The forest path still reeked of burnt air from the clash with Crimson Fang, yet Arden's steps never slowed.
His party followed, the smug silence behind them proof that their lesson had landed. But his attention had already shifted elsewhere.
He kept his life sense spread thin, catching every flicker of energy. And there it was again, the pulse. Small, precise, almost shy against the world's noise, yet carrying weight no ordinary surge should.
It came and went as if testing whether anyone would notice. Arden had, and it led him forward like a thread he could not ignore.
The others noticed his focus. Rael finally broke the quiet.
"You're frowning again. What did you pick up?"
Arden didn't answer right away. His senses stretched deeper, brushing against something heavier that made the air thick and hot. His voice came low.
"There's a beast ahead. Berserk."
Zephyra gave a rumble from her throat, a sound that curled into the air like flame under wind. Nyra's grip tightened on her staff, frost already gathering faintly along its shaft.
They pushed forward until the ground began to dry beneath their feet, grass singed to brittle husks. Arden's gaze locked on the outline that filled the clearing.
The creature's hide glowed in patches like plates of molten iron, horns curled and blackened at the edges but pulsing with fiery veins beneath.
The heat pouring from its body distorted the air.
When it exhaled, sparks scattered like ash in a forge.
His system interface displayed the truth of it.
[Life Detected.
Name: Emberhorn Juggernaut
Rank: A (Condition: Berserk)
Affinity: Fire
Condition – Berserk:
Exposure to the Crimson Parasite Bloom has over-saturated its fire affinity, pushing its body into a constant overheated frenzy. Its hide smolders like a furnace, and its aggression knows no restraint.
Traits:
Flameforged Hide – Charred armor plates that glow with heat, dispersing physical strikes with scorching retaliation.
Overburn Core – Constantly radiates unstable fire essence, igniting the air and making prolonged battles dangerous.
Berserker Vitality – Wounds cauterize instantly with bursts of flame, reducing blood loss but making pain fuel its frenzy.
Abilities:
Volcanic Charge – Rushes forward wreathed in flame, impact creating localized eruptions.
Inferno Roar – Unleashes a cone of fire so hot it melts steel and scorches terrain into glassy slag.
Smolderquake – Slams its horns into the ground, releasing waves of molten fire cracks across the battlefield.
Blazing Maul – Uses its molten horns and brute strength to smash through defenses with explosive bursts.
Weakness:
Its unstable fire saturation burns its body from within; prolonged combat overheats it, causing self-damage if forced to fight too long.]
Lines of the beast traits and weaknesses unfolded in Arden's sight, each detail sinking into memory. A parasite bloom, fire affinity over saturation, vitality feeding rage. Every line sharpened his smile. At least a hint of what they'd been looking for.
Nyra's eyes never left the beast. "Well? What are we walking into?"
"Fire brute," Arden replied smoothly. "Hide like a furnace, breath hot enough to slag steel, and its body burns itself alive just to stay in motion. If we draw it out, it'll tear itself down."
Rael cracked his knuckles, the faint hum of lightning sparking through his gauntlets. "So the longer it fights, the worse it gets? Sounds almost unfair."
Arden smirked. "For it, yes."
The beast bellowed before Nyra could press further. A roar like molten stone tearing open the ground shook the clearing.
Waves of heat pulsed outward, scorching bark from trees and forcing the air into a shimmering haze. Its horns flared, flames rushing along the ridges until its whole frame seemed a walking eruption.
Zephyra's hackles rose, fire flickering between her claws, yet her golden eyes held steady. Arden, calm as ever, watched the monster lower its stance, hooves cracking the ground.
"Remember this," he said evenly as the juggernaut thundered forward, molten steam curling in its wake. "The noise it's making will reach the envoys. They'll come running to watch. So don't just beat it." His gaze flicked over his team, eyes sharp yet steady. "Make it a show. Something they won't forget."
The juggernaut struck first. Its horns blazed bright, and then it charged with a roar that split the trees.
Each step sent quakes through the earth until it slammed its horns down. The ground erupted in a wave of molten cracks, a burning fissure racing toward them like fire given legs.
The heat snapped branches into ash. The ground hissed, molten streaks splitting stone.
Arden lifted a hand.
"Converge."
Umbral Pulse flared at his command, threads of shadow and life weaving out from him to his allies.
Their movements sharpened, linked not by words but by pulse. When the fissure struck, their bodies moved as one.
Nyra swung her staff down, sheets of ice crashing forward, the molten cracks hissing into steam.
Rael darted in beside her, gauntlets shattering stray tongues of flame with sparks of lightning.
Zephyra surged past them both, flame wreathing her claws as she struck the side of the fissure, splitting it wide before it reached Arden.
And Arden. He raised his fingers, life energy blooming at the tips.
The faint shimmer of lotus petals spread before him, catching the last blast of fire as if it were nothing but wind. The shield pulsed once, reflecting the juggernaut's force back in a rippling shockwave that made the beast stumble.
The clearing rang with the sound. A heavy BOOM, air tearing in every direction.
Arden dropped his hand, dust scattering from his sleeve. His voice cut through the heat like steel through cloth.
"Is that all? You'll have to try harder if you want to impress me."
The juggernaut bellowed in rage, molten spittle hitting the ground with a hiss. Its horns flared brighter, smoke coiling from its hide. The air grew hotter, each breath biting their lungs with fire.
Arden only smiled, tilting his head as if waiting. "Good. Then come again."
A/N:
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