Spirit Taming

Chapter 487: Rock Mites

"I hear it too." Purple had already warned the group of the rock mites. But he had not said much more about them other than the basics of what they looked like and how tough their outer shells were.

"We would be passing by that collapsed tunnel if we keep moving here. The mites should have come from the dungeon, right?" Maria showed them the map. It was clear that no matter what tunnel they took, that the three of them would need to go through whatever beasts were making that sound.

"I knew that there would be some fighting. I have no idea if the spear will do well against these. But I have an idea of how to fight them without worrying about their tough outer shell." Clark had the black lightning spear in his hand the next moment. He looked like he was more than just ready for a fight.

It was better to say that Clark was waiting for a real fight. When Purple and Maria noticed that he had fully focused on the fact that they would find enemies, they took a step back. It was easier to be able to watch him fight weaker beasts than try and jump right in. a wise decision since Clark was going to ask them this in the first place.

With a roll of his shoulders, Clark focused on his internal energy while moving forward. Specifically the dragon energy that Crim provided and was helping Clark use since Crim was in the armor form to protect him better.

With the small change in control over the energy in his body, Clark remembered the feeling of when he had successfully meditated while training and fighting. It had been small moments that were veeyr exhausting. Yet those times he had tried to use all energies. Here, he was trying to just use a very small amount of dragon energy to do the same thing.

When a small shape started to appear different than the other rocks in the cave system, Clark knew it was a beast. The rounded shape with larger and smaller rocks attached made it seem to abnormal for a natural formation.

'Rock mite- common

The rock mite is a common beast that is often used as food for many earth type beasts. They are very tough which is why they normally are only eaten by earth type beasts much tougher than them. However, a few beasts with mixed affinities or opposing affinities have been known to break them open to eat from time to time.

The rock mite is much faster than anyone would imagine. They are able to use small bursts of speed to move and attack. They will often attack larger prey than themselves since they normally live in larger groups. If there is one, there is often more somewhere else.

They are unable to grow in to another form due to their tougher shells limiting them. Through many years they had to survive tougher environments and this forced them to a standstill. An evolutionary trap of their own body. But this does not mean that they are completely weak.

The rock mite is ideal for traversing caves and scouting routes. They can often escape from beasts before they are able to be tracked because a larger beast can not sneak through smaller spaces in the same way that a smaller beast can…'

The moment that Clark saw that the mite could use a burst of speed was the moment that the rock mite had attacked him. The rock mite that had been sitting still had dashed forward. The clicking of its rocky legs on the floor made the entire cave echo around them.

It was Clark's quick mind that let him raise the black lightning spear and let the mite's smaller body deflect away from him. It had leaped in to the air and targeted Clark's face with its sharp rock pincers. If Clark hadn't moved when he did he was sure that Maria would not have had an easy time healing his wounds.

"Fast little thing, but I am stronger than I look too." Since Clark was feeling the strength and power moving through his body, he was able to focus that in his muscles. A dragon was powerful in every way. The toughness and physical strength alone was enough to show that they stood alone on their own level.

If this little rock mite had known that Clark's mind and body were united even closer due to the dragon energy, it might have been smart enough to run away before Clark attacked. However, Clark had already used the strengthened muscles to take a quick step forward. The black lightning spear moving forward with much more precision than he had before.

With a swift pierce, the black lightning spear had stabbed at the weakest part of the rock mite. The only part that would normally be exposed because the rock armor would never cover it. The rock mites' mouth. It had to breathe and eat, it would never be guarded by a rocky armor. It was the weakest point for a perfect one hit kill.

"So that's why you were moving so slowly. You were uniting your body and mind to be able to use more precise attacks." Purple had somewhat grasped that Clark had been training his ability to use and focus energies from his beast while they trained with one another the other day. However, he saw the true reason why now.

"It's not as impressive yet. The strain of doing so is still too much. The direct movement of energy Crim to myself is too unstable still. I need to better understand it all to make it viable. It drains a lot of stamina." As proof, from that last attack, Clark was already sweating. Normally he would not show any sign of fatigue yet.

"Well, you also did a number on your muscles. I can sense that you pushed them too much." Maria had a higher sensitivity to things too. She and Lit had grown closer with her own training after Lit had become a true empress jellyfish.

The heights that she could go for healing were much higher with Lit at her side. Therefore, Maria could not sense the damages to a degree. She immediately started to heal the muscle damage which she had been doing with the help of nutrient potions. Now with the pebble mushroom potion in their systems, there was an added bonus of the body trying to strengthen itself too.

This addition acted as a catalyst for training. It was certain that the three would be optimizing this travel to get stronger now and be able to face even tougher beasts as they went. It was that dramatic of a difference with the perfect combination. Maria healing them as they pushed their bodies. The pebble mushroom potion helping their resistances grow stronger.

And the final addition of nutrient potions. Now they just had to fight.

"There should be more of them around. We should start fighting them with everything we trained so that we can better control ourselves by the time we get to real fights deeper. These beasts are just what broke out from that dungeon we are passing." Clark's advice was small compared to the sound of scuttling rocky legs coming their way at the moment.

"It was fully intended for training when I told you about the rock mites?" Purple looked at Clark and received a single nod. It made him smile slightly since he was sure that Clark was someone that thought much more than anyone realized.

"He's always doing that. I bet if he ever bothered to say half of what he was thinking about, then we would all be lost." Maria gave a little bit of teasing before the sound of scuttling seemed to stop. Not because a beast had been able to get to them, but because a larger form had raised itself from Maria's shadow and crunched down on the rock mite that had crawled from a crack in the ceiling.

"I knew you could beat that little rock mite. You are working so hard." Maria immediately praised the midnight eel. It had been absorbing the darkness and spiritual crystals very often. As a result, it had grown faster than it would normally grow in the wild. With such perfect balance of healing, energies, and Maria's praise the Midnight eel looked like it was close to an adult form.

"You could also use focused force. I mentioned that before." Another rock mite darted toward Purple who altered his fist to a flat handed point. In a single strike, he pierced the shell and struck the base of the neck. The rock mite had been defeated very easily.

"I should have expected you to change your fighting style. You have learned too many physical fighting styles here in Terra. I would say you might be a martial arts master in a few years." Clark joked around as he saw ten more of the rock mites moving ahead of them in the cave. They were the perfect training dummies for now.