Beast Evolution Forge

Chapter 101 Guardians 8

"Dammmmit!!!!" Jolly screamed, running away from a massive rock covered in lava. "Why is such a powerful monster here, no, a better question is, WHY THE HELL DID I END IN SUCH A SCARY AREA!" She narrowly evades the attack, falling on her face due to inexperience of using this mana.

'Shit, who knew mana could be this different. Corrupted mana is more dense, this is one is like trying to control water.' She got to her feet and continued running but the monster appeared right of her punching her away. She blocked at the last second but the impact still sent her crushing through the trees.

"Tch, can't believe I got such a weak one. I was hoping to face the one that killed the queen. This is a waste of my time." He summoned another rock of mana and threw it at Jolly.

Jolly crashed through branches before slamming into a thick trunk, the impact knocking the wind from her lungs. Every part of her body screamed in protest as she forced herself to move, barely rolling away as the flaming boulder obliterated the tree behind her.

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'Think, think!' Her mind raced while dodging another barrage. The mana flowing through her felt like trying to cup water in her hands - the moment she thought she had a grip on it, it slipped away. Nothing like the thick, syrupy corruption she'd grown used to.

"At least put up a fight!" the guardian bellowed, his massive form flickering into existence above her. "Is running all you can do?"

She grit her teeth, channeling mana into her legs as she darted between the trees. She needed distance, needed time to figure this out. But the guardian's laughter echoed all around her, taunting.

'Wait...' A desperate idea struck as she felt the mana flowing through her. If she couldn't control it perfectly like the corruption... maybe she didn't have to.

The guardian appeared in front of her again, palm blazing with energy. "Enough games."

She didn't try to dodge this time. Instead, she let the mana surge through her wildly, focusing only on pushing it outward rather than controlling it. The resulting burst was messy, unpredictable - more like a splash than a focused attack. But it caught the guardian off guard, momentarily disrupting his focus.

"What the-" he stumbled back, more surprised than hurt.

The blast sent them both flying in opposite directions. Jolly crashed through underbrush, barely managing to turn it into a controlled tumble. The guardian recovered faster, his laughter booming through the forest.

"Finally showing some spine! But that attack was pathetic - you barely scratched me." He cracked his neck, flames intensifying around his form. "Let me show you what real power looks like."

The air itself seemed to thicken as he gathered his energy, the temperature skyrocketing. she pushed herself up, legs shaking with exhaustion. She had one shot at this, and timing would be everything.

"Die knowing you were nothing more than an insect beneath my feet!" The guardian thrust both hands forward, releasing a massive beam of concentrated mana.

Jolly gathered everything she had left, every wild, untamed drop of mana in her system. The energy fought her, trying to spray in all directions, but she held it together through sheer willpower. Just before the guardian's attack reached her, she released it all - straight up into the sky.

The vertical blast pierced the canopy, erupting into a brilliant explosion that lit up the forest like a second sun. The guardian's attack slammed into the spot where she'd been standing, but she had already dove to the side, rolling behind a massive tree trunk.

"HAHAHAHA!" The guardian's laughter echoed through the woods. "Your final attack, and you missed completely! I knew you were pathetic, but this-"

She stepped out from behind the tree, breathing hard but grinning. "Who said I was aiming at you?"

The guardian's eyes narrowed. "What-"

A shadow dropped from above, moving so fast it was barely visible. The guardian looked up just in time to see a fist connecting with his face. The impact was devastating, sending the guardian crashing through multiple trees before embedding him in a cliff face.

"Thanks for coming," she said, finally letting her legs give out as she slumped against the tree.

Vell landed beside the crater his punch had created, cracking his knuckles as the guardian struggled to extract himself from the rock. "Sorry for the wait. Nice signal flare though - saw it from far away."