The moonlit clash between Dante and the tiger continued.
Dante surged forward with all his strength, unleashing several blows against the beast. His punches tore through its skin, and his kicks caused internal injuries.
His arm expanded by 1.3x, blood and mana swirling around it. Blood Conversion Punch — the technique struck the beast's ribs, making it roar violently before vanishing into the flames, heightening Dante's sense of danger.
Swish, swish.
A strange sound began forming around him, yet the beast was nowhere to be seen.
Vush.
The tiger suddenly appeared, lunging at Dante. Flames coated its fangs, which had doubled in size. In an instant, it reached him and bit down on his arm.
Crack, crack.
The sound of his armor being crushed echoed loudly. The bite shattered the armor and sank into Dante's flesh and muscles, nearly disabling his left arm.
However, with its teeth locked onto him, the beast was limited in movement and unable to retreat. Dante's right arm swelled once again with blood and mana — but this time, the claw embedded in his armor activated.
He delivered a brutal punch to the tiger's neck, causing it to choke on its own blood before dying.
"Finally!" Dante exclaimed as the beast collapsed. His mana was nearly depleted — only a few strands remained. He dispelled his armor and sat down.
"You did well," Cylan said, dropping down from a tree and preparing to process the beast.
As he worked, he spoke casually. "You're much better than expected, young leader."
"You can just call me Dante," he replied, lying back, still exhausted.
"Right. As I was saying, you're good at fighting, but your experience is only the bare minimum. You can't control your mana consumption, and you don't have much of it yet.
As a combatant, you rely too much on your fists — but that's a weakness you'll lose once you reach Level 1 Intermediate."
"Hmmm." Dante simply nodded while listening.
"Catch," Cylan said, tossing him two items. "This is the beast core and the flame spark it produced."
Dante grabbed them and quickly stored them in his dimensional pouch, continuing to listen.
"Dante, do you have any idea which element you'll choose once you reach 4 stars?" Cylan suddenly asked, studying him with curiosity.
Dante raised an eyebrow, thinking. He had considered several elements — the ones that suited him best.
"To be honest, I'm interested in the lava element. I believe it has the greatest destructive potential," he said casually, surprising Cylan.
Impressed, Cylan replied, "Well, logically speaking, you should be capable of handling that element. The village has had several people attempt it, but only a few truly succeeded.
Mastering an element means reaching at least 9 stars, and the village has had about seven reach that level. They all became elders afterward."
He paused for a moment before continuing. "It may sound simple, but lava is the fusion of two elements: fire and earth. It's considered unstable — not only because of its destructive nature, but also because channeling lava through your own body is extremely risky."
Cylan thought for a few seconds. "If you manage to obtain the lava element and combine it with your physical abilities, you'll become extremely powerful.
"By the way, I'm not sure if you've been to the Sutra Hall in the village, but there's a technique called Ignite Veins. It allows you to circulate heat through your body. Most fire-element users practice it — it might help you."
"Thank you, Cylan," Dante said sincerely, deep in thought about the element choice.
"Well, now it's my turn to show what hunting really is, isn't it?" Cylan smiled.
He finished processing the tiger and began repeating the steps — this time mixing the remains of both beasts.
"Do you mind?" he asked, pointing at the tree, signaling that Dante should move back.
"Sure," Dante replied, leaping up with ease and watching Cylan curiously. He knew a bit about this man.
Cylan Nalaris — disciple of one of the village elders, the Elder of Gale Blade. He wasn't the strongest among the elders, but he deserved respect for reaching near-Level 2.
Cylan followed his master's path: an adept of wind, wielding a massive sword that looked more suited for smashing than cutting.
Vush.
Another cool gust of wind swept through the area, carrying the stench of the scattered carcass. Cylan remained perfectly still for about twelve minutes.
Then — three wolves appeared.
They were completely white, each with a small crescent moon formed on its forehead. Their presence was majestic, though their cultivation was clearly at Lower Level, around 3 stars.
"Good luck to us, beasts," Cylan muttered, drawing his sword…