FIRST VENTURE

In a remote region of a large continent, tall mountains covered with lush green forest and sunrays with hazy mist continued drifting with the wind while the birds chirp in a melodious manner before they suddenly stopped and flew away.

At the ground, a skinny young lad with unbound long brown hair was running in a pitiful manner with a panic on his eyes.Then it suddenly shout in a hoarse voice due to exhaustion.

"Why the heck you keep chasin me?! I have only taken the 'moss weed' with me."

"Roar!"

At the distance, a roar filled with killing intent came closer and closer.Then suddenly the tree behind the lad within twenty meters distance burst apart and the twigs and leaves scattered.

When the boy saw this, he felt a chilling sensation in his back and cold sweat dripping at his forehead. Then he slowly turn his head at the direction of that silhouette growling behind the mist.

The mist gradually dissipated then a two meter figure with a limbs and tail of a Naga Alligator covered with thick green scales and a body of a Bull Bear with a massive mouth filled with sharp teeth eppeared in front of the lad.

The lad was involuntarily shaking in the face if this monstrous beast. He clinch his teeth then slowly drew a sharp dagger behind his waist.At this moment he solemnly mused in his heart with unwavering determination,

"no matter what, i must bring this 'resonating moss' back to the clan so that lass jessa will be finnaly cured from his illness".

When the beast saw these, it quickly pounced with a thunderous roar.

"Rip!"

The young lad startled when he saw this sudden attack from the beast. He quickly adjust his body and step backwards to evade the sudden attack. The beast claw ripped the clothes on his chest with blood dripping that dyed his clothes crimson red.

Unconceallable pained expression appeared in his face then he tightened his grip in the dagger and quickly grab a handfull of soil in the ground then threw it onto the beast face. The monster closed its crimsom eyes for a sec. When the lad saw this, he quickly followed it with a lightning quick thrust on the beast's neck.

"tseek"

A shock expression appeared on the latters face. He didnt expect that his full force attack could only leave a small scratch on that beast's skin.

The beast roar angrily when it saw the lad dare to fight back. It swung its massive claws towards the latter. The lad gritted his teeth when he saw these and quickly form a hand seal.

"Thorny Weed Prison!"

Thorny weed quickly spread from the ground across the beast' body.The beast stiffened when he felt a gripping pain from the thorny weed which getting tighter and restrained his movement.It struggled and try to break free from the coiling thorny weeds but when he realize that the more he struggle the more tighter the weed coiled around his body.Fear rose from the beast' eyes as his intinct told him to flee immediately.But to no avail, the beast just cant break those damned 'Frost Weed' like a sturdy rubber till it covered the beast's entire body.

"Growl"

A struggling feint growl can be heard inside the frosty rubber like ball in the front of the pale faced lad. Blood can be seen at the corners of the youth's mouth.It surely took a heavy toll on the latters body when executing that technique.

A sigh of relief can be heard from the lad when he saw that he succesfully restrained the monstrous beast.Then he smiled bitterly and said.

"It really is hard to execute that technique even at least once with my current level of strength.The 'mana' capacity of my body still can't handle the mana expenditure to use that kind of power, i even use my life essense in exchange for the lacking mana required.Sigh, i really should recuperate for a few weeks to regain my life essense after this.Time to finish this mess!"

When he is about to detonate the frosty like ball in front of him, he felt a strong aura came from the inside of that ball.Then he heard a ferocious howl and a chilling voice.

"Growl! You dare... to... steal my... treasure? Then..prepare to.. meet your maker! Die!!!"

"Boom!"

The frosty rubber like ball exploded after that ear-shattering roar.The youth panicked and horror covered his face when he heard that beast talk.Then mused to himself.

"It really is true what grandpa Peter says that some of the hybrid beast in this mountains can utilize mana and can even speak the human tounge."

"I, Bryan am really unlucky to meet one the first time i venture this mountain. Sh*t! "

He cursed silently in his heart. The beast suddenly crouch in the ground then an intimidating aura and heavy killing intent gushed out from his body.

"Beast Blood Ignite!"

