Nora Darktree had always been hailed as a genius amongst her peers in the tribe. Ever since she was young her cultivation speed has been faster than all the other kids, even Harris the chiefs grandson.
Harris is an elf which means he's from a greater race than her tabby cat-kin, although he belongs to the weaker dark elf clan, an elf is still superior than most beastmen.
This has always been the pride of the tribe, a true genius was born from their small tribe that will one day join a sect and become an immortal.
A dream that many of the tribes population will fail to achieve.
Nora started her cultivation at the usually age of 5 at her coming of age celebration. Most children are viewed as adults after their 5th birthday s they are old enough to work for the tribe.
Now Nora is 8 years old and would soon break through to the bone refinement realm, however she has hit a bottleneck.
During a trip with her family to the local town to sell their local goods and to pay the tribes protection fees for the next 3 months, she bumped into Eric of the claw tooth tribe.
Eric is the same age as her but has already broken through to the early bone refinement realm, and to add more shock to her shattering pride, he's also a goblin. Goblins are well-known to be the weakest race with the smallest number of talented individuals, but Eric who came from a similar background was stronger than her.
Although the two never fought, she knew that she wouldn't win, if he was the same realm she wouldn't be too shocked as she knew that if they fought, her natural physical advantages will make her come out on top.
There is a large difference between someone in the peak blood refining realm and early bone refining realm that is near impossible to overcome.
Her once proud-full days lost their spark as she came to the conclusion that she isn't some peerless genius that will one day reign over chaos forest.
She is just one of many naive sheltered children who can't see the bigger picture.
This realisation shocked her to her core and shattered her dreams and became her heart demon that prevented her from breaking through.
The other kids who had always been in awe at her talent, had started to mock her for her arrogance. Even Harris who she always saw as beneath her had caught up and was threatening to take her place as the tribes genius.
She can not bear this humiliation any longer and decided to prove her strength by going out into the woods and hunting a beast by herself.
Recently gossip has started to spread throughout the tribe about a powerful beast east of the tribe.
It is said to be as large as a giant and the trees shake whenever it stomps by, it lights up the dark forest with bright flashing lights that can blind anyone who looks at it.
But on bright news the village believes the beast is mortally wounded and will not survive much longer due to the groaning that it makes that scares the nearby beasts away.
Nora new that this wounded beast that scares all the others creatures in the forest would be a perfect chance to show the village that she is a true genius.
With one final resolve she left the tribe into the dark forest to look for this wounded beast. She didn't inform anyone of her departure, wishing to surprise her parents and neighbours about her successful hunt.
She is confident that a wounded beast should be easy for her, she has been out of the tribe multiple times while hunting with her parents. Why should being on her own be any different?
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It's very different!
Not long after entering into the deeper part of the forest, her keen hearing picked up the groans and the thumping of the beast, but she was terrified of this monster. The confident attitude she held instantly fell apart.
What kind of demonic beast is this?
The groans were like rusted swords being grinding against multiple whetstones, the thumping sounded like a heavily armoured giant. No, a brute of a giant dragging itself across the forest.
She knew that she had overestimated herself again and decided to head back, maybe she could find another beast, just not this monstrosity.
However when she turned around she came face to face with a large drooling wolf.
The wolf was having a bad time these days, since the monster treaded through his hunting ground all of its usual prey has run away.
He hadn't eaten all day and now this little cat-kin is trembling right in front of him he would be foolish to let it get away.
Nora let out a muffled scream as the wolf pounced towards her neck. She knew that she had to be quiet or the monster will join the fight and she would become its dinner.
As a trained hunter and a 3rd realm body refiner, she could easily block the wolfs bite.
However she had underestimated the hunger of the wolf, as it bit down hard on her arm tearing into her veins, drinking the warm blood and tasting the delicious flesh.
Nora still held back her cry of pain as tears watered her eyes.
I should have just stayed home! why do I need to prove I'm a genius? I'm still talented enough to become an elder and live a commutable life in the tribe.
She thought in this injured state she wouldn't be able to defeat the wolf, panic was filling her heart and affecting her judgment. If she continued to fight the tired and hungry wolf would not be able to defeat her.
But she ran.
Then she heard what she had been dreading, the groans were picking up speed and getting louder. She had attracted the monster and now its come to eat her.
In her injured state she wouldn't be able to outrun the wolf, let alone this monster. Who knew how fast the monster is? For all she knew it could be already reaching its sharp claws around her tiny body at this very moment.
She came to the decision of hiding, praying the monster would be filled by the wolf and move on.
climbing the nearest tree was simple for a cat-kin like her and in seconds she was at a safe height that the wolf will not be able to reach.
But the wolf did not give up its clawing and gnashing the tree branches, tearing off the bark and snapping twigs.
The monster was getting closer and closer with each thump sounding the bells of hell.
But Nora is tired.
She had neglected her wound that has been bleeding down her arm, staining her top and dripping down the tree for the wolf to lick up.
She quickly used her blood essence to close the wound slowing down the blood loss and lay against the branch.
Then she saw the monster.
A large metal claw gripped around the corner of a nearby tree, creaking the bark. More groans and a horn could be heard as the arm pulled a metal humanoid into Noras view.
It was like nothing she had ever seen, a monstrosity of bulking metal, tubes and spinning wheels. lights were flashing around its leg and head as it stared at the wolf, which somehow didn't notice its presence.
Then its empty eyes looked into hers. she could feel it at the back of her head, observing her soul. It was deciding whatever she was a good meal that's worth the climb. quickly she cowered in her arms praying to the feline god to watch over her and protect her.
then she heard it move again.
The monster slowly moved towards the wolf and let out a louder horn that finally caught the ignorant wolfs attention.
With a yelp the wolf jumped in surprise that something managed to get this close to it, he quickly blamed the cat-kin for being to damn irresistible.
With a snarl of anger the wolf pounces at the strange thing. A second horn blared but the wolf ignores it this time. Petty tricks isn't going to frighten this angered wolf for being disturbed during its hunt for its prey.
The monster mover to the side and let out a punch towards the head of the wolf pausing for a small moment before the attack.
Suddenly the monsters leg bends pushing its fist into the wolfs head.
Pain floods the wolf and it finally realises that it is far weaker than the monster and flees with wipers back towards its den.
Nora Sees the monster look back up at her and shivers in terror. Is this how it ends? I can't move at the moment and the blood loss is making me too tired to stay awake much longer.
The monster reaches up towards Nora.
This is it. This is how Nora Darktree will die. In the arms of the cold metal monster. All alone. Her parents would soon notice she is missing, there would be small search and all that would remain is her bones in the monsters den. They would mourn her, her sister would cry.
"please... I'm not ready... Yet..." she weakly states as the monsters arm grabs around her belly, hoisting her out of the tree.
Maybe it was her mind paying tricks on her or a thought of empathy, the monster replies in a short but somewhat melodious... beep... beep.
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