The roar echoed across the entire northern ridge.
Loose stones slid down the slope as the enormous beast stepped forward. Its armored body scraped against the rocky cliffside, each movement heavy enough to shake the ground beneath the Great 17's feet.
Kai's Hybrid Vision Eyes sharpened automatically.
Energy flooded his vision.
The creature's aura was far denser than the predators they had fought earlier. Thick currents of power moved through its body like molten metal flowing beneath armor.
Marcus cracked his neck.
"Now that's more like it."
Victor didn't look as relaxed.
"That thing is heavier than anything we've seen today."
Lena studied the beast's body.
"Armor plates everywhere."
Kairo tilted his head slightly.
"Probably slow though."
The creature lowered its head.
Its massive horns scraped across the stone as it prepared to charge.
Aiden stepped forward slightly.
"Don't underestimate it."
The beast roared again.
Then it charged.
The ground shook violently as the Horned Juggernaut rushed down the ridge.
Marcus moved first.
He sprinted forward instead of retreating.
"Mine!"
The Juggernaut slammed its horns toward him.
Marcus jumped sideways, narrowly avoiding the crushing impact. His sword struck the creature's armored neck with a loud metallic clang.
The blade bounced off.
Marcus blinked once.
"Oh."
The Juggernaut swung its head violently.
Marcus barely blocked the strike with his sword.
The impact launched him backward across the rocks.
"Marcus!" Kairo shouted.
Marcus rolled across the ground but pushed himself back up immediately.
"I'm good!"
Victor moved next.
His spear flashed forward toward the creature's exposed leg joint.
The strike hit.
But the armor was thicker than expected.
The spear barely penetrated.
The Juggernaut kicked outward.
Victor jumped back as the hoof shattered the stone where he had stood.
"Harder than it looks," Victor muttered.
Lena dashed forward from the side.
Her blade struck three times across the creature's flank.
SHING
SHING
SHING
Sparks flew.
But the armor plates absorbed most of the damage.
The Juggernaut roared and swung its massive body sideways.
Lena jumped backward just in time to avoid being crushed.
Kairo darted behind the creature.
His daggers flashed toward a small gap beneath the armor.
The blades struck the soft flesh underneath.
For the first time, the beast reacted.
It roared in pain and twisted violently.
Kairo rolled away before the creature's tail smashed into the ground where he had stood.
The entire ridge trembled.
Kai had not moved yet.
His Hybrid Vision Eyes were analyzing every movement.
Energy flowed heavily through the Juggernaut's chest and shoulders.
But something else stood out.
A weak point.
Small.
Hidden beneath overlapping armor plates near the creature's neck.
Kai stepped forward.
Victor noticed.
"Careful," he said.
Kai didn't answer.
The Juggernaut turned toward him.
Its red eyes locked onto the quiet hunter standing near the center of the ridge.
The creature charged again.
Kai didn't run.
Hybrid Vision Eyes tracked the beast's exact trajectory.
The moment the horns reached striking distance—
Kai moved.
He stepped sideways with perfect timing.
The Juggernaut thundered past him.
Kai spun and struck toward the gap beneath the armor near its neck.
His blade pierced deeper than the others had.
The beast roared violently.
Marcus grinned.
"There it is!"
Victor immediately understood.
"Neck joint!"
Lena dashed forward again.
Her blade struck the same weak point Kai had exposed.
This time the armor split slightly.
The Juggernaut staggered.
Marcus sprinted forward again.
"Move!"
He grabbed one of the creature's horns and twisted its head sideways with all his strength.
For a brief moment the massive beast struggled against him.
"NOW!" Marcus shouted.
Victor's spear shot forward like lightning.
The weapon drove directly into the exposed neck joint.
CRUNCH
The spear pierced deep.
The Juggernaut roared one final time.
Then its massive body collapsed onto the rocky ridge.
Dust and loose stones rolled down the slope.
Silence followed.
Marcus released the horn and stepped back.
"Okay," he said, breathing heavily.
"That one was better."
Victor pulled his spear free.
"Barely."
Lena wiped blood from her blade.
Kairo laughed quietly.
"That thing almost flattened Marcus."
Marcus pointed at him.
"I was handling it."
"Sure you were."
Kai walked slowly toward the fallen creature.
Hybrid Vision Eyes dimmed slightly.
The beast's energy had already begun fading.
Marcus crouched near the chest area.
"Crystal should be here somewhere."
He began cutting into the thick armor plates.
Victor stepped closer to examine the wound near the neck.
"You found the weak point first," he said to Kai.
Kai shrugged slightly.
"It moved."
Victor gave him a long look.
Marcus finally pulled a large glowing crystal from the beast's chest.
"Got it."
The crystal was bigger than most intermediate ones they had collected.
Marcus held it up briefly before storing it.
Kairo whistled.
"That's a good one."
Kai turned slightly away from the group.
Even though Marcus had taken the crystal, the system appeared anyway.
System Reward
Battle Participation Detected
+50 XP
+22 RP
Kai exhaled quietly.
Still fifty.
Even after fighting something that strong.
But the Reward Points had increased more.
The system was definitely shifting toward RP instead of XP.
Victor stood up and looked further along the ridge.
"There will be more."
Lena nodded.
"Creatures this large don't hunt alone."
Hybrid Vision Eyes confirmed it immediately.
Several massive signatures were moving deeper into the mountains beyond the ridge.
Much larger.
Much stronger.
Marcus stretched his shoulders.
"Good."
Aiden finally stepped forward again.
His calm voice cut through the wind.
"We continue."
The Great 17 began climbing higher along the ridge once again.
Kai walked with them silently.
His mind focused on the numbers.
XP had slowed.
But RP continued growing steadily.
The system wasn't stopping him.
It was simply changing the rules.
Hybrid Vision Eyes scanned the mountain slope ahead.
The energy signatures in the distance were enormous.
Kai's eyes narrowed slightly.
Those beasts would be far more dangerous than anything they had faced so far.
And if the system was right—
Those fights might finally break the fifty XP ceiling.
The wind howled louder across the ridge as the group disappeared deeper into the mountains.
Somewhere ahead—