LEVEL EVERYTHING UP in my Eldritch Tribe

Chapter 320: Madness

The forest trembled with an unnatural silence. No birds chirped, no insects buzzed, and the wind seemed to still in anticipation.

Lyerin, his senses razor-sharp, prowled forward, the weight of his earlier battle barely a memory. His clothes hung in tatters, stained with blood—some his own, most not—and his eyes burned with a feral intensity.

He didn't need to look for long.

Ahead of him, in a massive clearing surrounded by twisted, gnarled trees, stood a beast unlike any he had seen before. Its towering form was cloaked in dense, spiked fur that shimmered with a faint, otherworldly light.

Six limbs, each ending in dagger-like claws, gripped the earth, and its eyes glowed with an eerie, iridescent hue.

Lyerin froze, his lips curling into a grin. "You'll do nicely," he murmured, his voice carrying an edge of manic glee.

The beast turned its head, locking its gaze onto Lyerin. A low, guttural growl reverberated through the clearing, shaking loose leaves from the trees above. Without warning, it charged, its movements blindingly fast for a creature of its size.

Lyerin barely dodged, the ground where he'd stood exploding in a cloud of dirt and debris. He spun, delivering a powerful kick to the creature's flank. The impact rippled across its body, but the beast didn't even flinch.

"Oh, you're a tough one," Lyerin said, his grin widening. "This is going to be fun."

The beast lunged again, swiping at him with claws that seemed to cut through the air itself. Lyerin ducked, countering with a punch that cracked the beast's jaw. It stumbled back, shaking its head before roaring in fury.

The fight intensified quickly. The beast moved with a ferocity and speed that tested Lyerin's limits, each attack a deadly dance of claws and fangs. Lyerin matched its pace, his body a blur as he weaved between its strikes, his fists and feet finding their mark again and again.

Every hit he landed seemed to enrage the creature further. It retaliated with unrelenting ferocity, its claws grazing his shoulder and drawing blood. Lyerin hissed in pain, but his grin never faltered.

"That all you've got?" he taunted, wiping the blood from his arm. His eyes gleamed with a dangerous light. "Come on, show me what you're really made of!"

As if answering his challenge, the creature let out a deafening roar. The air around it shimmered, and the ground beneath its feet began to crack. Spikes of hardened mana erupted from the earth, forcing Lyerin to leap back.

The beast charged again, its claws glowing with a strange, dark energy. Lyerin dodged the first swipe, but the second caught him across the chest, tearing through his shirt and leaving a shallow gash. He stumbled back, coughing as he felt the strange energy course through him.

"You've got some tricks, huh?" he said, his breathing heavy. His smile, however, only grew wider. "Good. So do I."

Lyerin's movements became sharper, more deliberate. He struck with precision, targeting the beast's joints and weak points, each blow landing with enough force to make the ground tremble. The creature, however, was relentless, adapting to his tactics and countering with devastating attacks of its own.

The forest around them bore the scars of their battle. Trees shattered under the force of their strikes, and the ground was torn apart, creating craters and jagged fissures. The air was thick with dust and the scent of blood.

Lyerin laughed, the sound wild and unhinged. His eyes sparkled with a madness that grew with every passing moment. "You're making me work for it," he said, his voice laced with exhilaration. "I like that."

The beast roared again, summoning a surge of dark energy that enveloped its body. Its attacks became faster, stronger, each strike threatening to overwhelm Lyerin. He dodged and blocked as best he could, his muscles screaming in protest.

For a moment, it seemed as though the beast had the upper hand. It lunged at Lyerin, its claws aiming for his throat. But Lyerin, his grin never faltering, grabbed the creature's wrists mid-air.

"Not so fast," he growled, his voice low and dangerous. With a roar of his own, he twisted, slamming the beast into the ground with enough force to shake the entire clearing.

The fight dragged on, each passing minute pushing both combatants to their limits. Lyerin's body was covered in cuts and bruises, his breathing ragged, but his movements never slowed. The beast, though equally battered, refused to yield, its glowing eyes burning with an unrelenting fury.

Lyerin's laughter grew louder, more maniacal. His grin stretched wide across his face, his eyes glinting with a dangerous light. "Yes," he said, his voice a mix of excitement and madness. "This is what I've been waiting for!"

The beast lunged at him again, and this time, Lyerin met it head-on. Their clash sent shockwaves rippling through the forest, the sheer force of their collision toppling the few remaining trees around them.

As the battle reached its peak, both Lyerin and the beast were pushed to their breaking points. Lyerin's strikes became more brutal, his fists hitting with the force of a battering ram. The beast, though weakened, continued to fight back, its attacks wild and desperate.

The clearing was a wasteland, the ground littered with debris and the remnants of their battle. Lyerin stood in the center, his chest heaving as he faced the beast one final time.

"You've put up a good fight," he said, his voice low but filled with respect. "But it's time to end this."

With a final roar, he charged at the beast, his fists glowing with raw power. The impact of his strike sent a shockwave through the air, and the beast let out a final, anguished cry before collapsing.

Lyerin stood over the creature's lifeless body, his chest rising and falling with each heavy breath. His grin slowly faded, replaced by a look of frustration.

"Still not enough," he muttered, his voice filled with disappointment. His eyes scanned the ruined clearing, his mind already turning to the next challenge.

With a sigh, he turned away, his body aching but his spirit unbroken. The hunt was far from over.