It did not take long for the Void Beast to cover the trek towards the Steelwood Serpent's lair, her instincts guiding her relentlessly. She was a creature born of the void, fueled by a primal hunger and a fierce drive to adapt and evolve. Her body was an amalgamation of the void's desolation and the chaotic mana she had consumed, and now, on the fifth floor of the Tower, she was about to test her limits.
As she approached the serpent's den, her senses sharpened. The Steelwood Serpent, coiled just outside a cave, hissed menacingly, releasing bursts of mana-filled intent in an attempt to ward off the newcomer.
The beast, Liz, however, felt no fear. The battle was inevitable, and she had no intention of backing down. Her body, driven by instinct, had already calculated the threats and had already begun the process of preparing for the fight. It was time to prove herself.
Meanwhile, the Association team, hidden in the shadows, were observing the scene unfolding before them. Their mission was simple: track the Void Beast, collect intel, and—if necessary—report back to the higher-ups. What they hadn't expected, however, was a direct confrontation with a boss-tier creature, and now they were faced with the terrifying sight of a Steelwood Serpent defending its territory against an aggressive beast.
"Holy fuck! Shit! Shit! Shit! Why is there a boss-ranked creature here?!" one of the scouts hissed in panic, eyes wide with disbelief.
The captain, sensing the danger, slapped a hand over his comrade's mouth. "Calm down! It's not an actual boss," he hissed through clenched teeth. "It's just a mini-boss. The kind that evolves when you're about to face the actual ones. They're basically preparatory for what's to come."
Reece, hidden just outside their perimeter, silently watched the unfolding scene, his thoughts sharp and focused. His attention remained fixed on the battle, but his awareness of the surrounding team was just as acute. "Master, I know they're meant to be elites, but isn't this a bit disappointing?" Prima commented dryly. "We're literally next to them, and not a single one has noticed us. Their instincts aren't even picking up on us."
Reece chuckled quietly. "Their instincts? Maybe they're not as sharp as they think. These are the kinds of people who will be blindsided in the upcoming wars. Just wait and see."
Still hidden in the shadows, Reece analyzed the fight, watching as the Void Beast and the Steelwood Serpent locked in a battle of wills. The two creatures were locked in an intense standoff, each trying to outmuscle the other. The Void Beast, despite its primal strength, was struggling against the Serpent's superior mana control and sheer physical power.
The Steelwood Serpent, a creature known for its massive, wooden scales and ability to manipulate poison, fired off a flurry of mana-charged spikes in an attempt to drive Liz back. Its poison-coated wooden spikes whizzed through the air like arrows, aiming to pierce Liz's tough hide. Liz, however, was quick, narrowly dodging several of the spikes and retaliating with quick, sharp slashes of her claws.
But despite her strength, the Void Beast had a major disadvantage—its adaptation to mana was still in the early stages and extremely crude. Liz had learned how to absorb mana, but her control over it was far from perfected. When she tried to use her claws and tail to strike the serpent, it retaliated with bursts of poison, injecting it into her wounds.
"Damn it," Reece muttered under his breath. "She's too wild right now. She's relying too much on her physical strength."
Liz roared in frustration, her body writhing as poison began to seep into her bloodstream. Her movements became erratic, and for a moment, it seemed as though the fight was slipping from her control.
"The poison from the Steelwood Serpent is no joke," Reece said gravely. "For someone who has mastered mana manipulation, it's deadly. For Liz… this will be an uphill battle. But she can do it."
Despite the overwhelming odds, Liz continued fighting, her body lashing out with raw power and instinct, each strike fueled by a deep, primal desire to survive. Reece knew that the only way Liz could survive this was if she adapted quickly enough—if she could start understanding how to manipulate the mana she had absorbed.
As the battle raged on, Reece silently moved closer to the mountain range's core. He had to set up a "curtain"—a barrier that would prevent anyone from seeing what was about to happen. With Liz engaged in the fight of her life, now was the perfect opportunity to make his move.
"Master, what are you planning?" Prima's voice was full of concern. "If you're using a spell to obscure everything, won't the Greater Administrators notice? If not them, then the Ninth Administrator will eventually detect you should they be given the means to."
