Reborn: Earth Online-Chapter 45 - 46: Beyond the barrier
Kaden only stopped running after several hours when he encountered his first quasi-core beast. He had crossed the barrier a couple of hours before but this was the first beast he was running into.
Under the pitch-black sky, the beast loomed before him, its presence exuding raw menace. It was a Dire Shadowfang Wolf, its dark fur rippling with an eerie, unnatural sheen beneath the weak glow of the moon above. Its piercing yellow eyes locked onto Kaden, unblinking.
The beast was fast, strong, and highly territorial. And more importantly, it was intelligent. Unlike the low-level creatures Kaden had faced before, a quasi-core beast had a rudimentary understanding of tactics—it wouldn’t just charge blindly. Also, a wolf was never alone.
Kaden’s breath was steady despite the tension crackling in the air. He wasn’t the same weakling who had barely scraped by before. He was stronger now, faster, and far more dangerous than he had ever been in his past life and he had already killed two quasi-core beasts but that did not mean he would take this fight less seriously.
A blur of dark fur and shifting shadows, the Dire Shadowfang Wolf lunged without a sound, its massive form closing the distance in an instant.
Kaden immediately acted.
[Sanguine Roots.]
The ground erupted with crimson tendrils, jagged and wickedly barbed, reaching for the beast mid-air. The wolf twisted in a stunning display of agility, narrowly avoiding the worst of them. But it wasn’t enough. One of the roots grazed its hind leg, slicing deep into its muscle.
This content is taken from fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm.
Before the beast could recover, a barbed vine snapped forward like a striking serpent, aimed straight at the beast’s throat.
The wolf did not stand a chance. The serrated edges bit deep into the wolf’s exposed throat. A strangled, gurgling snarl escaped the beast as it writhed against the constriction.
With a sharp yank, Kaden tightened his grip, feeling the resistance of flesh, sinew, and struggling life. Blood sprayed in arcs against the darkened forest floor, the beast’s powerful limbs spasming as its claws raked at the air—desperate, but futile.
The wolf’s body dropped dead on the ground in a matter of seconds.
[Ding! You have killed a Dire Shadowfang Wolf.]
The difference in raw stats was simply too high. At Kaden’s level, a quasi-core beast did not stand any chance against him—not unless it had a unique ability or was part of a larger, coordinated attack.
Kaden continued to run when suddenly he noticed something was odd. He did not gain a level for the kill? As a newly evolved E ranker, he still should have gained at least a level?
He opened his system screen to take a look and he indeed hadn’t gained any level.
He clicked his tongue and closed the screen, a little impatient. Gaining a level in the E rank would prompt new skill assignments from the system which he was very much looking forward to.
F rank skills were good but not enough to match the challenges he knew were coming. E-rank skills would be a whole new level of power. He needed them to bring out the true strength of his stats. But the solution to this problem was simple enough.
"Well… I just need to kill more." Kaden stopped running and stretched his limbs. Also, the kills he needed were already here.
A chorus of low, guttural growls rumbled from the darkness beyond the trees. The shadows shifted—yellow eyes gleaming like silent predators waiting in the void.
He wasn’t alone.
It looked like his guess was correct after all. A dire wolf rarely traveled alone.
Kaden let out a slow breath, rolling his shoulders as he flexed his fingers. His blood thrummed with anticipation, the pulse of raw energy beneath his skin almost begging to be unleashed.
The wolves were here. They hadn’t charged him yet. Instead, they circled, their massive, muscular bodies shifting in and out of the tree line. The pack was assessing him, waiting for a moment of weakness.
A dozen pairs of yellow eyes gleamed from the darkness, moving in slow, deliberate motions, their bodies nearly silent as they adjusted their formation.
Pack hunters. Coordinated. Cunning. Deadly in numbers.
One of the wolves let out a warning snarl, hackles rising, saliva dripping from its massive jaws.
Kaden clenched his fists in determination. If they wanted a fight, he’d give them one.
[Sanguine Roots.]
The ground trembled beneath him. This time, he poured more mana into the skill, fueling it with the absurd reserves of his new evolution.
Thick, crimson roots exploded from the soil like spears of living steel, snaking through the air with vicious intent. They moved faster, sharper—stronger.
The first wolf didn’t even have time to react before a jagged root pierced through its chest, lifting its massive body off the ground before slamming it down in a spray of blood.
[Ding! You have killed a Dire Shadowfang Wolf.]
