Three-tails. It had three scythes acting as its tails.
Theron studied the hulking panther scowling from the dark distance, its red eyes scintillating, devouring their presence with its own. Lux was approximately 20% larger than the other wolf, but this singular panther towered even Lux itself. If he had to guess, this thing was at least a tier of strength higher; definitely not a foe Lux could take on by itself.
If there were any silver lining—if any—that would be the fact that they outnumbered this beast two-to-one. Doubtless, this monster could take on both the wolf and Lux at the same time, but with Theron’s additional guidance, he hoped he could steer them on a path toward triumph. Or, at the very least, a course where none perished. He steeled his wavering gaze, his crippling exhaustion and grave wounds pulling his eyelids closer and closer every passing second.
Every step thudded the ground. Its whiskers quivered as it skulked into the gleam of the moonlight, ash mixed with its otherwise sable hide. Its fur appeared pristine from a distance, as if it had been slathered with conditioner prior to its appearance. Theron pushed his incessant distracting thoughts away with a shake of his head, finding his focus fading under the guise of a pulsating ache that never relented.
Lux pushed outside, breaching the safety of their trees. It growled in response, yet despite its outward courage, Theron sensed it faltering from deep within. The giant panther sneered in response, twirling its three-headed tail again, whipping the air as the bladed end glimmered. The parent wolf—a mother, now that Theron had a better look at it, supported Lux by trailing close behind it.
Then… it struck. The panther’s fur shook as its figure faded into the darkness towards their right, cladding its already dark figure with the general oppressing blackness. Lux’s eyes trailed its trajectory, then dodged as three blades slashed downward at where it once stood. Each blade slammed the dirt, lodging deep into the soil as it drew its tail back, its red eyes frowning at Lux’s incoming assault. Two sets of fangs clashed, but one lost instantly due to their size difference. The mother wolf crashed the panther’s left shoulder blade with her fangs, piercing deep enough to draw blood, but at best, her attack dealt superficial damage. The panther shrugged the wolf off as if it was nothing, turning its head sideways as its tails twirled again. Watch out for its tail, Theron sent his thought to Lux, which it responded by veering far enough to the side to avoid its overhead slam.
The tail, Lux. Snap it off.
Specks of dirt flew like ash, disrupted by his companion’s swift leap, as per requested by its controller. A gray figure loomed over the panther’s giant self, descending with a furious howl, its maw aimed not at its body, but at the spot where the three tails coalesced near its hind. Use crushing bite, He added, Make sure to rip that thing off, Lux.
And rip its tail Lux did. A ponderous cry blasted their vicinity, loud enough for Theron to lose his grip on his tree, trailed by the wallow of the cubs convening near his feet. The panther rebounded backward, its eyes weakening in intensity, but the fight wasn’t over just yet. Lux tossed its thrashing tail aside, growling with a furious glare. Don’t relax. Theron told it, it’s not over.
It was then Theron truly understood what kind of role fitted him best. His eyes calmed upon that realization, and doubt cleared as he studied the battlefield with meticulous eyes. His role was never to be in the front line and beat the monsters down; no, his role was to be his companion’s support, for now. As the messages said, Lux was his weapon, akin to a sword or a gun, and he was its wielder. So far, he’d only provided it with minor support, short commands good enough to aid it during the tumultuous times, but he could do so much more. So, so much more.
Brandishing its gigantic fangs, the panther lurched forward once more. This time, it eyed Lux with an unbreakable focus. Both sides knew which one in Theron’s party had any chance of dealing enough damage to kill it, and the mother wolf understood it too. Displaying a fear-inducing level of intelligence, it shrank to the darkness to his left, blending with the forest, away from the battle. The panther snapped his head at her vanishing figure, stopping dead in its tracks, unsure if it should proceed further in light of her move. Blades of trees and grass rustled from the untraceable forest, distracting the panther just enough for Lux to bolt…
…but its apparent lapse of attention was bait, and Theron knew that. In a way, Lux’s advance was also a feint. In the blink of an eye, the panther pounced at Lux’s trajectory, only for its jaw to crush emptiness as Lux bounced high, dodging its strike with a graceful landing. Turning its head, the panther clawed with its massive limbs, cutting the space between them, but Theron had willed Lux to shift a few steps back. Air swooshed Lux’s bristly fur, then it struck with a snapping maw, dodged by the panther by the skin of its teeth. It was then the mother wolf charged. Its figure breached the trees as it bolted toward the panther, howling a thunderous roar paired with the cadence of its steps.
Now.
The panther turned its gaze aside, just wide enough for another set of fangs to chew its neck. Neither Theron nor Lux itself expected the insane resiliency of its neck muscles, a problem which the use of [crushing bite] quickly solved. An explosion of red showered Lux’s eyes as its fangs fractured the panther’s neck, shoving it down along with the aid of the mother wolf, their combined forces overpowering the dying panther. Theron gulped as he witnessed their sudden triumph, finally allowing his tension to release.
