CHAPTER 43: BEAST CORE!

Swiish—

Akhil’s blade cut through the air, leaving behind a faint streak of white light.

Splat—

Blood sprayed as the beast’s neck split open. Its body collapsed, twitching for a second before going still.

Akhil kicked the carcass aside and pulled his dagger free, the blade slick with crimson. The warm blood clung to his clothes, but he barely noticed.

{Blood essence from low-rank beast absorbed.}

A pulse of energy rushed through his veins as a red mist seeped into his body.

{Ding! You’ve leveled up.}

{You’ve leveled up.}

{You’ve leveled...}

{Wind ability detected! +5 to Wind Affinity.}

{Blood Essence: 8000/10,000.}

{MUT Coins: 2347.}

The flood of notifications blurred his vision for a moment.

He had long lost track of how many low-rank beasts he’d slaughtered since entering the mountain range. The air around him reeked of death, yet he pressed on.

On the bright side, at least his coin reserves were full again.

And also, with the amount of beast coming from that direction, Akhil was certain he was heading in the right direction.

The greater the density of beast, the closer he was to the boss.

’As expected... that thing’s dwelling should be somewhere up ahead,’ he thought, his eyes narrowing.

’If I have to face it, then I have to be ready.’

He exhaled quietly, his breath fogging in the cold air. Then, without turning his head, he spoke.

"When will you get tired of waiting?"

His gaze was fixed on a thick branch not far ahead. Through his heat vision, he could see the faint outline of a creature crouched behind it—a beast that had been tailing him ever since he entered the forest.

He didn’t move, didn’t attack. Instead, he maintained his hardened-skin ability, keeping his defenses up just in case.

The truth was, the more beasts he killed, the stronger he became. His confidence had grown with every fight.

Back when he entered the forest, he’d barely reached level 5. Now, after countless battles and absorbed essences, his strength had skyrocketed.

Apparently, blood essence didn’t just grant energy—it directly fueled his growth.

For most players, it took at least ten kills to gain a single level. But for him? Just five. Sometimes even fewer.

And the strangest part—his growth seemed to accelerate the more he killed.

Now, he was already level 21. Four times faster than any average player.

The absorbed essences also gifted him fragments of the beasts’ own powers.

{Darkness: 20/100}

{Wind: 50/100}

The wind ability in particular had become his favorite, enhancing his speed and reaction time.

Then, his eyes caught movement ahead.

The creature stepped into view—a star-winged wolf, its fur shimmering faintly under the pale light.

Akhil’s lips curved slightly. Not fear. Excitement.

’A level 50 beast... let’s see what you’ll give me.’

The wolf growled low, baring razor-sharp fangs. Its wings fluttered slightly, dust scattering from the ground beneath its paws. It didn’t lunge—just waited.

Patient. Calculating.

It had been stalking him for a while, waiting for the perfect chance to strike.

And Akhil... was waiting too.

Akhil never let his guard down. The wolf had no idea he’d already sensed it long ago.

Now that it was exposed, the creature stopped hiding and went all in from the start. It remembered their last encounter—and this time, it didn’t dare underestimate him.

Especially after watching him cut through wave after wave of beasts without slowing, without even breaking a sweat. His clothes were bloodstained, but his breathing steady. Calm.

The wolf rose into the air, claws flexing, its paws pressing against invisible steps. Air Walk.

Then, in a blink, it vanished—reappearing right behind him.

Its claws sliced forward, aiming straight for Akhil’s head.

Akhil’s eyes sharpened. He caught a faint gleam in the corner of his vision and swung his dagger around.

Clank!

The impact rang out as steel met claw. The force slid him back across the dirt, boots digging trenches in the ground. Dust billowed around them.

When it cleared, the wolf was gone again, swallowed by the thick, shifting fog.

’Tch... the worst terrain for this fight,’ Akhil thought, scanning the mist. ’Anyone else would have trouble here. Even my old self would’ve struggled. But now... not with this.’

Through the haze, his heat vision caught faint outlines moving—one glowing shape circling him in the mist.

He smiled faintly.

’So you’re trying to sneak up on my blind spot again? Too bad... I’m not the same as before.’

Without hesitation, Akhil hurled his dagger straight into the fog.

Swiish!

The blade shot forward, a streak of silver cutting through the mist.

The wolf saw it at the last second, its fur bristling. It kicked against the air, trying to dodge—but before it could, Akhil was already there.

He appeared behind it in a blur, hardened skin glinting faintly under the moonlight.

Then he struck.

BAM!

CRACK!

The sound tore through the forest as his fist slammed into the back of the wolf’s skull. Bone shattered. The creature let out a guttural howl, twisting violently, claws lashing out in pain.

But Akhil didn’t give it a chance.

He hit it again.

BAM!

The second punch was heavier—deadly. The wolf’s body went limp, crashing to the ground with a dull thud.

Silence fell.

Then came the familiar chime.

{Blood essence from high-level beast absorbed.} +100

{New skill obtained! Air Walk!}

{MUT Coins: +1000}

{You have leveled up!}

{Beast core available!}

{BOOYAH!}

«↑ Player Nexus has become the third player to kill a level 50 basic beast! ↓»

’Third, huh? Not bad,’ Akhil thought, brushing dirt off his hands.

He walked toward the wolf’s remains. The body had already begun to wither, drained of its blood. Where its heart should have been, something else pulsed faintly—a small, dark-red crystal embedded deep within its chest.

"So that’s a beast core..." he murmured.

He crouched, pried it loose, and held it up to the faint light. The surface shimmered faintly, like condensed energy.

’Didn’t attract as much attention as I expected,’ he thought, scanning the quiet forest. ’The others must be dealing with the rest of the horde by now.’

He turned toward the looming mountain range.

"Now... how do I even find this boss’s cave?" he muttered, scratching his head.

But before he could take a step, the ground beneath his feet began to tremble—softly at first, then harder.

The shaking grew violent, sending loose stones rolling down the slope.

Akhil steadied himself, eyes narrowing.

"What the hell is going on?"