Divine Beast Ascension

Oli stated, “We drank those the moment we thought we were being attacked. So don’t worry. This fight will end either with you running, or you dying. Which would you prefer?”

A crazed grin spread across the panther’s face. The panther took another step closer and leaned toward the team. “Mm… That’s a good expression in your eyes. You’ve faced death plenty of times. Unlike most brats leading these teams. If anyone will push me to the next level, I’m betting on you!”

Crrrsh! Crrrsh!

Snow sprayed backward as the panther dove at Oli. The same happened for Oli as he bounded in front of his team, making sure he was the first person to entangle with the supposed pseudo-perennial.

Creech, CREECH!

Oli’s gauntlet in one hand and mace in the other clashed with the panther’s lunging claws. From the first exchange alone, Oli learned something. The panther was far stronger than the wolf leader!

“Good! Let’s go again!” said the panther, diving at Oli again after sensing the brute strength in Oli’s swings.

Oli was forced back as he slid atop the snow. Without assuming his gorilla form, it was clear that at best Oli could match the panther in raw strength. But that wouldn’t be enough to overcome the panther’s stronger essence. And even with dark essence assisting him, Oli’s human form could barely keep up with the panther’s speed.

.....

Nodding in satisfaction after assessing Oli’s abilities, the panther remarked, “Good. You’re sturdier than the last team’s leader, and your reflexes are sharper. For someone so young, you’ve been in real fights and not just sparring matches… I like you!”

“Then you’ll love me!” Yeter yelled as he raced through the snow at full speed.

“Yeter! Think before you act–”

Before Oli could move and intercept Yeter, the panther lashed out at the stallion. Yeter was still standing as he dashed past the panther but there was a gash a krin wide on his side.

Intrigued, the panther stared at the small cut on its paw. “Interesting… That’s a weird ability for a horse.”

“Oliver,” Fulkar spoke up from the side, “Do we have permission to engage?”

“Huh? You mean he wants to fight me alone?” The panther blinked, taken aback. “And your name’s Oliver? It’s a pleasure to face you, Warrior Oliver.”

For a moment, Oli was silently thinking. As the team leader, he had a decision to make. What was better in the long run? Endangering the team to fight the panther together, or keeping the others out of the fight so they can face the next imminent threat with less stress?

“Come on… I’ll give you three seconds to decide,” chuckled the panther. “After that, I’m attacking the girl next. One…”

Oli didn’t look back at his teammates. He just focused on the panther and rushed to fully evaluate the panther’s threat level.

“Two…”

With racing thoughts, Oli questioned *Training on its own, it likely has no soul art to defend itself. But without shifting, it faster and stronger than me…”

Resuming its grim grin, the panther leaned forward and swayed from side to side. “Three–”

“I’ll take you on!” Oli shouted while bounding back into the panther.

Amused, the panther assumed a defensive stance. “If you can’t entertain me, then I’m going after the others!”

CREECH!

The icy essence surrounding the panther thickened within a split second, creating an exoskeleton similar to the essence armor from the wolves. However, the ice around the panther’s head created an icy helmet. That helm gave the panther saber teeth made of ice while not losing any of its mobility.

In response, Oli inundated his body with earth and half-dark-half-death essence. Oli was also prepared to drink his first essence elixir at any moment.

After a brief moment for both sides to unleash their full essence armor, the battle resumed without any more breaks.

Oli’s mace was also swatted aside and the effects of his essence natures were minimal at best. With its thicker, purer essence, the panther shook off Oli’s blows with relative ease. It also proved that the panther was indeed faster than it had shown during their first exchanges.

“Ohh, not bad, kid!” The panther greedily stared at Oli’s dual essence mace. “It’s too bad you’re physically weaker… Are you not a peak-elder?”

Creech!

The panther ducked past Oli’s swinging mace and lunged in closer, parrying the blow with ease. “You dared challenge me and you’re not even a peak-elder?!”

