"I don't need a map or guide to get around this forest. I can tour this whole place in a day." I muttered to myself, my voice barely above a whisper as I trudged through the Earthod Forest, scanning the dense greenery. While searching for an oddity with the earth element, I practiced the Earth-Sense Breathing Technique I had learned from the Rising Dragon Mountain. My senses deepened, and I began to attune myself to the land's energy, seeking out the subtle tremors beneath the surface.
Time passed in a blur. Hours? Days? Who knew? The world around me faded into a tranquil hum as I meditated, and before I realized it, night had already fallen. The sudden absence of light jolted me out of my focused state.
"Damn it," I cursed under my breath. I opened my eyes, blinking rapidly, trying to reorient myself. Darkness enveloped the forest, making it nearly impossible to distinguish one tree from another. After several frantic minutes of running, it dawned on me: I was completely lost.
Frustrated, I sat under a blood-red tree, my stomach growling. I picked its fruit, the tangy taste momentarily satisfying my hunger.
But my brief moment of peace shattered when I heard a low, guttural growl.
I froze.
Beneath the eerie glow of the tree's twisted branches, nine pairs of glowing eyes gleamed back at me. Pyro Wolves. Their fur rippled with heat, and the alpha's fangs gleamed with flickering flames.
I cursed under my breath. These were no ordinary wolves. Fireball-launchers. Fire-resistant. Pack hunters. I quickly ran through the tactics we were taught at the academy, but none of them felt remotely useful in this moment.
"Well, here we are," I muttered to myself, trying to stay calm. "Plan A is a bust, so time for Plan B." I stood up, my body already coiling into a defensive posture, feeling the sweat on my brow. I took a deep breath, readying myself for the inevitable.
With a sudden burst of adrenaline, I sprinted towards what looked like the weakest of the wolves. The pack responded immediately, snarling and snapping as they prepared to rip me apart. The alpha, however, stood at the back, its eyes narrowing as if it were already anticipating my next move.
The moment the wolves lunged, I pivoted. A sharp turn, and I dashed in the opposite direction, leaving them momentarily confused.
"Catch me if you can, mutts!" I taunted, adrenaline surging as I dashed through the trees.
For a brief, shining moment, it worked. The wolves hesitated, their minds clearly processing the change. But as soon as they realized they'd been tricked, the howls erupted, and the ground trembled beneath their furious pursuit. The speed at which they closed the gap was unnatural—enhanced, I realized, as panic began to gnaw at me.
Before I could even think of an escape, the ground beneath me gave way to a cliff, a dead end. My heart skipped a beat as I realized there was no way out.
I turned to face the advancing wolves, dread sinking in. The alpha's lips curled into what could only be a mocking smile.
"How about we talk this out?" I began, trying to buy some time. But before I could finish, a fireball erupted beneath my feet, sending me diving out of the way just in time.
I rolled across the rough ground, my robes singeing at the edges. I was panting, the heat from the wolves' flames searing my skin, but there was no time to wallow in despair.
"You damn mutts!" I roared, rage flaring in my chest. "If you think you can scare me off that easily..."
I exhaled, gathering my focus. There was only one way to deal with this. Power.
With an explosive surge of energy, I called upon the depths of my being.
"Divine Eros Faere—AWAKEN!"
Mana detonated around me, sending shockwaves through the air. My Ascension Spirit manifested—a towering ethereal warrior wreathed in elemental energy. The very earth beneath me trembled as my cultivation surged from first-stage to fourth-stage Body Tempering in an instant.
The wolves paused, their fiery eyes flickering with uncertainty as they assessed the newly emerged power before them.
[Ding]
[Heavenly Eyes - Awakened]
[Ding]
[Heavenly Senses - Awakened]
I smirked, feeling the newfound strength coursing through me. "Well, well, well... looks like we've finally reached the fun part."
The alpha growled low, but it didn't move. The hesitation was enough. I threw a quick blast of earth energy that sent one of the wolves tumbling backward.
"Is that all you've got?" I shouted, my voice full of challenge.
A beast-suppressing aura detonated from Travis's body, saturating the forest air with crushing dominance. The Pyro Wolves recoiled as if struck by thunder—flames flickering, growls turning into whimpers. The primal fear etched into their instincts had been awakened.
Travis stood tall, silver eyes spinning with ethereal white light, his breath calm despite the chaos around him. His burns and injuries began to mend, threads of flesh weaving back together under the radiant pulse of awakened power. Strength flooded his veins. The world around him slowed—each sound, each motion, each heartbeat stretched into clarity.
He could see it all.
—The twitch of a wolf's tail.
—The wind shift before a pounce.
—The trembling dirt under clawed paws.
His Heavenly Eyes broke the illusion of randomness—revealing the precise, lethal choreography of the pack.