When Mav's eyes finally landed on the source of the voice, he was stunned. What he saw was unlike anything he had encountered before: a massive, gorilla-like Daimoniki. Its entire body was cloaked in jet-black fur, slightly hunched, its fists brushing the ground. Bulging muscles rippled beneath its fur, and its red-glowing eyes locked onto him with a menacing glare.
Mav stood frozen, his mind racing. "I didn't see this creature in the book," he thought. "Is this a stronger type of Daimoniki? But what's it doing in this forest? I thought only the weaker ones were here. Did I wander too deep? No, I know exactly where I am." His thoughts whirled like a storm, each question adding to the chaos.
"Enjoying harassing our kind, are we?" The creature's voice was deep and resonant, sending shivers down Mav's spine.
Mav couldn't respond, struggling to process the situation. How can it talk? I can't remember anything about talking Daimoniki. he wondered, the idea unsettled him, adding to his confusion and fear.
"Hey, I'm talking to you, kid!" the gorilla-like creature barked, its tone impatient and commanding.
Mav stayed silent, his throat dry and his voice lost in the grip of fear.
"Well, I might have also killed some of them before when I was weaker," the creature continued, "but that's our privilege, not yours, humans."
Mav remained frozen, his mind overwhelmed by the sight before him. He struggled to find words, his throat dry and his voice caught in his chest. The creature's imposing presence and the ominous words it had spoken left him paralyzed, unable to respond.
"So you're not much for conversation? Fine. I also prefer to let fists do the talking," the creature said, a dangerous edge in its voice. "Let's see how you fare against me compared to the others."
Mav's heart raced as he processed its words. "Compared to the others?" he thought, the phrase sending a chill down his spine. He glanced around the forest, which had seemed so familiar and safe moments before. The realization hit him with a jolt: Maimou had encountered other humans in this very forest—humans who hadn't survived. So he's saying that I'm just another name on a list of victims? Is that why I haven't seen any other flame users here? Mav's stomach churned with unease.
Then, the creature charged at Mav with surprising speed. Mav snapped out of his daze just in time. As the creature's shoulder neared him, Mav rolled sideways, narrowly avoiding the collision. The beast crashed into a massive tree behind him, sending shockwaves through the forest.
"You dodged my first strike. Impressive," it said, begrudgingly admiring. "You've already surpassed 50% of the humans I've faced. As a reward, I'll give you my name: Maimou. Remember it, though you won't live long enough to do so."
"Time for the next level," Maimou said, its voice echoing with authority. "Yellow Enhancement."
A brilliant yellow flame enveloped its entire body. Before Mav could react, it surged at him with enhanced speed.
Drawing on his experience from fighting the Giant Boar, Mav quickly invoked "Dark Green Invincibility" just as Maimou reached him. The impact of the beast's body against the protective flame produced a resounding crack, sending Maimou skidding backwards and crashing into another tree with a loud thud.
"My attack didn't even budge you?" Maimou exclaimed, its eyes wide with disbelief. It cradled its injured arm, still dazed.
"You actually hurt my arm," it grunted, pain evident in its voice.
Before Maimou could recover, Mav sprang into action. "Dark Yellow Transcendence!" he shouted, enveloping himself in a swirling dark yellow flame that intermingled with the dark green. With a burst of speed that left a mark on the ground, Mav appeared directly in front of Maimou. His swift movement was almost like teleportation. He launched a powerful kick towards the creature.
Reacting quickly, Maimou raised his arms, "Green Protection!" coating them in green flames to block the kick. Despite his efforts, Mav's strike landed, sending Maimou rolling backwards until he crashed into a tree. The force of the kick had bent both of Maimou's arms at unnatural angles.
"He has damaged me this badly, even with 45% physical resistance and my high-level Green Protection? Is this human truly so formidable?" Maimou thought, still stunned.
Before Maimou could get back on his feet, Mav was already charging towards him at an even faster pace.
8...
7...
6...
The duration of Mav's Dark Yellow Transcendence was dwindling. He had to act quickly while Maimou lay prone.
However, Maimou swiftly dodged Mav's next kick, contorting his body into an unnatural position. He narrowly avoided the blow and launched a counterattack with one of his legs.
Mav's heightened senses, thanks to his skill, allowed him to evade the attack, stepping back just in time before Maimou's kick landed.
5...
4...
Mav's retreat gave Maimou the chance he needed. The creature swiftly cast "Blue Heal," immediately mending the damage to his arms and restoring them to their original, unblemished state.
"You've got to be kidding me," Mav thought, stunned. "He can heal at this level too? He's already demonstrated mastery over three different flame types. What kind of monster am I fighting?"
3...
Mav's thoughts raced. "My skill's duration is almost up. I need a plan, but what? Should I run? But what if he chases me? I don't know how far I could get before my skill runs out. What do I do?" His mind worked furiously, the Dark Yellow Transcendence heightening even his thought process.
2...
An idea struck Mav—the Puffer Frog. "That's it!" The plan took shape in his mind.
1...
Before he could think further, his body moved on its own. He leaped onto Maimou's chest. The creature instinctively raised his arms, still covered in green flames from the Green Protection. Mav seized the opportunity, focusing all his strength on his legs. His eyes narrowed as he tightened his legs, each muscle straining with the effort. Using Maimou's arms as a springboard, he drove his legs upward with explosive power. His leap was precise, every movement calculated to maximize the force.
0...
As Mav completed his leap, the Dark Yellow Transcendence's duration expired. The force of his jump sent Maimou tumbling backwards once again, and Mav soared high above the forest. The tops of the trees blurred beneath him as he hurtled through the sky. The world below became a streak of green, the treetops merging into a smudged line of color as he climbed ever higher, propelled by the sheer force of his concentrated strength.