Boundless Evolution: The Summoning Beast -
Chapter 60: Blood in the Lushwood
Chapter 60: Blood in the Lushwood
[Ding! Killed an E rank Fire-Crested Lizard. 150 exp gained. +25AP]
The beast’s body crumpled beneath Ash’s final strike, its limbs twitching one last time before going still.
Ash stood over it, his claws dripping with blood.
It had ambushed him moments ago, springing from the underbrush with speed and bloodlust, but Ash had moved faster.
’Too bad you met me,’ Ash thought as he wiped his claws on the grass before looking deeper into the forest.
Lushwood Expanse stretched out before him like a living maze. Trees breathed. Shadows whispered. The towering stone walls of Baltyr had long faded behind him as he had left soon after the talk with Zephiron.
The journey had only just begun.
Ash exhaled, his mind focused on his destination, the Umbral Nest.
The dirt path beneath his feet barely qualified as a trail. Root jutted out like veins from the ground, twisting and shifting beneath his steps as he was on the move once again.
’System, give me the mission update on the evolution,’ he spoke internally.
[Ding! Evolution Mission "To the Draconic Path" displayed]
["To the Draconic Path", Evolution Mission:
Defeat five creatures of equal or higher rank that wields shadow affinity (0/5)
Defeat one creature that contains the bloodline of a dragon (Not Completed)
Increase Strength to at least 50, Agility to at least 45, Endurance to at least 50, Intelligence to at least 35 (Completed)
Accumulate 5,000 experience through battle and survival (150/5,000)
Rewards: Unlocks Evolution]
He paused, eyes narrowed, feeling the weight of the challenge settle on his shoulders. A bitter smile crept across his lips. ’Four thousand, eight hundred fifty left...’ he thought grimly.
With that in mind, Ash’s pace in moving through the forest slowed, his senses fully activated as he scanned his surroundings as he moved around, trying to find his next exp source.
However, not long after he made his way through, a strong stench of blood hit his nose.
He froze, nostrils flaring as he adjusted his direction. The scent was fresh, heavy- something had bled a lot, and recently from the strength of the smell.
Immediately, he switched his path, following the trail until he stumbled upon a gruesome scene.
A group of massive beasts lay sprawled on the forest floor, their muscular forms etched with deep, violent wounds.
Their hide was shattered and torn, leaving jagged fragments scattered across the blood-stained ground.
There were six bodies in total- four adults with hulking bodies, now motionless, and two smaller younglings who had their bodies torn apart.
The air was heavy with an acrid scent of blood and death and aether.
Ash moved forward cautiously, the disturbing sight gnawing at his curiosity.
Ash approached cautiously, rolling one large corpse over.
The stone-like fur and curved horns sent an immediate chill down his spine.
’Lynels...’ he realized, heartbeat quickening.
The carnage spoke plainly—this was no ordinary ambush.
The slight disturbance caused by turning the beast caused a nearby Lynel that was barely clinging on to life to jolt awake.
Its eyes flew wide open in panic, wide with fear as it spotted Ash and with a desperate, pained grunt, the wounded creature tried to rise and escape.
But its broken limbs and blood spurting injuries betrayed it as it collapsed beneath its weight, helplessly struggling.
Ash paused, his expression hardening at the sight of the Lynel’s futile attempt to flee.
’What happened here,’ he asked himself as he glanced at the carnage around him, his curiosity spiking.
He crouched low, carefully inspecting the severity and patterns of their injuries.
Deep claw marks, bite wounds, and a very brutally handled scene.
’An ambush by another pack of beasts?’ he thought, trying to piece the evidence together in his mind.
Cautiously, he then approached the injured Lynel, watching its reaction closely.
’Left to die?’ he muttered. It made no sense. Why would an ambush leave a Lynel alive and in such a state, ’Why leave it in such a state? No summon would waste free growth.’
Seeing Ash approach it, the beast let out a low, rattling growl in defiance, its movements becoming frantic in a last desperate effort as more blood pooled out of its body.
As it thrashed wildly, Ash’s gaze then caught onto something.
A clear trail of blood leading away from the scene, disappearing into the shadows of the forest.
Whatever had attacked these Lynels had clearly moved in that direction.
His attention then returned onto the suffering beast and he placed a paw on the weak Lynel’s neck, pinning it down firmly onto the ground.
Ash felt a pang deep within, a whisper of hesitation he despised acknowledging.
’Is this really who I have to become?’ he asked himself bitterly as he considered killing it.
But the doubt vanished as swiftly as it arrived.
