Liam was making his way toward the orcs' territory. The ground beneath his feet cracked with every step, and the air grew heavier the farther he walked.

The goblin had told him everything before it died—about the monsters, the territories they occupied and the ranks of the monsters.

The information was detailed, maybe too detailed. That alone made Liam suspicious.

They really do live up to their reputation as cunning little bastards, he thought.

The goblin had begged and cried, even offered information in exchange for mercy. Liam had listened, taken what he needed, and then ended its miserable life with one clean strike. It was business. Nothing more.

Now, he needed to verify whether the information was true—or if the creature had tried one last act of spite before dying.

The wasteland ahead stretched endlessly, the once beautiful state of New York now painted in dull shades of gray and brown, with bones of monsters jutting out of the cracked earth.

As he continued moving forward, he noticed some movements coming straight toward his direction.

When they got into the twenty metres range of his telekinetic sense, he finally saw their outlines.

Wolves, he sighed softly.

"So the goblin lied after all. Guess even dying didn't stop you from trying to screw me over," he smiled.

He didn't change his pace. He simply kept walking, calm and unhurried, even as the pack drew closer.

Just before the wolves would have seen him, he disappeared from his position.

A blink later, he reappeared behind them. Silverleaf whispered through the air in a single smooth arc. Four heads rolled cleanly off their bodies before they could even snarl. The corpses collapsed one after another, twitching briefly before growing still.

He didn't stop walking.

The extraction bot, a small metallic sphere the size of a basketball, floated silently a few distance behind him. Its lenses glowed faint blue as it hovered over each corpse, drilling delicately before retrieving the glowing cores within.

"Handle it," Liam said, and the bot beeped once in acknowledgment before resuming its work.

He had walked for nearly five more minutes when he sensed another cluster of movement—three this time.

Wolves again.

They noticed him almost immediately, snarling as they charged in, claws scraping the dirt and eyes burning red.

"Let's make this snappy," Liam smiled.

The wolves lunged and the next thing they knew, Liam was gone.

A soft whoosh of displaced air followed. By the time they landed, their bodies hit the ground in silence—neatly cut from shoulder to waist. None even had time to understand what had happened.

Liam exhaled and lowered Silverleaf. "Still too weak," he muttered.

He was about to continue forward when something in the sky caught his attention.

A shadow crossed the moonlight.

He looked up and he saw a massive bird, easily twenty meters from wingtip to wingtip, gliding through the air like a storm given form. Its feathers shimmered faint blue, and its eyes glowed faintly gold as it turned its head toward him.

Even from this distance, Liam could tell that it wasn't a regular beast. It was beautiful in a way that was graceful and deadly.

The bird screeched, and the sound rolled across the land like thunder. The air pressure shifted immediately. Dust and debris whipped upward.

Liam narrowed his eyes. "So this world does have a few interesting creatures."

He could feel its killing intent. The bird wasn't hunting—it was defending its domain. And to it, Liam was prey that had trespassed.

"Fine by me," he smirked.

He kicked off the ground and shot into the air, a blur streaking through the night sky.

The bird seemed startled at first—then amused. It cawed, the sound echoing with strange intelligence. He could understand it perfectly.

A human dares to fly towards me? Foolish creature!

"Guess I'll just have to disappoint you, feather brain," Liam smirked.

The distance between them closed in seconds. The bird accelerated, closing in with terrifying speed. Liam sidestepped midair, his body gliding with surgical precision. Wind screamed around them as they passed each other.

Then, in one fluid motion, Liam turned and slashed at its side.

Sparks.

Silverleaf met resistance for the first time since arriving in this world. The strike glanced off the bird's hide, carving a shallow mark instead of slicing through.

Liam blinked in mild surprise, then smiled wider.

"Now we're talking."

The bird screeched triumphantly, its beak opening wide. You are weak! it taunted.

"You talk too much," Liam chuckled.

The next instant, they clashed again. The bird lunged, beak first. Liam spun midair, parrying the strike with Silverleaf and driving a punch straight into its beak. The impact boomed, sending a shockwave that rippled through the air.

The bird shrieked and recoiled in pain. Liam didn't waste the moment—he twisted, slashing at its eyes. The creature jerked its head, the blade grazing its feathers instead.

It retaliated instantly.

The next screech wasn't just a sound—it was an attack. A sound base attack.

The soundwave hit Liam with concussive force, enough to rupture eardrums and liquefy organs in an ordinary person.

Liam merely flinched. His body held firm, the vibration dispersing harmlessly through him.

"Cute trick," he said, brushing imaginary dust from his sleeve.

He extended his hand lazily, palm open, and clenched the air.

The bird froze midflight. Its golden eyes widened as invisible pressure wrapped around one of its leg.

It tried to pull away, wings flapping violently, but Liam's telekinetic grip tightened like a vice.

"Down," he said calmly.

The world blurred as he dove, dragging the monster behind him. The air screamed from the velocity.

They crashed into the ground like a meteor strike. The impact sent a tremor through the wasteland, dust erupting in a massive plume. The bird shrieked once, dazed but alive.

Liam hovered above the crater, hand still raised. "You're tougher than I thought."

Then, with a flick of his wrist, he slammed it down again.

Boom.

The bird hit the ground so hard the shockwave flattened the nearby rocks.

It cawed weakly. Liam didn't stop.

Again, and again, he raised it and slammed it—each impact echoing like thunder until the massive creature stopped moving entirely.

When it finally went limp, its chest rising shallowly once before going still, Liam released his telekinetic hold. The bird's massive body crashed into the dirt, motionless.

Silence reclaimed the night.

Liam landed beside the corpse, brushing dust from his coat. Without sparing the bird another glance, he turned to leave—but then, a low rumble spread across the horizon.

He looked up. Dozens—no, hundreds—of glowing eyes flickered in the distance. The clash had drawn attention. Every predator within miles had heard the commotion and they were coming.

The ground began to tremble faintly under their charge.

Liam smiled and rolled his shoulders, shifting his grip on Silverleaf.

"Perfect," he murmured. "I was starting to get bored."

He stepped forward, the moon casting his shadow long across the cracked earth.

"Let's dance."

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