66 || Hunt For The Twin Tailed Aural Beast (2)

The first part of the quest was done. Tara only has four more days left in this session but she isn't worried now that she has found the Twin Tailed Aural Beast. Over the last few days Tara had been mulling over the third prompt. She had been wondering how to complete the Bonus Task that was without any instructions.

No matter how Tara objectively looked, this quest is 3 out of 3 to be considered finished not 2 out of 2. Then, just as she feels she is getting close to finding the Twin Tailed Aural Beast, Tara realizes she had a clue all along.

"My name is Hufang Tara. Can I have your name?" Tara asks and the question is enough of a surprise that the illusionary foxes disappear from in front of her. Tara doesn't move as she hears steps from behind her.

'No human has ever wondered about my name. Why would you want mine?'

Tara places her hands up in a placating gesture before giving an earnest answer. "How can we become friends if we don't know each other's name?"

The second prompt was the key to the Bonus Task. If she had merely hunted the Aural Beast the option would be lost to her. There was another path given to her though:

[Task 2: Hunt or Befriend The Twin Tailed Aural Beast]

`Friends with a human child? Ha! I've seen your kind hunt mine since the moment I opened my eyes. Tell me, how did you come to know that we Aural Beast have names?` The fox's head is tilted in confusion but their stance now isn't aggressive, simply wary.

Truthfully, Tara can't rightly put it into words. A feeling told her that Oorun and Wolyung had been her aural guardians' names since their birth. It was something that they had entrusted to her once they formed a bond. Tara says as such. "I can't really say why but if you focus on my mind and heart spaces then I can assure you I mean no harm."

Without another word, Tara feels her mind and heart awash with powerful Fire and Water energy. 'Those two...they trust and love you so dearly? Not only did they willingly give you their names, but their bodies and souls as well. Show me what you truly look like, Hufang Tara.` The fox says, pulling back their energy.

Tara dispels the illusions and light armor to reveal her full animus appearance and her Dark Saber uniform. The fox circles her, eyes taking in Tara's ears and tail before nodding.

There's a flash of light and afterwards reveals an androgynous child with red and blue heterochromia, who points past the stone circle. "I am Smur, the Mistwalk Fox. I got lost exploring the lower area as a part of my training to be a mountain defender. If you would be so kind as to help me reunite with my teacher, I'd be in your debt."

"I would be more than happy too." Tara nods, following behind Smur. As they walk through the stone circle, Smur seems guarded at first but relaxes after asking Tara about her experiences outside the mountainside. No normal human child should be able to survive here by themselves, after all. Tara starts her tale from the beginning as she pulls up the screen for her inventory on the side.

[Illusionary Circle Step] is a footwork technique that allows the user to create bodily afterimages while circling a foe. Different from a Skill or even Combat Arts, it is more akin to a Retention Technique! Similar to Asuka's <Force Layer>, for example, this means it is something she can practice in the natural world as well. The time spent learning to execute the footwork in the natural world would rapidly impact her understanding within the virtual world.

The stone circle vanishes behind them unbeknownst to Tara, who reups her disguise. Sometime later two of the groups, the animus folk and the cloaked figures, arrive where it once was.

"I assume you're also looking for the same prey?" The gruff cloaked figure asks out of general politeness.

The badger animus, 6 feet tall and muscular, steps forward from his team. He's a Vein Plating high stage and the strongest among his party. "Yes and we'll get rid of anyone in our way to retrieve them!"

"Good, I was getting bored of taming mountain beasts. Some real entertainment." says the third cloaked figure, voice much brighter and higher, holding up a hand. A ball of wind rotates rapidly within his palm before he thrusts it out their current obstacle.

Channeling Stone energy, the badger animus summons a wall of rock to block the move. The wind ball collides with the wall calling upon a torrent of air. The animus leader spreads his aura that's empowered by the Stone element to his allies to help with some resistance.

Xasik narrows his eyes. He recognized the move as Cyclone Rain. "Why is Efrea's Storm Descent after the twin tailed beast?"

Storm's Descent is a powerful alliance of aurators from the Kingdom of Efrea. They are such a powerful organization that they are intrinsically tied now both politically and economically to their country. Both the government officials and various noble folk were careful in their interactions with the group, since causing them to make a move could be disastrous.

"Sharost's Xasik truly lives up to his name. As expected of the royal guard's former vice captain! We aren't after such a small game!" The cloaked youth cackles.

"Enough. Finish them quickly Namdol. Rabi and Carim make sure he doesn't go overboard." The gruff person orders as he nods at the fifth and seventh member. The other four follow him as the Namdol and the other two make a move on Sharost's forces.

While this conflict begins, Tara and Smur continue their trek up the mountain. They fought several strong Aural Beasts, which Smur admits were candidates for becoming mountain guardians. The weakest among them are at Tara's level, low stage Billowing Muscles, but they each carry a special ability that allows them to be on par with Vein Plating low stage!

