(Beast Domain – Deep Vale Ridge)
The forest breathed around Iris like a sleeping beast.
Birds quieted as the wind picked up.
She crouched atop a branch, eyes focused on the beast below—a two-tusked ironhide boar thrashing against a low-hanging branch. Every movement it made echoed with weight.
"Metal Ki' she noted, feeling the subtle buzz of its aura even from here.
It wasn't time yet.
She had come close to reaching the peak of Ki Surging Realm by now. The only purpose for her hunting today was to reach the final bit of distance that separates 'close' to 'there'.
And to test the Skillcore Skills that she had obtained as her reward for surviving the Dragonheir Trial.
She had earned them. But using them was another matter entirely.
She put many sleepless nights into learning and refining these skills.
And she now wanted a challenge to understand her current limits, and see the results of her hard work.
