[Time remaining - 0 hours 1 minute 18 seconds]

Violet jumped back to avoid the falling body of a giant rock skinned ant she had just finished off to quickly look around at her group.

They were all looking mostly okay, battered and tired but no major injuries from what she could see. Well except for the trunked one, he had innumerable cuts and scratches along is flanks. Yet non seemed to bother him all too much thanks to his prodigious mass.

Still it wouldn't do for any of her group to fall at this final push. So she stepped through the void to appear by his side and aided in tearing apart the last few ant beasts that were harassing him. Before long the last of them fell beneath a mighty stop from the giant.

Taking a quick moment Violet checked the timer and smiled when she saw that they only had a matter of seconds before it ran out.

What actually happened when said timer ran out though was anyone's guess.

But still, as it currently stood their were still beasts to slay.

Time slowly ticked on and the seconds counted down towards the end of this bloody quest.

All around the clearing the remaining beasts cleared out the infected beasts and claimed an area for themselves.

The clearing has been split into two distinct areas by now, the first being the central ring. Here only the strongest stand. They have fought all who would dare to challenge them and successfully pushed them back to claim a spot under the branches of the mighty tree. Violet and her group have claimed one such spot.

Then their is the outer reaches, from beyond the hanging branches stretching all the way to the dome that had encased the clearing. More beasts populate this region yet their individual strength seems to be somewhat lacking from a cursory glance.

Some clear winners stand out to Violet as she quickly scans her surroundings. She take a quick note of a lion headed chimera whose golden feathers are tinted crimson with the blood of its foes. A mighty snake who's onyx scales twinkle in the glittering lights. And a group of beasts led by a elemental of ice that floats above the ground.

All three of these combatants send warning signals through Violet when she sees them. And she knows, that these are some of the most powerful beasts that she has ever laid eyes on. She just hopes that she won't have to battle them herself, for she is unsure if winning against them is feasible.

She then turns away from the central ring to better study the beasts that populate the outer ring of the battlefield as she feels like she is being watched. As she turns her head to see who her secret observer could be she freezes.

For when she looks behind her she lays eyes on something that she did not expect to see. A dragon, its scales are blue and faint currents of electricity move along them. The dragon matches Violet in size roughly so should be at the same evolution bracket as her, yet seems to be just a touch smaller.

The blue dragon does not look to be in the best condition though as Violet can spot multiple gaps in its scales accompanied by various cuts.

Yet she is unable to look away from the other dragon as she had never expected to actually run into another of her kin so soon. From what she learnt from her mother there should be no dragons left that are free, all had been captured by the empire far away. So how was it that another dragon stood before her now in the depths of the Endless Forest?

However, just as thoughts started to flood her mind as to the meaning behind this she is interrupted by a notification. One that seems to have been sent to fall present in the clearing based on the subtle reactions all gathered beasts give at the sudden notification.

[Congratulations for reaching the center of the Elemental Vallys. The Star tree awakens, its fruits almost ready to harvest, and its guardian once more awakens.

Defeat the guardian of the Star tree to claim a Star Fruit of your own.

Guardian Defeated - 0/1

Star Fruits remaining - 50/50

Star Fruits shall be distributed dependant on contribution. One a singular fruit may be consumed by each individual.]

As violet quickly reads through the notification she is momentairily confused, for she had spotted no guardian. Unless the locals were the guardian? No that didn't make sense, they were too weak to be a true guardian. So where is it?

As if answering Violet's silent question a presence decends on the clearing. One that shoves every weaker beast down to their knees, or if lacking said appendage down into the dirt.

A shape moves at the base of the mighty tree. A muted carapace that was coated in dirt and detritus shifts. And Violet's eyes open wide as she truly begins to understand what the guardian is.

A form slowly unwinds itself from the trees mighty trunk, cascades of dirt fall away from the figure of the rising giant giving way to a glistening carapace that perfectly reflects the etherial lights from above.

Hundreds, if not thousands of legs protrude from the side of the giant, each ending in a wickedly sharp blade tipped point. At its head 2 giant mandibles protrude, then they snap together in an explosion of force and a echoing SNAP! That rattles the bones of all who hear is. It's rear end mirrors the front with mighty mandibles showcasing that it is perfectly able to fight from any angle.

This is also when Violet realises that this beast must be over level 80 and into its 4th evolution. Stronger than any individual beast present, even the mighty chimera seems shaken by its near presence as its legs tremble slightly and it is unable to look up at the head that now towers above all present.

All around the clearing beasts cower before the might of the guardian as its domineering presence blankets the area. None seem capable of challenging the beast, none bar two individuals.

Standing not too far away two figures stand definitely before the lord of this domain, undaunted by its presence and strength. These two figures are naturally our companions, Violet and Luna.

Together the two of them stand tall and proud in the face of this overwhelming opponent. A feat that no other seems capable to defying.

At least until a secondary presence decends upon the clearing to challenge the dominance of the first. It is undoubtedly weaker than the guardians yet pure strength is not the only deciding factor here. No for whilst pure levels and strength do play a key role, a different factor comes into play when assessing the quality of an aura. One of Legacy. And what beast in existence can claim to have a greater Legacy than that of Violet?

The last Wild Dragon, the descendant of Moraznia, one of the singularly most powerful dragons to have ever existed. And the inheritor of the void. The one who returned a lost species to this world.

The two presences clash in the centre of the clearing, the shear domineering strength of the guardian working to overpower the comparatively weaker one of the dragon. Yet the dragon does not buckle under this strain but instead pushes back, hard!

The shear quality of the dragons Legacy elevates her presence to a level that whilst does not allow her to exceed that of the guardian, at least allows her to match its tyrannical pressure.

As Violet's aura washes over the assembled beasts, they suddenly find themselves free of the pressure of the guardian and are able to stand once more.

The invisible clash of presences intensifies as the guardian pushes against the weak interloper that dares to challenge it within its own domain. Yet as it pushes a second presence joins in on the side of the dragon.

A aura of arctic cold mixes and merges with the pure pressure of the dragon and together they hold off the mounting pressure. They are still unable to fully refute the guardian's dominance but that ballence begins to change as yet another presence joins in. The chimera now standing proud once more growls as its primal fury pushes back against the guardian.

This too is joined by another, and another as all of the strongest beast present join together to fend of the tyrannical force of this mighty beast.

As the tides begin to turn on the first proverbial clash the dragon of the void opens its maw and roars.

ROOOARRRR!!!

The wave of power unleashed by that roar shatters the fragile ballence and pushes back the guardians force, the giant staggers back as it is battered by the combined might of those arrayed before it.

The first clash came out with a marginal victory from the side of the assembled beasts yet when the guardian snaps its mandibles closed to a booming CLACK, no one believes that this will be a simple fight.

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