Feline threat

Suddenly, Ezyze spotted a black shadow cat, a rank 2 being. He casted spatial chains, which pierced the flesh of the cat, immobilizing it. Ezyze finished it off with spatial rays.

Similarly, the scouts came across several isolated rank 2 shadow cats, which they ambushed. Hearing the noise of the battle, either Rea or Ezyze fought at close range, eating the burden on the scours and finishing off shadow cats.

They killed several shadow cats this way.

Eventually, they stumbled upon a pack of shadow cats.

Strong of 20 or so rank 2 to 3 beings, it was time for the hoplites and goblin mages to show their worth.

The pack of shadow cats were resting below a huge fir tree, atop a small hill.

The goblins started battering them with spells. The cats charged but were eventually intercepted by hoplites. Fighting the cats 3 on 1, 2 hoplites and a mage, they quickly killed it.

They resumed their match when they came across 4 pack of similar size.

They were disposed in a diamond like shape.

The hoplites engaged the packs located West and East of them.

The langurs engaged with the pack directly in front of them.

Ezyze and the scouts cut off the retreat path of the fleeing cats, while being ready to intercept the fourth pack of shadow cats.

The hoplites eventually were fighting with numerical disadvantages. They were on the defensive, but the goblins mages battered the cats, leading to a harder fought victory.

The Langurs are a strong force. They cooperated to annihilate the cats, using their superior firepower.

Ezyze, Rea and the scouts were busily fighting the routed cats, when the fourth pack of shadow cats came their way.

The 20 or so feline would probably win against them. Ezyze slowly retreated and casted spatial rays after spatial rays. When individual cats charges, he used his heavy mass designator active and had the cats stumbling on the ground, and crushed by various stones, wood parts and soil. This new active allowed to designate a target to have increased gravity. When he used gravity manipulation, the target was like a beacon of gravity mana and the center for many object to crash against it.

The other cats were either destabilized by the nearby increase of nearby gravity or pierced by other spatial rays.

The rank 1 langur that was staying on his shoulders was making fall Thunder like pure white mana on the cats, further damaging them.

Eventually, they were rejoined by the other langurs and all made quick work of the cats.

The hoplites were fine on their own and manages to take out 2 packs of shadow cats.

Very few of their dead bodies clremained on the ground and were otherwise dissipated in dark mana.

Making sure that their condition was optimal, the group rested and checked for injuries.

While the Langurs fought mainly at the Frontline, they were high rank, tier 4 monsters, with high rank tier 3 and 4s class. They were making significant damages and were not injured.

The goblin scouts and hoplites were the ones that were looked after by Whoblin, Golblin and the healing goblin mage.

They resumed their march and quite some time after, they came across huge fir trees linked with one another through their massive branches, creating a cluster of networked trees. In the trees, shadow cats were either resting or playing.

On the ground, even more were idling around, fighting or merging with shadow.

Ezyze couldn't estimate their numbers, but they were more than 5000 of them.

Because they wanted to create an advanced camp that would eventually be turned into a stronghold, each groups had to advance for a week, eliminating enemies. They would rejoin, discuss their progress and establish a camp where they saw the location as best suited.

For these very reasons, Ezyze had to get rid of these many cats as they were a huge force, that couldn't be simply passed by.

They had to come up with a plan and getting rid of them in groups.

After doing their fair bit of observing, the cats at the bottom of the fir trees were at most tier 3, with countless tier 2. Perched atop the trees, there were countless rank 3s and 4s. They however did not see any rank 5.

The cats on the ground were fighting between each others and left their bizarre camp before returning, some of them with various monster corpses: shadow armadillos, death squirrels, night birds and various others. The pack that were leaving to hunt were 20 to even 100 strong.

Ezyze and Lampa decided for the hunters to become the hunted slowly chipping their numbers away.

The scouts followed a pack of 30 cats leaving. At tier 2, these creatures were already over 1.6 meters tall, and their bodies were agile, yet quite big.

They had to make sure of not being tailed by other cats before killing the hunting pack. 2 goblin scouts and the langur Spearman were handling the rear.

Eventually, the 30 cats attacked a group of shadow armadillos. These big armored fellas were popping in and out of the shadows, trying to squash the cats. Agile, the feline popped in and out of shadows, slashed, bit and suffocated the armadillos. The cats' fighting power as quite on the weaker side, they riddled their enemies with injuries and dodged ebey attacks. This surefire method to hunt allowed them to have few casualties.

Done with their battles, the cats took the armadillos' corpses, after feasting on some of them. They were surrounded by hoplites on all sides.

When the goblin mages battered them with magic, the cats launched themselves at the hoplites. Rea and Ezyze joined the fray, punching, kicking and slashing at close range.

Ezyze was using his new skills as well as various combat and magic combat arts and gravity manipulation. He could move quickly, almost float thus dodging attacks gravitating around enemies. His slashes were strong and filled with power.

Rea was a killing machine. Her punches and kicks were strong and vicious and her movements agile and explosives.

The other cats were facing shields, skewered to death, spells exploding on their bodies.

