Soon after leaving the four Superhumans behind, Ryne caught up to the Thunder Shadow Panther again.
Spotting him, the panther let out a desperate roar and, activating "Swift Run," continued her flight.
Ryne was patient. He knew she was running on fumes; victory was near.
On the first day, it had taken him four or five hours to catch up. But as her strength waned, the distance she could cover shrank, her speed fell, and pursuit time dropped—to one or two hours now.
By all signs, she wouldn't last more than a day.
Another night passed, and a new day began.
The cat-and-mouse game, this chase and torment, had dragged on for a fourth day.
The winter morning sun warmed pleasantly. Ryne's mood was excellent—he'd already caught up to the panther three times since dawn.
Around noon, on an open clearing not far from the mountain peak, Ryne met his prey again.
The panther lay limply on a rock, staring at him from a hundred meters away.
Days of nonstop running without proper rest or food had worn her to the bone. She'd lost noticeable weight, her fur dulled, her eyes bloodshot. Exhaustion was plain to see.
Ryne didn't rush to attack. He cautiously scanned the area.
This panther was very cunning; caution wouldn't hurt.
He scanned the terrain several times with Eye of the Soul but found no traps. The panther's condition was truly pitiful. The elements in her soul were still there, but they didn't shine as brightly as before.
It was a sign of soul weakness.
Ryne advanced slowly. The panther issued a low growl, devoid of its former menace. She struggled to her feet, glared at Ryne with hatred, and turned to run again.
But this time, Ryne had no intention of letting her go.
"Game over."
With that thought, Ryne activated Charge.
Without waiting for the first to finish, he forced a second, maintaining high speed. After the third, he was right behind the panther.
The panther had already activated "Swift Run." Sensing danger, she bristled and instinctively surged forward.
But her strength was spent, her reactions slowed.
At the critical moment, her legs buckled, and she couldn't pull away from Ryne.
Ryne had anticipated it. Without casting spells, he reached out and grabbed her tail.
The moment his fingers closed on the thick tail, Thorny Storm Armor erupted in lightning that raced up his arm and through his body, numbing him.
Fortunately, the panther's soul was weakened, and the armor's power reduced.
Gritting through the shocks, Ryne seized the tail with both hands, planted one foot for leverage, spun the panther, and hurled her with force.
Boom!
The panther slammed into the very rock she'd been resting on. A deafening crack echoed.
Thorny Storm Armor shattered under the monstrous impact, electric discharges flashing and fading. Bones inside her body snapped in countless places. She tumbled to the ground, blood gushing from her maw.
The grievous wounds ignited beastly fury in the panther.
Madness blazed in her eyes. No more thoughts of flight. With a low growl, she made the air crackle—dozens of finger-thick bolts wove into an imposing net.
Boom!
Shrouded in electricity, the panther lunged at Ryne with unprecedented speed, ready for her final desperate fight.
Ryne remained calm. Slapping his dragon-leather belt, he drew his war hammer.
At the same time, a powerful energy wave exploded outward.
Secret Burst!
The panther, hurtling at high speed, hit the blast wave of Secret Burst at close range. Her momentum slowed for an instant, the electricity around her suppressed, revealing her true form.
Ryne took a wide step, and the hammer traced a blurred arc through the air.
Whoosh!
With a terrifying whistle, the hammer pierced the lightning veil and smashed squarely onto the panther's head.
Even a Legendary warrior couldn't withstand seventh-level strength. The panther's Thorny Storm Armor cracked like an eggshell.
The hammer grazed her crown and halted.
Crunch.
The panther convulsed, the light in her eyes faded, the electricity vanished. Chill from the hammer instantly encased her in ice. She collapsed as a frozen corpse.
Externally, her head seemed intact, but inside, her brain was mush. She was dead for good.
Ryne smiled satisfied at his handiwork. He'd done it that way, fearing a bashed-in skull would hinder soul absorption.
