"Now, it's time to test it on live targets." Mira thought with a grin. This was the part she was waiting for.
So, she set off into the heart of the Glacial Thicket, extending her Soul Sense to search for suitable prey.
It didn't take long to find her something.
Her first target, a Rank 6 Snow Bunny, was an unsuspecting creature, its white fur blending seamlessly with the snowy surroundings. Mira limited her strength to match the bunny's level and killed her presence to remain undetected.
As she neared the Snow Bunny, Mira readied her gauntlet. She launched a swift strike, aiming for a non-lethal blow. However, upon contact, the bunny was vaporized instantly, leaving nothing but a mist of ice and a faint scent of cold fire in the air.
Mira frowned slightly. "Too much power... I need to adjust my approach. This isn't about overwhelming strength, but precision and control."
Determined to refine her technique further, Mira continued her hunt.
The next target she found was a Rank 7 Frost Boar, a creature known for its thick hide and aggressive nature. Mira matched her power to the boar's level and approached slowly. She needed to make sure she didn't accidentally annihilate it and only destroyed its insides.
This time, she aimed for a controlled strike. When she was within range, she shot forward. The boar sensed her at the last moment, turning to face its attacker. Mira's punch landed on its side, the gauntlet's explosion sending a precise burst of ice shards into the boar's body.
The Frost Boar let out a pained grunt, stumbling but still standing. Mira observed the effect – the internal damage was significant, yet the external injuries were minimal.
The boar died soon after to its injuries, yet most of the important bits remained intact. It's just many of its bones had turned to dust and were unusable.
"Better," she nodded to herself. "But there's room for improvement."
Her next encounter was with a Rank 8 Ice Panther, a sleek and deadly creature renowned for its agility and ferocity. Mira matched its strength once again and met it head-on.
As the Ice Panther sensed her approach and leaped towards her with a ferocious growl, Mira readied her gauntlet. She met its charge with a swift counterattack, directing her strike at its shoulder.
The gauntlet exploded on impact, the force sending the panther tumbling, yet without causing an excessive external injury.
Mira observed the panther as it struggled to its feet, its movements hampered by the internal damage dealt by her gauntlet. "Mmhm. Good," she murmured, satisfied with the effectiveness of her attack yet critical of the need for even greater control.
Raising her fist, she slammed it into the panther's skull, penetrating the bone and exploding its brain into mush.
Continuing her hunt, Mira's awareness of her surroundings and the creatures within it deepened. She encountered a Low-Stage Rank 9 Glacier Bear, a massive beast with a thick coat of icy fur and an aggressive reputation.
Matching its power, Mira didn't bother hiding her presence this time and charged straight at it with her aura flaring.
The bear immediately turned its head to her and swiped with its giant paws, but Mira dodged nimbly, countering with a punch to its flank.
The gauntlet exploded upon contact as it tore through its defenses, causing the bear to bellow in pain.
Mira stepped back, analyzing the bear's reaction. The internal damage was extensive, but the bear's resilience was quite remarkable. "Hmmm… Maybe a bit more power?" she concluded as she added a bit more Qi to her gauntlets and struck again.
This time, when her fist landed, the bear went tumbling across the snow as the life was snuffed out of its eyes.
Examining it with her Soul Sense, she noticed that she had taken out a good chunk of its internal organs, including its heart.
"It's surprisingly hard to control," Mira muttered, unsure of why that was. She was trying to limit its destructive capabilities to only 'create' weak points, not turn its bones and organs into a soup.
Against stronger opponents like Zander, Nova, and the others, she didn't need or want something that would kill them instantly. Or rather, doing so was unlikely.
She needed something that did enough damage they needed to watch out for, but not enough that they had to be wary of it.
'I want people to think they're just ice gauntlets that protect my fists. Then, slowly, as the battle ticks on by and I'm creating more and more chinks in their armor, all I need to do is deliver the final blow to win.' That was the idea she was going for, but instead, she got this.
