A Dragon's Call

The obsidian lynx attacked first, a blur of black and crimson as it pounced with insanely terrifying speed. Andre barely had enough time to react, his instincts kicking in as he dodged to the side. The lynx's claws raked the ground where he had stood, leaving deep gouges in the dirt.

"Fast," Andre muttered, his heart pounding.

"Focus, Andre," Kael's voice echoed in his mind, sharp and commanding. "You can't afford to hesitate."

The beast snarled, its glowing orb-like eyes fixated on Andre as it crouched low, muscles coiling for another strike. Andre adjusted his stance, his knees bent and his fists raised. The energy within him hummed, coiling like a spring ready to be unleashed.

When the lynx lunged again, Andre met it head-on. He sidestepped at the last moment, his flame-infused fist slamming into its side. The impact sent a shockwave through his arm, but the lynx twisted mid-air, its claws slashing toward him. Andre ducked, feeling the air ripple as the beast's claws missed him by mere inches.

He spun around, landing a kick against the lynx's hind leg. It stumbled, growling in frustration, but quickly regained its footing. The beast was relentless and inexplicably agile, its movements fluid and deadly.

"Stay ahead of it," Kael advised. "Don't let it dictate the fight."

Andre nodded, his breaths coming in quick bursts. He circled the lynx, his eyes never leaving the creature as it mirrored his movements. The tension crackled in the air, each moment stretching as both combatants searched for an opening.

The lynx struck first again, its sharp claws flashing midair in a deadly arc. Andre parried with his forearm, the energy within him forming a faint shield that absorbed some of the blow. He countered with a punch of his own to the lynx's jaw, the force enough to disturb its leap midair and change the beast's direction.

But the beast was unyielding. As it staggered, the lynx managed to twist its body catching Andre by surprise, its tail whipping out and catching Andre across the chest. He stumbled back, the air forced from his lungs.

Giving Andre no chance to gain footing, the lynx seized the opportunity, leaping forward with its jaws wide.

Andre reacted instinctively, raising his left arm to block. The lynx's teeth sank into the energy shielding him and into his forearm, he could feel the raw power of the beast pressing down on him, sinking into his flesh.

"Now!" Kael's voice roared in his mind.

Andre roared in pain, channeling the energy within him into a focused blast . Swiftly directing the blast, he punched the neck of the lynx.

The beast releasing its jaw, staggered back shaking its massive head as if dazed.

Andre didn't give it a chance to recover. He lunged forward this time, his movements precise and calculated. He struck with a flurry of punches and kicks, each blow stunning the beast the more.

He landed a solid hit to the lynx's neck, and the beast growled in pain. It retaliated with a swipe of its claws, catching Andre's side and tearing through his shirt. Instinctively, Andre backed away but not before the claws had grazed his skin. Blood seeped from the shallow wound and even more from his forearm. Andre ignored the pain, his focus unbroken - he couldn't afford to lose focus in a fight like this, especially not against such formidable opponent.

The lynx backed away slightly, its glowing crimson eyes narrowing as it studied him. The air around it shimmered, and Andre could feel a greater surge of energy emanating from the creature.

"It's about to unleash its power," Kael warned.

The lynx snarled, the crimson streaks along its body glowing brighter. A wave of heat radiated from the beast, distorting the air around it. With a deafening roar, it charged, moving faster than before.

Andre met the charge head-on, his own energy surging to meet the lynx's. The clash was explosive, the ground beneath them trembling slightly as they collided.

The lynx fought fiercely, its claws slashing at Andre. Each attack was met with Andre's energy-infused defenses, dodging and countering, on repeat but the strain was starting to take its toll. Sweat dripped down his face, and his breaths came in ragged gasps.

"Stay focused!" Kael urged. "You're almost there. Target it's eyes."

Andre gritted his teeth, refusing to back down. He ducked under a swipe of the lynx's claws and drove his fist into its under belly. The beast howled, stumbling back, but its eyes burned with undying fury.

It charged forward relentlessly. Andre's eyes narrowed, his muscles tensing as he readied himself for the clash.

Andre waited until the last possible moment before moving. He sidestepped, his energy coiling like a spring, and unleashed a devastating kick to it's gut.

The blow connected with the lynx's gut, the force lifting the beast off its feet. It crashed to the ground, its body skidding across the dirt.

Andre didn't let up, instead he rushed forward, jumping on top of the lynx and in movements hust as swift as the jump, he unleashed flames from his fingertips directly into it's orb-like eyes, leaving the lynx writhing in pain.

In succession, he delivered a blow to what he observed to be a weak point on the beast's neck, severing it's jugular vein in the process. With a final series of blows, he pummeled the beast to its death, its body going limp. The oppressive energy in the air dissipated, leaving only the sound of Andre's labored breathing and the sound of breeze rustling the forest around him.

Andre struggled to get to his feet, his body aching and his hands trembling. His mind filled with a mixture of relief and exhilaration.

"You did it," Kael said, his voice filled with pride. "You've surpassed your limits."

Andre collapsed to his knees, his chest heaving. A smile broke across his face, despite the pain. "That… was intense. Too intense."

Kael chuckled. "It was. It is afterall an earl class beast."

Andre looked at the lynx's motionless form - the energy around it fully dissipated leaving behind a dull husk of mass monster - a sense of awe washed over him. Now he understood how great the difference between each power levels was.

If this is how stronger the Earl class beasts were in comparison to the ember class beasts, he couldn't even begin to imagine how much stronger the higher levels were.

"That's all for today," Kael continued "You have to leave now. The few beasts in this region are starting to close in on this location."

Jolting back to reality, Andre could feel it too. Even though they were far out, he could feel approaching auras.

Immediately, he turned in the direction he had come. On his way back to the ember class region under Kael's guidance, he dodged the beasts on the way managing to evade them all. He was a walking alarm, especially with his bleeding arm.

Even as Andre left the earl class region, he still felt as if he was being watched.