Chapter 145: Gold-rank Spawn
"Then we depart immediately," Ethan said to Torrino, who nodded reluctantly.
The jungle swallowed them within minutes of leaving the territorial boundary. Ancient trees created a canopy so thick that afternoon sunlight barely penetrated to the forest floor, casting everything in emerald twilight that spoke of primordial wilderness.
Torrino moved with the careful efficiency of someone who understood that survival depended on cooperation. His training showed in how he navigated the terrain, avoiding obvious ambush points while maintaining steady progress toward their destination.
"The spawning point lies approximately five hundred kilometres northeast," Torrino explained as they pushed through dense undergrowth. "We should reach the outer perimeter in a day’s time, if we head there at high speed."
One day’s travel. Reasonable timeline.
Ethan’s senses swept their surroundings continuously, detecting the subtle energy signatures that marked territorial boundaries between different apex predators. The jungle’s ecosystem operated on principles of violent competition that made his own advancement seem almost gentle by comparison.
Natural selection in its purest form.
Two hours into their journey, movement ahead announced their first encounter. Something large crashed through the vegetation with the confidence of a creature unaccustomed to serious threats.
Gold-rank energy signature. Exactly what I hoped for.
The beast that emerged from concealing foliage exceeded even generous expectations. Four meters of crystalline perfection, its translucent body refracting sunlight into rainbow patterns that danced across nearby trees. Each movement radiated power that made the air itself shimmer with contained energy.
<Ferocious Beast: Prism Stalker>