He immediately pulled a pristine Purple Soul Crystal from his belt pouch and pressed it to the panther's forehead.
It was the very crystal Lady Long Braids had given him along with the Will of Truth. Its quality was extraordinarily high, valuable in itself. It could store demonic souls for years, far longer than any market crystals.
Soul crystals naturally attracted souls of any kind.
In seconds, the panther's soul was extracted. The crystal filled, the violet stone taking on a faint blue tint, with the demonic soul's silhouette occasionally shimmering within.
"Success."
Ryne held the crystal to his eye, examining it closely.
The panther's soul floated inside. Deep within, five runic symbols emerged one by one—the same ones he'd seen before, none missing.
"Lightning Affinity!"
Ryne's gaze locked on the blue-violet rune. Joy filled his heart—he'd finally gotten it.
The other elements were good too. They could make up for his speed deficiency.
Ryne couldn't wait to merge.
He glanced at the panther's corpse. The hide was intact, in excellent condition. Selling it in the city would fetch a good price.
"First find a spot to merge, then come back for the prize."
Ryne turned and left. Cresting the peak, he found a secluded spot under a rock overhang on the slope, sat cross-legged, and began recovering his strength.
He rested calmly for two or three hours, until his stamina and soul power peaked.
Ryne pressed the Soul Crystal to his forehead. Soon the panther's demonic soul entered his mind and merged into his own soul.
The World Tree began to vibrate.
The demonic soul appeared at the roots and climbed the trunk. In minutes, it reached the level of three branches.
During the last Soul Transformation Ritual, his own soul had been torn apart and reassembled, undergoing metamorphosis. The three previously merged demonic souls were fully integrated, becoming part of him.
Thus, the panther's soul met no resistance.
Ryne wasn't surprised. After each ritual, merging the first demonic soul went smoothest, with almost no failure risk.
In meditation, the panther's soul continued upward.
Soon it passed the three-branch level. Under Ryne's control, it halted higher, dissolved into spiritual energy, and a new branch sprouted on the trunk.
The new branch elongated rapidly before his eyes.
The World Tree grew swiftly too.
After over ten minutes, the branch reached its limit, and five leaf buds appeared. In a few breaths, they unfurled into full leaves.
Each leaf bore a clear elemental rune.
Lightning Affinity, Agility, Swift Run, Strength, Thorny Storm Armor!
At the merge's completion, Ryne felt a light tremor through his body. Electric arcs danced across his skin. When he opened his eyes, a blue-violet spark flashed deep within.
Rising from under the overhang, Ryne sensed the changes. His body was slightly leaner, lines more harmonious and aesthetic.
His steps were lighter!
Reactions faster!
Before, despite his phone gyroscope and Will of Truth aiding precise perception of every change, his thoughts outpaced his body. He sensed everything, but it lagged like a bad internet connection.
Now that delay was gone.
As if shedding heavy shackles or gaining Speed Boost, every motion—walking or running—felt swift and effortless.
Strength, defense, and speed had balanced.
The balance wasn't perfect—speed still lagged far behind strength and defense.
But Ryne was pleased.
All thanks to the Agility element. It boosted not just movement speed but close-combat nimbleness too.
"Third-level Agility—still a common element. Huge upgrade potential."
Ryne figured fourth-level Agility would make it rare.
There was also second-level Swift Run.
It lasted just five minutes with a half-hour cooldown, but the effect was stunning—speed more than doubled. Invaluable for combat or escape.
First-level Strength was nearly useless, just nudging his strength progress bar.
Ryne noted that enhancing seventh-level Strength was far harder than Steel Body, though both were superior elements. Likely the current limit of his soul. Without class level-up, further strength gains were near impossible.
But he valued Lightning Affinity most.
He sensed sky, earth, trees, air... everything infused with a special elemental energy. It was omnipresent. Ryne couldn't put it into words, but he felt its elusiveness and the furious power hidden within.
