CHAPTER 64

Rawr! Hiss! Growl!

A majestic lion with black fur and a flaming mane paced to and fro on a raised platform in front of a crowd of beasts. A burst of flame at the tip of its tail added to its imposing appearance.

ROAR!

"Those humans are too audacious!" the lion proclaimed. The crowd hissed and growled in agreement.

"First of all, they stole this king's home," the lion continued. "For that, they must pay!" More growls and hisses erupted from the crowd.

"Then they refused our negotiations and killed our messengers," the lion roared.

Growl

"As if that's not enough," the lion continued, "they also slaughtered hundreds, if not thousands, of our brothers and sisters."

The crowd hissed and growled in fury.

"So tell me," the lion roared, "do these fiends deserve to live?"

The crowd hissed and growled in disagreement.

"Yes, that's right, they deserve to die," the lion declared. "And death we shall bring to them."

"Pick 200 of yourselves who would attack them today," the lion ordered. "The rest of you, prepare for war. " in a week's time we shall attack "

A thunderous roar of approval went up from the crowd as the beasts began to jostle for position, eager to prove themselves worthy of the honor of joining the attack. Some even began to fight among themselves, claws and teeth flashing in the moonlight. But the lion stood tall, its gaze stern and commanding, as it surveyed the chaos before it.

A lioness, similar in fur color but without the flames, appeared from the shadows near the lion and gently nudged him with her head.

"Are you sure this is the right thing to do?" she asked him.

"This is a battle for our pride and dignity," the lion replied. "It is the right thing to do."

The lioness disappeared back into the shadows. As she vanished, she thought, 'I hope you're right.'

Unbeknownst to them, a black owl was watching all their actions from afar, a hint of mischievousness in its eyes as it transmitted the images to its master. The master smiled evilly as he imagined the training he would give his students to prepare them for this conflict.

' Master's students are finished.' the owl thought, its wings beating as it flew away.

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[JENNA'S PERSPECTIVE]

A few hours later...

The cave trembled with the approaching stampede of beasts, their savage instincts in full force. Draxus, adopting the posture of a seasoned commander, faced them head-on, his sword shimmering ominously under the dim cave's light.

"You beasts do not understand," he boomed, his voice commanding respect. "You have no chance of entering this cave."

The beasts, undeterred, responded with a chaotic cacophony of growls, hisses, roars, and thunderous Kaw calls. Fangs bared, they reared up on their hind legs and beat their chests, a display of primal dominance, as if they believed sheer intimidation could halt our trio's resolve.

"I see," Draxus declared, a stoic mask of determination. "So you've chosen death?" With a swift, fluid motion, he unsheathed his sword, its blade glinting with ominous purpose.

CRACKLE!

A surge of electricity crackled and danced around my body as i slowly began amplifying my physical prowess.

Janet, our elusive assassin, disappeared from everyone's senses, multiple explosions of poison appeared almost immediately. Each time she appeared her daggers glistened with poison, ready to strike with deadly precision.

With a resolute gaze, Draxus raised his sword high, and in a voice that echoed through the cave, he declared, "Then we shall show you... the immensity of heaven and earth!"

ROAARRRR!

The beasts responded with a deafening roar, a collective battle cry, and charged at us, a frenzied horde of fur, scales, and talons.

Draxus became a whirlwind of steel, his sword flashing with deadly precision as he engaged the oncoming creatures. His movements were a mesmerizing dance of offensive and defensive strikes, a masterful display of his blade mastery.

Janet silently struck with swiftness and lethality. Her poisoned daggers found their mark with pinpoint accuracy, incapacitating the creatures one by one. She moved like a phantom, a silent reaper in the darkness.

I channeled a huge amount of mana and sent electrifying shockwaves through the approaching horde. Bolts of lightning lashed out from my fingertips, creating a chaotic web of electricity that seared through fur and scales.

After reducing the number of beasts around me, I charged my body with electricity once again. The power coursing through my veins enhanced my strength and agility, allowing me to go toe-to-toe with the rampaging beasts.

The geezers training really paid off

The battle raged on, a symphony of clashing steel, poisoned strikes, and crackling energy. The cave echoed with the tumultuous sounds of combat, a relentless clash between our trio and the primal might of the beasts.

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A few hours later.....

We looked haggard and disheveled as we stood in front of the old man. He looked at us calmly with eyes that seemed to have only pure intentions - but we all knew that wasn't the case.

"Who can tell me why you're all here now instead of resting?" he asked us.

The three of us looked at him with blank eyes that seemed devoid of life. I'm not sure about the others, but I could barely hear his voice.

My whole body was screaming for me to sleep. I was struggling to keep myself awake - if a toddler came in now with the intention to kill me, it would be as easy as eating pie. I was just that weak.

The old man observed the three of us standing in front of him, our bodies drooping with exhaustion.

"Such weak disciples," he said, shaking his head in disapproval. "How could you look like this after battling a couple of beasts?"

Seeing that none of us replied, he continued, "I think I need to increase the efficiency of your training." A smile spread across his face.

Shit!

The smile slowly turned evil as a pile of beasts appeared in front of him. A fire golem and three wind constructs materialized beside him.

"Janet," the old man said, "your task is to prevent the beasts from dying and remove all the poison from their bodies. Draxus, you will cut a stone located deep within the golem. And Jenna, you must use your lightning to poke a hole in each of the three wind constructs, all at the same time."

He paused, fixing us with a stern look. "And you will not eat anything until you have accomplished your missions.