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Chapter 90: Dance with the Earthhide Dreadmaw.
Dance with the Earthhide Dreadmaw.
An hour had gone by since Leon entered Green Grove Forest, yet it had been days.
Trees closed in upon him, their gnarled forms standing like silent witnesses. The forest breathed not—too quiet, too still.
The forest air was thick now, not with heat—but tension.
The forest air was thick now—not with heat, but tension.
Leon’s robe, where it had been so smooth and clean before, had battle signs: torn, jagged tears on the sleeves, dirt and scratch marks that ran across his chest, and a few spots of blood—those of the beast, not his own. The golden thread of his robe glowed softly in the moonlight, like starlight battle scars.
He breathed and raised his head.
The double moons were already up, casting an otherworldly, silvery light over Green Grove Forest. Shadows stretched out long on the forest floor. The trees appeared to share quiet, unintelligible secrets.
At the feet of Leon, a Fireclaw Leopard was twisted into a heap—its striped coat burned, body half-smashed by his last strike. One of its burning claws moved in the dirt... froze.
A wispy trail of smoke curled up from Leon’s extended hand.
"Guess that’s the last of those—temporarily," he murmured, wiggling his fingers. He offered a brief smile—not arrogant, but pleased. "Voidbreaker Art and my new pyromancy spell. yeah, it seems they’re quite a good combination."
He looked over toward the far edge of the woods, where he’d promised to meet up with the others an hour from now.
They’re probably already waiting... for me.
Or perhaps a bit anxious if I lingered too long.
Leon gently shook his head and smiled. "No need to keep my beauties waiting," he said wryly. Then, glancing one last time into the dark woods surrounding him, savoring the still-pulsating excitement of a good fight in the air, he added, "And the hunt—think I’ll take my leave for today."
With that, Leon turned. His footsteps were light, nearly playful, as he headed back—like a man who knew the forest would attempt again, but wouldn’t succeed next time either.
He’d taken barely five or six paces when a sharp CRACK resonated through the air.
CRACK!
The ground shook beneath him—a ripple tearing through the earth.
Leon halted in his step; senses heightened as he attempted to find the source of the sound. He turned sharply, eyes sweeping the darkness.
Out of the darkness of the forest, a great form rushed forward—like a mountain bursting from among the trees.
A monster emerged into the moonlight, its form a horror of raw power and old magic. Its hide was cracked stone—rock and living flesh combined—seeming as if the ground itself had been molded into its shape. Spiny, earthy protrusions ran down its back, vibrating softly with a soft, deadly, protective spell. Glowing jade eyes blazed with hot intelligence, burning through the darkness. Its great claws were granite blades—sharp, unyielding. Four solid limbs rooted on the ground steadied a long, muscular tail that swept back of it, steadying each heavy step.
The air thickened with the smell of wet ground and ancient rock.
Leon’s heart beat faster—not with terror, but with excitement.
Earthhide Dreadmaw, he mused, a Magical Beast with strong Earth Affinity.
Leon saw the thick, stony armor plating the creature’s body. From it emanated a strong, constant vibration of earth element energy—an aura powerful enough to designate the creature as a real master from the Master World of cultivation. 𝔫𝖔𝖛𝖕𝖚𝔟.𝖈𝖔𝔪
A fierce glint flared in Leon’s eyes. He moistened his lips with subdued passion and spoke calmly. Stepping back, he curled his fingers and moved into a relaxed fighting stance. His eyes remained fastened on the creature as it lumbered forward.
"Well, well," he smiled. "Lady Luck certainly does want to dance with me tonight."
The monster didn’t tarry.
The monster unleashed a bellow that shattered the night like thunder. Abruptly, it slammed an enormous fist onto the ground.
Jagged shardstone shards burst upward like an arrowstorm, shooting directly towards Leon.
He had barely time to respond. With an unaccountable twist, he activated Voidstep—his Voidbreaker Art technique. A blast of wind shot up from under his boots as he blinked just beyond the flying shards.
A shard scraped his thigh—sharp and burning—but he didn’t falter.
"Nice shot," he smirked. "But you’ll have to try harder than that."
\[Spell: Fire Fang]
A stream of fire lanced from Leon’s palm, wrapping into the shape of a flaming wolf’s jaw. It slammed into the Dreadmaw’s chest—but the fire scattered across the beast’s runed armor plates, doing little more than scalding the surface.
Leon clicked his tongue.
"Earth affinity," he growled. "Your defense is a pain in the butt."
The beast retaliated with a loud roar, its tail cracking back and forth through the air like a whiplash, slicing a stiff gust as it whirred.
Leon didn’t wait. He charged forward full tilt, his body softly glowing with throbbing power, prepared to confront the beast head-on.
