Chapter 101: Chapter 100: Silent Hunter: Manticore

A phantom-like white shadow silently tore through the heavy night and swirling snow.

Its form was enormous and terrifying, yet its movements were completely silent!

Jon only had time to glimpse a silhouette resembling a large feline, and behind it, a giant hooked tail that seemed to be forged from condensed moonlight!

The tail carved a chilling arc of light through the air, moving too fast to leave an afterimage as it lashed out with pinpoint accuracy, striking the back of the silver-maned snow leopard that had just struggled to push itself halfway up.

CRACK—!

A sickeningly clear crack of shattering bone, like a dry twig being snapped in two!

"Awoo...oo..."

The light in the silver-maned snow leopard’s emerald pupils vanished instantly. It let out the briefest of whimpers, and its massive body, as if suddenly boneless, slammed limply and lifelessly back into the snow.

Its spine had been shattered by that single strike.

An instant kill!

Jon watched the ghostly white shadow land as lightly as a feather, not making a sound, and his eyes lit up!

The wind and snow around it grew strangely gentle, almost tame, obscuring its true form and revealing only a pair of azure beast-eyes that seemed carved from pure Ice Crystals.

The beast didn’t look at Jon. Instead, it lowered its head to sniff the snow leopard’s corpse. Then, with a deft jab and flick of its thick, flexible, hooked tail, it sent the unsightly carcass flying out of sight.

Only after doing all this did it turn its head and lock its gaze on the tightly wrapped bundle in the corner of the rocky hollow—the Wolf King’s Flesh and Blood.

Its gaze was cold and pure, filled with a sense of entitlement.

As if the bundle was rightfully its own.

It then completely ignored Jon, extending its hooked tail to snatch the Wolf King’s Flesh and Blood.

"I can’t let you take that."

Jon drew his blade and moved to stand between the mysterious beast and the Wolf King’s Flesh and Blood.

His actions and words finally captured the great beast’s attention.

For the first time, the pair of enormous, ghostly-blue eyes truly looked his way.

The instant those enormous eyes fixed on him, Jon felt his skin tighten.

It was instinct, warning him that the creature before him was no opponent to be taken lightly.

But far from being afraid, he broke into a grin.

"What a beast!"

"Since you killed the mount I had picked out, you can take its place!"

Whether the beast understood his words or not, Jon could clearly feel the chill in its ghostly blue eyes intensify.

It was enraged!

Enraged by the insolence of an ant!

In the next instant, the great beast lowered its body slightly, and a sound like the sharp crack of a whip split the air!

Without a second thought, Jon raised his shield and charged forward!

’Defense Stance! Vibrating Shield! Magic Mastery!’

Immense Power slammed into the Shield Surface, forcing his left arm and the left side of his body to dip. In a contest of pure Power, he was slightly outmatched!

But his powerful Constitution, on par with that of an Official Level Professional, allowed him to take the blow with ease. He even had the leeway to activate Vibrating Shield’s effect, absorbing the force and throwing it back!

[-86 (Impact)! -40 (Magic Bonus Damage!)]

Since it took the Impact with its tail, the beast wasn’t stunned, though its hooked tail was knocked high into the air.

Jon seized the opportunity to dash forward, swinging his blade, now infused with Magic Power, viciously at the creature’s ghostly-blue eyes!

’Just a little hello!’

"Grrrowl...?"

The great beast clearly hadn’t expected this little thing before it to withstand its tail-whip, and its reaction was a step too slow.

Even so, as Jon’s blade reached its eyes, it still reacted with incredible speed, jerking its head aside to dodge before swiping with a massive claw!

A clear display of high agility!

Jon didn’t dodge or retreat. He pressed forward with his shield, refusing to give an inch!

The heavy claw scraped against his shield with a piercing sound, but he instinctively used a technique to disperse most of the force.

By this point, how could he not know he had encountered a truly rare beast?

This was a Manticore!

A solitary Silent Hunter, a ruthless and powerful beast!

It was in a completely different league from dire wolves or snow leopards!

Furthermore, its strength hadn’t yet reached the Official Level. It was definitely not an adult—a juvenile at best. It had probably been driven away from its mother not long ago, forced to hunt on the outskirts of the Shery Mountain range, where survival was easier.

That unfortunate Wolf King must have been targeted by this creature after consuming blood of the Perfect Level, then chased all this way.

Now that Jon had killed the Wolf King, the manticore had naturally followed the scent here!

"It must be fate, my pretty!"

Enduring the powerful claw swipes and tail slams, Jon felt his body, which had felt sluggish after the unsatisfying fight with the wolf pack, ignite with excitement!

His grin widened, and his voice boomed.

"You were destined to cross my path and become my first mount!"

The next instant, as the manticore retreated again, gathering power for a tail-whip to utterly crush this tiny ant, flames exploded outward!

’Dragon Flame Dance!’

Searing Dragon Flame erupted from Jon’s body, instantly vaporizing the surrounding snow into a cloud of white steam!

An armor of crimson-gold flame enveloped his body. The Dragon Flame wreathing his blade surged, coalescing into the shape of a ferocious, roaring Flaming Dragon Claw!

The sudden transformation startled the manticore!

In its Perception, its opponent had suddenly transformed from a mere ant into a terrifying monster!

It was just like the enormous, terrifying, pure-white behemoth it had once seen from afar while traveling the mountains with its mother!

Majestic and inviolable!

But in the next instant, this feeling of fear only served to stoke its pride.

It was a born Hunter, destined to reign supreme over all lesser beings!

A fearsome opponent was no reason to abandon its prey!

"ROAR—!!!"

How could it, the future king of this mountain range, be frightened off by a mere phantasm emanating from some tiny creature?

"Come and fight, my pretty!"

Jon threw his head back and laughed, the sound echoing off the fiery rocks and drowning out the howling wind and snow.

He seized the initiative, charging forward through the raging flames like a humanoid tyrannosaur!

’Dragon Claw Swing!’

The massive, crimson-gold flaming claw tore through the snowstorm, carrying a world-incinerating heat as it lunged viciously for the manticore’s head!

The manticore reacted with extreme speed. Its massive body displayed incredible agility as it dodged to the side. At the same time, its deadly hooked tail, like a long whip forged from Ice Crystal, tore through the air with a piercing shriek as it lashed out once more at Jon’s midsection!

CLANG—!

The shield on Jon’s left arm was already poised for the attack. Bathed in the glow of Magic Mastery, the shield was inconspicuous in the glare of the flames, yet it met the thunderous tail-whip with absolute precision!

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