That day.
In the depths of the First-Tier Abyss.
"Whoosh!"
A massive claw flashed through the air, its cold light stretching several meters. A burly figure was instantly cleaved in two.
"Ah!!"
A scream tore through the sky.
She watched helplessly as the enormous black lion-shaped beast lowered its head and bit down on her companion's upper body, chewing loudly. Flesh, bones, and organs crunched between its gleaming white fangs—a horrifying sight.
Liu Shi collapsed to the ground, panting heavily, frozen with fear.
"Ah, ah..."
She was the archer in a four-person team, and this was her third trip into the Abyss. She had never expected to encounter a Second-Tier beast.
Such a thing was extremely rare in the First-Tier Abyss.
But if a newly formed hunter team ran into one, it meant total annihilation. There was no chance to fight back!
"Roar..."
The Second-Tier beast finished off the corpse, hot breath pouring from its nostrils as it growled low and advanced toward her. Despair and fear instantly engulfed Liu Shi's face.
With her three companions dead, she was next.
"Help... Can someone save me...?"
"Save me... Dad, Mom... I don't want to die... I don't want to die!"
When the beast was less than ten meters away, her will to survive flared as fear overwhelmed her. She screamed and loosed arrows wildly.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh... Wind arrows formed by her B-rank Wind Controller talent shot toward the beast, but every one bounced off its tough hide without breaking through!
The lion-shaped beast kept coming. The thick stench of blood and death pouring from its nostrils surged toward Liu Shi like a tide, threatening to drown her completely!
"Stay back..."
She lowered her bow and gazed blankly up at the beast standing before her. Despairing tears slid down her cheeks.
The lion-shaped beast, its eyes full of bloodlust and savagery, looked down at the insignificant human before it. It raised one huge paw, then... brought it down with a savage swing!
"Whoosh—!"
At that very moment, a sharp whistle cut through the air. A damaged Alloy Spear shot toward them like a streak of light, piercing the lion-shaped beast's huge paw. The beast roared in pain and fury.
"Roar—!!"
"I finally found a Second-Tier beast." A young man's voice rang out.
The lion-shaped beast let out a low, dangerous growl and turned its furious gaze toward the voice.
Liu Shi looked that way too.
A tall figure emerged from the dim shadows. He was a handsome young man with black hair and golden eyes. The faint light overhead fell across his face, leaving it half-lit and half-shadowed, lending him an air of mystery.
"Appraisal," Jiang Yuan murmured as he looked at the beast.
[Abyssal Beast]: Mutated Blood Lion. [Grade]: Rare. [Level]: LV14. [Skills]: Charge, Claw Slash, Pressure, Mind Control. [Evaluation]: A mutated Abyssal creature with greater strength and a larger health bar. It rules over its territory. If you're unlucky enough to encounter one, flee as quickly as possible.
Jiang Yuan studied the black lion, which was eight meters long and three meters tall, excitement flickering in his eyes.
"A Second-Tier beast, and a rare one at that. You don't see those often! I wonder how much experience it'll give me."
"You... You should leave. Don't throw your life away." A woman's weak voice came from nearby.
Jiang Yuan turned his head, only then noticing Liu Shi.
"Are you all right?"
"Roar!!"
The lion-shaped beast slammed a paw into the ground, completely crushing the broken spear embedded in its palm. With a roar, it pushed off with all four limbs and leaped high into the air. Its enormous shadow covered the ground as it crashed toward Jiang Yuan like a heavy truck.
Seeing this, despair flashed across Liu Shi's tear-streaked face. "It's over... None of us are getting out..."
The next second.
She saw the young man bend his knees and stomp hard. He shot upward like a beam of light and slammed into the lion-shaped beast's belly!
"Boom!"
Two immense forces collided with a violent gust of wind and exploded. A gale howled around them!
The Mutated Blood Lion, as huge as a truck, was sent flying. It soared high before crashing down, smashing a mound of rocks. The ground shook violently.
"!!!"
Liu Shi stared in shock and disbelief.
Jiang Yuan landed on the ground and let out a surprised exclamation. "It's still alive? No wonder it's a Second-Tier beast. Its health bar is a lot bigger."
"Then let's try out my new move."
Eager to test it, Jiang Yuan reached forward and clenched his hand. He took a two-meter-long white Bone Spear from his System Inventory.
It was made from the bones of a creature in the Abyss called a Bone Beast.
Even a First-Tier Bone Beast had bones as hard as D-rank alloy, making them quite valuable on the market. Jiang Yuan had gone to some trouble to pull out the Bone Beast's tailbone and grind it into a simple spear. He was using it as a weapon in the Abyss for now, and would consider having it reforged from the material once he got out.
As soon as the white Bone Spear was in his hand,
Jiang Yuan's presence changed. His pale golden eyes were calm and detached, yet held a keen edge that seemed capable of piercing through anything.
"Roar—!!"
The three-meter-tall lion-shaped beast climbed out of the rubble, its steel-like mane bristling as it roared furiously at Jiang Yuan. The rolling waves of sound made it look terrifying.
Blood glinted in its vicious eyes, and the rubble around it rose into the air under the influence of a mysterious force.
Jiang Yuan nodded. "I see. The mutation gave it Psychic Class skills too. No wonder it managed to reach the Second Tier."
In the First-Tier Abyss, the Mutated Blood Lion was undoubtedly a dominant presence.
"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!"
Boulders hurtled toward Jiang Yuan!
Holding the Bone Spear in one hand, Jiang Yuan walked forward. He swung it, slicing each boulder cleanly in two with casual ease. Pieces of stone as large as millstones crashed to the ground beside and behind him with heavy thuds.
He took one step.
[God Speed]
Jiang Yuan crossed a hundred meters in an instant, appearing right in front of the lion-shaped beast.
The lion-shaped beast hadn't even had time to react.
"Void Splitter."
Jiang Yuan murmured. Gripping the butt of the Bone Spear in one hand, he swung it forward. The sharp spearhead, glinting coldly, traced a perfect arc through the air—then vanished.
"Whoosh—"
A straight line appeared in the air, sweeping directly across the lion-shaped beast and the hill behind it.
Time seemed to stop for an instant.
The next moment.
As Liu Shi stared in stunned silence, the lion-shaped beast and the hill behind it split cleanly in two!
[ Ding, you killed Blood Lion (LV14), gaining 584 experience points ] [ Ding, your level has increased. Current level: LV9 ]
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