— The Peak Grade Beast
The group continued moving deeper into the outer layer of the Rafom Forest.
The atmosphere grew heavier with each step.
The trees became denser, the light dimmer, and the sounds of the forest more unsettling.
Still, they continued hunting.
One Gamio after another—early stage, then middle stage.
Their coordination improved with each fight.
Dron held the front.
Lawn and Clwan struck from the sides.
Nahil observed, guided, and attacked at the right moment.
Their movements became smoother.
Faster.
More efficient.
But as time passed—
Something felt off.
Too quiet.
Then—
A sound.
A distant cry.
"…help…!"
The group froze.
Another cry followed—louder, filled with desperation.
"Someone's in trouble," Dron said.
Nahil's expression changed slightly.
"Be careful."
They moved toward the sound.
—
As they approached, the scene revealed itself.
And in that instant—
All four of them froze.
Before them stood a beast.
It looked like a wolf—
But its size was comparable to an elephant.
Its body radiated a terrifying presence.
Sharp, long canines protruded from its mouth.
And behind it—
Four long tails swayed slowly.
Clwan's voice trembled.
"It's… the rumored beast."
"Run," Lawn said immediately. "Run!"
But no one moved.
The aura—
It was overwhelming.
Their bodies refused to respond.
Nearby, several hunters lay on the ground.
Some motionless.
Some barely breathing.
The beast moved.
A single swing of its tail—
A hunter was sent flying, his body lifeless before it hit the ground.
Dron swallowed hard. "Four-tail… fox beast…"
"Peak Grade 1…" Clwan whispered.
Death.
That was the only word that came to mind.
Then—
Nahil spoke.
"…It's injured."
The others looked again.
Its breathing was uneven.
Its movements—slightly unstable.
And faint traces of blood could be seen along its body.
Before they could think further—
Dron suddenly rushed toward a nearby fallen hunter who was still alive.
"What happened?" he asked urgently.
The man coughed, blood spilling from his mouth.
"We… we are from a small Foundation Building clan…"
His voice trembled.
"We heard… a beast was giving birth…"
"So we came… to capture it… sell it…"
His eyes filled with regret.
"But… even after giving birth… it's still this strong…"
"We thought… with our ninth stage Qi Refining…"
"We could handle it…"
He laughed weakly.
"We were wrong…"
"Our entire hunting group… gone…"
His grip tightened on Dron's arm.
"Run… run, friend…"
But before he could say more—
The beast moved.
A blur.
A tail struck.
The man's body went limp instantly.
Dead.
The group stepped back instinctively.
Fear spread through them.
Then—
The beast turned.
Its eyes locked onto them.
Nahil felt it.
A strange sensation.
As if something about him—
Had drawn its attention.
"It's looking at you," Lawn said quietly.
The pressure increased.
Nahil spoke immediately,
"Run."
The others hesitated.
"Don't worry about me."
"No," Dron said instantly. "We won't leave you."
"We fight together, die together."
Nahil's voice turned sharp.
"No. We are not its match."
Silence.
"Run. Inform the city guard."
The beast didn't move.
It simply watched.
As if waiting.
The group looked at each other.
Then—
They turned.
And ran.
—
For a brief moment—
Nothing happened.
The beast remained still.
Watching them leave.
Then—
It moved.
Not toward the group.
But toward—
Nahil.
He turned just in time.
The beast was already in front of him.
Too fast.
Too overwhelming.
Nahil drew his sword instantly.
His Qi surged.
"Fiery Storm Guiding Technique!"
A low-level yellow-tier technique.
Flames mixed with wind, forming a swirling strike aimed directly at the beast.
The attack landed.
But—
Nothing happened.
No damage.
No reaction.
The difference in power was absolute.
The beast raised its tail.
Strike.
Nahil tried to defend—
But the impact shattered his guard.
Pain exploded through his body.
His vision blurred.
His chest tightened.
His heart pounded violently—
Then—
Everything went dark.
—
The beast grabbed him.
Effortlessly.
And began moving.
Deeper into the forest.
Far beyond the outer layer.
Far beyond safety.
—
Time passed.
The forest grew darker.
Colder.
More silent.
Eventually—
The beast reached its destination.
A cave.
Hidden deep within the forest.
It entered slowly.
Inside—
Two small figures lay curled together.
Newborn.
Two little fox beasts.
Weak.
Fragile.
The beast placed Nahil down.
Its movements slowed.
Its breathing grew heavier.
The injuries it carried—
Were severe.
It walked to a corner of the cave.
Collapsed.
And rested.
The cave fell silent.
The only sounds—
Were the faint breathing of the beast…
And the quiet presence of something unseen—
Deep within Nahil's consciousness.
Extra Information:----
Beast level
Grade 1 early stage power equivalent to 2nd layer qi refining.
Grade 1 middle stage power equivalent to 4th layer qi refining.
Grade 1 late stage power equivalent to 6th layer qi refining.
Grade 1 peak stage power equivalent to 9th layer qi refining or early stage of foundation building.
Some beast may more powerful or less, depends on beast type..
Thanks for your attention.