Focusing, he could influence it.
"Must be the lightning element."
Realizing this, Ryne extended his hand. Thin electric arcs danced between his fingers, crackling softly.
Controlling elemental energy without spells—that was the essence of affinity elements.
Mastering lightning-school spells would amplify them and boost his resistance to enemy lightning magic.
It was the foundation of power for Elementalists of various schools under the Doctrine of Magical Seals.
"With Lightning Affinity, if I merge a few more spells from that school later, I could moonlight as a Lightning Elementalist."
Ryne smirked.
Not a bad idea. If an enemy mistook him for a pure Elementalist and closed in, only for him to pull the hammer at the last second...
Heh heh...
Few would appreciate the surprise.
The last element, Thorny Storm Armor, was a rare defensive spell. Based on Lightning Affinity, it could only be cast on himself.
Ryne studied it briefly and saw it complemented Steel Body perfectly.
Thorny Storm Armor offered solid physical defense, layering over Steel Body. On attack, it reflected lightning, dealing damage and paralysis.
Ryne thought that if someone got paralyzed next to him, he'd smash their skull with one hammer blow for sure.
"While you're paralyzed, you're done!"
Plus, Thorny Storm Armor was instant-cast. Once active, it persisted like a Permanence spell until soul power ran out.
Armor-type defenses usually hugged the skin, activating only on impact.
Compared to magic shields, armor might be weaker overall but more specialized. For instance, Elemental Armor had mediocre defense but greatly raised magic resistance.
Armor's stealth was an advantage too.
Shield and armor spells were incompatible. Ryne preferred armor, as shields hindered close combat.
Ryne clenched his fists in satisfaction.
First Lightning Affinity acquired, speed boosted. This merge raised his energy reserve by nearly ten notches, to 30% total. His power had more than doubled!
"Now a fourth-level Mage. Gotta keep grinding."
Still basking in the level-up joy, Ryne looked up and spotted a black dot in the sky.
The Red-Eyed Eagle.
Ryne ignored it, raced down the slope, and in minutes returned to the panther's corpse. The ice had melted.
He drew Song of the Azure Sky and began butchering the prize.
He deftly extracted two fangs, slit the belly, and started skinning—the two most valuable parts.
He'd skinned only half when the Tracker and his three companions crested the mountain.
They didn't approach, stopping under a nearby tree to watch from afar.
Unwritten hunter rule in the wilds: when someone's field-dressing prey, keep distance to avoid trouble.
Amazement and disappointment showed in their eyes.
This Thunder Shadow Panther was among the strongest mid-rank magical beasts, equivalent to a fifth- or sixth-level Superhuman. Their four-man team had hunted without full confidence of success.
And now, just sighting the panther, they found her already slain by someone else.
Whoever could solo such a mighty Thunder Shadow Panther was no ordinary Superhuman. Annoying as it was, they dared not provoke him.
Seeing Ryne neatly skin the entire hide, the Tracker shook his head and said quietly,
"Let's go."
His mood soured, but he wanted no trouble.
"Wait," a voice called.
The Tracker turned. The Superhuman who'd killed the panther had closed several steps and stopped ten meters away.
"What speed..."
The Tracker's pupils narrowed. He asked warily,
"How can we help you, sir?"
Ryne nodded slightly to the Tracker, but his gaze fixed on the Ranger in their group.
A man in his early thirties, clad in quality leather armor. Twin one-handed swords, coil of rope, and tool pouch on his belt.
"You know me?" Ryne asked, staring intently.
The other three glanced at the Ranger. He shook his head in confusion, scratched his nape, and replied,
"No. Who are you?"
"Good acting," Ryne said with a cold smirk. "I suggest you tell the truth."
As he spoke, he advanced slowly toward the Ranger.
All four tensed, raising weapons. The Tracker nocked an arrow at Ryne and growled,
"Sir, if you come closer, don't blame us."