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>

<Rank: Low-Gold>

<Light Manipulation Talent: C- >

Low-Gold. Not bad, easy attribute points

Torrino’s face went pale as he recognised the threat level. “Prism Stalker-”

His words cut off as Ethan moved.

Enhanced Speed transformed him into a blur of motion that closed the distance before the creature could react. His fire talent erupted in bursts that struck the defensive barrier that the Prism Stalker had created.

His fire drove through the creature’s light barriers before burning the stalker into a crisp.

The Stalker’s death came with surprising swiftness. Its light-based defences crumbled under the first attack of Ethan. What should have been challenging combat became a quick execution.

Ethan did not bother to keep the body.

He devoured the core and the body of the prism stalker and gained attributes.

<+8 Strength>

<+5 Strength>

…

Their second encounter came three hours later.

The Molten Titan stood three meters tall, its volcanic form radiating heat that turned surrounding vegetation to ash. Magma dripped from its rocky hide while internal fires blazed through cracks in its natural armour.

<Ferocious Beast: Molten Titan>

<Rank: Mid-Gold>

<Volcanic Mastery Talent: C>

Finally, a good talent that I already have. This new talent will replace my fire talent.

This creature presented soft resistance. Its volcanic capabilities created environmental hazards that forced tactical adaptation rather than direct assault. Lava flows blocked movement routes while superheated air made breathing dangerous.

But superior power told. Ethan’s water manipulation created steam barriers that neutralized the creature’s thermal advantages while his enhanced speed made its massive attacks irrelevant.

The battle lasted nearly eight seconds.

<Your talent [Fire(D)] has evolved to [Volcanic Mastery (D+)]>

<+8 Intelligence>

<+7 Intelligence>

…

<Human: Ethan Brandon>

<Rank: High-Gold>

<Talents: Volcanic Mastery (D+), Water(D-), Crystal Manipulation (D), Speed (E+), Wind(E+), Protective Shield (F+), Accuracy Enhancement (F+), Regeneration (F+), Dagger Wield (F-), Mental Enhancement (F)>

<Transformations: Apex Mane(Mid-Gold), Crystal Butterfly(Low-Gold), Lazy Monkey(Peak-Silver), Tunneler Behemoth(High-Silver), Crystal Ape (Mid-Silver), Panther (Mid-Silver), Silver Serpent (Mid-Silver), Harpy(Mid-Silver)>

<Level 8>

<Health Points: 3880> <Mana Points: 3770>

<Strength: 391> <Agility: 367> <Intelligence: 377> <Vitality: 388>

<Free Attributes: 20>

<Skills: Basic Footwork (Apprentice- 1%), Swordsmanship (Novice – 70%), Mana control (Novice – 98%)>

Torrino’s hands trembled as he watched the destruction of apex predators. “Mid-Gold ranks don’t fall that easily. They’re supposed to be territorial dominators.”

…

The third encounter was something that made Torrino shake in his place.

<Ferocious Beast: Dark Wraith>

<Rank: High-Gold>

<Darkness Manipulation Talent: C+>

The creature slumbered in a natural amphitheatre formed by ancient stone formations, its ethereal form rippling between corporeal solidity and shadow-stuff. Even in sleep, darkness pooled around it like liquid night, absorbing light and sound until the area became a void in the jungle’s natural rhythm.

Torrino’s face went corpse-pale. His hands trembled as recognition dawned.

“We need to go,” he whispered urgently. “Now. Before it wakes.”

The fear in his voice is genuine.

“Dark wraiths are apex nightmare predators. They hunt Gold-rank creatures for sport. Even Lord Vance avoids direct confrontation with them.”

Ethan studied the sleeping horror with professional interest. The creature’s power signature was impressive—High-Gold rank backed by C+ grade darkness manipulation. A genuine threat that promised real combat experience.

Finally. Something worth fighting.

“Your point?”

“My point?” Torrino’s voice cracked. “That thing has killed dozens of Gold-rank fighters. It feeds on living shadows, tears souls from bodies. It’s not a creature you hunt—it’s a force of nature you survive.”

Interesting. But irrelevant.

Ethan’s newly acquired volcanic mastery stirred within him, magma-hot power flowing through enhanced physiology. Combined with his Peak-High-Gold attributes, the wraith represented challenge rather than certain death.

Time to test new capabilities.

“Stay here,” he commanded, stepping toward the sleeping predator.

