2 A Small predicament
*ROAR
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A deafening roar reverberated throughout the entire lake with strong ripples of water accompanying it, emanating from its source.
The intense roar had immediately sent chills down Akira's spine.
[WARNING : HIGH-LEVEL THREAT INCOMING]
A blaring alarm like sound immediately went off in Akira's head, its voice not too dissimilar to the one he encountered when he first entered this world.
'High-level'!? What the hell is that supposed to mean!?'
He was thrown into a frenzied panic, his body breaking out in cold sweats.
Slowly peeking out the dense willow tree, he made sure to be careful so that whatever creature was outside wouldn't notice him...
His eyes slowly widened in terror as he finally laid eyes on the beast outside...
Towering over the tallest trees with its massive size, the beast was a sight to behold.
Its ivory fur so pure and pristine that it'd glow under the moonlight, shimmering like the snow-capped peaks of a distant mountain range.
At the center of its forehead was a jet-black horn, sharp as a razor and gleaming in the sunlight.
The horn was so enormous that it would make even the mightiest of rhinos look like a mere child's toy. The monster's eyes were like two blazing orbs of fire, burning with an intensity that could melt the coldest of hearts.
Akira eyed the approaching beast as it slowly moved through the forest.
The ground shook beneath its feet, and the trees swayed in its wake. Its roar was deafening, a deep and guttural sound that sent shivers down the spines of all who heard it...
Just as he was struck by its immense majesty, his eyes suddenly fell upon a small boar that had been drinking from the lake...
He hadn't noticed the boar before, assuming that it came to the lake shortly after he had settled in the tree.
Seeing this scene, Akira couldn't help but sigh, knowing full well that the boar was about to be the beasts next meal, but what had happened next left him completely dumbfounded...
The ferocious beast jumped at the boar, its massive paws striking the ground with a thunderous force, seemingly ready to devour it whole!
The boar, appearing unimpressed, stood its ground, its small frame belying its strength and ferocity within.
The tiger-like beast roared, ready to tear the boar apart with its powerful jaws.
But the boar was quick, dodging the beast's attack with ease. It darted to the side, then circled around to the beast's flank. The tiger-beast turned to face the boar, its eyes filled with anger and frustration.
Akira watched in awe as the two beasts battled, feeling a mixture of fear and fascination. He knew that he was in no position to intervene - he was far too weak to take on either of these beasts alone...
Knowing that one false move could mean certain death, he wanted to run but was sure that if he did he would be noticed.
Not wanting to take the risk, he decided it was best if he stayed where he was...
The two animals circled each other, each sizing up their opponent. The boar charged forward, its tusks looking as if they could split the earth. The tiger-beast swiped at the boar, but it was too late. The boar had already sunk its tusks deep into the tiger-beast's flesh.
The tiger-beast roared in pain and fury, thrashing about as it tried to shake the boar off. But the boar held firm, its powerful jaws clamped down on the beast's flesh. With a fierce determination, the boar continued to attack, each strike weakening the tiger-beast.
As the two fought Akira decided to utilize Magic Sense to catch a glimpse of both their 'Halo's'.
'Lets see now...'
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'!!!'
Akira's face went pale as his view was engulfed with the raging halos of both the creatures.
Their auras were shining blisteringly, like flames ignited under the midnight blue sky.
The entire area was engulfed in the two massive Qi 'flames', sporadically changing their shapes as the creatures fought.
The Tiger-beast exuded an immensely dense aura of Profound Qi. On his way to the pond, he had encountered several other animals and beasts, but their halo's were not as pure or as powerful as that of the Tiger-beast here, they couldn't even be compared...
Even more so was the boar!
The Profound Qi in it was so concentrated that he'd nearly thrown up just from checking it, he wanted nothing more than to run right now!
The beast launched another attack, but the boar was yet again too quick for it, dodging and weaving around the beast's massive frame. With each attack, the boar drew more blood, weakening the beast even more.
The boar continued its onslaught, tearing into the tiger-beast's flesh with its razor-sharp tusks. Finally, the tiger-beast collapsed, defeated and bleeding.
The boar stood triumphantly over its vanquished foe, its small frame now a testament to the strength and tenacity of this unexpected victor.
Akira was stunned by the outcome of the battle. The opponent he had believed to be weaker had triumphed over the one he had expected to win, crushing them utterly. It was a stark reminder that in this world, looks and size held little sway. 'Looks like appearance and strength don't always go hand in hand,' he muttered to himself.
As the boar let out a triumphant grunt, it noticed that the monstrous tiger-like beast was still twitching on the ground. It approached the fallen creature cautiously, preparing for another attack, but to its surprise, the beast suddenly sprang back to life.
'What!?'
Akira was stunned by the sudden situation!
Without notice the Tiger beasts halo swelled dramatically, enveloping the entire pond!
The beast rose to its feet, seemingly unaffected by the boar's previous attacks. Its eyes glowed with an eerie light, and its muscles bulged with newfound strength. The boar seemed to have noticed this abnormal change and quickly changed its stance.
'Where did that power suddenly come from?' Akira was appalled
With renewed vigor, the beast charged towards the boar, its claws and fangs shining gloriously. The boar tried to dodge the beast's attack, but this time, the beast was too fast. It managed to land a glancing blow on the boar's side, causing it to stumble and lose its balance.
