The impact sites created a surreal landscape of raised crater rims.
Scattered across the cratered terrain, Moon could sense the presence of powerful creatures that had claid these teor sites as their territories.
This was where his intelligence suggested a Supre Rank beast might be dwelling—hidden among the ancient craters where only the strongest predators could thrive and survive.
Moon remained atop Mirage, preparing to begin the search for what he hoped would finally be the Supre Rank beast he needed to complete his evolution.
As Moon began glancing over the various craters that served as hos for the region's powerful inhabitants, he quickly attracted unwanted attention from multiple predators dwelling within these natural fortresses.
Despite releasing his intimidating aura to discourage confrontation with weaker beasts in his search for the strongest, the local beasts weren't easily deterred. They possessed the confidence that stemd from surviving in one of the sanctuary's most dangerous regions, with even the weakest beasts reaching A-Rank.
Upon detecting Moon's distinctive aura that they had never felt before, the creatures beca visibly excited rather than fearful. One by one, they began erging from their hos and climbing toward the rim edges where they could observe this intruder more clearly.
"Interesting... they're all looking at as if I'm prey they could collectively take down. They've ford so sort of alliance against outsiders, haven't they?" Moon said to nobody in particular.
Moon couldn't deny he was sowhat surprised by this response. The beasts were clearly organizing themselves to fight the intruder as a single force, likely planning to share or compete for his corpse after achieving victory together.
Rather than individual territorial disputes, these beasts had apparently learned that cooperation against external threats was more profitable than competing amongst themselves. It was an unexpectedly smart strategy for creatures typically driven by instinct mainly.
Moon exchanged a aningful glance with Mirage, who had also sensed the growing hostility surrounding them. His companion's purple eye began glowing slightly, he was read to employ his new illusion abilities if the situation required.
Moon took a deep breath, conducting a quick eye sweep to identify all the hostile beasts positioning themselves around the crater rims. In total, twenty A-rank beasts had erged from their underground lairs—so massive in size, others smaller in size but still dangerous.
When it ca to these beasts, size didn't matter.
His mana flared in intensity as Moon imdiately began casting [Elental Attack]. A-rank beasts were simply too weak for his current power level, and conjuring so elental strikes would efficiently eliminate the entire group.
Fire, wind, water, and earth spells began flying toward the various crater positions one after the other, leaving the beasts no chance to attack. Moon showed no rcy in attacking the beasts that had foolishly erged to challenge him. Within re seconds, all twenty A-rank creatures lay dead across the landscape.
Moon had eliminated the entire group of beasts without exerting significant effort or depleting aningful amounts of his mana. He spent a few additional seconds storing the valuable corpses in his spatial ring before resuming his search for the Supre Rank beast.
In the deeper craters throughout the region, other beasts that had been considering joining the attack against the intruder no longer dared to erge. They had witnessed twenty of their neighbors and competitors slaughtered in what amounted to an instant.
Challenging Moon was clearly an action that only creatures actively seeking death would consider.
The surviving beasts retreated deep into their crater hideouts, cowering in the darkness while fearfully glancing upward from their holes, terrified that Moon might beco angry enough to pursue them into their dens.
After the event that claid twenty lives of The Starfall Wastes residents, the area had beco significantly quieter, allowing him to concentrate entirely on locating his true target without constant interruptions from weaker beasts.
Moving deeper into the crater-scarred landscape, Moon began to notice a distinct pattern erging in the terrain.
The deeper he ventured, the wider the spacing between individual craters beca. Each pit was also significantly larger than those in the outer regions, and proportionally, the aura emanating from within suggested correspondingly stronger beasts.
"The more powerful beasts are claiming the larger territories for themselves, It's similar to Earth's social structure."
Those with greater strength and resources could afford more spacious, private mansions, while weaker creatures were forced to compete for smaller spaces in the crowded outer areas.
Suddenly, a powerful aura flared from one of the massive craters ahead, imdiately capturing Moon's attention. His expression brightened montarily with anticipation, but as his eyes focused on the erging beast and he its spiritual signature more carefully, disappointnt set in.
It wasn't a Supre-rank creature—rely another S-Rank beast, though clearly a formidable one.
As Moon prepared to charge his attack for quick elimination, he suddenly rembered Mirage's new evolution. Before his evolution, his companion had been able to engage S-rank beasts for a solid ti span but eventually found himself on the losing side of such encounters.
After his evolution, Moon wasn't certain how Mirage would perform against S-Rank opponents. To better understand his partner's abilities before they potentially faced a Supre-rank creature, Moon decided this would be an ideal testing opportunity.
Mirage's body language clearly indicated that he was eager to fight the beast.
"Go get it, partner. I'll wait for you here," Moon said, dismounting from Mirage's back and giving him the freedom to engage.
Mirage neighed loudly in anticipation, rearing up on his hind legs before striking the ground with a force that created a crater with a diater of 1 ter. Like a blur of white lightning, he galloped toward the S-Rank Dingo that was charging directly back at him with similar ferocity.
The two had their own ego to preserve, and things to prove.
When they were just fifty ters apart, Mirage activated his new skill. A perfect duplicate split away from his body, both versions maintaining identical speed and movent as they approached from different angles.
The Dingo's charging speed visibly decreased as a feeling of confusion hit him. Its head swiveled between the two targets, trying to determine which was the real threat while maintaining his forward montum.
Following the last clear image in its mind, the Dingo committed to striking the Mirage approaching from the right side.
Its powerful jaws snapped shut on empty air as the illusion dissolved instantly upon getting hit with such a powerful attack, revealing itself to be nothing more than a clone.
anwhile, the real Mirage struck from the left with no rcy. His fin-like tail carved a deep gash across the Dingo's exposed torso, drawing blood instantly.
The S-Rank beast roared in pain and anger, its voice spreading across the Starfall Wastes.
But Mirage answered with his own powerful neigh, clearly not intimidated by the roar.
The Dingo spun gracefully despite its wound, snapping at Mirage with its mouth open, and fangs gleaming.
Mirage managed to intercept the Dingo's attack by delivering a powerful kick before its jaws could close the distance. His hooves connected with the beast's leaping body. The Dingo was sent flying several ters backward, crashing into one of the craters around. Within seconds, the Dingo climbed the pit and returned back to the battlefield, but Mirage's hooves had left its print in its torso where the strike had landed.
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