Offended to learn the truth of Oli’s strength despite being unable to sense Oli’s cultivation, the panther’s playful attitude twisted. The panther leered at Oli with eyes full of rage. Its frosty glare was enough to send chills down any elder’s spine.

“Come at me, all of you!” roared the panther, not holding anything back as its claw was thrust at Oli’s side.

… crrrsh…

The panther suddenly changed his attitude again while darting backward without warning, stopping its attack in the process. Those once angry and playful eyes were now filled with confusion and curiosity. “... What did you just do?”

Oli didn’t say anything. He just gripped his earth essence hammer a bit tighter.

“... You baited me into what I thought was an unguarded exchange… You’re weaker than I thought, but smarter than I assumed. Not bad,” the panther teased while reassessing its opinion of the unique human cultivator. “Does that mean you actually have a means of killing me? And you’re not just spewing nonsense?”

Still, Oli kept quiet and raised his weapons, both the dual essence mace and the construct earthen hammer.

The pather stared into Oli’s steeled gaze. The panther wasn’t fearful or hesitant. But it could sense the vast resolve that Oli had gained after many experiences on battlefields or in fights. “... Fine. I’ll play with you alone. For now. But the moment you disappoint me…”

Crrrsh, crrrsh!

Two long, icy needles were suddenly launched from the panther’s frost-coated tail, faster than anyone in the team could properly react. The needles stabbed into the snow and ground less than an arm’s reach from Freele.

“... The moment you disappoint me, a team member dies,” continued the panther. “If any of them attack or move, I kill them. You chose a solo fight. So I’ll give you a solo fight.”

Nodding promptly, Oli didn’t waver. Such a threat wasn’t expected but it wasn’t anything out of the ordinary. And Oli was still able to keep fighting without dragging the others into the battle. After all, even though Oli had been working with the team for months now, he was still far more confident in one-on-one fights compared to their teamwork.

“You’re on. But if you dare attack them against your word, I’ll make sure your husk is mutilated and fed to the worms of the earth.”

Hearing the depth of Oli’s resolve confirmed by that threat, the panther shook off some of its arrogant persona. In its place, the panther showed a calculating gaze and a solemn, unfazed expression. “Good. Then come. Prove yourself or die trying. Entertain me enough and maybe I’ll spare your teammates.”

The essence surrounding Oli never lessened or increased. That was genuinely the most he could put out without wasting his essence too quickly. But Oli honed his strategy a little more with each exchange, so he was confident that he would somehow come out on top. Even if he were critically injured in the process, at least Freele would be able to devote her full attention to healing Oli afterward.

“Will you move, or shall I?” the panther asked, giving Oli an unblinking stare.

“Hmm… I guess I’ll go!”

Creech! Creech! CREEEECH!

As Oli bounded forward again, he swung his weapons somewhat like a madman. Yet his mace and construct hammer were swarmed by the panther’s parrying claws, never by the panther’s fangs. The panther took minimal steps backward or to the side while trying to read through Oli’s unmentioned battle strategy. And it would never let Oli’s attacks get close to its torso or head.

“... What’s that weird essence you use?” asked the panther. “It’s not in any of these strikes. But you used it when you aimed for my body. Why not use it against my claws?”

Squinting, Oli didn’t answer the question. Instead, Oli stated, “Weird essence? That’s probably my dark essence. I’m in the middle of turning it into death essence, so it changes on me sometimes.”

“... No…” The panther kept a close watch on Oli’s barrage but didn’t believe the boy’s words at all. “There’s a weird essence you used, but I’ve never felt it before. If you’re not going to tell me what that is… Then maybe I should stop playing around.”

Creech! Crack!

Oli staggered back as the panther suddenly knocked his dual essence mace aside and lunged into Oli’s side with impunity. But before Oli could use his construct hammer to hit the panther, the panther darted to the side opposite the construct hammer, using its lunging momentum to create space yet again.

“There it was! What is that essence?”