Lucius and his maids had arrived at the infamous Wind Valley, a sprawling expanse of rugged cliffs and dense forest; its name was earned from the howling winds that swept through the terrain.
The sheer and jagged edges of cliffs towered above them, while the forest stretched endlessly below, a maze of thick trees and winding paths.
Lucius stood at the entrance of the forest and looked at it. The wind was so strong that Lucius had a bit of trouble standing in front of it.
Liora stood to his right and surveyed the area. Luna stood behind Lucius and adjusted her daggers that were in her waist, anticipating some opponents.
Lucius then looked at the sky, where several bird beasts circled above that easily flew through the strong wind. "This valley is really bad place. Even from here, I can see several 3-Star beasts, and we are still at the entrance."
Liora smirked as she glanced up at the circling bird beasts above. "Don't worry, Master. If any of those feathered pests dare to attack you, I'll handle them personally."
Luna chuckled as she pointed toward the forest. "There's no need to worry about them, Master. The birds won't attack us. We're too large to be their prey; beside there were stronger beasts in there that kept them cautious."
Lucius was satisfied as he listened to Luna's analysis. "You're observant, as always. To think that you already knew about them, but what about the Storm Bear?" Read latest chapters on My Virtual Library Empire
Luna crouched near a patch of clawed-up dirt, tracing a set of massive paw prints embedded in the ground. She smiled as she dusted her hands off.
She turned to Lucius and said, "The bear's close. These tracks are fresh—minutes old, at most. I can't confirm if it's the Storm Bear yet, but it's definitely large enough to be our target."
Lucius looked closely at the footprints and smirked. "If the Storm Bear's territory is so close to the valley's entrance, it means this place is even more treacherous than I anticipated."
He then looked at Luna and Liora. "Let's go and find it. The sooner we complete this mission, the better it will be for us."
Luna nodded and immediately led them as they moved deeper into the forest to track the storm bear via the footprints and some other trace.
Liora was following from behind and soon frowned as she smelled something. "This place smells bad. It seems that the Storm Bear's domain was wide and the other beasts seem to be avoiding this area."
Luna crouched low to examine another set of tracks and smirked. "They know better than to challenge something stronger than them, but it doesn't matter to us. The bear is strong but nothing we can't handle."
Lucius chuckled and clasped his hands behind his back. "Confidence is key, Luna. But don't let it blind you. The Storm Bear is strong for a reason. Underestimating it would be a fatal mistake."
Luna only smirked and said, "Of course, Master. We have Liora here and she will make sure that it doesn't live long enough to prove me wrong."
Liora only nodded after hearing Luna. She was the main fighter in the group and she never thought that she would lose to a beast like a storm bear.
After several winding paths and careful tracking, they soon reached a small clearing and the wind seemed to be more intense here.
They could also see that a massive yellow-green bear stood in the center. Lucius immediately knew that this bear was the target, as there were faint arcs of electricity in its body.
Lucius then stopped and activated his Beast Hacker System, wanting to know if the beast's stats were and if it was stronger than Liora.
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[Species: Storm Bear]
[Element: Thunder/Wind]
[Level: 3 Star]
[Stats:]
[Str: D (3★)]
[Vit: D (3★)]
[Agi: E (3★)]
[Int: E (3★)]
[Skills:]
[Storm Crash: Charges forward with immense power, creating a shockwave of thunder and wind that damages and knocks back enemies.]
[Thunderclap Roar: Lets out a roar infused with thunder and wind energy, stunning nearby enemies and reducing their attack power temporarily.]
[Tempest Fury: Summons a swirling storm around itself, dealing continuous damage with bolts of lightning and sharp wind currents for a short time.]
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Lucius smirked after he looked at the data. "Quite impressive. Its stats and skills are strong, but not strong enough to pose a real threat. Liora, you've faced far worse, haven't you?"
Liora stepped forward and bared her claws. "Of course, Master. This beast is nothing compared to me. Its brute strength won't save it."
Lucius nodded. "Good. This Storm Bear is a strength-type beast—powerful but predictable. You're faster, stronger, and more skilled. Take it down and retrieve its core."
Liora then smirked as she changed her stance into a combat one. "As you wish, Master. I'll make sure it's over quickly."
From the sidelines, Luna leaned casually against a tree, crossing her arms and watched. "Finish it fast, Liora. We've got more prey coming for us, and I don't want to miss the fun."
Liora glanced back at Luna and smirked. "Don't worry. I'll leave enough time for you to sharpen your daggers on someone else."
Lucius chuckled after hearing what Luna and Liora said. The Storm Bear was just an appetizer in the battle that would soon come for them.
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In the entrance of Wind Valley, a man and a woman were standing. The pair didn't move rushily but silently like ghosts, blending seamlessly with the shadows.
The man's face was closed with a mask, revealing only his cold eyes. His hand rested loosely at his sides, near the curved daggers on his waist.
Beside him, the woman was also the same and wore a mask. On her waists there was also a pair of daggers that were a bit longer than the man.
The man then looked at the woman and asked. "Where are the targets?" The woman looked back and answered. "They've entered the forest. Not far from here."
The man then nodded. "Good. Let's make this quick. The longer we delay, the more dangerous they become."
The pair entered the forest silently, preparing to kill their target and be done with their missions.