Mana beast.
Spiritual life forms created from the accumulation of mana.
They ranged from animals mutated by heavy exposure to mana to dragon and demon whom after years of evolution have been a definite race in the world.
While not as dangerous as Abyssal entities they still posed a threat to the mass and as a self patriotic citizen of the Sirius empire, Art saw himself duty-bounded to hunt the few that had spawn around the city that was until he saw one from the distance.
It stood as tall as a bear, it four legs planted on the ground toned and as thick as wood. It was shaped like a lion with it's glistening yellow and red hair emitting statics of red lightning.
It was both a majestic and frightening sight as it stood positioned infornt of the large gulping cave guarding it from trespassers.
"Should I have brought insurance."
For moment he considered going back to town to beg Trish to follow him her. She wouldn't have hesitated and with her having long started her aura training and cultivation this much wouldn't be trouble for her.
"No...no this battle need stakes, I have put in my all, no external help must be included."
The lion mana beast in the distance was the thunder lion, a C-rank mana beast with minor authority over lightning.
It was know it's speed and shape claw all infused with lightning. A single one such as this wouldn't have been a problem for him but that thing was undoubtedly a guard hence he was made to believe more of them existed passing the entrance of the dark cave.
He came here for combat training so he will no doubt try entering the cave but he was afraid.
It was a human reaction to be frightened by things forgein to him. Mana beast, abyssal creature and so forth were the exact opposite of the races he had admire when he came here.
He loved elves and vampires even though some could be even more frightening than mana beast but that was because the two races were rational. They thought and most had empathy something mana beast didn't have.
Those creatures solely existed to hunt and destroy and lacking information about how many existed within the cave made him wary.
Crouched behind a large deformed rock, Art his eyes darting back and forth between his sword and the beast finally gave into his determination as he gripped the handle of the blade and stepped out from behind the rock.
Right as he did, he felt an uneasiness creep across his spine.
The chilling feeling was remiscant of what he had felt during his venting exams.
Killing intent, albeit weaker but still discomforting.
Mana Beast like most wild animals had an appetite for meat and as far as he was concern he was full of meat, the rare kind.
The hiking population had probably diddled since the academy reopened so Art doubted the beast before him had come across prey as easy as him.
"Grrrrr..."
Just as he thought, the thunder lion one's guarded, lowered it's stance, a low growl escaping it's lips as it prepared to pounce at him.
"You can do this."
With a whisper of self encouragement, he raised his sword foward, it's tip pointed at the lion.
Scraping its claws across the ground, it bent it's back, then displaying inhuman agility pouched at Art with a roar.
The distance between them should have been so large a single pounce wouldn't get it anyway but this was a mana beast, a creature enhanced by mana so with it's fur glistening with sparks of red lightning it soared up in the air, it's majesty firm dazzling but equally deadly as it's menacing claws streched down onto him.
Art taking a short breath sidestepped it's pounce, it's hairy fur whiff the metallic scent of blood through his nostril as the creature having missed twisted it's body one's on land for a claw strike.
Keeping his feets busy by enfusing then with aura he ducked over the attack, raising his sword underneath it's firm and followed by a clumsy swing amped by his mana.
The sensation of his sword digging into the creature skin and so effortless cutting it open made his skin crawl, the mere sensation sickly.
No matter how hard he tried to ignore it, his sword ripping through flesh felt forgein, the same went back to his fight with Cheshire when he had unconscious stop his cut from digging too deep into her back.
"Fuck."
Darting pass the lion's firm, he swung his sword, scattering the blood and flesh away as he turn to continue only to find the lion dead in the ground, it's stomach torn open with blood and intestines gushing out like water out a broken dam.
"....well that was anticlimactic!"
Actually surprised it took him a single hit to dispatch of it, he sighed and approved the dead carcass.
Holding in his breath to not inhale the disgusting scent of it's blood, he turn it's body over. Spilling more of its insides as he position himself on it and slowly sent his sword deep through the cut he had made.
"It's core should be around it's heart."
Stirring it's insides like a madman for it's core, his sword soon brushed against something hard as he crunched and lifted whatever it was outside the creatures gut.
"Woah."
Exclaiming in delight he pulled out a yellow colored stone shaped minerals one's hidden in the creature. It was it's core, where it drew mana from and something that could come in handle for him in the future.
Using the lion's fur to wipe the blood stains of the core, he soon starched it within his pocket and stared at the cave in thought.
"I can kill one in a single hit but it's was a guard... meaning it must have something to protect, a king perhaps."
For a moment he thought he heard distant growls within the cave, each challenging him to enter. Whether that was his subconscious urging him to move forward or reality he couldn't tell but he knew one thing, he was up for said challenge.