"Perhaps patience is a virtue, even for an old swine like myself," mused the red , its substantial form casting a moonlit shadow. "This realm, I've claimed as my own. Let those who dare challenge me take heed," it grunted, its bulky head swaying with a mix of arrogance and mirth.
From the mundane pastures of Avalon Continent, this was no ordinary pig. Transcended through realms, its intellect burgeoned, transforming it into something far more sinister—a pig demon. Hunger had driven it to consume its temple in a voracious gulp. Over the last two days, it had become a devourer of countless monsters, its prowess enveloping it in an aura of mystery. Of the limits of its strength, it knew little, save for the undeniable truth that all beasts fell before it...
Why venture to the Flying Temple? The answer was simple and primal: hunger. A genetic mutation whispered promises of power, suggesting the temple, once consumed, would bestow upon it unfathomable strength. Thus, drawn by this relentless desire, it made its journey.
"Let slumber take me now," the pig contemplated wearily, seeking rest under the soft caress of moonlight. It nestled into a gently elevated nook of earth, quickly succumbing to sleep, its rhythmic snores a lullaby to the nocturnal world...
Dawn broke as Ethan greeted the new day, the finality of his novice period urging him towards peak readiness. He discovered an additional 56 valor points awaiting his command—a bounty not lightly ignored. As he pondered their potential, an unexpected palpitation seized him.
"What now?" He furrowed his brow, perplexed. Suddenly, a dire message pierced his thoughts: "Alert, Golden Eagle No. 1 has suffered a stealthy demise... [Death located merely 500 meters from thyself]." "Damnation!" Ethan recoiled, startled. Without the system's forewarning, the eagle's fate would have slipped by, unnoticed and unmourned.
Though the golden eagle boasted no enhancements, its natural attributes were formidable, chiefly its dominion of the skies and unparalleled speed. Who, then, possessed the stealth and might to silence such a creature? The question sent a shiver down his spine. Comforted only by the sanctuary of the Flying Temple, he shuddered at the thought of vulnerabilities exposed.
With haste, he dispatched another golden eagle to probe the incident, all while his gaze scoured through projections, seeking any clue that might unravel this mystery. Yet, the search bore no fruit; the reports of the eagle stood in stark contrast to the serene calm that unfolded before him.
"How can this be?" Ethan's determination only deepened, his search turning frantic. An ambush implies a presence, a shadow of the foe, yet none was to be found. The very air seemed to hold its breath, the mystery deepening with each passing moment.
"Hold on, what's this?" Ethan's intention to flip to the next frame halted abruptly as a shimmering white flicker seized his gaze. "The red ? But how has it found its way here?" he mused, a mix of astonishment and intrigue swirling within. The creature had been a good hundred miles distant just the evening prior, and yet, in the span of a single night's slumber, it had mysteriously drawn near.
"Could it indeed be this red ?" A notion dawned on Ethan—might the pig be the architect of this enigma? He momentarily second-guessed his train of thought, deeming it perhaps too far-fetched. There lay the pig, upon a slab of stone, ensconced in serene slumber, the picture of tranquility. By no stretch did it embody the menacing guise of a mythical beast. Moreover, no other anomalies presented themselves, save for the pig...
Driven by a vein of caution, Ethan resolved to probe the pig through the keen eyes of a golden eagle. Should the pig prove to be the malefactor, he stood ready to rain down a tempest of cannon fire upon it. Conversely, should innocence be its shield, it would be repurposed as a sumptuous feast, a welcome divergence from the monotonous fare of fowl he had lately grown accustomed to.
Within the confines of the temple, the projection device illuminated the scene as the golden eagle, upon receiving its directive, glided gracefully towards the slumbering pig. The eagle, circling twice overhead, regarded the pig with a look of disdain. Yet, as it unfurled its talons, closing in mere meters from the pig, the unexpected unfolded. The pig stirred, offering the eagle a smile tinged with an all-too-human cunning, and in a flash, before the eagle could mount any defense, it was engulfed whole by the pig's gaping maw, leaving naught but the echo of its surprise.
The pig emitted a satisfied burp, its belly now roundly filled, and settled back into its repose. "By the gods!" Ethan's eyes widened in disbelief, riveted to the unfolding spectacle. He was forced to concede his underestimation; the creature's prowess was staggering, its facade of innocence a ruse.
"Cannons, lock onto the target!" Confronted with this unforeseen threat, Ethan resolved to unleash his most devastating arsenal. But in that moment, the red turned, its gaze piercing through the screen to offer Ethan a sweet, disarming smile. A vertiginous wave swept over him, and as clarity returned, the pig had vanished from view. Fortuitously, he had already commanded the system to secure a lock on the creature.
With the system's aid, Ethan feverishly toggled through the views. The screen captured the red in a flurry of motion around the perimeter of the Flying Temple, its form blurring and shifting with astonishing agility.
Ethan swiftly discerned the crux of the matter—the red was adeptly sidestepping the relentless pursuit of the cannon's targeting system. A chilling smile crept across his face as he mused on the notion that even the most daunting adversaries could harbor fears. With a decisive command, he ordered the artillery barrage to commence.
Conversely, the red encountered a sensation of peril unlike any before, finding the unyielding focus of the cannons unbearably oppressive. "Dare to give me an opening, and you'll regret it..." it mused with a cold chuckle within the sanctuary of its mind. At that pivotal moment, a cascade of fire plummeted from the heavens, making a beeline for it. "Crash!" The earth shuddered, yielding a crater five meters deep, yet by some stroke of luck, the pig danced away from doom.
"Blimey, that nearly spelled the end for me! Fortunate for my swift feet," the red gulped nervously, fully aware that the onslaught could have clipped its life by half. "It actually evaded that!" Ethan marveled in silence. It was well known that not even a Black Iron 9-star zombie could escape the clutches of the cannon fire, "Unless this red surpasses the Black Iron 9-star level!" This epiphany complicated the situation further in Ethan's mind.
"Don't think you've seen the last of me. Make a move, and I'll tear you asunder!" the red bellowed with bravado. "It speaks? In Avalon's tongue?" Ethan was taken aback, his attention riveted to the screen. But distractions aside, the looming threat of the red , with its malicious intent, left him with no choice but to seek its demise to ensure his own peace.
"Cease not the cannons! Lay it on thick!" He issued his command through the system, his conviction firm. He harbored no doubts—if he failed to dispatch the red today, it would surely come for him once his newcomer's grace period concluded. Driven by this urgency, he resolved to double down on his efforts.
"Boom!" The cannons roared anew, their fury unleashed in a relentless symphony, yet each attempt was deftly skirted by the nimble pig. "This won't do. An upgrade is imperative!" Eyes aflame with resolve, Ethan recognized the futility of their current strategy.
He navigated to the Flying Temple's attribute panel and, with not a second's hesitation, initiated the upgrade. A luminous aura enveloped the temple. "What's this? The assault halts? Have they conceded?" The red peered through the settling dust with a puzzled gaze. Only then did it perceive the error in its assumption. Before its very eyes, the temple's stature burgeoned, now sprawling over a thousand square meters, its artillery appearing all the more menacing.
"This!" A grimace of realization contorted the pig's features as it acknowledged the temple's enhancement. As it weighed the option of retreat, the cannons' chorus resumed with vigor.