“Wait!” Torrino grabbed his arm desperately. “You can’t seriously—”

The restraining hand met crystal-hardened flesh and bounced off harmlessly. Torrino stumbled backwards, recognising the futility of physical intervention.

“Do that again and you are dead,” Ethan said without turning around.

The Dark Wraith stirred as his approach disturbed its territorial senses. Ancient eyes opened like stars appearing in midnight sky—pinpricks of cold light that held intelligence older than the jungle itself.

It knows I’m here.

The creature rose with fluid grace that defied physical laws, its form shifting between solid matter and living shadow. Darkness flowed around it like water, pooling in impossible depths that swallowed light and hope equally.

Showtime.

Combat erupted without warning.

Shadow tentacles lashed from every direction simultaneously, their ethereal substance bypassing conventional defenses to strike directly at his life force. The attacks carried cold that went beyond temperature—existential chill that threatened to freeze his soul.

Fast. Incredibly fast.

Enhanced Speed activated automatically, reality slowing as his perception accelerated. But the wraith’s attacks seemed to ignore temporal limitations, striking from angles that didn’t exist in normal space.

Shadow manipulation at C+ grade. Different rules entirely.

His volcanic mastery answered with molten fury. Magma erupted from the stone floor in geyser-like columns, their superheated glow burning through accumulated darkness like miniature suns.

The wraith screamed—a sound that transcended audio to become pure psychological assault. Ancient trees withered at its cry while lesser creatures fled in primal terror.

Good. It can feel pain.

But the creature adapted faster than expected. Darkness coalesced into solid matter, forming barriers that absorbed his volcanic attacks while shadow-stuff flowed around obstacles like liquid night.

Tactical intelligence. This isn’t just raw power.

Crystal Manipulation activated as shadow claws raked across his torso, their ethereal substance somehow finding purchase on enhanced durability. Pain exploded through his nervous system.

Volcanic fire magic erupted in all directions, D+ rank flames creating illumination that forced the wraith’s form into sharper definition. For a moment, its shifting outline became concrete enough for conventional assault.

Water manipulation followed immediately, pressurized streams hammering the creature’s suddenly-solid form. But the wraith’s substance rippled like disturbed mercury, distributing impact across impossible surface area.

Physical attacks are limited. Need a different approach.

The Dark Wraith’s counterattack came as environmental manipulation. Darkness didn’t just obscure vision—it became the environment, transforming solid stone into shadow-stuff that shifted underfoot.

Ethan found himself fighting on terrain that actively opposed his movements. Each step sank into yielding darkness while the wraith flowed through its element like a fish through water.

Home field advantage. Clever creature.

Wind blades carved through the artificial night, their invisible edges seeking targets that refused to maintain a consistent position. Several strikes found their mark, earning fresh screams that shattered stones.

Damage accumulation. It’s not invulnerable.

But the wraith’s response demonstrated why it was feared across the region. Shadow-stuff coalesced into dozens of duplicate forms, each carrying identical power signatures that confused his enhanced senses.

Illusion warfare. Can’t tell which is real.

All twelve copies attacked simultaneously, their coordinated assault creating patterns too complex for conventional defense. Shadow claws, darkness beams, and soul-draining touches struck from every angle.

Overwhelming numbers. Time for area denial.

Volcanic mastery erupted in its full glory. The stone amphitheater became a hellscape of molten rock and superheated air, temperatures rising beyond what most creatures could survive.

Shadow duplicates dissolved under thermal assault, their false substance unable to maintain coherence in such extreme conditions. Only one form remained—the true wraith, its ethereal body rippling with damage from sustained heat exposure.

Found you.

Behind him, Torrino chose that moment of distraction to attempt escape. The man sprinted toward the amphitheater’s exit with desperate speed, clearly believing the battle’s chaos would mask his flight.

This coward…he thinks I’m too busy to worry about him.

A wind blade materialised without conscious thought, compressed air sharpened to razor precision. The invisible projectile split the air beside Torrino’s head, missing by exactly one inch—close enough to part his hair without drawing blood.

The escaped prisoner froze mid-stride, understanding flooding his features as he processed how casually death had passed him by.

Ethan’s side-eye glare carried the promise of less merciful targeting if the behaviour repeated.

“Do that again and you are dead.”

The Dark Wraith struck during his momentary distraction, shadow-stuff flowing around his defenses to strike directly at his core. Cold beyond description flooded his body, spiritual ice that threatened to stop his heart through sheer existential wrongness.

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