[You gained 100 experience points!]
[You leveled up! You gained +1 Might, +1 Speed, and +1 Toughness. +1 Free attribute point]
[Your aspect core - wolf leveled up! It gains +2 might, +2 speed, and +1 toughness. +2 free attribute points.]
Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.
100… Luckily, the monsters he’d encountered didn’t possess the intelligence humans had… otherwise, this fight wouldn’t even be close. A momentary calm returned to the scene; the clouds gave way to the full moon when he left to collect the spoils of their skirmish. The all-too-familiar stench of death was thick as he waddled his way to each of the dead panthers, 7 in total, not including their… well, boss? Alpha? What is this thing, exactly?
The mother wolf approached Lux with a hint of amour in her thankful gaze, a look which Lux promptly shirked with a disinterested whine. Good for you, Theron chuckled as he finished up extracting whatever there was to extract, leaving the dead cub undisturbed, allowing its sullen mother and siblings to grieve its passing. After a few minutes of silent mourning, the mother wolf shot them another appreciative nod, then breached the quiet forest with its cubs trailing its wagging tail.
[Hidden event completed!]
[9/10 cubs survived.]
[Rank 1: Metal-bladed Dark panther(elite) learned. Progress: 50%]
[Rank 1: Metal-bladed Dark panther learned. Progress: 70%]
An elite? Also, 50% from a single extraction…
A light show emanated in a clear opening right below the shade of a rigid tree. Theron shielded his eyes from the radiance, the sudden brightness burned as his eyes adjusted to the influx of brightness. Seconds went by before the light faded, replaced by a solid treasure-chest-looking object made of wood and trimmed with steel. Theron reached over to its clasp, studied its coarse, frigid surface, then pulled with all his might. It popped open with a furious clangor, releasing the scent of green herbs and spices trapped within along with a wand-like stick with a gem on its end. A smaller rock—not any larger than a pebble—rolled about inside, clattering against two red vials. Is that… a health potion? Theron gulped as he contained his fervent excitement threatening to burst from his heart, reaching over to the bottles with his shaking arms.
[Minor restorative potion: Heals wounds by pouring the contents into the injured areas. Does not restore lost limbs or heal poison. Does not work on aspects.]
Oh god… Finally… Theron breathed relief. In an instant, that brooding weight tugging at his shoulders unleashed its deathly grip. Uncorking its top, he let a few trickles of the red stuff drooling over his exposed wounds, grimacing from the cold liquid—then moaned as the freshness restored the festering holes punched into his arm. Lux tilted its head from the noise, inducing a ruddied flush warming Theron’s cheek. He tracked the amount necessary for his wounds to close up fully, then poured about a quarter of a vial until he could move his arm without discomfort. Sure, he could be more frugal, but he sorely wished to forget about his body rotting before sleeping.
Storing the two fragrant vials into his pouch, he examined the rest of the chest’s contents. First… the wand.
[Beginner mana wand: Stores up to 5 excess mana into the gem if unused. The user can channel mana from this gem instead of using his/her mana to cast spells. Increases mana regeneration by 5 per hour.]
Not… bad? He grasped its brittle handle and familiarized himself with it for a few minutes before dangling it in the clasp of his belt. Then… this… rock.
[Empty normal aspect core. Use along with a learned normal aspect within your compendium. That aspect will become summonable. Disappears after use.]
A new aspect core? And I assume this core won’t work with the elite monsters? His eyes gyrated at Lux’s aloof figure skulking in the woods, patrolling around his vicinity as he requested. At this point, no available aspect—the boar and the panther—were stronger than Lux, so using it would be a waste. Besides, his limited summon slot only allowed him to call forth one aspect. With a defeated puff, he stored the queer marble in his inventory, saving it until the appropriate time came.
The chest now empty, he rose and opened his status page, allocating 1 point to his magic. He did the same to Lux, adding two extra points to its might.
Theron Gray | Class: Novice | Rank: Unranked
Class: Novice| Level: 4 | Next 280 xp
Mana: 13 / 13
Summon slots : 0/1
Essence: 520
-Attributes | Free points: 0 (+1/level) -
Might: 5 (+1/level)
Speed: 4 (+1/level)
Magic: 8
Toughness: 5 (+1/level)
Resistance: 10
Abilities - Active
Abilities - Passive
Necrotic aura - lvl 1 | Summon Aspect
Extract Aspect | Unsummon Aspect
-
Status - Horned Gray Brute Dire wolf | Health : 14/14 | Mana : 0/0
Level: 4 | Next 280 xp
Rank: 1 | Max Level 5
Mana cost: 3 | slot cost: 1
Element: Normal | Affinity: Melee
Class: Wolf | Type: Beast
-Attributes-
Free points: 0 (+2/level)
Might: 16 (+2/level)
Speed: 12 (+2/level)
Magic: 0
Toughness: 7 (+1/level)
Resistance: 2
-Abilities-
Crushing bite
His vigor returning, he peered into the dark forest once more.