Chapter 77: Chapter 72: The Foolish Decision
Location: Dark Forest - Mid Ring | Doha (Lower Realm)
Ti: Day 460, Morning
The quakeboar’s massive head hit the ground with a wet thud, steam rising from the charred wound across its throat. Jayde stood over it, breathing hard but grinning, Ember Step still crackling faintly around her legs.
(Ten. That’s ten Inferno-tempered beasts in twelve days.)
Impressive efficiency, Jayde acknowledged. Power surge from the breakthrough providing a significant tactical advantage.
She’d been nearly killed by this exact beast—or one just like it—back on Day 445. Back then, it’d nearly ended her. Forced her to burn an Escape Talisman just to survive. Now? Twenty minutes of careful setup, three Fla Torrents, and one perfectly tid Ember Step to close the distance for the kill.
(We’re actually strong now. Really strong.)
The quakeboar had been mid Inferno-tempered. A full tier above her cultivation level. And she’d taken it down without a scratch.
Jayde crouched beside the massive corpse, pulling out her hunting knife to harvest what she could. The hide would fetch good rits. So would the tusks. The Crucible Core... well, beast cores at this level were worth serious points.
Her hands moved efficiently through the butchering process, muscle mory from White’s brutal training combining with the Federation’s tactical precision. Blood soaked into the forest floor, hot and thick, but she barely noticed anymore.
(Twelve days since the breakthrough. Twelve days, and everything’s different.)
The Inferno essence in her Crucible Core humd with power—15,475 Qi, where she’d once struggled with barely 2,000. New techniques that would’ve been impossible before now felt natural. Fla Torrent swept through enemies like a forest fire. Ember Step moved her so fast that most beasts couldn’t even track her.
Confidence is valuable, the inner voice noted. Overconfidence is fatal.
(Oh, stop worrying. We’re being careful.)
She finished harvesting, storing everything in her spatial ring, then pulled out the Old Man’s journal. The worn leather felt familiar in her hands now—she’d read these pages dozens of tis over the past months.
"Mid ring expansion," she read aloud, flipping to the relevant section. "Deeper penetration requires extre caution. Beasts at Blazecrowned tier begin appearing past the second marker grove. Shadowbeast prides have been observed—"
"Jayde." Isha’s voice crackled through the communication artifact. "Your vitals are elevated. You okay?"
"Fine. Just finished another hunt." She couldn’t keep the pride out of her voice.
"Another? That’s your third this morning."
"Feels good to actually be strong, you know?"
A pause. "Be careful. Power can make you reckless."
(He worries too much.)
He’s seen countless contractors die from overconfidence, Jayde countered. His concern is statistically justified.
"I’m being careful," Jayde said, though even she could hear how dismissive it sounded. "I’ll check in later."
She closed the connection before Isha could lecture her further.
The forest around her was beautiful in the morning light—shafts of golden sun breaking through the canopy, illuminating the mist that clung to the undergrowth. The outer ring had been nice enough, but here in the mid ring proper, everything felt more... alive. More real.
(We should go deeper.)
Negative. Recomnd maintaining current operational paraters.
(But we’re doing so well! Ten Inferno-tempered beasts, including that quakeboar. We’re ready for more.)
Jayde went quiet for a mont—unusual. When she spoke again, the tone was asured. The quakeboar nearly killed us two weeks ago. Our power has increased, yes. But so has your willingness to take risks.
(That’s called confidence, not recklessness.)
There’s a fine line between the two.
Jayde stood, brushing blood off her armor. The enhanced combat gear she’d bought back on Day 430 had proven its worth—barely scratched despite constant combat. Her Runeinfused blade glead in her hand, still humming faintly with Inferno essence.
She looked deeper into the forest, where the trees grew denser and the shadows darker.
The Old Man’s journal had warned about going too far. Isha had just told her to be careful. Her Federation training—was urging caution.
(But we’re strong now. We can handle it.)
The thought felt warm in her chest, like Inferno essence itself. Twelve days of victories. Twelve days of proving she wasn’t that helpless, voidforge child anymore. She was Inferno-tempered. Oracle 1st Class. A real cultivator.
(Let’s see what’s really out there.)
This could be a mistake.
(You always say that. Rember the quakeboar? You said engaging was a mistake. And look—we just killed one.)
The previous encounter nearly resulted in termination. Success this ti doesn’t guarantee—
(Please, just a look.)
Jayde hesitated briefly.
"We’re going," Jayde said aloud. "Just a little deeper. Just to see."
She checked her equipnt one more ti. Five Qi Restoration Pills. Two doses of Crimsonclot Powder. Armor at full integrity. Blade charged. Two Escape Talismans left.
(Plenty of safety margin.)
Safety margin ans nothing if you don’t use it.
But Jayde was already moving, Ember Step carrying her deeper into the mid ring with explosive bursts of speed.
***
An hour later, she realized she’d made a terrible mistake.
The forest had changed. Gradually at first—trees slightly larger, undergrowth slightly thicker—but now the difference was unmistakable. The canopy overhead blocked out most of the sunlight, leaving everything in perpetual twilight. The air felt heavier here, laden with essence so dense it made her lungs work harder with each breath.
Ancient trees surrounded her, their bark twisted into patterns that almost looked like faces. Like they were watching her.
(Okay. This is definitely different.)
Essence density approximately 300% higher than the outer ring baseline, Jayde reported, clinical despite the danger. Atmospheric pressure elevated. Local flora suggests a mature ecosystem with apex predators.
"In other words," Jayde muttered, "I’m way over my head."
(We should go back.)
Affirmative. Imdiate tactical withdrawal recomnded.
She turned, orienting herself toward the way she’d co—and froze.
The forest behind her looked... wrong. The path she’d taken had vanished, swallowed by undergrowth that shouldn’t have grown so fast. The trees seed closer together than before.
(Did I... did I get turned around?)
Spatial disorientation is possible. High-essence environnts can affect perception.
A low growl rumbled through the shadows to her left.
Jayde spun, blade up, Inferno essence flaring in her Crucible Core. Her Heat Sense activated automatically, painting the world in thermal signatures.
What she saw made her blood turn cold.
Five shapes. Large. Moving with predatory grace through the darkness. Each one blazing hot in her essence sight—far hotter than anything she’d faced before.
Shadowbeasts.
(Oh gods.)
They erged from the gloom like living nightmares. Seven feet tall at the shoulder, obsidian fur rippling with wisps of shadow essence, tattered wings folded against their backs. Silver eyes glead in the darkness, reflecting what little light penetrated the canopy.
And they were all staring at her.
Threat assessnt, Jayde said, and despite the situation, Jayde heard sothing she’d never heard before in that tactical tone: concern. Five hostiles. Species: shadowbeast. Cultivation tier: minimum Inferno-tempered. Alpha signature suggests Blazecrowned tier.
(Blazecrowned? That’s... that’s two full tiers above .)
Affirmative. Survival probability in direct engagent: less than 5%.
The alpha stepped forward—larger than the others, scars visible even through its dark fur, wings fuller despite the tatters. Its silver eyes fixed on her with an intelligence that made her skin crawl.
(They’re not attacking.)
Predator behavior. Assessing threat level before engagent.
One of the smaller shadowbeasts—though "smaller" was relative when it still towered over her—sniffed the air. Its lips pulled back, revealing fangs the length of her forearm.
Then the alpha made a sound. Not quite a growl, not quite a purr. More like... laughter?
(Oh no. Oh gods, no.)
They’re hunting for sport, Jayde confird. We’re prey. Entertainnt.
"
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