Han Sen returned to his Steelhold room, secured the dazed Bronze Tusk in the reinforced cage, and placed the obsidian crystal near its snout. The beast, previously lethargic, lunged with sudden, ravenous hunger, gulping the crystal down in one swift motion.
He watched. A day passed. Changes manifested. The Tusk's coarse, grey-black hide began to shimmer faintly with a dull bronze sheen. Its namesake tusks grew brighter, more metallic. But this wasn't the transformation Han Sen anticipated. A true Mutant-tier Bronze Tusk would resemble a statue forged entirely of living bronze. This creature was only halfway there, its hide merely tinged with metal.
Evolution from Primal to Mutant isn't as fast as Common to Primal, Han Sen realized, a flicker of impatience warring with understanding. One day isn't enough. He waited another day, then two. The bronze sheen deepened, spreading across the beast's flanks, yet the final, complete metamorphosis remained elusive. It needed more time.
Unable to wait indefinitely, Han Sen decided to hunt. He needed credits, and consuming Primal flesh himself would bolster his own Primal gene count. Even without using it for evolution, stacking genes strengthened his body significantly. With the crystal, reaching the 100-point cap for Common, Primal, and Mutant genes before evolving with Sacred Genes was a tangible goal.
Stepping out onto Steelhold's main thoroughfare, Han Sen immediately sensed something amiss. The usually bustling streets were eerily quiet, almost deserted. The vibrant chaos of the marketplace had dwindled to a handful of hushed traders murmuring in tight clusters.
He lingered near the square, eavesdropping. The story unfolded in tense whispers: Days ago, a new Sacred Blood creature had been sighted near Sunset Slope. Somehow, all three of Steelhold's major factions – Qin Xuan, Divine Scion, and Fist Brother – had gotten wind. Each had raced there, eager for the kill. The result? Disaster. Casualties piled up, the creature remained unscathed.
Today, however, was different. The three titans had forged a fragile truce. They were combining forces, marshalling not only their own elites but also recruiting every capable freelancer and small crew they could find. It was the largest hunt Steelhold had seen in years. They were going all-in. Failure wasn't an option.
A spark ignited in Han Sen's eyes. He turned and strode purposefully out of the city gates. Finding secluded cover, he willed the Golden Carapace armor into existence, the familiar surge of power encasing him. Then he ran. Two hours of hard sprinting brought him to a rocky outcrop overlooking Sunset Slope from the west.
Scrambling to the summit, the vista below stole his breath. Over a thousand figures swarmed the slope like ants, a chaotic sea of desperation and violence. At its center stood the source of the chaos: the Sacred Blood creature.
It was a chimera of nightmare and myth. Its lower body was that of a powerful, midnight-black stallion, muscles rippling beneath sleek hide. The torso surged upwards into a humanoid form, thickly corded and covered in coarse, dark fur. But the head… the head was pure, unadulterated bull – massive, crowned with wickedly curved obsidian horns, eyes burning with primal fury. In its impossibly thick hands, it wielded a Golden Double-Bitted Battle-Axe longer than a man was tall, its edges shimmering with lethal light.
Han Sen watched, transfixed, as the Minotaur Centaur – for that's what it seemed – carved a path of carnage. It moved with terrifying speed and grace for its size, the axe a whirlwind of death. Divine Scion, attempting to stand his ground, found himself directly in its path. The creature bellowed, a sound like grinding stones, and heaved the massive axe in a devastating overhead arc. Divine Scion, face pale beneath his helm, abandoned all pretense of defense. He kicked off his spectral Triceratops Rex mount, throwing himself backwards just as the axe fell.
ROOOAAAAR!
The golden blade cleaved through the Rex mount like paper. The powerful Soul Beast shimmered violently and dissolved into nothingness.
"No!" Divine Scion's agonized scream echoed across the slope. That mount was irreplaceable – a Mutant-tier treasure worth a small starship. Rage contorted his features.
How is it this strong? Han Sen thought, stunned. This was the terrifying power he associated with Sacred Blood creatures. His own Golden Beetle kill seemed pathetic in comparison – barely stronger than its Common kin. This Minotaur Centaur was a force of nature. Qin Xuan, Fist Brother, even the combined elite guard… none dared face its axe head-on. Arrows – alloy and Soul Beast-enhanced alike – pinged harmlessly off its hide or shattered against its fur. Its axe carved a deadly no-man's-land three meters wide. It was invincible, unstoppable.
