Moraxus.

  A monster that resembled a meerkat—if meerkats were the size of wolves and cd in thick, armor-like pting that made them nearly impervious to damage. Its beady bck eyes gleamed with an unsettling intelligence, and its powerful limbs twitched with restless energy. This thing wasn’t just fast—it was too fast. Running wasn’t an option.

  In truth, I knew this creature was beyond my current combat abilities. But fear? That was never part of the equation. My grip tightened around the Fangbone Scepter, its weight grounding me, filling me with confidence. If I pyed this right, I could bring the beast down.

  [Wind Cutter cast]

  A crescent bde of wind shot forward, slicing through the air with a sharp whistle before colliding with Moraxus’ armored hide. The impact staggered it slightly, its body jerking backward. Yet, when the dust settled, there wasn’t even a scratch.

  Tch. As expected.

  One strike wasn’t enough? Then I’d hit it again. If two weren’t enough, I’d make it five. Ten. A hundred, if that’s what it took.

  [Wind Cutter cast – effect successfully stacked. Extra damage dealt]

  I unleashed a relentless barrage, spell after spell, refusing to give Moraxus even a moment to recover. If I let up for even a second, I was dead. This creature was fast, but more than that, it was cunning. It knew how to chain its attacks, how to capitalize on hesitation.

  Perhaps sensing the pressure, Moraxus changed tactics. It no longer charged head-on. Instead, it zigzagged unpredictably, its movements erratic and near-impossible to track with the naked eye.

  Then—

  Scratch!

  A searing pain nced through my side.

  I gasped as warm blood trickled down my ribs. Moraxus had gotten past my defenses, its razor-sharp cws carving through flesh like butter.

  “Darn it,” I hissed, pressing a hand to the wound.

  The moment my blood hit the air, something changed. Moraxus froze, nostrils fring. Then—its movements grew wilder, more frenzied. It became a blur of motion, darting around me in an erratic, almost rabid frenzy.

  This was bad.

  [Windstride cast]

  I pushed off the ground, wind magic enhancing my speed as I tried to gain distance. At the same time, I fired another Wind Cutter—

  —but Moraxus was relentless.

  It closed in with terrifying speed, cws fshing under the moonlight. I barely managed to twist my body in time to protect my vitals, but—

  SLASH!

  Pain fred through my leg as its cws carved deep. My movements faltered. I stumbled.

  No—focus!

  Through gritted teeth, I forced myself to stand. My fingers curled tighter around my scepter.

  "Just a little more..."

  [Wind Cutter cast – effect successfully stacked. Extra damage dealt]

  The best defense… was an overwhelming offense.

  [Wind Cutter cast – effect successfully stacked. Extra damage dealt]

  Again!

  [Wind Cutter cast – effect successfully stacked. Extra damage dealt]

  At st—

  A shift in the air.

  [Wind Cutter has reached maximum stack. Hidden effect activated – Tornado Ssh cast]

  A violent gust of wind erupted around Moraxus, a vortex of razor-sharp bdes. The force of it was deafening. The monster let out a shriek of pure agony as the wind carved through its armor—through its flesh—until nothing remained.

  As the winds settled, silence followed.

  Then—

  A glimmer of red.

  A small, semi-transparent Soul Fragment y where Moraxus had stood. My breath came fast, my body shaking with adrenaline. I had done it.

  I reached forward—

  BAM!

  A searing impact exploded at the back of my head.

  Pain.

  My vision blurred. My knees buckled. Darkness crashed over me like a wave.

  I couldn’t move.