The space bent around them as the mines shifted, and everything inside warped into what felt like a form of spaghettification from a black hole. The wolves and the team were now inside of Beastaria, not in a dungeon of Beastaria, but in the vast, infinite surface of the Mythic Realm, where everything could change at any moment.

The wolves lunged at them, but Elesch swiftly took them out, without even breaking a sweat. Her rapier glowed with purple-black hues, covered in blood, which she cleaned by flinging it before sheathing it.

"Those monsters may have been only D-rank. We have to be careful now. We are inside Beastaria, and I'm sure none of us really have been in the true depths of Beastaria."

Everyone looked at each other and agreed with Nova. They had only been inside the dungeons of Beastaria, seeing only the beauty of it through the transparent barriers that the dungeons had, but never truly stepping into the depths.

"Let's move, and see what happens. I don't know how we are going to locate the checkpoint, but hopefully we do." Nova instructed, with everyone slowly nodding at them.

Nova, since the past year, had gotten significantly stronger; even Adam and Elesch were evolved F-rank Adventurers, with Zane and Michael being a step higher, but Nova had the most overall growth. The prowess he carried didn't match the current rank he was at.

An evolved D-rank Adventurer, who may have the strength and speed of a B-rank. He was somehow able to gradually evolve through the ranks as if they were a piece of cake.

He took the front, as Elesch and Adam took the middle and acted like flanks, as with Zane and Michael also acting like flanks, but with the rear position. Everyone acted in sync, thinking of themselves as if they were one singular being, and moving with harmony, having each other's backs at all times.

As they moved, Nova heard distant noises, which didn't sound aggressive, but knowing they were in Beastaria, no creature would necessarily be face, no matter how cute or innocent it was. Not unless he was able to tame it and convert it into his little pet.

He held his hand up, and everyone stopped in their tracks. Then he slowly turned around and said, "Stay here, I'll quickly check out the horizon."

"Okay," Adam simply said before anyone else could speak. They all nodded in unison as Nova left.

He took a deep breath and jogged across; his steps were light and felt as if they didn't really exist. They produced no sound of any kind. Then, as the noises he heard got clearer, he hid behind a ten-foot-long rock and inspected the noises.

Nova narrowed his eyes as he peeked over the rock. The sound that had caught his attention, a faint, rhythmic tapping, that wasn't like the standard growl or screech of a predator, but a soft, almost playful hum.

There, in the open field of shifting crystal grass, was a creature that looked wholly out of place in the ominous wilderness of Beastaria.

It was a small, barely up to Nova's knee, with fur that shimmered like liquid silver under the chaotic light. Its tail was long and feathered, flicking back and forth as it batted a smooth, round stone across the uneven ground.

Two large ears twitched at every sound, and its eyes, brilliant violet, glowed faintly with an almost childlike innocence. Nova couldn't help but smile.

Then the creature froze. Its ears perked, and its head turned toward him with feline precision. Nova's muscles tensed instantly. His hand twitched toward his blade, though he didn't draw it.

The creature didn't snarl or posture. It simply tilted its head, once, then twice, its expression one of curiosity rather than hostility. Nova exhaled and let his aura settle, dampening his mana signature to show no aggression.

The creature blinked. Then, as if reassured, it took a tentative step forward, its paws silent against the shifting terrain. Nova stood from behind the rock, slowly raising his hands in plain view.

"Hey there," he said softly, his tone more like he was greeting a lost child than a beast of the Mythic Realm.

The small feline's tail swayed lazily as it sniffed the air. Its violet eyes locked onto Nova's, curious but unafraid.

"You're not like the others here, are you?" he whispered.

The creature blinked once, then mewed, softly, almost musical. It set the rock it had been playing with down, then padded closer until it was barely a meter away. Nova crouched slightly, lowering himself to its level.

He could feel its aura now, pure, uncorrupted, but powerful in a strange way. A kind of dormant potential, like a spark waiting for fuel. Nova felt a deep connection to the creature, as if he could trust it. Their curiosity, recognition, and the initial connection for each other brightened by the second.

Then, before he could speak again, the air around them rippled. The silver grass darkened for an instant, and the wind changed. The creature's ears flattened, its pupils narrowing as it looked past Nova, and it became afraid.

Nova was showing the cat-like creature his hands, and once the creature sniffed his hands again, Nova gravitated his hand towards the creature's belly, with the creature not reacting erratically.

Nova then slowly attached his hand to the belly and picked up the creature as he realized that the air was rippling more gutturally, as if shifting away, as whatever was coming towards Nova and the beast was unforgiving.

Nova picked up the cat and put it in a baby-like position, as the cat was afraid, but also looked nervously confused. He ran towards the rest of the group, holding the cat, acting like it was his kid.

Once he reached the group, everyone was in awe, even Zane, who didn't like breaking his seriousness during missions, or depending on the situation. Then, everyone heard a guttural snarl coming towards them, which made them all shiver in their boots. Even Nova was slightly frightened, even as an evolved D-rank Adventurer.

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