Primordial Expanse: I have the Strongest Talent!

Mira's fingers tightened around the hilt of her blade as she watched the beast below.

Every nerve in her body was thrumming with anticipation.

Her eyes, glowing faintly with a predatory intensity, tracked the creature's movements as it prowled cautiously through the underbrush.

This was it.

The final beast she needed.

She took a deep breath, centring herself.

The cool air of the forest filled her lungs and calmed her beating heart.

"Focus, Mira."

She murmured to herself, her voice barely a whisper as she steadied her breathing.

"You've got this."

The beast shifted its head, lifting it slightly as if sensing something amiss.

Mira froze, blending her form seamlessly with the shadows cast from above.

The beast sniffed the air, its crimson eyes narrowing suspiciously as it scanned its surroundings. A low growl rumbled from its throat, reverberating through the trees.

Mira remained motionless, her eyes keeping locked on the beast's head. If it caught onto her scent now and bolted, she'd lost the element of surprise.

If she wanted to make this quick, she had one chance.

One perfect strike.

From his position further back, Alex's gaze never wavered from Mira's form.

He stood concealed within a thicket of foliage, his senses extending outward, covering the entire area like a vast net.

Even without the ability to sense living beings with his spatial perception, he could now utilise his other senses to feel every heartbeat, every rustle of leaves, every subtle shift in the forest's surroundings.

His jaw tightened as he recalled their previous encounter with a beast they had intended for Mira to kill.

He let Mira take the lead, as usual, trusting her to handle the beast herself.

And she had — until they stumbled into a situation that neither of them could have anticipated.

Or well, they had already guessed that it wasn't just bad luck that led them there, but that it had actually been planned.

They left the Red Demon with Rothwind, half because they were too busy to deal with him themselves, and half because they had just forgotten about him in their excitement…

But regardless, Alex wouldn't let what happened with the King of Evermoor happen again.

If anything went wrong now, he'd be ready.

Mira's thoughts flickered briefly to Alex, but she quickly pushed them aside, focusing entirely on the target before her.

She had to prove herself here.

She had to finish this on her own.

Alex was so far ahead of her now that she didn't even know what to make of her own strength.

He was fighting higher life forms, and King class beings, while she was still stuck fighting C tier Variant class beasts…

However, she pushed those empty thoughts aside and focused.

Inhale.

The world seemed to slow around her as her perception heightened.

The beast's every movement, every subtle twitch of its muscles, appeared almost slow in her eyes now.

She could see the patterns in which its earthen plates shifted, the small gaps that revealed the vulnerable flesh beneath.

Perfect.

Exhale.

Mira breathed out slowly, and then she moved.

'Teleport.'

She used an ability she had neglected for some time now.

Her form blurred, dissolving into the shadows cast by the surrounding trees.

In an instant, she reappeared directly above the creature, blade poised to strike.

The beast's head snapped up, eyes widening in shock as it sensed her presence far too late.

With a vicious snarl, she drove both blades down, aiming for the exposed joint at the base of its neck. The blade sliced through the thick hide, meeting resistance for only a fraction of a second before it punctured through.

Roarrr!

The beast let out a deafening roar, its massive body convulsing violently as it tried to throw her off. But Mira held firm, her muscles tightening as she twisted the blade, forcing it deeper.

"Stay. Down."

She growled through gritted teeth, pouring every ounce of strength she had in the attack.

The creature reared back, its tail lashing out in a desperate attempt to dislodge her.

The force of the blow sent a shockwave through the air, shattering nearby trees and sending debris spiralling in every direction.

But Mira didn't falter.

She gripped the hilt even tighter, restricting even the blood flow in her own hand now, the strain in her arms growing as she continued to drive the blade even deeper!

Roarrr!

The beast roared again, its voice a mix of pain and fury.

Its crimson eyes flared with a dark, malevolent light as it raised one massive claw, intent on crushing her.

Mira's gaze flickered up, meeting its gaze head on.

"Die."

A pulse of energy erupted from her blade, spreading through the creature's body like a shockwave.

The beast froze, its movements stuttering as the energy tore through its defences.

The light in its eyes dimmed, the intense and powerful roars dying in its throat as it staggered, legs buckling under its own weight.

Mira let out a triumphant grunt, pulling her blade free as she leapt back, not willing to give the beast any chances of a surprise attack by letting her guard down.

But the beast just collapsed with a heavy thud.

It lay still, the faint rise and fall of its chest the only indication that it was still alive — barely.

She approached cautiously, her daggers held at the ready. But there was no need.

The beast's breaths were shallow, each one weaker than the last.

Its crimson eyes were now clouded, their glow fading rapidly.

Mira exhaled slowly, lowering her blade for good this time.

She felt the familiar tingle of the System's presence as the beast eventually passed away.

[You have defeated 5 Variant class beasts of a higher rank. Requirement to reach C- rank have been fulfilled.]

[Your soul core is 100% progressed, all requirements to reach C- rank have now been fulfilled.]

[Beginning evolution.]

From afar, Alex could feel the latent energy in the atmosphere around them start to swell up around Mira.

'So it begins…'