The Naga Bear's body grew larger by one meter and wiggling green veins can be seen on those monstrous muscles.Two large crimson pupils staring at the pale faced lad like a reaper trying to collect a soul.The Naga Bear lean backwards like a tiger whose about to pounce his prey.

"Woosh"

Dust scattered on the area where the Naga Bear is located.The lad stair attaintively in that area covered with dust.A shock and terror covered his face when he realize that the Naga Bear had vanished on that area.

"swoosh!"

The Naga Bear suddely appear atop on his head with a quick swing of sharp claws.

"What A shocking speed!"

Bryan mused solemnly in his heart then he gritted his teeth with a quick dock and quickly form another hand seal.

"Weed Brigade!!"

A sturdy brownish colored weed rapidly growing from the ground in front of the latters body forming a wall defending him against the Naga Bear's claw.

"Bang!"

With a creaking sound, broken weed scattered across the place. Fortunately the Naga Bear's claw finally stopped inch away from his eyes.

"gruughh"

He spat a mouthful of blood after forcefully executing that technique.Bryan has already used up all his mana at the first exchange,and this second time,he used most of his life essense to stop that beast' attack.

He struggled to his knees and look at the Naga Bear. Astonished look in his eyes when he realize that the Naga Bear's claws are still stucked on the 'Frost Weed Brigade'.

"I must use this opportunity to scape and find a place to hide."

The Naga Bear keeps struggling and use his other hand to smash those damned weeds.

When the lad saw the brigade gradually collapsing, he turned his head to look for an escape route.

Not so far away, he saw a humungous dead tree with a span of ten meters with a chilling mist drifting from cracks around its trunk.Dark and unique symbols carved on its twisting trunk can be seen that gives off a gloomy ambience on the area around it.If you observe clearly, beast and animals couldn't be seen around that area like they're avoiding something inside that gloomy tree. Then he mused solemnly in his heart

"I must take this bet. Theres a small possibility that i can survive if i made it inside that dead tree."

He ran immediately towards the dead tree when he saw the Naga Bear has still been stucked at the weed brigade.

"Boom!"

Not long after, the brownish weed brigade totally collapsed after those successive attack of that beast.When the Naga Bear saw the lad scaping, it released an angry roar and chased after it.

Bryan ran faster when he heard the Naga Bear's angry roar. He gritted his teeth and pushed his limit to the maximum. But to no avail, the Naga Bear's speed is still way more faster than him after igniting its beast' blood. That Naga Bear technique used is like the body enhancing art of humans that increases the bodies overall aspects.

A moment later, the Naga Bear has already caught up to him. The latters face turned white with a grave expression when he sense the killing aura behind him.

"Die human thief!!"

The Naga Bear clinch its fist then punch towards the lad's back. Bryan is only five meters away from that massive dead tree but this distance is like a mile away at this moment.

A fierce look in Bryan's eyes when he sense the attack behind him. He gritted his teeth like a gambler trying bet all his possesion and quickly turned his body facing the Naga Bear's punch.He quickly raised his booth arms trying to block the massive fist.

"Crack"

"Boom!"

A bone cracking sound can be heard after the fist landed on bryan's arms. Millisecond later,the latters body sent flying like a shooting star towards the humungous gloomy dead tree due to the force from that attack.Dust covered the area after the latters body smashed through that dead tree.

Dust gradually dissipated after a moment then revealed a huge hole on the dead tree.Not long after, a chilling mist gushed out from the hole that turns the grass around frozen solid.The Naga Bear quickly took a step back when he saw it.

A look of dissapointment can be seen on the Naga Bear's face. It looks like he really need the treasure that has been taken by Bryan in order raise its strength quickly.

"F*ck these humans. I guard and waited for ten damned years for that 'resonating moss' to mature but who would've thought that when i leave for a moment to meditate, that brat had already taken the natural treasure.I wont risk my life retrieving it inside that damned tree and im sure that brat is already dead.Were just even anyway, a treasure in exchange for your life."

After the Naga Bear done musing in his heart, he stare one more time in that huge dead tree and sigh, then slowly turned his body and leave the place.