The fragile human cordon, strained to breaking, finally snapped when Divine Scion lost his mount. Seizing the opening, the creature bellowed again. It lowered its horns, lowered the axe, and charged. The golden weapon became a spinning wheel of annihilation. Screams erupted, limbs flew, blood painted the dusty slope crimson. In moments, the Sacred Blood creature broke free, thundering towards the mountain pass leading deeper into the wilderness.
Reaching the pass entrance, it paused. Deliberately. It reared up on its powerful hind legs, hooves striking the air, and unleashed a final, earth-shaking challenge – a deep, resonant bellow that rolled across the battlefield like thunder. Contempt dripped from the sound. Then it kicked up a storm of dust as it vanished into the mountains.
"Bastard! You're not escaping!" Divine Scion roared, fury overriding all else. He raised a hand. A spectral green eagle shot forth, dissolving into a sleek, powerful Emerald Warbow. His other hand rose. A second Soul Beast manifested – a six-winged wasp pulsating with venomous crimson light. It solidified into a single, ominous Crimson Stinger Arrow.
"The Venomblast Hornet Soul Beast!" Qin Xuan and Fist Brother gasped in unison. They recognized it instantly. They'd fought that monstrous Sacred Blood Hornet alongside Divine Scion. Divine Scion had landed the killing blow… and against all odds, acquired its Soul Beast. A Sacred Blood Soul Beast! Steelhold likely held fewer than ten, most inherited from departed elites. This was a treasure beyond measure.
"Scion, no! It's a single-use Soul Beast! If you miss—!" Skyfist yelled, lunging forward, but too late.
Blinded by rage and the loss of his mount, Divine Scion had already nocked the Crimson Stinger. He drew the bow to its absolute limit, muscles straining against the divine artifact. With a sound like tearing silk, he released.
The arrow wasn't shot; it was blurred. A streak of venomous red light, faster than thought, crossed the distance to the fleeing creature just as it reached the pass entrance. The Minotaur Centaur sensed the doom, turning its massive head with surprising speed. But not fast enough.
THOOM!
The arrow struck its chest with the force of a meteor. Not just piercing – detonating. A sickening, wet crunch echoed, followed by a spray of dark blood, bone fragments, and shredded organs. The mighty creature staggered drunkenly, a massive, ragged crater blown open in its chest. It crashed to the stony ground, limbs twitching feebly, lifeblood gushing onto the rocks. Doomed.
"You dared slay my mount?" Divine Scion's voice rang out, cold and imperious as he lowered the bow, the afterglow of the Sacred Blood arrow fading from his hands. "Did you think I would let you live?" He stood tall, radiating absolute dominance. A hush fell over the slope, hundreds of hunters staring in awe-struck terror at the sheer, brutal power on display. Even Qin Xuan seemed momentarily shaken.
Divine Scion allowed himself a fraction of a second to savor the stunned silence, the taste of absolute control sweet on his tongue. Then, movement.
A streak of gold shot down the rocky slope Han Sen had been watching from. Like a comet falling to earth, it covered the distance to the dying creature in heartbeats. Before anyone could fully process the blur, a glint of metal flashed. A simple, sturdy Bronze Tusk Pike materialized in the golden figure's hand and plunged down with savage finality into the Minotaur Centaur's remaining eye socket.
A final, wet gurgle. The Sacred Blood creature went utterly still.
The golden figure didn't hesitate. It wrenched the Pike free, then lunged for the fallen Golden Double-Bitted Battle-Axe. With a grunt of effort, it hefted the massive weapon onto its armored shoulder. Then, it turned and bolted, not towards the stunned crowd, but back up the mountain path it had descended, moving with startling speed despite its burden.
"Coin!" The shriek ripped from Su Xiaoqiao's throat, pure disbelief and recognition warring in his voice. He knew that unique, gleaming armor anywhere. Gold Coin had just stolen the kill – and the ultimate prize – right from under Divine Scion's nose.