Drops of water fell from the ceiling on the cave that formed puddles in holes left unfilled.
Those holes were used as a water source/drinking ground for beasts, the water quenching their thirst.
Creatures, 10s of them to be specific, all stood on one of these grounds drinking the water to satisfy them.
These creatures looked more like dogs than anything but had many differences. For starters their skulls could be seen in full display, acting like an exoskeleton, their sharp fangs protruding out its mouth.
Its eyes beared hint of a sense of calmness but the dark red color resting on its pupils brought out the fierceness of this beast. Its fluffy ears extended up and its fur stood up right at all times.
Continuing down its back an array of large bones where the spinal cord would be were visible, patches of ``unbonified`` body parts covered in fur. The creatures also had sharp bony claws that were not beared due to their comfort as they sapped water from the puddle.
In this state of comfort they had not realized the predator looming over them from a far.
Its presence unknown to the pack, not even the faintest signature of mana generated from its body.
The predator stood on two's and beared similarities to a mortal.
It had scruffy long hair that had visible stains of dirt all over it, its face hidden by the skull of the same creatures it was currently hunting.
No shirt was on its body instead but was coated in mud, its pants having tears here and there and like everything on their body it was covered in mud.
They continued to watch the creatures from a far, the evelation and rocky terrain making it hard for the creatures to locate them with sight and mud making it hard for it smell them.
Shifting their left hand to the opposite side waist, the ominous predator retrieved a dagger.
Its blade was made from the fang of the same thing it hunted.
Like the insects of the earth they crawled around to gain the perfect point to attack. Once obtaining it they took a small rock, clenching it in their palms before throwing it down.
The rock skyrocketed downwards, constantly spinning. Just before it came in contact with the ground a spike in mana happened around contributing to a miniature crater it formed upon landing.
The creatures would be startled and alerted by the sudden crash causing them to run. Even though they were creatures equipped for battle due to the large amounts of beast containing higher mana levels and power they were labeled as the bottom of the food chain.
They were nothing but light snacks for the beings of this prison.
As they ran, the predator did too after rising from the ground, lagging behind with a straggler.
Their feet, void of footwear, brushed against the rocky terrain, causing minor bruises as they ran.
Soon the ground before them would come to an end forming a cliff. The predator's gaze landed upon its prey as it clutched its dagger.
They then made their decision in that brief moment and proceeded to lean closer towards the edge.
Just before they arrived at its edge they leapt, aiming to land atop or close to the beast.
They spun the dagger before pointing the blade towards the creature and clutching it. They then guided the blade with the opposite hand and pierced through a patch of unbonified body, curling their legs around its body to avoid damaging them upon landing.
Even after curling their legs a feeling of whiplash ran through their body before the creature began to run rampant due to the dagger in its body.
Quickly they clutched the dagger tighter, accidentally pushing the blade deeper into its body. This only aggravated it more and as an instinctual response its bony tail attacked, first going for the jugular.
They learnt their head back, almost coming in contact with the rocky terrain.
The tail then went for their chest but it was avoided by them bringing themself inward. Its tail curled backwards before launching forth and attempting to now pierce their heart.
The predator swiftly withdrew his weapon from the beast's body to block the attack while gripping its fur to stay somewhat stable.
It once again curled back then attacked, now with a slash from the right. They reacted justly, interpreting the beast's attacks and countering.
Mana was then imbued into the dagger and on its fourth attack its attack was counteree with an attack of their own. A quick slice from the mana imbued dagger took around ¼ of the tail, making its tail retreat momentarily.
They would then proceed to pierce the creature's stomach with their dagger, a spot left uncovered and unprotected.
The beast screeched in pain and began moving in unpredictable patterns rampantly. Its sliced tail swinging left to right and its predator barely hanging on.
They clutched its thick fur only able to hold their upper body up while their body dragged against the rocky ground below.
The sharp pebbles and the ground itself cutting the bottom of their feet.
Pain ran through their body but they did not stop and withdrew the dagger from its stomach, blood seeping from it as a result.
With one hand clutching its fur, the other gripping the dagger tightly, the predator impaled the beast's eye.
The blade now was lodged into its eye, difficult to extract due to the ``exo skull`` around it.
It once again screeched in pain this time louder before stopping suddenly, ending the momentum from its running and turned. This launched them off, the power of the launch making them roll several times.
The rolls ended up with them on their back groaning in pain. While they tried to recuperate after what had transpired, the beast frantically tried to de-lodge it but only made it worse.
It had ended up breaking the hilt of the dagger leaving the dagger jammed in its eye. The creature licked its paws with claws beared before trying once more.
While distracted its predator rose from the ground, wiping their bruised cheek and ran forth. Their hands were pointing downwards but were not stiff as they shifted their approach to a zig zag movement to confuse the beast.
As they got closer a sudden lunge was made and they extended their hand attempting to retrieve back the dagger.
This attempt was stopped by the creature reacting with a swipe of its sharp claws. The attack landed and created claw marks on their skin.
They quickly brought the hand back in as the beast lunged at them, claws before it.
Quickly crouching, they dodged the attack before swinging their body around, hand brushing against the ground. Upon making a complete 180 they inserted their hand into the ground, listing a large chunk out that was hurled at the beast.
The beast avoided by dashing to the right, sequentially they inserted both hands in, withdrawing them with gauntlets of earth around them.
The creature used the momentum from the dash to once again lunge at them, fangs in full show. Reacting swiftly, they raised their earth covered hands, blocking the attack.
Its fangs sunk into the clumps of earth but not deep enough to make contact with their flesh. Using this opportunity they would do an attack of their own.
By swinging their body around, constantly in motion they acquired a great amount of momentum which they used to slam the beast into the ground, head first. As the beast's head came bursting down onto the rocky terrain the dagger in its eye was pushed deeper and pierced all the way through its brain and caused a hole to form on its exo skull.
That blow took the beast out once and for all, its lifeless body hanging unto their gauntlets. The predator looked down upon their kill before the gauntlets broke apart, turning into dirt that fell straight down onto the ground along with the beast's body.
They then retrieved the dagger through the hole made from its eye through its skull, leaving it covered with blood before placing it back by their side.
Their eyes peered down upon the corpse before lifting it up and carrying it away on their shoulders.
Leaving with its hunt successful.
They began to walk for a long distance, even while their legs were bruised brutally, until they arrived in a cave being lightened up by an endless flame.
``Im back``
On the opposite side of the cave laied Aria, cowl lowered showing her long hair that flickered bright purple lights like stars.
The person with the body of a mortal took off the mask made from the beast's skull and lifted it off revealing the face of Ivan, more matured.