The beast seized its opportunity and attacked the boar with even greater ferocity than before. The boar struggled to defend itself against the beast's relentless assault, but it was no match for the beast's increased strength.
Akira continued to watch the battle between the two beasts unfold.
It seemed like the forest was quiet except for the sounds of the fight - the boar's angry grunts and the tiger-like beast's low growls. The air was thick with the smell of sweat and blood.
The tiger-beast pressed its advantage, using its massive bulk and sharp claws to inflict more and more damage on the boar. The boar fought back valiantly, but it was clear that it was no match for the rejuvenated tiger-beast.
As the battle continued to rage on, the tiger beasts attacks and movements were becoming more frenzied and unpredictable.
Just as the fight had reached its climax, Akira noticed a strange faint hue appear on the boars tusks. The tiger-beast hadn't noticed the change in the boar, and it moved in for the final strike.
With a final, bone-crunching blow, the tiger-beast sent the boar sprawling to the ground!
Akira watched in awe as the Tiger beast was readying its finishing blow, the boars blood staining its claw.
Just then, the boar suddenly got up and snickered, looking at the beast with a mysterious glint in it's eye.
A small blue light could then suddenly be seen on the tiger-beasts front paw,
it had been the same one it used to strike the boar!
The small blue light began to become bigger and bigger and eventually Ice could be seen in the tiger-beasts hand!
The icy light began to quickly envelop the beast,
Fear could be seen all over its face but it couldn't do anything, it couldn't even move now that two of its front paws had turned into ice!
The beast thrashed wildly, trying to resist it's doomed fate, but the ice was quick, in a matter of moments all that was left in its place was an ice sculpture of a 10 meter Jaguar with a giant horn on its head.
Akira watched in amazement as the boar grunted triumphantly. He knew that he had just witnessed something extraordinary, something that defied explanation. He wondered what other secrets this new world held, and what other dangers he might face in the days and weeks.
The boar then glanced to its side, it's pupils dilated straight at the willow tree he had been hiding in...
As Akira caught the boar's eye, his heart sank with dread. He cursed under his breath, realizing he had been spotted. However, to his surprise, the boar merely gave him a cold glare before turning and walking away, leaving Akira unharmed.
A wave of relief washed over him as he let out a deep breath, feeling the weight of the pressure lift from his body and soul...
I thought I was a goner...
Deciding that there was no point in hiding, he slowly lowered himself from the tree...
"Hmm..."
Akira was curious about the ice on the tiger.
It was the first time he had seen an ability be used in this world...
He approached it slowly while looking at the boar which was drinking from the pond.
Seeing no reaction he heaved a sigh of relief.
Up close the beast looked to be even more frightening than what he had thought.
its immense frame towered over him, making like feel like an ant...
He touched the sculpture, when suddenly.
*CRACK*
eh?
The sound of loud cracks of ice resounded through the air, thin visible cracks could be seen slowly spreading across the statue.
Eh?
Suddenly, the boar's head whipped towards him, its eyes quickly turning to that of tremendous hostility.
It immediately began to run towards him at a blinding speed, ready to attack both the sculpture and Akira.
EHHHH!?!
*SHATTER*
The noise of ice shattering quickly filled the air. The White Tiger quickly regained it's senses, it's eyes once again glowing with a ferocious light!
In a split second, Akira was lifted off the ground by the tiger, leaving him no time to react. The solid earth vanished from beneath his feet as the powerful beast snatched him up in its jaws.
Akira's face immediately lost all it's youth, turning into a ghoul like state...
shit.
The Tiger's powerful hind legs launched it deep into the forest, with Akira's body dangling precariously from the jaws of the massive tiger that had snatched him up from the forest floor. The beast's powerful muscles rippled as it barreled through the dense undergrowth.
As they ran, the tiger easily knocked down massive trees in its path, its strength and size making it a force to be reckoned with. Akira could feel the ground shaking beneath him with every pounding footstep, the tigers grip on him making it impossible for him to escape his situation...
The tiger turned around to see the unassuming-looking boar racing towards them at breakneck speed. Despite its small size, the boar's determination was palpable as it closed in on the duo.
The tiger didn't flinch as the boar drew closer, maintaining its pace and determination to escape. But the boar was quick and nimble, weaving in and out of the trees with ease as it closed the gap between them.
As they continued their frenzied chase through the woods, the tiger's massive body crashed through trees like they were mere twigs, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake!
As he held on for dear life, Akira frantically began to pray to every god and deity he could think of.
'Oh great Thor, God of Thunder, please strike that boar with lightning and save me!' he shouted to the skies.
But there was no response from Thor, and the boar continued to chase them.
Akira then turned to the Hindu pantheon. 'Ganesha, remover of obstacles, please remove this boar from my path!'
But the boar still charged towards them, unfazed by Akira's prayer.
'Anyone? Anyone up there hear me!?'
Akira's heart was pounding in his chest as he clung to the jaw of the massive tiger, he had been in this world for not even a day and yet he'd already gotten himself into such a predicament!
The chase ensued for several more hours, as they stampeded through the forest with the boar hot on their tail, its tusks ready to be bloodied as it charged forward.
But despite the boar's persistence, the tiger was simply too steadfast to catch. With one final burst of speed, the tiger broke free from the boar's grasp!
(Authors note :
Hey there!
Just wanted to drop a quick note to say thanks for reading this chapter of my novel. It means a lot to me that you're taking the time to check out my work, and I hope you enjoyed it! )
