Darius moved through the jungle, the heat of his fiery essence and the whisper of shadows around him flowing with every step. His senses, now heightened to a supernatural degree, registered every rustle, every scent, every change in the air. The world had transformed around him since his evolution into the Shadowflame Panther, and with each passing moment, he felt his power grow. Every flick of his tail sent sparks into the air, and the shadows seemed to follow his every movement.
He had spent hours traversing the dense jungle, feeling the power of the fire within him burn hotter and fiercer with each passing moment. But suddenly, something shifted in the air. It was subtle at first, a small disturbance—an unfamiliar presence. His instincts flared, and he paused, his eyes narrowing as his ears twitched, honing in on the sound of voices.
Several humans, scattered in a clearing ahead, stood around a campfire, talking among themselves. Their words were calm but measured, as if they had a purpose in mind. Darius's stomach tightened—he recognized them immediately as Spirit Masters, but something else gnawed at him. These weren't ordinary travelers. These were hunters.
Darius felt a ripple of recognition. One of the humans—a young man wearing a robe of blue—was looking directly at him. The others, a small group of four, seemed to be waiting for the command to act. Darius's breath caught in his throat as the boy spoke.
"There it is. A Black Panther…" His gaze darkened as he scanned the area, sensing Darius's presence. "No… There's something different about it. I can feel it. It's stronger than usual."
Darius's instincts flared, and it dawned on him. They weren't here just to pass by—they were hunting him.
"Prepare yourselves," the boy said, his voice calm but laced with an undertone of authority. "This is the one we need. We'll take its soul ring. That should be enough for my breakthrough."
The weight of his words hit Darius like a hammer. They weren't just after his life—they were after his soul energy, the essence that gave him strength. If they succeeded, he would be nothing more than a harvested soul ring, his power taken from him.
Fear surged through him, but he knew there was no choice but to fight. Without hesitation, he lunged forward, his body moving faster than any human eye could follow. His claws extended, cutting through the air like a streak of black lightning. The nearest of the Spirit Masters—a man holding a spear—tried to react, but Darius was too quick. His claws sank into the man's chest with fiery precision, the heat from his body searing through the armor and flesh.
The group of Spirit Masters scattered, taking up defensive stances. But the boy, the leader, wasn't fazed. He raised a hand, and a sphere of glowing energy appeared above his palm, swirling with flame.
"You think you can take me down with just that?" Darius growled lowly, his voice now more animalistic than human, but his mind sharp and focused. He could feel the heat of the boy's power, his control over fire, and it was no small threat.
The boy grinned, his eyes gleaming with certainty. "Fire isn't my only strength, beast. Rising Phoenix Strike!"
With a flick of his wrist, the fireball exploded forward, shaping into a spear that shot through the air with blistering speed. Darius darted to the side, barely avoiding the spear as it scorched the ground where he had been moments before. But the boy wasn't finished.
From his other hand, another spear of flame appeared, and this time, Darius didn't move quickly enough. The tip of the spear grazed his shoulder, searing through the fur, and Darius let out a pained growl. The fire burned, but his will was unbroken.
"You'll need more than that," Darius snarled, his eyes glowing with fire as he focused, drawing on the deep well of power within him. His claw lashed through the air, igniting into a torrent of flames. He lashed out at the boy's spear, striking it with a burst of fire that sent it flying backward. The boy stumbled but quickly recovered.
At that moment, a loud crash interrupted the fight.
A roar echoed through the jungle, sending tremors through the ground beneath them. Darius froze. The roar was too deep, too primal, to be any ordinary creature. His ears twitched, and his eyes scanned the clearing as something massive pushed through the trees.
It wasn't some ordinary beast. It was a rat, yes, but one of terrifying size. Dark, matted brown fur covered its monstrous form, and its beady eyes gleamed with an intelligence far beyond its appearance. This was a rare creature, a soul beast of extraordinary strength. With a soul power of 10,000, it could obliterate any weak Spirit Master unlucky enough to cross its path.
The Spirit Masters froze in shock. Their leader, a young man with fierce determination in his eyes, gaped at the monstrous rat.
"That's a Giant Pond Rat... it has 10,000 soul power!" the boy exclaimed in disbelief. "But... why is it here?"
The massive creature didn't seem to care for their confusion. It stormed into the clearing, and without hesitation, its massive claws grabbed the form of Li Mei, the young woman among their group. She had been standing behind, watching the chaos unfold, but now she was taken in an instant, her slender body dangling from the rat's paw.
"Crap, Li Mei is the daughter of Zhou Tian; if she dies, we're all doomed. Forget this stupid Panther; kill the rat.
Darius's heart skipped a beat. Li Mei—as he hears her name, earlier when he saw her, he didn't realize her significance. She might have been a weak member of their group, but she was, most importantly, the daughter of a Title Douluo, one of the most powerful individuals in the entire continent. Li Mei's eyes widened in terror as the rat's claws gripped her tighter, her cries muffled by its overwhelming strength. The moment felt surreal to Darius. This girl—she wasn't just anybody's daughter; she was the daughter o Zto Zhouto Zhou Tian, a Title Douluo. If Li Mei died, the consequences would be catastrophic for these spirit masters—Darius snickered.
"Do you have any idea what you've done?" The boy hissed through gritted teeth, his body trembling with anger. "You just signed your death warrant."
The group, still processing the events, quickly realized the gravity of the situation. This girl's death would not just mean the loss of a valuable apprentice—it would mean the wrath of a Title Douluo descending upon them. If they lost her, Zhou Tian would hunt them down with everything he had, and they would be wiped from existence.
But that wasn't Darius's problem.
The Great Rat had taken her, and it wasn't stopping. Its massive form turned with astonishing speed and bounded into the jungle, heading toward the deeper, darker parts of the forest. Its movements were swift and calculated, its claws holding Li Mei tightly as it vanished into the trees.
"After it! We have to get her back!" the boy ordered, his voice shaking with urgency. "Do you have any idea what will happen to us if Zhou Tian finds out we lost his daughter? He'll—"
The leader was cut off by Darius's low, menacing growl. His eyes were burning with fiery intensity, the shadows twisting around him. He decided that he had to get out of here; thoughts of Li Mei and her father Zhou Tian pricked at him. He could sense the danger the girl represented, the sheer weight of power she was tied to.
The boy turned, locking eyes with Darius. He hesitated for only a moment before raising his spear and taking a defensive stance.
But Darius didn't move. His fiery eyes glowed as he regarded the boy coldly, a low growl rising in his throat. He wasn't interested in helping these humans, but if the rat took the girl to a place of great danger, he had to get out of here fast.
The Great Rat was a threat, yes, but it was also the best opportunity for him to escape. One that Darius would seize—although it meant leaving her to possibly die
With a final growl, Darius stepped forward, his silhouette blending into the shadows as he set off in the opposite direction.