My grip on my sword tightened until my knuckles turned white. I stared at the giant bird drawing ever closer, my face becoming paler with every passing moment. However, I was determined to escape from this situation, no matter what.

”Alright, I can do this,” I reassured myself. But as soon as the phoenix roc drew close, my legs began shaking in fear. Barely, able to remain standing, I still decided to face the forest’s apex predator.

When it was in dive-bombing range, it shrieked and tucked in its wings. The bird’s massive body began picking up speed, and as I watched, a fiery glow enveloped its body. My eyes widened as I watched the glow become brighter and brighter until actual flames burst into life around its body.

”Hit the deck!” I shouted to no one in particular. Dropping to the ground, I felt searing heat blow past me as the roc blasted by overhead. Taking a few deep breaths, I stood up and raised my sword.

Channeling my Ki into the blade, I swung the weapon with all my strength. A large arcing wave of Ki shot out towards the phoenix roc, carving its way through the air. But the intelligent beast sensed the incoming danger and managed to swerve to the side, the Ki slash grazing its tail feathers.

”Oh, come on!” I shouted. Gritting my teeth, I sent another two Ki slashes flying at the bird. However, these two slashes combined together to create a larger, stronger X-shaped slash. Recognizing that it wouldn’t be able to dodge in time, the phoenix roc opened its beak and flames spewed out.

The stream of orange-yellow flames collided with my Ki slash. The two attacks pushed against each other, but in the end, the roc’s fire breath melted my attack and continued shooting towards me. Taking in a deep breath, I let out a torrent of fire breath as well.

However, when my fire breath hit the beast’s fire breath, mind immediately began overwhelming and pushing back the phoenix roc’s breath. Grinning inwardly, I began blowing harder, increasing the amount of fire I was exhaling. Eventually, my fire breath completely overtook the bird’s and hit the predator.

It screeched in pain, blackened feathers falling out of its burned flesh. It looked at me with apparent fear and apprehension. Clearly, it was not used to someone else’s flames being hotter and stronger than its own. Grinning, I shot out a fireball using my fire breath. The attack raced through the air before slamming into the roc’s left wing.

I watched with satisfaction as it screeched weakly and began falling. The beast slammed into the ground, but it wasn’t dead yet. Stumbling, it managed to stand up on its powerful legs, though it clearly was unused to doing so.

”Not so tough now, are ya?” I taunted. It screeched and shot forward, moving much faster than I had expected. When it was within a few feet of me, it snapped its beak at me. The phoenix roc’s unexpected attack caught me off-guard, thus it managed to bite down on my arm.

The beast began swinging me around before slamming me into the mountainside. It then dropped me and I watched as flames began building up in its throat. Spewing outward, the bird’s fire breath enveloped me, causing an agonizing, searing pain to overtake my body.

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

However, when the phoenix roc finally stopped breathing fire, I saw that other than some slight burns, I was pretty much alright. Once again grinning, I swung my sword at the bird. Since it was so close to me, the blade cut into the flesh of its throat. Red blood dripped down the blade of my sword before falling onto my bare chest.

To my surprise, the drops of blood were immediately absorbed by my skin. Then, I saw that some of the burnt skin on my torso began healing at a rapid pace. Laughing, I then pulled my sword out of the wound and held my head under it, my mouth opened wide.

The phoenix roc’s blood began freely flowing into my mouth. I drank greedily, wanting to take in as much of the substance as I could. As I was drinking the beast’s elixir-like blood, I could feel my wounds healing and my body growing stronger and tougher. I continued drinking until no more drops of blood fell.

Once the bird’s blood was all gone, I then proceeded to cut out its beast core. However, this core was different from the ones I’d seen previously. It was slightly larger than my fist and deep purple in color, with red, fiery cloud-like energy floating within it.

That's a Demon Core, which means that phoenix roc was a Demonic Beast. Very impressive that you managed to kill it on your own like that, Zinthos said. They're typically more powerful than Spirit Beasts, though that's not a set thing. That also means that their Demon Core is stronger than a Spirit Beast's Spirit Core.

"Oh, really? Then, by all means, I'm gonna consume this right now!" I exclaimed. Biting into the large orb, I quickly consumed the whole thing. Violent, fiery energy rushed through me. Unlike the previous times I had consumed beast cores, this time I experienced a burning pain that caused me to fall to my knees. Grunting, I gritted my teeth and staggered to my feet. But once again, I found myself collapsing due to the pain, though this time I fell all the way to the ground, landing on my face.

Craylad, are you alright?! Zinthos mentally shouted. Its sudden voice penetrating my thoughts helped to clear my mind and keep me conscious.

"Y-yeah, I'll be fine. I guess this is what happens when I consumed a Demon Core and not a Spirit Core," I muttered through clenched teeth. The pain then began to die down, the burning going away. Standing up, I then realized just how much stronger I felt. There was also something else that felt different, but I couldn't quite tell what it was.

Following a feeling in my gut, I tilted my head upwards and let out a loud, bestial roar. The roar filled the sky, shaking the ground I stood on. It echoed off into the distance, and even Zinthos seemed surprised and shaken by the roar. However, right as the roar ended, fire began spewing upwards out of my mouth, but now it was hotter and more powerful than before.

What was that roar? Zinthos asked. The dragon seemed to be almost somewhat scared. I recognize that type of roar. It was something that I've heard only once before in my lifetime, but it was something that I'd never be able to forget. Your roar sounded almost exactly like the roar of a true dragon. I happened to see a true dragon once, and it was such a powerful and majestic being. Its very presence forced me to the ground, and when it roared, the very sky shook from the might contained within it. While your roar was not nearly as powerful as the true dragon's, it had the same sound and presence to it.

"Wait, so you're saying that I had the roar of a dragon just now?" I asked.

Yes, which is very strange. However, I've now realized what the feeling I had before was. It was the presence of a dragon that I was sensing from you. A true dragon, though I have no idea why, Zinthos explained.

"Well, either way, I have to get one more thing from the roc's body, before we continue on our way," I told the small pseudodragon. Summoning my sword, I cut out the phoenix roc's gallbladder, and then ate it whole. As soon as I did so, I could feel my physique being enhanced, my body strengthening and toughening.

Where did you learn to do that? Zinthos asked.

"My father taught me before he died that a beast's gallbladder contains energy and is capable of refining one's physique," I explained. Zinthos nodded in response. I then got up and continued heading down the mountainside.