As he unleashed the Voidbreaker Art, a weak luminescence permeated his body. His muscles undulated with concentrated power, poised to release with each movement. With each punch, the air shattered. He low-swept under the beast’s leg and followed with a lightning-charged punch into its belly.
\[Spell: Lightning Tempest Lance\]
A jagged bolt of lightning exploded from his palm like a spear—but the monster deflected it with a forearm made of solid stone.
"Hah!" Leon chuckled in mid-battle, no hint of fear in his tone. "You’re stronger than I thought right from the beginning."
He was having a good time.
Each parry, each dodge, each impact that vibrated through his arms and shuddered through his body—he did not feel pain. Only the rush. His breath remained even. His mind, calm as deep water. No distraction. Only he and his opponent, dancing to the death.
"C’mon, buddy," he whispered tauntingly, moving around it. "Let’s make this a memory."
But time was running out. The excitement still coursed through his veins—but now it was laced with something else: awareness.
If he kept this up any longer... his guards, his women—they’d get anxious. They were most likely waiting at the forest’s edge already. He couldn’t delay further.
He breathed slowly, "Alright," he whispered, eyes narrowing. "Let’s do this tactically."
He goaded the monster, allowing it to swing again—giant stone claws ripping through the bark of an ancient tree behind him.
He dodged left—but rather than strike, he was gone, employing Voidstep footwork to become invisible.
In the space of a heartbeat, he reappeared at the monster’s back—low, quiet, and already half-spin.
Then he opened up with his combo.
Voidbreaker Art flooded his limbs, unbridled power coursing toward his fist. Meanwhile, he invoked his fire-affinity spell—Fire Nova—fire roaring, magic tearing loose around his knuckles.
A heavy thrum vibrated the air. The earth shook.
He spun forward in an uppercut. The martial-art energy tore into the monster’s rune-garmented armor—tearing it like paper.
A heartbeat later, flames burst from his fist in a deafening roar, illuminating the forest in a momentary flash of crimson and gold.
BOOM!
The creature unleashed a garbled roar and stumbled back as cracks radiated through its stone-plated chest. Flames curled through the rents, burning deep.
Roarrrr—!
Its underarm plating shattered like dry bark.
Leon didn’t delay.
He leaped up, 2 feet off the ground, storm energy churning into his palms like electric halos.
As globes of lightning flickered around his fingers, he spoke in low and firm tones: "Arcstorm Collapse."
Pressure crackled overhead.
Then—he struck. He laid both hands flat slammed down upon the beast’s skull.
BOOM.
A shattering shockwave ripped the forest quiet.
The Earthhide Dreadmaw unleashed a thunderous bellow of pain, its rocky body shuddering convulsively—
RROOOARRR—
then fell, limbs twitching once before they froze.
Dust hung suspended between them.
Silence refell.
Leon loomed above the defeated beast, panting slightly—not from fatigue, but from the strain of maintaining two spells for so long.
The Earthhide Dreadmaw did not move, its charred, cracked armor cooling in the pale moonlight, wisps of smoke curling around its shattered stone plates.
A slow, pleased smile spread across Leon’s face.
"Fighting you, buddy. is highly rewarding," he drawled, eyes aglow with respect and exhilaration.
With a light, effortless jump, he landed gracefully on the forest floor, ready to move on.
\[DING!]
\[You have slain a Master Realm Magical Beast. +10 Blank Points.]
Leon’s eyes roamed over the beast’s shattered body—the cracked stone armor, the glowing fractures etched deep into its skin.
A slow, amused grin spread across his face.
"You’re a good opponent, buddy," he said quietly, a note of genuine respect in his voice. "I respect that."
He knelt, fingers touching the broken armor.
"If I left you here... you’d just decay... or low-level creatures would descend upon you and devour your carcass," Leon said with a grin, "bringing your species and your cultivation status down with you."
He bent next to the fallen beast, gaze keen.
"I respect you too much to let that occur."
"That’s why I brought you along. Me, my women, and my underlings—there’s nothing better than to show respect by devouring your body. That’s how I pay homage to you buddy," he remarked with a calm, assertive grin, as if he was doing the right thing.
His smile grew wider, eyes piercing and firm.
"I’m stronger than you—so it’s only right. This way, your soul will feel honored, feasted on by someone stronger than you, not some low-level beast. That’s no disgrace."
Leon’s gaze lifted to the dark sky, the twin moons glowing softly. A small smile touched his lips as he said,
"Maybe... this will give your soul some peace."
His tone grew softer, infused with reluctance and a quiet love, as if he longed to say,
"I don’t want to do this... but I must. For you, buddy."
