Beast Evolution Forge

The blow caught Vell square in the chest, a brutal impact that sent him hurtling through the air like a ragdoll. He crashed into a thicket of trees, the force of the collision splintering wood and sending debris flying. Pain exploded in his chest, a searing agony that stole his breath and made his vision swim.

'What... was that?' He coughed, spitting out a mouthful of blood. His ribs screamed in protest, and he could feel the telltale ache of broken bones. 'How did it...?'

He struggled to his feet, his body trembling with pain and exertion. He could see the monster advancing, its movements no longer defensive but predatory, its eyes burning with a cold, confident gaze. The shift was terrifying. It was like a switch had been flipped, transforming the creature from a skilled opponent into a relentless predator.

"You are indeed and impressive human," the monster said, its voice dripping with a mocking edge. "But it seems your luck has run out."

Vell wiped the blood from his mouth, his predatory grin replaced by a grimace of pain. He knew he was in trouble. This wasn't the same monster he'd been fighting moments ago. This was something else, something far more dangerous.

'I let my guard down, even though i knew it was strong, i still let my guard down... this might actually be bad.'

He tried to summon his mana, to channel the energy that had always been his edge, but his body rebelled. The pain in his chest made it difficult to concentrate, and the energy felt sluggish, unresponsive. He was running on fumes, his main core depleted faster than he expected.

'No... not now,' he thought, panic clawing at the edges of his mind. 'I can't... I have to...'

He lunged, desperation fueling his movements. He aimed for the monster's exposed neck, his blade felt heavy in his hand, but the monster was ready. It sidestepped the attack with contemptuous ease, and countered with a swift, precise strike. Stay updated via empire

The dagger sliced through his defenses, grazing his arm and drawing a fresh wave of pain. He stumbled back, his movements clumsy and uncoordinated. Every breath was agony, every movement a struggle. He was losing, and he knew it.

'tsk, so annoying.' He exhaled as he began to calm down. 'I almost let panic take over there but this is me we are talking about, something like this should not make me break down.'

His mana flicked for a split second before a punch connected sending him flying. He didn't fight it as his body crushed into a tree, making his vision blurry. As his vision became clear, he saw the monster standing a few feet from him, looking disappointed at the state he is in.

"You know, with all the arrogance you were putting on, i expected a better struggle from you but this....this is just pathetic...you deserve to die, human."

Vell's eye widened as he looked up at the monster with eyes that sent chills through its body, "what did you just say?" His mana exploded, enveloping his whole body, it slowly began compressing on his skin, forming a black scale like armor, his eyes filled with bloodlust.

'what is this?' It jumped back, its hands shaking just at the sight of his aura.

He exhaled, black smoke billowing from his nostrils as his aura intensified, the very air around him crackling with an oppressive energy. The ground beneath his feet began to crack, the trees around them groaning as if in fear.

The monster stumbled back, its eyes wide with a mixture of shock and primal terror. It had underestimated him, mistaken his earlier desperation for weakness. Now, it was staring into the face of something far more dangerous than it could have imagined.

"You… what are you?" it stammered, its voice trembling despite its bravado. The confident smirk it had worn moments before was gone, replaced by a look of pure, unadulterated fear.

He tilted his head, his expression unreadable. When he spoke, his voice was low, guttural, and carried a weight that pressed on the air like a physical force.

"What am I?" he repeated, each word slow and deliberate. His bloodied lips curled into a smirk that didn't reach his eyes. "I'm what happens when you corner someone who refuses to lose."

With a sudden burst of speed, he closed the distance between them. The monster barely had time to react, its claws slashing through the air in a desperate attempt to counter. but it did nothing, Vell took the full force the attack and didn't move an inch. It tried to jumped back but he grabbed it by the throat, his eyes locked with its.

"You pushed me to use this power, i was saving it for your mother but i guess if I am struggling against you, i can't possibly be a match for her right? Well, you should at least be proud, this a great feat on your part."

The monster's eyes widened, its pupils contracting to pinpricks as it stared into his eyes. It struggled, its claws raking against his arm, but his grip was like iron. It could feel the power radiating from him, a dark, suffocating energy that seemed to drain the very life force from its body.

"M-Mother…?" it choked out, the word barely a whisper.

"Yes," he whispered, his voice laced with a chilling amusement. "The one you call 'Mother.' I'm going to hunt and rip out her core."

He tightened his grip, the monster's struggles weakening with each passing second. Its eyes began to roll back in its head, its body convulsing as the life drained from it. He could feel its energy fading, its essence dissolving into nothingness but before that, it left him with some words.

"you are truly powerful human but if this is your best, you are no match for mother. I hope she rips you apart and feed you to the wolves....." This got on his nerves, he wanted to give it a simple death due to how hard it is to control this power but being looked down upon always rubbed him the wrong way.

"I was going to end this quickly out of respect for the fight you put up," he said, his voice cold and venomous. "But since you want to insult me even as you die, let me send you off with a gift." He began forming a ball of dark energy in his hand, "you see, this energy is very... well, i will let you experience it yourself." He pushed the ball of mana into its body and immediately spread throughout his body.

Its entire frame convulsed violently. Its eyes widened in sheer terror, its claws twitching as it tried to resist the overwhelming force. The energy coursed through its veins like molten lava, searing every nerve, ripping through its insides with unrelenting ferocity.

"What… what is this!?" it screamed, its voice a wretched mix of agony and despair. It clawed at its chest, as though trying to tear the source of its torment from its body, but it was useless. The mana wasn't just invading—it was consuming.

The creature fell to its knees, its body writhing as the energy ravaged it from within. Its muscles spasmed uncontrollably, and a horrific, guttural scream tore from its throat, echoing through the forest. Black veins pulsed beneath its skin, spreading like a spiderweb, each one glowing faintly as though its very essence was being burned away.

Vell watched, his expression cold and detached, as the monster's body began to deteriorate. The energy was relentless, eating away at muscle, sinew, and bone, but the worst was the pain—it wasn't just physical. The mana attacked its spirit, tearing at the core of its being, unraveling it strand by strand.

The monster's screams turned to choked gasps, its voice breaking as the pain surpassed anything it could comprehend. "Stop... please..." it begged, tears streaming down its face. Its once-proud, demeanor had crumbled completely, replaced by a pitiful, broken shell.

"Stop?" he said, tilting his head as if considering the request. His lips curled into a cruel smile. "You think mercy is an option after what you've done? No. You earned your death."

He turned and began walking back to the cave until he came to an abrupt stop, "oh right, i almost forgot about you." He twisted his head, looking in the direction of the monster that had been following them.