Location: Dark Forest - Mid Ring | Doha (Lower Realm)
Time: Day 445, Afternoon
The quakeboar's tracks were massive—each hoofprint pressed deep into the forest loam, leaving craters the size of dinner plates. Fresh, maybe an hour old. The displaced earth still held moisture from being turned, and the trail of broken undergrowth led northeast toward the rocky ridges where the Mid Ring's terrain turned harsh.
Target assessment: Inferno-tempered tier, early stage based on track depth and territorial markers. Estimated mass: 800-1,000 kilograms. Threat level: Significant.
(We've killed nearly thirty Flamewrought beasts already. We can handle this.)
Jayde crouched beside the trail, running her fingers through the disturbed soil. Her enhanced blade rested across her thighs, runes already warming with channeled Ember Qi. The Qi Regeneration Pendant at her throat hummed softly, pulling ambient essence from the Mid Ring's dense atmosphere.