Leon stretched, cracking his neck with a loud pop, then looked up at the twin moons for the final time.
"Alright, buddy. Let’s get you out of here."
He knelt and took hold of the beast’s huge tail, wrapping his fingers around it firmly as he experienced its hard, rock-like texture beneath his grip. With an experienced movement, he hooked the tail over his shoulder, the weighty bulk settling there like a burden—and a prize.
As he dragged the body up, the ground under the collapsed monster appeared to grow darker, leaving a dark stain where its strength had been ripped asunder. The trees seemed to be silent for a moment, as if they were holding their breath.
A contented smile played on Leon’s face as he walked steadily towards the border of the forest. The monstrous body trailed behind him, with its weighty tail slung over his shoulders.
He grumbled to himself,
"Let’s see what my lovely hunters brought back. Hope everyone find something exceptional."
The moon of silver danced in the forest with soft, pale light, casting a gentle glow between the treetops as Leon stepped steadily through the woods.
Behind him, the Earthhide Dreadmaw’s enormous body hung lifeless, its massive size dwarfed by his. Leon balanced its jagged, thick tail over his shoulder with a casual lack of effort. Where even smaller human would have been crushed under such weight, Leon bore it as a trophy—no strain apparent in his steps. The creature’s girth cut deep into the ground, snapping roots, fallen leaves and crushing stones along an uneven, bumpy path.
His boots walked firmly over thorns and knotted roots with never a second thought, a sharp, straight line through the trees. His robe was ripped from somewhere and streaked with dirt, dark hair blown and battered by wind and combat those moments now and again swept across his eyes, and shallow burn marks running along his right shoulder. But none of this muted the fierce glint in his eyes—or the broad grin that did not go away.
Though the weight was crushing, Leon was more entertained than fatigued. Every step in advance was counted. Not because he was exhausted—but because with every step, a transparent system panel glowed softly within his field of view.
"Hm," he said with a glance at the hovering system panel glowing softly within his field of view.
\[You have earned 38 Blank Points for killing a Magical Beast.]
The mechanical bell rang softly within his mind. Leon arched an eyebrow, near amusement.
"Thirty-eight points just from me..." he grumbled, half to himself, half to the system.
An idea struck, and with a blink of his mind, he opened another window on the system panel:
\[Aria: 33 Blank Points]
\[Cynthia: 34 Blank Points]
\[Syra: 28 Blank Points]
\[Kyra: 32 Blank Points]
The total for the women was 127 points. Effortless, as always. A slight smile played on his lips.
\[Total of Elite Guards: 70 Blank Points]
The five top-level guards had defeated some lower-level magical beasts— mortal realm or novice rank— and scored a decent 70 points. Not too shabby, given their level of cultivation as peak novice level.
Leon kept pulling the enormous beast, calculating mentally.
"Thirty-eight from me, added to 127 from the ladies... added to 70 from the guards..." He halted mid-stride, a thrill of excitement running through him.
Another blink from the panel:
\[Total: 235 Blank Points]
A low whistle slipped out of him.
If he’d add in those 235 points to his former total. of Blank point.
The system panel flashed briefly in light.
\[Previous Total: 184 Blank Points → New Total: 419 Blank Points]
Leon halted his pace. His heart pounded in his chest—not from fatigue, but sheer exhilaration.
A big grin spread across his face.
Four hundred nineteen." His voice fell to a whisper, full of awe. "Damn this amount of Blank points is sufficient to purchase a Master Realm treasure at the system store."
He continued on his way, pulling the corpse of the Dreadmaw behind him, the heavy path broadening with every step like a war banner dragging across the earth.
His thoughts sped along—already planning the most efficient use of the 419 points, what spells to study, what weapons to buy, what skills to acquire.
The exhilaration of the hunt coursed through him, lighting a flame in his eyes that was not tiredness but intense anticipation.
"This hunt," he whispered, "was more than worth it."
This new system function wasn’t just convenient—the teamwork feature in the quest panel was downright ingenious. Powerful, intuitive, dangerously addictive... it changed everything.
"Mind-boggling," he whispered.
"Now I can actually pick and choose Master-grade techniques... spells, artifacts, maybe even crafting schematics..."
His steps grew lighter, almost playful, as the forest began to thin.
Behind him, the heavy body of the Dreadmaw was dragged through the mud, leaving a trail of his path like a tacitular reminder of his increased strength.
But now his thinking was quick, two courses running simultaneously:
One figuring out what to spend—how to make the 419 points count.
The other already planning: How do I make even more next time?
The craving had not gone away. If anything, it had intensified.
A hunter’s craving. A conqueror’s drive.
And as the trees grew thinner.
