novelraw Chapter 66 - 6th Rank Dark Leopard Beast!
Chapter 66 - 6th Rank Dark Leopard Beast!
Ash narrowed his eyes. Without speaking, he lifted a hand and pointed at the slightly below the summit.
"There," he said calmly.
Leon immediately moved. With a thunderous beat of his 22.5 meter wings, the newly advanced 4th Rank Crimson Fire Dragon soared upward.
The wind howled violently as they ascended. As they passed over the forested slopes, Old Ni’s eyes slowly closed as he expanded his senses.
"I can feel them," he muttered.
Ash glanced sideways. "How many?"
"Dozens of 4th Rank Beasts scattered across this side of a mountain."
He paused briefly. "And one... no, two 5th Rank Beasts further down the ridge."
Leon’s shadow swept across the rocky terrain below. Some beasts stirred, growling or retreating into their territories, unwilling to provoke a dragon flying overhead.
The higher Leon flew, the colder the air became. Finally, after several minutes, Leon hovered before a massive cavern embedded into the mountainside.
It was enormous as the entrance alone was nearly fifty meters wide and thirty meters tall. From outside, Ash could already see faint light glowing from within, blue and white hues that flickered softly against the stone walls.
Leon descended and landed with a low rumble.
Old Ni exhaled slowly. "It’s inside."
Ash gave him a look and nodded his head.
Old Ni nodded too in response before stepping forward without hesitation.
The interior of the cave was vast beyond expectation.
The ceiling rose high into darkness, supported by massive stone pillars formed naturally over centuries. Embedded throughout the walls were crystals with translucent blue and pale white, emitting a cold luminescence that illuminated the cavern like an underground palace.
The deeper Old Ni walked, the heavier the pressure became. The ground shifted from uneven stone to flattened slabs, as though something had deliberately shaped it.
Then he saw it. At the far end of the cavern stood a raised stone platform nearly ten meters high. And atop it was a massive leopard.
Its body stretched over five meters long, not including its tail. Muscles rippled beneath midnight-black fur that seemed to absorb the surrounding light. Faint streaks of dark violet ran along its limbs like veins of shadow.
Its eyes opened, two vertical pupils glowing deep indigo. A wave of dark elemental mana rippled outward like a silent explosion.
It rose slowly to its feet as it stared at Old Ni coldly.
Old Ni stopped twenty meters away.
For a brief moment, their gazes locked as time seemed to freeze.
Boom!
Then, an invisible force erupted from Old Ni’s body as he activated his (Sword Domain) skill.
A circular shockwave spread outward, slicing across the ground and walls like unseen blades carving territory. The air inside a hundred-meter radius shifted, becoming sharp that was filled with invisible sword intent.
The Dark Leopard Beast’s body flickered.
Its muscles tensed before it vanished into thin air.
Clang!
Old Ni’s sword moved instinctively. Sparks erupted as something struck the blade from the side.
The leopard reappeared mid-air, claws coated in swirling black energy as it used its (Dark Shadow Claw) skill.
Even within the Sword Domain, its speed was only slightly reduced as It was still terrifyingly fast.
Old Ni slid backward several meters, his bare foot carving into stone. Then he muttered to himself. "So fast..."
The leopard’s lips peeled back, revealing curved fangs before making its move again.
This time, its body dissolved into streaks of black mist as it used its (Shadow Step) skill.
Old Ni’s eyes sharpened. Then he spun his body and counter attacked.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Three rapid strikes hammered against the Cinderfall Sovereign. Each impact sent tremors up his arms. The 7th Rank longsword hummed with infernal energy, faint traces of flame trailing from each clash.
The leopard circled him like a living darkness. Despite the 33% speed reduction, its base agility was monstrous.
Darkness pooled beneath its paws, forming an aura that seemed to devour light as it used (Dark Field) skill— a passive domain that blended shadows with its movements.
Old Ni slashed as he used his (Sever the line) skill, a horizontal arc burst outward.
The sweeping slash tore across the cavern floor, leaving a scar in the stone.
But the leopard had already leapt backward, then it countered right away as it used its (Dark Fang) skill.
Its body lunged forward in a straight line, jaws wide open, fangs coated in condensed dark mana.
Old Ni raised his blade vertically to block the incoming attack.
Boom!
The impact exploded like a cannon as the ground beneath him cracked and Old Ni was pushed back.
The difference in raw strength was clear as the Dark Leopard Beast’s Strength stat exceeded his, even if not back much.
Blood trickled from Old Ni’s palm where the recoil tore skin open.
He clicked his tongue because even with a doubled sword attack within the domain, landing a decisive strike was proving extremely difficult.
The leopard reappeared to his right and a shallow cut opened along Old Ni’s shoulder as he had barely seen it move.
Another strike, but this slicing across his thigh.
The wound wasn’t deep, but the leopard’s claws carried dark element corrosion. The flesh sizzled faintly.
Old Ni retreated several steps.
The leopard prowled slowly now, circling him atop the stone platform as if it was studying him slowly.
Old Ni realized something, as it wasn’t just fast but its dark element allowed it to partially slip between shadows, making it difficult to track fully.
Even within Sword Domain, its movement felt unnatural.
He exhaled, then contacted Ash.
"I’m having trouble injuring it. Its speed and dark element make it hard to pin down."
Outside the cave, Ash’s eyes flickered and without hesitation, he ordered the system. "Upgrade Old Ni’s Agility to maximum."
[Ding! 250,000 Tribal Points have been successfully deducted.]
[Ding! You have increased Nirgos’s stats to maximum, adding 100 stats in total!]
A surge of energy flooded Old Ni’s body instantly as his vision sharpened.
His legs felt lighter and his perception accelerated.
And then, the leopard lunged again, but this time Old Ni moved first.
Clang!
Their weapons met mid-air and for the first time, the leopard’s eyes widened.
Old Ni vanished in a blur and used his (Iron Weight Slash) skill. He reappeared above the leopard, blade descending like a falling mountain.
Boom!