Leon hid behind a towering coral rock, his gaze locked onto the Thunderous Cliffs below.
According to the map, they had arrived early to lie in wait.
Dense mist swirled as lightning danced like serpents.
Suddenly, a silvery-white figure stepped out slowly—its hooves glowing and its mane fluttering in the wind.
The Kirin had appeared!
Each step it took left scorched electrical tracks upon the ground.
"It hasn't entered its thunder-clad state yet..." Leon focused his gaze, his dual blades trembling slightly as he suppressed his presence to the absolute limit.
According to data from the Ecological Research Center, the Kirin's weakness is its head. Its primary attack patterns consist of six types: charges, back kicks, lightning strikes, leaping lightning strikes, linear lightning strikes, and the most unique one—the thunder-clad state.
When the Kirin enters its "thunder-clad state," its entire body becomes enveloped in electricity, its hide hardens, and the number of lightning strikes increases.
Dumpling hid behind Leon and whispered, "Are we going to take it head-on, meow?"
"Of course not," Leon replied softly. "You focus on the buffs. I'll circle around and break its horn."
With that, he downed the hunting essentials.
As the Kirin slowly approached the edge of the cliff, it suddenly reared up on its front hooves and snapped its head. A linear lightning strike streaked across the distance, shattering a stone pillar.
The time is now!
Leon lunged out from the coral cover. Utilizing the flexibility provided by Evade Extender, he performed a triple dodge to maneuver to the Kirin's flank.
Then, with a light tap of his toes, he glided across the ground like a gust of wind, leaving only a faint, barely visible trail on the coral grass.
Before the Kirin could react, Leon had already leaped to its side, crossing his blades in a strike.
—Demon Reverse Slash!
—Demon Double Slash!
—Demon Six-fold Slash!
Cold light flashed as electrical sparks scattered.
Leon's dual blades struck precisely at the juncture between the Kirin's neck and forehead, causing sparks to fly.
"Wooo—!!" The Kirin shrieked, stomping its front hooves to release a circular ring of electrical shockwaves. Leon rolled back just in time, narrowly escaping the blast zone.
In the next instant.
The Kirin's silver hooves slammed into the ground as it instantly charged.
Boom!!
Lightning tore through the air like a surging torrent. The Kirin thundered forward, the sparks from its hooves scorching the earth.
Leon performed a low slide, passing almost directly under the Kirin's belly. He whirled around for another strike—only for his blades to bounce off its lightning-shrouded hind legs with a shower of sparks!
Clang!
The Kirin's hide had instantly hardened.
"It's entered its thunder-clad state!" Dumpling immediately raised his bone club and began drumming out an enhancement melody.
A golden ripple spread rapidly. Leon felt a jolt run through him as his health and stamina surged.
Electricity surged around the Kirin; the thunder-clad state was active!
Lightning coiled around its limbs, and its mane stood on end. Every movement it made triggered an aftershock of lightning.
The Kirin leaped high and slammed back down.
Boom! Boom! Boom!!
Lightning struck the ground like falling meteors, exploding one after another.
Leon moved as gracefully as a serpent, weaving through the gaps between the strikes. Seizing the moment the Kirin paused, he closed the distance again.
Blade Dance!
His dual blades sliced through the air, striking furiously at the Kirin's neck.
Crack!!
This time, a hairline fracture appeared on the Kirin's horn, which looked as if it were carved from mystical ice!
The Kirin threw its head back and roared. Thunderclouds churned above, and its eyes flared with purple electricity in a fit of absolute rage.
"It's enraged, meow!" Dumpling rolled to avoid the lightning and shouted, "Newbie, get out of there!"
However.
Leon did not retreat; he lunged forward.
Simultaneously, he threw a Flash Pod.
Bang!
A flash of white light erupted!
The Kirin had its front hooves raised high, but the sudden flash caused it to lose its balance and stumble to the ground.
With eyes like burning torches, Leon shot forward like a bolt of lightning.
Raising both blades, he channeled his Demon power into a series of ferocious, breathtaking slashes.