Smur loosens up to Tara during the battles but is caught by surprise when the human uses Illusionary Circle Step! It's only two afterimages compared to their twelve but the fact that Tara learned it after seeing the move once was astonishing! Unfortunately, after Tara uses the move, she needs to rest for a moment. Tara's more exhausted than when she first combined her movement techniques with the Lower elements.

After about two hours, they arrived at the top of the mountain. Before them is a large cave that was constructed, not naturally forming. Resting outside of this opening is a six tailed mane fox. It opens one eye before releasing a powerful suppression onto Tara that she couldn't move a step. It was even heavier than the Aberrants!

"Smuragon, why have you brought this human to this place?" Unlike Smur who needs to be in their human form to speak aloud, this aural beast is old and powerful enough to retain their true form.

"Master Ganesh, this is my friend Hufang Tara. She helped guide me home after I got lost during my training." Smur steps forward confidently not bothered by the pressure.

[Task 2: Hunt or Befriend The Twin Tailed Aural Beast Completed!

Reward: Third Guardian

Bestowing First Crossover Title: Aberrant Eradicator]

The pressure lessens somewhat but before Tara can check the two notifications, the Ganesh rises. "Such a curious child to befriend my student. Bones completely bathed in the sun's light and touched the moon's shadow. Freshly a low stage Billowing Muscle with two named Soul Beads in the proper places."

Tara looks up into the 7 foot tall Aural Beast's eyes as they completely read her every secret. The tips of their tails glow with several colors before beams propel around Tara's body. Tara whips around to find four of the cloak people blocking or dodging the attack.

"I told you that if you returned to this place, child, it would be your grave." Ganesh barks, ignoring Tara completely. The gruff man, Kavros, steps forward, his cloak destroyed in the attack. He's portly and ripped with storm gray hair and his black eyes bright with ambition and challenge. His upper right arm is a metallic prosthetic that has an arm dagger extending out.

"And I remember replying that I would repay the loss of my arm for one of your tails, monster, before seeing where that cave leads. I've come to follow through with my promise." He roars as he shows his true force. He was no weaker than her teacher Beiling if Tara gauges him correctly.

Ganesh snorts at this display before vanishing from sight. They reappear before the cloaked leader and grab his arm to throw him across the room. His companions go to assist but Tara locks one into melee combat with her daggers as Smur takes the other two on. This was no time to hold back her power.

[Bonus Task: Defend the Entrance to ??? with Smur and their teacher!]

Tara revolves her aural and Twin Sphere energies as her opponent is a low stage Marrow Sparking aurator. They would be the strongest enemy she faced within her Story and if she wasn't careful she might die! White, amber, and turquoise envelope her body as sea foam green covers the sword she's interlocked with.

Tara swings with a Tiger Swipe with Moon Fang but it's blocked by his quicker reflexes. They disengage from Sun Claw to block Moon Fang while also sending a fist in her direction in one fluid moment.

She swiftly dodges leading to the two exchanging hundreds of blows in a matter of moments. Thanks to timing Reflect with Decussating Streams, the two Block skills are allowing her to take less damage from her adversary's Fire infused attacks.

The passive skill of Sun Claw, Bleeding Sun, also causes the Bleed and Burn effects. These will cause the target to take extra damage over time. Additionally, her weapon's material dealt mind damage as well! Moon Fang in turn causes a Stun effect while weakening his flames with Dampen. His aura would occasionally flicker from Moon Fang's soul attack.

These factors coupled with the Pinpoint ability's enhanced damage plus the chance to critical and her peak low stage Vein Plating strength, Tara isn't just holding her own against this Marrow Sparking aurator but overwhelming him!

Zorpa is his name and he hadn't truly been taking this fight seriously at first as she was merely a child. The effects from Tara's weapons are practically negligible to someone of his stage. He could not, however, shrug off mind and spirit damage that kept causing interruption in his aural techniques. Similarly her Dampen ability weakened his Fire manipulation. If he kept slacking, he might get seriously injured--something Namdol wouldn't let him live it down.

Zopra quickly revolves his aural energies causing the world energy to blaze with seafoam green flames. He gives a shout of effort as he gathers all Fire energy onto the tip of his longsword. Cleaving Flame, an Aural Art he had mastered back when he was at Blood Directing, back then it was just the appearance of flames. As he slashes downward, Tara wraps Sun Claw in Stone energy and Moon Fang in Water energy while using Reflect with Decussating Streams.

[Damage Nullification Triggered! 100% Damage Rebound!]

Zorpa is flung backwards from the force of impact from his own skill. 'How?' is all he can think as his body is wracked with pain. Tara's on his heels while he's recovering.

Backed with Water and Stone energy, Tara finally breaks his aura completely with a cross slash from her two weapons! His body collides into a newly arrived teen with two others.

"Oh Zorpa, you are never going to live this down." He mocks unkindly with a snicker.