There was no sound as the beast dropped from the tree, its large bare feet touching the dry ground as it straightened slowly and stood upright like a human.

Killian instinctively stepped back once, as the beast stood at double his size and looked like it weighed as much as a fully grown gorilla.

There was no way he would be getting so close. Against something like that, brute force was useless, and since it was in a B-tier realm, it might very likely have good speed.

The odds were already stacked against him from entry.

No wonder it didn’t attack me the moment I walked into the realm.

Killian calmly paced from one point to another, taking in the environment and thinking of how to use it as an advantage.

He stared at the forest spanning half a plot from where he stood. There was no sound from a distance but the creaking of trees as wind passed through them.

The realm’s guard was the only one there.

Meanwhile, the beast’s eyes never went off Killian’s body, raking over Killian’s frame in a slow judging way. It shifted its eyes towards the cave nearby.

Following its gaze, without losing the beast from his peripheral vision, Killian caught the familiar stench wafting from the cave. He clicked his tongue.

From the second he arrived, he could already smell the stench of blood in the air. That had alerted him that he wasn’t alone and something watched the entrance.

"Is that a threat?" He asked quietly. The opponent was naturally weaponized so he wasted no time equipping himself.

The Void-Bat dropped to his hands after thinking of his Inventory. "Will you do to me what you did to them?"

I have to be cautious. This isn’t a small realm.

The moment the weapon dropped into Killian’s hand, the beast reacted by pulling the steel club from its back. Its shoulders rolled forward, ready to pounce.

Killian set his stance. "Well, then, let’s get started—"

"Ai-yaa!"

Both Killian and the beast paused, their attention snapping downwards. Their eyes followed the small creature who jumped out from the area the tendrils covered.

Some tendrils followed her, trying to entrap her within the Domain Totality. Her vines quickly shot out, whipping them back as she made a run away from the shadowed area.

She stopped between Killian and the beast, having an annoyed glare pointed at the shadowy tendrils, and then at Killian.

She was completely oblivious to the beast staring questioningly at her. "When were you going to release me! Do you think of me as your pet!"

Killian stared at her a second, wondering how she could release herself from the spatial storage without him trying to take her out.

Perhaps the rules are a little different for living people.

He looked back at the beast watching the human-rabbit. There was a primal interest his eyes as they fixed on her.

Whether it was hunger or confusion, Killian couldn’t tell. He calmly pushed her behind him with a firm hand. His tendrils acted accordingly, shifting aside for her to stand.

"This guy is dangerous. Stay at my back." His eyes returned to the beast.

Silence stretched within their surroundings, each side watching the other attentively, without making a move.

Killian waited for its first strike while the beast held its ground like it had no reason to be in a hurry. His shoulders were relaxed, but its eyes had moved to Killian.

It is so arrogant.

Tendrils shot up from the ground underneath Killian, moving quickly towards the creature’s leg to mark it. Killian knew he’d won half of the fight if he had that advantage.

Suddenly, the beast twisted its body. It wasn’t a big movement but enough to dodge the attack. A sharp movement despite its size, and that made Killian worry.

It might be faster than I gave it credit for.

Killian took another step away from the beast. It would be easier to dodge whatever speed it moved that way. He followed its eye movement.

Slam!

The beast’s foot came down hard on the surface sending shock waves through the ground. The loose soil under Killian’s leg shook violently.

His eyes widened when he realised. There was no information about this in the few books he read.

A monster using the Earth Element? From his side, he saw the human-rabbit shaking due to the shockwaves.

Of course. She can use the Earth Element as well.

Before Killian’s thoughts settled, the ground grew firm and stable enough to stop the dust from rising, though the rocks slightly shivered. He turned to the girl by his side.

With one foot pressed strongly into the ground, and her blue eyes focused on everything around her, she had countered the beast’s attack.

The shaking completely stopped.

She can counter a B-tier realm monster? Has she grown more powerful since we last met?

And she’s a Dual-Element User. Plant and Earth.

He pushed aside his thoughts, and snapped his head to the beast. His shoulders eased a bit as he devised another plan. He patted her head instinctively.

"Stand beside me."

The human rabbit obeyed immediately, though her cheeks puffed up and a huff escaped her lips. "Now you’re not treating me like a pet, but a weapon."

The beast moved again, slapping the ground and sending sand upward into the air. Dust clouded the clear air he breathed in.

It roared, drumming its huge clenched fists on its chest before lunging forward with the steel club raised high.

Killian’s hands came together as his eyes focused past the dust rising. Was that a distraction? His eyes darted in either direction to ensure nothing else was coming.

I just need to use the distraction to my advantage.

He fixed his Void-Bat under his arms.

<Piercing Scorch>

Heat gathered between his palms, fueled by oxygen and flaring within his grasp. Killian focused, tightening the fire into a single point as he aimed forward.

The moment the creature’s chest came into view, he released it.

~

[A/N: My writing style changed a little in this Chapter. I am still exploring it so do tell me what you think at the end of this Chapter. It might not last long anyway lol]