Crash!
Out of nowhere, the mutated animal crashed into an abnormally large tree powerfully.
Even though it was sent crashing away with impeccable force—the large tree, proved to be even sturdier as the impact didn't do anything to it, aside from delivering a vicious whiplash to the mutated animal, straining its neck.
Recovering quickly, the mutated animal panted before raising its weary eyes fearfully.
At the opposite side of its position was Rex.
He was galloping on all fours like an animal—charging directly at the mutated animal. Experience the narrative at m_vl_em_p_yr
Strength-wise—the mutated animal was certainly stronger than Rex even with all the powers he activated. As it had already ascended to the tenth-ran realm, it outclassed Rex, or anyone in the ninth-rank realm in every single aspect of physical power.
In his current state, Rex was only able to have the power to barely kill it.
Had he been in any other fight, a couple of direct slashes from him should've ended the fight.
But against the mutated animal—Rex had already thrown a hundred successful strikes and it still didn't put the mutated animal down. His successful strikes did minimal damage to it—but that minimal damage had already stacked to an unbearable point.
Each pain from the wounds is beginning to catch up to the mutated animal.
Not only had it become slower, but was already limping.
Its left hind leg received a vicious cut on the ankle, and it kept on bleeding profusely.
At this moment regardless of the wounds, the fact that the mutated animal was stronger had become irrelevant. Even if it was stronger than Rex, it had no will to fight anymore. It couldn't pose a threat as it was overwhelmed by Rex.
It has nothing in its arsenal of beastly skills to counter Rex's ambush tactics.
Boom!!
Sniffling, the mutated animal managed to dodge Rex's charge, albeit just barely.
All of its ferociousness had been drained from its entire form—rendering it back to its original predecessor form of a normal black panther, that is wary of everything, in its surroundings. It tried to flee, and it made the mutated animal look more pitiful.
Its speed was already laughable, comparable to a measly normal entity.
Recovering from the charge that hits the tree, Rex straightens his back again.
In a menacing slowness, Rex pivoted to face the mutated animal, through the swirling smoke—his deep crimson eyes, coupled with his bloody King Mark were glowing, piercing the haze of the smoke, sending a chilling fear straight into the mutated animal's very core.
Having announced his victory, Rex made the final strike as his form blurred and disappeared.
As opposed to making a straight attack, he circled the mutated animal again in the shadows.
But as he did that, his body began to leave behind trails of crimson energy.
It was abstract at first, but as his speed increased—and his form blurrier, the trails of crimson energy transformed into tangible afterimages. Rex left behind a moving procession of echoes—each one mirroring his movements one to three steps behind.
Under the cloudy influence, he activated the Kaiser's Aura skill, contracting his entire being.
Both his muscles and kingly energy were twisting because of it.
From the mutated animal's point of view, flashes of crimson light could be seen whizzing.
Akin to a crimson death reaper that is going to take its life.
Rex became faster and faster, and the afterimages were left behind even further from him.
Only then that Rex come out from the shadow with a menacing intensity, appearing from the mutated animal's front—his kingly energy was reflected in the mutated animal's feral eyes. It displayed the utter primal terror that the mutated animal was experiencing.
Unleashing a thunderous roar, Rex showcased the full might of his Brutal Impulse once more.
He channeled his raw power into this attack.
Like an execution command, his roar echoed and reverberated through the entire forest.
It was also then that his speed spiked, reaching its maximum.
Crack!
BOOM!!
Rex swung his claws, with everything he had—right at the mutated animal's beast core, its weak point, pushing his claws into the mutated animal's skin. Unlike the Brutal Impulses he did before, the blast from this one pierced the skin and hit the beast core directly.
Rex fell to his knees, clutching the ground with both hands as an excruciating amount of pain that could kill a person a hundred times over—assaulted his pain receptors. Seems like it was not without side effects. I knew that it was too good to be true, and it is.
He went overboard, and his arms were throbbing now from casting too much Brutal Impulse.
Initially, he thought that he could do whatever.
But that choice will not go unpunished, as he felt the blood vessels in his arms were about to explode. Not to mention, the Kaiser's Aura skill that he used and also his new Primordial Step skill took an extreme toll on his physique and energy.
His body was now taking the full brunt of using those skills irresponsibly.
However, the damage his body was suffering is being fought back by his regenerative ability.
Only the pain would be the most inconvenience.
For the damages, Rex believed that it shouldn't leave permanent damage.
Since it's only pain, he could definitely handle it.
Initially, at the start of the deliverance of the accumulated pain, a grunt was forced out of his mouth as it came suddenly. But as the process continued, there was no sound that came out of Rex's mouth, he endured the pain in silence.
About a minute later, he slowly stood back up again, stretching his body.
Out of his entire body, his neck and jaw were the most sore.
"Man, I should've used the Blood Moon Order skill in moderation. My neck and jaw were sore from all of that biting," Rex mused inwardly, massaging both parts lightly. He rarely bites that much, even though he is a Werewolf, so naturally soreness is normal for him.
Even then, he looked at his hand and clenched it into a fist a couple of times.
Rex was feeling his body in delight—as even though the mutated animal was weakened, and hadn't consolidated its realm yet, it was still a tenth-rank realm entity. He managed to beat it with his own power, not a surprise anymore as he believed he could do anything.
He was excited and pumped as he could become stronger again.
Surely, there will be a lot of mutated animals of this Werepanther's caliber inside the forest.
If he wanted to survive in this Second Breath, he needed to get stronger.
Aware of his situation—Rex nodded and muttered, "System—I want to learn how to reach the tenth-rank realm in my Awakened power. Purchase that information, I want to get stronger as soon as possible"
<Affirmative!>
<It would cost 14 million gold to purchase that information>
<Does the user want to continue with the purchase?>
Just as Rex was about to say yes to that question, his ears perked up.
Swish!
His sensitive senses picked up a presence, and he instantly became alert and ready.
A presence was caught to his right, and with his insane reflex, Rex jumped to the left and did the most logical thing to do—activating his King Mark, and his other enhancements in case it was another strong mutated animal.
However, he soon lowered his guard when he realized that it was not a mutated animal.
It was a woman with brown twin-tail hair, she was also an Awakened.
Sensing that the woman, is a seventh-rank realm Awakened—Rex lowered his guard, as she must be one of the Awakened brought by Gelmar and Dindora to help. But he frowned when he caught sight of several scratches and dirt across her body.
"You there, how did you get here? Go back and tend to your wounds," Rex instructed.
But as he said that, the woman, who was still walking towards him suddenly collapsed.
Upon seeing this—Rex quickly went over to her, and caught her before she fell to the rough ground. He inspected her, and realized that her mana was compromised, and her body was extremely weak.
Almost as if she had been fighting, but the wounds were weird.
Her wounds are perfect cuts—what did she get herself into? If she got caught in my fight, the wounds should be rougher, than the wounds she suffered. But this...? I don't think this was caused by me.
"Y... Your Imperial Majesty?"
"Yes, it's me. I'll bring you back to saf-"
Just before he could finish his sentence, Rex's eyes darted to the woman in surprise.
Slash!