'It just had to be a Commander rank beast!' Paul cursed.
Just like there was a ranking system made by humans to determine the power of awakened warriors, there was also a ranking system to determine the power of demonic beasts.
And just like awakened warriors, there were 6 majorly known ranks of awakened beasts.
The first rank of demonic beasts was called General rank beasts, the second being Commander rank beasts, then subsequently, Advanced, Demon, Legendary, and Abyssal rank beasts.
Abyssal rank demonic beasts were recorded in books to be as strong as natural calamities. Not even the Mythic awakened of humanity could go against some of them in single combat.
Right now, as a mere apprentice awakened, Paul was about to have his first combat encounter with a demonic beast which just happened to be a Commander rank beast, a beast 1 whole rank ahead of him.
In the Age of Gods, it was generally impossible for an average awakened warrior to go toe-to-toe against a similar ranked demonic beast. This was because of the innate advantages of demonic beasts.
Demonic beasts naturally have tough hides, some even developing armor skin. And by taking in demonic essence, demonic beasts could reinforce their skin even further to truly ridiculous levels.
Awakened warriors would struggle to breach the defenses of a same-ranked demonic beast, especially if it was a defense-oriented demonic beast.
Pairing the advantage of defense with their natural weapons, their sharp fangs and claws, demonic beasts were tools perfectly crafted and toned for murder.
Of course, having read in books too, Paul knew that this was not absolute.
Demonic beasts have different bloodlines which also contributes to their overall power. And the same way it was for the demonic beasts, it also applied to human awakened warriors.
There were average awakened warriors and the elite, combat awakened warriors who already spent a chunk of their lives training their God powers, honing battle techniques, and constantly pitting themselves against danger to hone combat experience.
Some of these elites could take on a same-ranked demonic beast alone but in the Age of Gods, these awakened warriors were few and far between.
"Leave this to me". Paul was dragged out of his thoughts by the lean man's familiar voice. "All I need from you is to stay still and if the need calls for it, protect yourself". The lean man advised as he already unsheathed his dagger.
He took a step forward, standing before Paul and shielding him from direct contact with the deadly demonic Wolf.
Just like the assassins of the triple six, this man wielded a dagger but it was not just one dagger, he wielded 2 daggers.
Immediately after it noticed the sharp daggers, the Wolf snarled even more. It was already moving, circling its prey, yearning to devour its prey.
The only reason why it didn't attack yet was because it acknowledged the threat that was posed by the lean man.
Paul already unsheathed his hunting dagger but like the man advised, he did not move. He stood still, tensed as his heartbeat seemed to slow down to a crawl.
'Is lean man one of the elites?'
'Its just us, can we survive this encounter?'
'F*ck, I hate being weak!'
Still in his thoughts was when the beast moved….
Whoosh!
Like a hurricane of bloody crimson, the Blood-Fang Wolf moved, pouncing even as it attacked with its sharp claws while baring its fangs.
Its target was the lean man.
The lean man stood his ground, eyes filled with clarity as he observed the movements of the predator. At the last moment before contact, he moved, ducking as he smoothly evaded the sharp claws of the Wolf.
The Wolf's momentum carried it horizontally above him, and this was when this Heimdall stung like a Viper, attacking viciously.
A whistling sound reverberated through the night as one of the man's daggers stabbed forward, tearing into the weaker underbelly flesh of the Wolf and dragging a dreadful line across as the Wolf winced in pain.
The lean man drew first blood…, yet he was already moving. Why? Because the Wolf already counterattacked.
Clang!
The resounding cacophony of clashing metal rang loudly as with his other dagger, the lean man protected his chest against the attacking hind leg of the Wolf.
After missing its target with the lunge, the Blood-Fang Wolf instinctively switched its attack, leaving its front limbs and focusing on its hind limbs to attack.
The Wolf's attack coincided with the lean man's dagger attack, but having predicted it, the man was able to protect himself from the deadly claws.
He didn't expect the staggering force of the kick though.
Groaning as he felt the force push him down, the man instinctively rolled forward, away from the Wolf and that was when his eyes widened.
"Dodge!" He screamed but it was already too late.
With his hunting dagger in hand, Paul could only stare, petrified like a fool.
The lean man stood before him previously, blocking him from direct contact against the Blood-Fang Wolf but by exchanging positions with the Wolf, he just left Paul to face the wolf alone.
Before Paul's brain could process what was happening even as blood flowed like a cascading river from the belly of the Wolf, the panic-stricken Wolf attacked.
Paul heard a slicing sound, then a stinging pain, then he saw crimson.
The crimson was his own blood, the Blood-Fang Wolf just attacked with one of its front limbs, designing his cheek with its 5 sharp claws.
If it was just a little bit deeper, it would have caught his skull.
In that moment, Paul saw his life flash before his eyes, but then...
Bam!
From the sky, Paul saw from the periphery of his vision as the lean man fell on top the powerful but injured Wolf, driving both of his sharp daggers into its thick skull and shattering it in one blow.
It was over, the Blood-Fang Wolf went limb and fell over to the side.
The demonic Wolf was dead.
"…!" Paul touched his face, feeling the blood rolling from his cheeks then he stared at the lean man that now kneeled at the side.
The lean man nodded at him. "Congratulations, you've been baptized into the world of demonic beasts".
"And you will likely have a scar to show for it".
…
Paul's left cheek bled a lot but the lean man showed his expertise of the wilderness again as plucking a few wild plant leaves, he mixed them, applied them and after enduring the pepperish sensation for a time, the bleeding stopped.
Paul could have healed the injury completely with his healing God power, but the lean man advised against it.
Not only would he expend most of his God power to heal such a ghastly injury, but the man had other reasons. The scar would serve as a reminder to him of the danger of demonic beasts.
This would prevent him from ever becoming complacent in the wild.
They continued their journey in the Endless Wilderness and just about 15 minutes later, they arrived at a ruin.