Arc screamed as a sharp pain swelled through his ankle. He spun around and saw the empty glare of a night beast with icy blue eyes, its tail already coiled back, ready to hit him again.
Arc shouted as he grabbed the tail that shot forward. However, upon grasping the tail, the sharp barbs that ran along it stabbed into his hand.
With a short shout of pain, he yanked the tail and beast toward him and severed the tail from the beast that screeched in pain. He then used the sharp tail to stab into the eyes of the beast, quickly killing it.
Glancing over the beast's dead body, Arc raised an eyebrow,
After realizing what the beast was, Arc's eyes fluttered in curious concern and excitement.
CHK CHK CHK CHK CHK CHK CHK CHK CHK CHK
A small group of night beasts suddenly rushed through the corridor where the pair stood. Although small in number, these beasts seemed unusually large.
As the night beast grew closer, he could tell that these beasts were too large, much larger than any records he had seen. Even the smallest of these ten stood eye level with him, causing Arc to lose every word he held in his throat.
Arc tried to step forward, but as he did, the leg that the night beast had stabbed was already heavy and refused to move, and upon further notice, his hand was also beginning to numb. With a click of his tongue, Arc moved his usable hand, and a green liquid, along with fresh blood, began to seep out of the wounds. Not seconds later, he began to move as if nothing had happened.
Arc launched himself off the rough cobblestones beneath his feet and soared through the air towards the beasts. The ten large beasts, seeing Arc leap, also leaped into action, but the cramped space hindered their movements. They collided awkwardly, bodies entangled in a clumsy heap as they struggled to regain footing.
This brief moment of confusion granted Arc the perfect opportunity. With a swift and calculated movement, he landed on the closest beasts, his hand glinting ominously in the dim silver-purple light. Before the remaining creatures could understand his sudden appearance, he struck decisively, ending the fight for that one beast in the blink of an eye. The surrounding chaos seemed to pause, allowing Arc to assess before they could recover from their surprise.
The beasts chattered at Arc and swung their tails forward, but Arc seized the opportunity to further toy with the frantic wild creatures. As the shimmer of his hand grew brighter, the beast's tails swirled around him, missing him from every angle. With a smirk, he decisively grabbed one of the tails, ignoring the pain from the sharp barbs filled with poison. With a small grunt, the poison sunk into his body, but he knew now that this poison would take a few seconds to take effect, long enough to finish this fight. With as much strength as he could put in his hand and essence, he could pour into his actions. Arc tore the tail off the beast; now, with the limp, barbed, poison-filled tail in hand, he began to weld the tail like a whip with an evil smile.
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The beasts' eyes, gleaming in greed and hunger, looked at their injured companion and, without a second thought, took advantage of the opportunity to cannibalize their useless companion as soon as they noticed that its only means of attack and defense was gone. The ones closest to the companion pounced on it, while those nearer to Arc lunged toward him. With the beasts separated, it became easier for them to maneuver in the narrow corridor. Their agility made Arc seem like a newborn child, even considering their large size.
The smaller group of beasts pounced toward him, bouncing off the walls and ground, seeming to mix their silhouettes like one large beast as their eyes danced in the darkness. Arc paid no mind to those attacking him and focused more on those who attacked their companion. Since he was well informed about this type of beast, he knew that if beasts of this age and size were to eat another of the same age and size, then it could be a problem that, although he could handle, would be difficult with the baggage that was behind him.
Arc ignored those around him and quickly turned to grab the child and run. Although he could easily handle the situation, that was if he was alone. So, left with no choice, he ran towards the child and swiftly tucked him in his open arm, his mind not forgetting to hold tightly to the tail, a new point of research and weapon to use considering its sharpness and versatility.
As Arc swept up Carter, he could hear the beasts behind him howl in triumph. Glancing back, he could see that the few that had attacked their companion were dead, and only one was left. The ones that had attacked him had bowed to the former.
Arc couldn't hold back a curse as he knew what this would mean. Regardless of the size of the nest, a king was the equivalent of a death sentence. Even for him, only another king or higher could fight a king.
Arc ascended the stairs, his mind racing with numerous thoughts. Although his mind was occupied, his body was moving at an incredible speed as he slashed and kicked whenever he could, all while trying to hold Carter and the makeshift whip away from one another. With the threat looming behind him, he was determined to collapse the stairwell leading to the village's center.
Although referred to as a king, the large night beast was quite unlike the traditional kings described in the books Arc had read recently. In the hierarchy of beasts, a king typically ranks as a six-star beast, but a night beast king is more akin to a totem beast, representing a god-like status among beasts. This power level makes even nine-star Seedlings appear relatively insignificant, similar to children playing with sticks. For Arc, a Feyrisian, confronting a totem beast, although doable, was still a challenge—one he would only consider if he were in Feyrish or could drastically tip the odds in his favor.
With these thoughts swirling inside his mind and the sound of rubble falling behind him, Arc dashed through the room with the undisturbed body and through the dusty lounge room into the hall, where Zindra was walking through, looking inside rooms.
When she saw him, her face scrunched.
Arc shouted as he threw Carter to Zindra,
Zindra quickly caught Arc before he could run,
Arc quickly told Zindra about the underground and his short confrontations with the beast below.
Arc slammed his fist into the wall, frustrated at the situation.
Arc thought, "Fine then, Seedling, you have won. I will go to the wave. You handle the underground." Arc said in resignation