Neither Zephyr, nor the Langurs fought.

Similarly than previously, more than 20 cats' corpses were assimilating with the shadows.

While 2 langurs handled the corpses, the hoplites hunted 4 other packs of 20 to 50 members.

It was dark. The sun was long gone over the mountain range.

In a clearing and at the bottom of a hill, a pack of more than 60 shadow cats were eating salamanders' corpses. Their figures were flickering between being one with the night or being in the physical plane. Their blue and yellows eyes were the only thing that allowed them to be spotted.

Only the yellow moon could be seen from the ground, casting few rays of light through the trees and singling out the cats' eyes.

At the mouth of the clearing, hoplites appeared and formed a spherical line. Behind then, small goblin mages were empowered with Mana.

Some cats turned around and started growling. Others were busily eating.

The hoplites took several steps, entering the clearing. Now, every cats were alert.

A human and a monstrous brown hobgoblin and several langurs were around. The human started to send pink mana javelins while the monkeys and goblins sent various types of magic, lighting the whole area.

The injured and infuriated cats charged at the goblins, towards the mouth of the entrance.

Shiiiiiing.

Suddenly, a feathered blue goblin took out his sabers. In his left hand, a blue saber glistened with the moonlight. On his right hand, a white saber with a silver like sword was screeching with wind mana. The silver blade had intricate carvings that grew with a pure white light.

----

We must turn back time 12 days before the expedition.

In a dusty underground filled with ashes and vegetation, below the Ent sanctuary, Zephyr was walking. He entered several domes, until he reached a room which had 3 doors, on the left, right and in front of the room.

Pushing open the door in front of him, a black two handed long sword with a large crystal blue lame was chained with bronze chains. The pommel had twisting patterns to the wide shaft that had intricate carvings. A long line was engraved on the blade, emitting a purple glow.

Zephyr heard a voice in his mind.

*Finally, a swordman comes to visit us....*

Startled, Zephyr eventually resumed his walk and tried to touch the sword's handle. A huge force came out of the blade and slammed Zephyr against the room's wall.

*You shall not touch me! You are not worthy!*

He stood up and left the room. He went across the door, to the room on the left. There, a blue sword with a needle like shape was stuck in a pound. It's frail blade and shaft were standing proudly, while the blue blade that was flooded with water mana was partially planted in the pound.

When he took his first step inside the room, a water sphere encompassed the sword.

*You may not progress further, swordman. I feel that you are not compatible with me. Go away.*

Zephyr tried to advance. Ankle deep in water, a huge force was pressing him down. He tried to use his wind magic and sword arts to overcome the pressure and keep advancing. He was eventually flooded out of the room.

*Don't come back!*

Drenched Zephyr was deeply annoyed. With how things were, he wouldn't be able to bond with an ego sword. He could see how the unique armor that Rea was using boosted her capabilities. He wanted to be able to fight stronger foes, take some risks and grow stronger. He wanted to be of help.

Zephyr opened the door to the room on his right. Then, he was assaulted with wind. While other rooms had vegetation on the wall and ground, this room was only made of clean stones. He couldn't take a step further in the wind. In the other side of the room, the handle of a pure white saber could be seen. The rest of the sword was planted in a altar.

*Come, if you are strong enough.*

Zephyr could feel and see the wind. He could feel its strenght, see the wind blades that were hovering around and the small tornadoes that were about to burst.

"You are my destiny, I can feel it."

Zephyr took a step. He jumped and hovered in the air. Wind kept assaulting him and pushed him around. Tornadoes sprouted and air exploded, sending him flying. For 3 days straight, Zephyr danced with and fought against the wind. He was making very small steps, yet was still progressing towards the saber's handle.

After three days, Zephyr arrived at the altar. The saber suddenly sucked the air from the room and encompassed itself in a wind sphere.

Zeohyr coated his right hand with his Aura and wind mana.

His hand couldn't pierce the wind sphere. He channeled all his power into his hand. Sparks flew from his fingers and he managed to grab the saber's handle. When he did, his power was sucked inside the sword.

Using all of his mana, aura and monstrous energy, he managed to pull the sword from the altar, reveling a pure silver blade. Exhausted, he sat against the altar. There was no wind in the room.

*At long last, someone can wield me. What is your name warrior?*

"Zephyr."

*Well then, Zephyr warrior, my name is Zulfiqar and as you are my first master, I do not have a title yet."

"Why did you repel me? Don't you want to finally taste blood?"

*It was merely a test, master. We ego swords are very particular swords that require our wilder to have similar wavelengths than us. We bond with only those that we recognize and are worthy of being our masters. I will be in your care master.*

"Likewise, Zukfiqar."

Zukfiqar - untitled sword - legendary

+300 attack power

+200 Agility

+85 strenght

+150 intelligence

-Heart of the tempest: Zukfiqar uses ambient Mana to strengthen its wielder and deliver wind magic attacks.

- Young ego sword: Bonding with its first master ever, Zukfiqar grows alongside the user and can gain higher stats and even more abilities.

---