Reece's expression darkened. "This isn't something I can take lightly. If we want to survive what's coming, if we want to remain unnoticed, and if we want to complete our preparations in the utmost secrecy, this is our only option."
Prima's voice trembled slightly in her concern. "Wait… you mean…?"
Reece nodded solemnly. "Yes, we have to use [Existence Embrace]. It's the only way we'll be able to remain undetected by both the Tower, the administrators and that hateful annoying bitch. I won't be able to sustain it for long, though. It will drain me and I will most definitely collapse. But it's necessary."
[Existence Embrace] was a spell created in a previous regression, when Reece had been forced to hide from a powerful individual—someone who could track and detect even the most subtle fluctuations in mana within fate itself. The spell was designed to not just conceal the user's presence but to erase their existence from the perceptible multiverse entirely. For a brief time, it would make Reece and anyone he wished to hide with him nigh undetectable to any force—divine or mortal—if they weren't actively searching for the user.
However, the spell had a price. It required an immense amount of energy to fuel and could only be sustained for a short period of time before it would leave Reece drained, unable to act, energy which his current cores couldn't even sustain let alone cast. Reece however had come up with a plan to help the spell sustain them long enough.
"I understand, Master," Prima said, her voice tight with apprehension. "But this… it will be risky."
Reece didn't respond immediately, focusing on gathering the primal mana he would need. His body thrummed with energy as he began to draw it from his surroundings, weaving it into the spell formation. Each movement was slow and deliberate, the air thick with tension as he prepared to cast.
The fight continued behind him, Liz struggling against the serpent's attacks. Her body was weakening, but Reece could see it—the turning point. The moment she started gaining control, her movements became more measured and precise as she fought back the poison with sheer willpower.
'The moment she succeeds, I'll be able to act.' Reece thought. 'But for now, I need to ensure no one sees what's about to happen.'
Finally, as the last thread of mana was pulled into place, Reece unleashed the spell. The world around him seemed to blur, his form melting into the surroundings, as if he had never existed at all.
And then, with one final surge of energy, he alongside the entire mountain range suddenly vanished.
[Canopies Mountain Range, Front Entrance, 5th Floor]
The battle between the void beast had been intense, leading the beast and serpent deeper into the mountain range and away from the entrance where it had started.
Liz's struggle against the Steelwood Serpent reached its climax. Despite her strength, the poison had begun to overwhelm her. Her claws were covered in venom, her muscles growing stiff as the toxins coursed through her veins. Yet, even as she faltered, her determination burned bright.
The Steelwood Serpent, sensing victory, coiled its massive body and lunged at Liz, its mouth wide open to deliver a fatal bite. Liz reacted instinctively, her body shifting just in time to avoid the full brunt of the attack. But the serpent's poison-coated teeth still grazed her shoulder, and she screeched in pain as the venom seeped into her flesh.
'This is it,' Liz thought, her mind still clouded by instinct and desperation.
Then, something in her clicked. The surge of mana she had absorbed, the battle, the desperation—everything aligned. Liz's form rippled with dark energy as she called upon every ounce of her strength. A surge of power coursed through her, flowing through her veins and out into her limbs. The void-like energy within her began to crystallize as she took control of the mana around her.
Her frenzied eyes flashed violet, and with a roar of defiance, Liz struck back with a newfound clarity. Her claws dug deep into the Steelwood Serpent's flesh, the mana she had absorbed now fully under her control. She thrust forward, piercing through its defenses, her body shifting to avoid the serpent's retaliatory strikes. In a final desperate attempt, the serpent summoned one last burst of poisonous spikes, but Liz was faster, leaping high into the air and driving her claws deep into its skull.
The Steelwood Serpent let out a final, agonized hiss before collapsing to the ground, its body disintegrating into dust as Liz absorbed the last of its energy. Her breathing was labored, her body covered in wounds, but she had survived. She had won.
Reece, still hidden by the [Existence Embrace], felt a faint wave of pride wash over him as he watched the battle conclude and before he truly passed out from the overdraft he was going through. Liz had succeeded, but she had only just begun to understand her true potential.