—Blade Dance! Blade Dance!
Dozens of strikes poured down like a torrential storm, all concentrated on the Kirin's horn!
Crack!! Crack, crack—!!
The sharp sound of snapping was particularly piercing amidst the thunder.
That silvery-white horn, shimmering with electrical light, finally gave way under the relentless assault and snapped off.
The broken horn flew into the air as electricity erupted from the stump!
The Kirin let out a soul-rending wail. Lightning exploded as the mist was whipped into a frenzy by the current, as if the entire Coral Highlands were mourning for it.
Leon was blown back by the aftershock, rolling until he crashed into a coral pillar. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.
"Are you okay, meow?!" Dumpling ran over in a panic.
"I'm fine. The hunt continues." Leon braced himself on one knee and spat out some bloody saliva before looking up.
The Kirin had staggered to its feet. Electricity sparked wildly from its broken horn as blood dripped down its mane.
It actually turned slowly and began to limp away through the electricity, attempting to flee.
"You're not getting away." Leon wiped the blood from his mouth, looking at the limping creature with eyes that flared with lethal intent.
He kicked off the ground and sprinted forward.
Dumpling followed dutifully behind, keeping a close eye on their surroundings. He had long since reached a silent understanding with Leon.
During the hunt, his role was primarily lookout and support.
In the blink of an eye, Leon caught up to the Kirin.
The Kirin stumbled along, lightning flickering at its broken horn while blood trailed behind it.
Leon leaped high, crossing his dual blades and using his momentum to deliver a diagonal strike from the air!
—Heavenly Blade Dance!
His blades spun in a whirlwind of steel, coming down hard on the Kirin's neck.
Slash! Slash! Slash! Slash! Slash!
The Kirin howled in pain once more, nearly collapsing.
The moment he landed, Leon kicked off again to launch another flurry of strikes, staying glued to his target.
—Demon Reverse Slash!
—Demon Double Slash!
—Demon Six-fold Slash!
Cold light wove together as shadows of the blades danced like falling stars, completely enveloping the Kirin's heavily wounded forebody.
"Roar—!!"
The Kirin finally reached its limit. Its body jerked as it attempted a final desperate struggle, sending currents of electricity sparking in every direction.
But Leon was prepared. He rolled through the lightning strikes and threw a second Flash Pod.
Bang—!!
The white light burst, causing the Kirin to freeze.
This was the moment!
Leon charged, holding his dual blades high. Channelling every ounce of his strength, he unleashed one Blade Dance after another.
Slash! Slash! Slash! Slash! Slash! Slash! Slash!
The Kirin shuddered violently for a moment before its legs gave out. It crashed to the ground as the lightning slowly faded away.
Everything returned to silence.
Leon stood before the Kirin's carcass, covered in blood with his blades lowered. His muscles remained tense until he confirmed it was no longer moving. Only then did he exhale a long breath.
—Hunt Successful.
[HUNTED: KIRIN (HIGH RANK)]
[DING! TRAIT TRIGGERED: LONE WOLF]
[EXP OBTAINED: 4800]
[LEVEL: LV.25]
[EXP: 103,000 / 125,000]
[EXTRA MATERIALS OBTAINED: ELDER DRAGON BONE X2, ELDER DRAGON BLOOD X2, MYSTERIOUS FEYSTONE X2, WARPED FEYSTONE X2, NOVALYSTAL X2, KIRIN THUNDERHORN X2, KIRIN THUNDERTAIL X4, KIRIN AZURE HORN X4, KIRIN HIDE+ X4, KIRIN MANE X4, KIRIN AZURE HORN X4]
"The legendary Kirin... you actually did it, meow..." Out of breath, Dumpling hopped onto Leon's shoulder, staring at the fallen creature with awe and excitement.
Leon nodded slightly. He looked at the broken horn and the lingering electrical residue on the carcass. His expression was calm, yet he couldn't entirely hide the inner turmoil.
This was his first time hunting an Elder Dragon...
Next, it would be Nergigante's turn!