Was it leading him into the den of a much larger, more dangerous creature?
He didn’t know what other dangers could be lurking inside that darkness, and it most certainly wasn’t worth risking his life over a single, low-quality Rank 2 dimensional crystal.
As he hesitated, he focused his senses on the cave. He did feel a slight sense of danger emanating from within. However, it wasn’t the kind of overwhelming, life-threatening aura of certain death.
Seeing his hesitation, the little thief started to jump up and down impatiently, its tiny paws thumping on the ground as it pointed frantically at the cave again, as though telling him to hurry up and enter.
"Alright, alright! I’m going!" Levi grumbled, his anger fading slightly in the face of the creature’s strange, almost comical urgency.
He gripped the handle of his cleaver tightly.
He stepped forward, his leisurely walk quickly transitioning into a silent stride as he headed towards the secluded cave.
The entrance was a dark, jagged opening in the rock face. As he stepped inside, the air immediately grew cooler and damper. The cave was slightly dark, but it wasn’t pitch-black. A few natural holes in the rocky ceiling above allowed the three-mooned light to filter down in pale, silvery beams, illuminating the space with an eerie glow.
And it was in one of those beams of light that he saw it. Growing from a small patch of unnaturally fertile-looking soil was a single, delicate plant. It was an orchid, but its petals were not of any normal color. They were crafted from a substance that looked like solidified moonlight, giving off a soft, gentle, illuminating glow, reminiscent of the bioluminescent fish that live in the deepest, darkest trenches of the sea.
"A Moonlit Jade Orchid," Levi breathed, his eyes wide with shock.
His face changed slightly. While this herb wasn’t as game-changing as the Body tempering fruit, he knew from his predecessor’s memories that it was an incredibly rare and valuable ingredient. It was the primary component in crafting several high-level potions that could rapidly replenish one’s void energy and even temporarily boost one’s affinity for energy absorption. For any Cell Tempering Realm, it was a priceless treasure.
His gaze swept around the cave, searching for the guardian of this precious herb. His eyes landed on a massive, hulking form sleeping in the darkest corner of the cave. It was a bear-like monster, its fur a shimmering silver, its back broad and covered in thick, corded muscle. Even in sleep, its sheer presence was immense.
Levi’s blood ran cold. ’A Tyrant Silverback Bear!’
It was an actual Rank 3 dimensional beast, and a notoriously difficult one at that. It was famous for one thing: its nigh-impenetrable defense. Its silver hide was said to be as tough as a high-grade alloy, a defense that could easily rival that of a normal Rank 4 primitive creature.
At the same realm, the Tyrant Silverback Bear was considered almost invincible, as it was nearly impossible for its peers to break through its skin.
At that moment, as if sensing the intrusion into its domain, the Tyrant Silverback Bear’s nose twitched. It took a deep, snuffling breath, its nostrils flaring as it caught Levi’s scent.
"Shit!"
There was no time for a plan, no time for hesitation. This was a beast that could not be fought conventionally.
Without a second thought, Levi instantly activated his `Basic Cleaver Technique` to its absolute highest level. His muscles trembled and bulged as his cells vibrated at a high frequency.
His heart beat like a war drum, a frantic thump-thump-thump that pumped super-oxygenated blood violently through his body. He poured every ounce of his Rank 4 power and every shred of his insight into a single, ultimate attack.
"Whoosh!"
His body transformed into a streaking afterimage. He tore through the twenty meters separating him from the beast in less than a second, his cleaver held high, aimed for the one spot where even the toughest of creatures was vulnerable: the neck.
As though sensing the life threatening danger, the beast’s eyes snapped open. They were not filled with drowsiness, but with a pure, instinctual rage.
An enraged growl ripped from its throat as it pushed its reaction speed to the absolute limit. It didn’t have time to stand or swipe; it only had time to activate its innate ability: Silver Skin.