The fight between Dante and the tiger continued.
Dante advanced with force, delivering several blows against the beast; his punches tore through the creature's skin, and his kicks created internal injuries.
His arm expanded by 1.3 times, and an aura of blood and mana surged around it. Blood Conversion Punch. The technique struck the beast's rib, making it roar violently and vanish amid the flames, heightening Dante's sense of danger.
Swish, swish.
A strange sound began forming around him, yet the beast could no longer be seen.
Vush.
The creature suddenly appeared again, lunging at Dante. In its mouth, its fangs had taken on a fiery aspect and doubled in size.
The tiger reached Dante in an instant and bit down on his arm.
Crack, crack.
The sound of the armor being crushed echoed loudly. The bites broke through the protection and reached Dante's arm, tearing skin and muscle, almost rendering his left arm useless.
However, with its teeth locked in, the tiger was limited in movement and unable to escape. Dante's right arm swelled once more with blood and mana—this time, the claw embedded in the armor activated.
He then delivered a brutal punch to the tiger's neck, causing it to writhe as it drowned in its own blood before dying.
"Finally!" Dante exclaimed as he watched the beast collapse to the ground.
His mana was nearly spent; only a few strands remained. Dante dispelled the armor and sat down.
"You did well," Cylan said as he descended from the tree and prepared to process the beast.
While working on the tiger's body, Cylan began to speak:
"You're much better than I expected, young leader."
"You can just call me Dante," he replied, lying back, still exhausted.
"Alright. As I was saying, you're good at fighting, but your experience is just the bare minimum. You can't avoid wasting mana, and that's something you don't have much of yet.
As a combatant, you're limited to your fists, but that's a weakness you'll overcome once you reach level 1 intermediate."
"Hmmm." Dante simply nodded as he listened.
"Catch!" Cylan said, tossing two items toward him. "This is the beast's core, and this is the flame spark it produced."
Dante caught them and quickly stored them in his dimensional bag, continuing to listen.
"Dante, do you already have an idea of which element you'll choose once you reach four stars?" Cylan suddenly asked, looking at him with curiosity.
Dante raised an eyebrow as he thought. He had indeed considered a few elements—those that matched him best.
"To be honest, I'm interested in the lava element. I believe it holds the greatest destructive power," Dante said as if it were something simple, though his answer surprised Cylan, who stared at him impressed.
"Well… logically speaking, you should be capable of taming that element. The village has had several people attempt to use it, but very few actually succeeded.
To master an element means reaching at least nine stars, and the village has had around seven people who achieved that—later becoming elders.
It may sound simple, but lava is the fusion of two elements: fire and earth. It's considered unstable, not only due to its self-destructive nature but also because channeling lava through the body carries serious risks."
Cylan paused for a few seconds, then continued:
"If you actually manage to acquire the lava element, combining it with your physical abilities will make you extremely strong.
Dante, I don't know if you've been to the Sutra Hall in the village, but there's a technique called Igneous Veins, which allows heat to flow through the body. Most fire-element users practice it—it might help you."
"Thanks, Cylan," Dante said sincerely, clearly deep in thought about his elemental choice.
"Well, now it's my turn to show my skills as a hunter, right?" Cylan said with a grin.
He finished processing the tiger and began repeating his actions, this time mixing the remains of both beasts.
"Mind moving?" he asked, pointing at the tree—indicating that Dante should step back.
"Sure," Dante said, leaping up the tree effortlessly and watching Cylan with curiosity; after all, he knew a bit about this man.
Cylan Nalaris. He was a disciple of one of the village elders—the Elder of the Gale Sword. Cylan didn't particularly stand out among the elders' disciples, but he deserved respect for having reached near level 2.
Following his master's path, Cylan was an adept of the wind element and wielded a massive sword that looked more suited for smashing than cutting.
Vush.
A fresh gust of wind blew, scattering the stench of carrion that lingered around them. Still, Cylan remained in the same position for about twelve minutes.
Then, three wolves appeared.
They were completely white, each with a small moon-shaped marking on its forehead, giving them a majestic appearance. However, their cultivation levels were clearly at the lower stage—about three stars.
"Good luck to us, beasts…" Cylan said, drawing his sword.