Rio's [Heaven's Eyes] helped them avoid other students as they sprinted toward the southern side where they first saw the three-tail silver fox.
As they approached the mountain, Rio and Nyla began searching for the river.
The dense trees made it hard to find any path leading to it. They kept walking for a while until Nyla's ears perked up as she heard the sound of water in the distance.
Her face lit up, "Rio, we found it"
They followed the sound until they reached a small clearing in the forest. There, they saw a beautiful waterfall cascading down the mountain.
They both walked towards the river and looked into It which seemed to be leading in the eastern direction.
Rio said with a faint smile, "Now, we just need to follow the river's flow till the very end."
Excitement filled Nyla's voice, "Alright, let's go."
The girl summoned her White wolf beast soul, the duo rode the mount closely following at the edges.
Rio held on to Nyla's waist as they navigated the twists and turns of the river. The wind blew through their hair, as the stream of water led them in the eastern direction.
As they followed the river, it grew wider and wider until it eventually led them to a large pit. The water flowed into the big hole in the ground, disappearing into the darkness.
Nyla looked over the edge and couldn't see anything below. "This is a dead end," she exclaimed, disappointment lacing her voice.
Rio raised his brows, "But the water flow has led us here. There has to be something at this place"
After looking at the pit thoughtfully he said, "Let's search the surrounding area to see if there are any other clues before we enter this pit."
They spent the next hour exploring the region nearby, but there seemed to be no other clues.
Nyla scrunched her face in disappointment as they didn't find any lead after scouring the area.
In the end, The duo decided to descend into the pit cautiously, their landing accompanied by a gentle splashing sound as they submerged their feet into the chilly stream below.
"I can't see anything here, how would we find our way." Nyla's voice echoed out in the dark pit as she spoke.
She felt her hand being held as Rio grabbed them, he comforted her, "Just stay with me, I will lead the way."
The tunnel seemed to be leading somewhere far away, but Rio couldn't tell where it led. They kept walking, and the sound of their splattering footsteps resounded in the pit.
The boy was able to see in the darkness with the help of his [Heaven's Eyes] as he navigated his way through the dark tunnel and keep going in the direction where the river lead them to.
As they followed the dark tunnel, the air grew colder and damper. They walked for hours, Nyla's hand firmly clasped in Rio's as he traversed his way through the darkness.
But as time wore on, the tunnel seemed to be not ending. Nyla was just following along as the boy was her eyes who was leading her ahead.
In the end, Rio decided to speed up their journey, lifting Nyla onto his back.
Nyla didn't resist as her arms wrapped tightly around his neck. She felt happy to be riding on his back, as they made their way through the tunnel.
As he ran, Rio's feet splashed in the shallow water that filled the tunnel, creating a soothing sound that reverberated on their way.
He ran for what felt like three hours, and soon, he saw the light in the distance growing brighter. Nyla's heart raced with anticipation as they drew closer and closer to the place where the light was coming from.
In the end, they emerged from the dark tunnel, Rio shielded his eyes from the sudden burst of sunlight that hit them.
The sun was directly overhead, emitting a warm radiance over the entire valley. Nyla couldn't help but squint, her eyes adjusting to the abrupt brightness.
But as her eyes adjusted, she was met with a breathtaking sight.
The valley was filled with lush greenery and flowers that were surrounding a big lake, created by the accumulation of the stream of water which they followed to come here.
The air was fragrant with the scent of fresh flowers and the sound of birds singing. The breeze was cool and gentle, making the leaves of the trees whisper softly.
Their eyes were drawn to the platform in the middle. It was a large structure made of wood and stone, sitting atop the water like a massive raft.
At the center of the platform, a beast lay as if sleeping, its body rising and falling with each deep breath it took.
The creature looked similar to a jackal, with sharp teeth and powerful muscles rippling under its fur. Its ears twitched as it dreamed, its nose wrinkling as it took in the scents of the surrounding water.
"Isn't it amazing how realistic that AI creature looks? It's almost as if we've been transported to the Land of Asura itself!" Nyla said to Rio via telepathy.
The beast didn't seem to be robotic but a real one but they both knew it was artificially created for their tournament.
Rio's eyes fell on another creature swimming around the platform, its shape, and size both unfamiliar and intriguing. It seemed to be a crab, with a hard shell and sharp claws, but it had a horn at the top of its head that curved gracefully towards the sky.
The jackal looked like a formidable creature, standing at a height of 1.5 meters, Its presence was imposing, and the crab was even more massive, measuring a staggering 4 meters in length. Its movements were slow and deliberate as if it were patrolling the perimeter of the platform and keeping watch over the sleeping beast.
"Eh... Two at the same time??? They sure know how to challenge us by putting more than one special beast together," The girl spoke in his thought, a bittersweet smile on her face.
Rio inspected the AI creature using his [Heaven's Eyes] as he needed to know about their strength before crafting any strategy against them.
<<<<
[Name: Grimclaw]
[Type: AI Robot]
[Physical Power: 185]
[Name: Horned Kraken]
[Type: AI Robot]
[Physical Power: 190]
>>>>
"Eve, what are my chances of killing that Grimclaw if I use my battle art technique [Heaven Destroyer]?" His voice was calm, but there was an underlying tension that showed how much he was invested this time.
The boy had to be cautious, and it was clear that he was considering all the variables before making a move. If he missed, Rio would be out of mana and Nyla's vision was limited in the darkness. The pressure was on him to make the right decision.
Eve considered the question for a moment, her eyes scanning the sleeping beast. "With your Heaven Destroyer battle art technique, you have a fifty percent chance of killing the Grimclaw in one strike.
Moreover, if you're lucky the attack will damage the crab with a jolt of electricity, but it won't be fatal," she replied in her soft, melodious voice.
The boy's eyes shone with determination as he listened to her answer. He knew he had to be careful in this fight as they were facing two formidable opponents at the same time.
'Worse case worse, we can always hide inside the wonderous forest realm until my mana refills again.'
Rio had another backup plan to escape the desperate situation if that really occurred but for now, he needed to try first.
"Let's rest for a while, I need to recover my mana before I can use my battle art technique," He said to the girl in his thoughts.
Nyla nodded, her eyes filled with bewilderment as she was unaware of the conversation that happened between Eve and Rio.
They walked toward the dark tunnel again as resting there was better to avoid getting detected by the AI creatures
Rio sat down against the damp, rocky wall and closed his eyes, focusing on his breathing. He could feel the mana slowly returning to his body, and filling him up.
Once he was fully prepared, the boy discussed the plan with Nyla, if they failed they would retreat into the wonderous forest realm, and if he succeeded then the girl would take the stage to fight the Horned Kraken.
"Wait there for me." Looking at Nyla, he gestured for her to wait near a tree that was at a safe distance from the lake.
Once she was far from him, he stood up and moved in the direction of the lake. He knew he needed to direct his strike toward the platform where the jackal was sleeping.
As he trudged, he could feel the adrenaline rushing through his veins but he kept his calm.
He took a deep breath and focused his mana, preparing to unleash [Heaven Destroyer] explosion.
Nyla watched from afar, her heart beating in worry as she waited for the outcome. "I need to be prepared."
Her heart raced as she watched Rio's hand poised to unleash his battle art technique.
The air was thick with tension as the duo wondered what fate awaited them.
Would it be a victory or a failure?
The unknown outcome hung over the girl like a dark cloud, leaving Nyla on the edge of her seat, waiting with bated breath.
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Edited By: TheWhiteSnow