Survival demanded ruthlessness, and hesitation would only lead to his own death
[Ding! Killed an E+ rank Stonehide Lynel. 180 exp gained. +30AP]
’It was E+ rank?’ Ash asked himself in bewilderment.
The other bodies of the Lynel that were lying on the ground did not seem to be any weaker than this one.
"Fast enough to ambush, slow enough to die," Ash mused dryly, flicking blood off his claws. "Nature needs to sort out her priorities."
Initially, he had been determined to investigate this through to the end but now after seeing this, he had doubts... It was clear that the attackers were no weak foes and considering how the deep wounds on the beasts were, it was clear that they were ruthless and that reminded him of the injuries that he had gone through.
He remembered vividly the taste of his own blood, the helplessness of facing a foe stronger than him.
His jaw tightened at the memory. ’One wrong step, and I end up like them,’ he reminded himself grimly, feeling a fresh stab of urgency driving his next move.
Ash turned his gaze now to the path of blood trails and hesitated as he contemplated pursuing the trail. This was now dangerous and very risky as if he was caught, it would definitely not be an easy fight.
He was alone and he would be facing a whole pack with its numbers still unknown.
Just as doubt began to grip him fully, a thunderous roar tore through the air, shattering his thoughts and shaking the ground beneath his paws. Ash’s ears twitched, muscles coiling instantly.
He froze... ’A roar like that... it shook the whole forest,’ he thought, his heart beginning to race as another realisation struck him, ’it must be the alpha of the region.’
He remembered that before he had left Baltyr, Zephiron had given him a rundown of the Aegaryn in the map chamber.
Lushwood Expanse was divided into territories, like many untamed regions across Aegaryn, and they were constantly changing. Each was dominated by apex creatures known as alphas and they weren’t just stronger than your average beast; they were symbols of dominance, powerhouses that had fought off rivals and ruled their zones with unmatched strength.
And the power and intensity that reverberated from that roar led Ash to this conclusion that it must be the alpha of the region.
In that instant curiosity overcame caution as he decided to see this alpha for himself as he had never seen one before and wanted to see how strong it was too.
Ash advanced cautiously toward the source of the roar, his senses sharpened as he noted the increasing density of ambient Aether in the air, signaling that he was drawing closer.
Broken branches and torn foliage marked the path clearly, evidence of something powerful moving through recently. His heartbeat quickened as the distant clash of battle echoed faintly ahead.
Soon, the trees began to thin, revealing a clearing where two colossal beasts were locked in fierce combat, trading blows viciously and violently.
Ash quickly found a concealed spot within the thick foliage, settling into a position that gave him a clear vantage point over the clearing without letting himself be discovered. His eyes locked onto the colossal beasts, heart pounding with a mix of excitement and caution.
The first beast was enormous, its body encased in obsidian-black scales with four powerful legs, each ending in heavy, talon-like claws. Long, wickedly curved tusks extended from either side of its snarling maw, and fierce golden eyes blazed with primal fury.
The second beast, slimmer yet equally formidable, moved fluidly like liquid shadow. Its body appeared almost ethereal, draped in swirling wisps of dark mist, matching the eerie aura left at the Lynel massacre. Sleek, elongated limbs propelled it effortlessly, each movement exuding deadly precision, claws dripping fresh blood that undoubtedly belonged to the fallen Lynels. Eyes of piercing violet glowed faintly, carrying a ruthless and predatory glint that confirmed its involvement in the earlier slaughter.
They clashed fiercely, the scaled brute lunging forward with relentless, overwhelming force, its claws tearing into the earth and leaving deep gashes behind with each missed strike.
The shadow-cloaked beast danced gracefully around these furious attacks, countering with precision strikes that sliced through scales and drew spurts of dark blood.
Each impact thundered loudly, echoing through the clearing, as the scaled beast’s scales fractured and splintered under the shadow beast’s relentless precision.
But the scaled brute refused to falter, retaliating with savage intensity as it landed a crushing blow that sent the shadow beast sprawling backward.
The slimmer creature recovered swiftly, but now it limped slightly, dark mist leaking from wounds on its sleek form.
The combat grew increasingly desperate, their bodies marked heavily by the ferocious exchange, each moment driving both creatures closer to exhaustion.
Ash watched intently, heart racing at the sheer display of power and resilience, driven by his curiosity to understand the identity and purpose behind these formidable beings.
Then it hit him—the realisation sharp and undeniable—this wasn’t just any battle...
This was a challenge of Alpha status.
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