Chapter 54 — Crimson Range
The Crimson Range loomed like the spine of a sleeping beast. Crimson ridges stretched across the horizon, their edges glowing faintly in Venarae's molten twilight. The air shimmered with heat, carrying the metallic scent of spirit minerals and ash.
The trio—Vaibhav, Shin, and Alicia—stood atop a jagged outcrop overlooking the range. The terrain below was fractured and scarred, covered in strange black vines that pulsed faintly like veins. The atmosphere was heavier here, the pressure of primal essence thicker than in any other part of Venarae they had visited.
Shin whistled low. "It's like someone spilled lava and forgot to clean up."
Alicia, scanning the area through her wrist display, spoke quietly. "Energy density's high. The beasts here aren't going to be like the ones in Lumeris outskirts."
"Good," Vaibhav said, eyes narrowing slightly. "We'll finally get a decent fight."
They descended carefully, boots crunching against sharp red shale. As night fell, the air changed—cooler, darker, quieter. Too quiet.
The first growl came when the moon had just risen.
A low, guttural rumble rolled across the rocks, echoing off the cliffs. Then, from the shadows, four shapes emerged—sleek bodies, black fur streaked with faint silver lines, and horns curving backward like scythes. Their eyes glowed faint violet.
Alicia exhaled softly. "Horned Panthers. Exalted-class."
Vaibhav flexed his fingers. "Four of them."
"Perfect." Shin grinned, drawing his blade. "Two for me, one each for you?"
Alicia gave him a look. "You can have one—if you survive it."
The lead panther crouched, its claws scraping sparks from the rock. Then it lunged.
Vaibhav met the first strike head-on. The impact shattered the stone under his feet, dust erupting like smoke. He drove his elbow upward, catching the beast under the jaw and slamming it back with a crack. The panther twisted midair and landed on its paws, snarling, its horns glowing faintly.
The second attacked from the flank—Vaibhav pivoted, catching it mid-pounce. His fist connected with its chest in a single, explosive motion. The creature convulsed once before collapsing.
The instant its heart stopped, Vaibhav felt the rush—life force, warm and raw, flowing into him.
> [Beast Spirit Acquired: None]
[+5 Exalted Power Points Gained]
The absorption was instant, seamless—like drinking fire through the veins.
Before he could turn, another panther came from behind. Shin blurred past him, intercepting it mid-leap. His sword flashed once—clean, fast, precise. The beast fell in two halves before it even realized it was dead.
> [Beast Spirit Acquired: Horned Panther]
Vaibhav's core pulsed faintly again—another thread of lifeforce absorbed from the kill.
> [+3 Exalted Power Points Gained]
Shin exhaled, spinning his sword loosely. "That's two. You're slowing down, Vyuk."
Vaibhav grinned faintly. "Just making sure you get your exercise."
The fourth panther lunged toward Alicia. She didn't flinch. Her palm lifted, forming a translucent green barrier that pulsed like rippling water. The creature struck it, claws scraping uselessly.
The barrier flared—releasing stored kinetic energy. The impact launched the beast backward into a rock wall. Before it could recover, Alicia drew a thin silver blade from her belt and thrust it through the creature's throat.
> [Beast Spirit Acquired: Horned Panther]
Vaibhav absorbed the faint lifeforce the moment it died—instinctual, effortless.
> [+1 Exalted Power Points Gained]
Dust settled slowly across the range. For a moment, there was only silence—the faint crackle of red embers, the hiss of cooling rock.
Alicia exhaled. "All clear."
"Nice formation," Shin said, sheathing his blade. "Not bad for a warm-up."
Vaibhav didn't answer immediately. He was looking at the corpses. His eyes flickered red for a moment.
The air was still heavy with the smell of blood and dust when the ground behind them rippled faintly — and a deep, resonant growl filled the silence.
From Vaibhav's sea of consciousness, Viggy stepped forth — the Unbound Wolf, towering and spectral, its fur flowing like liquid smoke. Twin red eyes gleamed through the darkness, calm yet menacing.
Shin stiffened slightly. "Oh great… dinner time already?"
Alicia didn't look away from the bodies. "Let him wait. We still have work to do."
Vaibhav raised a hand toward Viggy. "Hold, boy."
The wolf stopped mid-step, lowering its head slightly in acknowledgment, its massive form shimmering faintly.
Vaibhav turned toward the others. "Get the shards first."
Alicia moved to the first corpse — the panther she had slain. She knelt, slicing through its chest with practiced precision. The faint crack of bone and flesh echoed softly as her gloved hand reached into the cavity. A shard, glowing faint blue, pulsed faintly amid the darkness.
She plucked it out, wiped it clean on her sleeve, then pressed it against her palm. It dissolved into her skin like flowing light.
> [+5 Exalted Power Points Gained]
She rose silently, stepping aside as Shin crouched beside the second corpse. His blade made quick, efficient cuts, peeling back hide and sinew until the faint shimmer of another shard appeared.
"Still can't get over how pretty these things look before they melt," he muttered, flicking the blood away. He absorbed it in one motion — the glow flashed, then faded into his chest.
> [+6 Exalted Power Points Gained]
They moved on to the next.
Alicia handled the third beast, repeating the motion — cutting through the ribs, extracting the core with care. The shard's glow was weaker this time, a faint pulse instead of a steady light.
She absorbed it quietly.
> [+3 Exalted Power Points Gained]
And finally, Shin reached the last. He knelt, wiping sweat from his brow before carving into the beast's torso. The shard gleamed faintly, smaller and dimmer than the rest — its light flickering before dissolving into his palm.
> [+2 Exalted Power Points Gained]
When the final shard vanished, the air seemed to still.
Vaibhav exhaled, rolling his shoulders. "Now, Viggy."
The Unbound Wolf lifted its head, eyes flashing crimson.
"Eat."
The beast obeyed instantly. Its translucent jaws tore through the panthers' corpses with unnatural speed, devouring not just flesh but the lingering essence within. Every motion of its head drew faint streaks of red energy from the remains, each one vanishing into its spectral body.
In moments, the ground was clean — nothing left but blackened dust and a faint, pulsing silence.
Alicia wiped her hands on a cloth, murmuring, "Efficient."
Shin leaned on his sword, frowning faintly. "Still creepy as hell, though."
Vaibhav glanced back as the wolf finished its feast. "You'll get used to it. He's family now."
Viggy turned once toward Vaibhav, eyes glowing faintly, before its form began to blur. With a ripple of dark mist, the wolf dissolved — retreating back into Vaibhav's sea of consciousness.
The night returned to its quiet rhythm — the air thick with the metallic tang of spirit energy and faintly glowing mist drifting across the rocks.
Alicia stood, gaze fixed eastward. "The Crimson Range isn't done with us."
Shin grinned, sheathing his sword. "Good. Neither are we."
Vaibhav's eyes lingered on the horizon where the red peaks shimmered under moonlight. "Let's move. Before something else smells the blood."