Though, this was almost exactly what she wanted. Since these are weaker beasts, even if she reduced her power to their level, she was still too strong. 'I still want a more controlled attack. If I can control my strength against these guys, then I'll really be able to do anything I want with the gauntlets in a real life-or-death battle.'
'I'll continue my tests. If it really doesn't work out, then I'll just go the other route and try to make the gauntlet as deadly as possible.' She thought as she traveled deeper into the thicket, ignoring everything else.
Her next prey, a Mid-Stage Rank 9 Snow Serpent, slithered silently through the snow, its presence nearly undetectable. It had already picked up on Mira's scent and was on the hunt for some fox meat.
Mira, however, was one step ahead. She sensed the serpent's approach and readied her gauntlet.
As the serpent lunged with its fangs bared, Mira met its attack with a swift, decisive blow to its head. The gauntlet's explosion was contained, with shards of ice and bursts of Yin Fire and Lightning tearing through the serpent's scales and skull.
The Snow Serpent fell limp, its life extinguished in an instant. Mira observed the carcass, noting the minimal damage both externally and internally. It only died because her attack penetrated its brain. However, almost its entire body was still intact.
"Efficient, subtle, and deadly. I finally got it right," she whispered, her eyes glinting with satisfaction. Now that she knew it could be done, she didn't want to stop.
Mira pressed on, her Soul Sense reaching out for the next challenge. She soon encountered a pair of Mid-Stage Rank 9 Frost Wolves, their eyes glowing with hunger as they looked for any food that could satiate them.
Their eyes lit up when they saw Mira approach, and they gave each other a look. They could practically smell the delicious bloodline and strength coursing through Mira's body, causing them to lick their lips.
With their eyes alight with greed, the wolves attacked in unison, their movements synchronized and swift. Mira shot between them and attacked.
She struck the first wolf with a targeted blow to the chest, the gauntlet's explosion sending a shockwave through its body, fracturing bones and organs alike.
The second wolf pounced, but Mira was ready. She spun, delivering a kick enhanced by her gauntlet. The impact was precise, and the explosive force was concentrated, leaving the wolf incapacitated but alive.
They both struggled to get up, but Mira didn't allow that and shoved their faces back into the ground by stomping on the back of their heads.
Mira stood over the fallen creatures and nodded in satisfaction. "Not bad. Not bad at all. Now, the power is much more balanced, and the damage is more controlled. There's no wasted energy from the technique, and the only thing they have to fear is my fists." she mused.
Although there was a part of her that wished she could control her physical strength more, she didn't think that was possible. If she attacked a weaker creature at full power, no matter how much precision and control she had, they would be reduced to nothing.
The Explosive Ice Gauntlet technique was really just something to pinpoint that power so it's not wasted on the environment.
'I'll test it out on one more opponent, then work on my next idea for a technique.' She concluded, satisfied with everything she's done so far.
Her hunt led her next to a Mid-Stage Rank 9 Ice Stag, a majestic creature with antlers that shimmered like crystal. It stood tall and proud, sensing the danger but refusing to flee.
Mira approached with respect, aware of the creature's dignity. She engaged it head-on, matching its strength and speed. The stag charged as well, its antlers aimed to impale. Mira sidestepped and slammed her gauntlet into its flank.
The explosion that resulted from the collision was quite the spectacle, with the beast attempting to block her attempts at penetrating its body but to no avail. The Ice Stag staggered, wounded but still standing, its breath forming clouds in the cold air.
Mira circled the stag and struck again, this time aiming for a non-lethal blow. The gauntlet exploded, but the force was controlled, and the internal damage was contained. Its bones were cracked and muscles ripped, but at least it was alive.
The Ice Stag collapsed, its strength sapped and unable to move. Mira gazed at the creature with a hint of respect and took out her scythe. With a swift, downward slice, she removed its head and collected its corpse.
With the stag's end, she officially deemed that she had perfected the technique.
