C16 Red Moon

As dusk settled, a line of birds swept across the high skies, casting an aura of tranquility and serenity below.

Suddenly, the lead bird plummeted from the sky, its body cleaved in twain, descending to the earth like a leaf caught in the breeze. The flock was momentarily thrown into disarray, but they swiftly reformed their ranks and resumed their flight as before.

The big black tiger unleashed its final Wind Blade, its escape now painfully slow. The dense forest it once reveled in now seemed to conspire against it, with countless shrubs acting as unseen hands, grasping and dragging, further slowing its pace.

The chilling presence pursuing it filled the tiger with a sense of impending doom.

Eventually, it halted, settling into a soft thicket. Its body was a tapestry of wounds, drenched in its own blood.

Before long, Lin Yuan arrived, looking much recovered. The majority of his injuries had closed, and he was no longer bleeding. He eyed the prone big black tiger but held back from attacking. The memory of the Ashen Wild Boar's approach to the big cyan wolf was still fresh in his mind.

A single bite from the big black tiger could mean death. After a brief contemplation, Lin Yuan casually picked up a hefty stone and hurled it at the beast.

The rock burst apart, sending shards flying in all directions.

The injury on the big black tiger's head worsened, yet no blood flowed; its veins had nearly run dry.

Lin Yuan could almost be certain the big black tiger was on its last breath, but he kept his distance, circling warily, waiting for the system's prompt.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, the big black tiger, which had seemed at death's door, abruptly opened its eyes. A fierce light shone within, tinged with defiance and despair. With a ferocious roar, it lunged forward, attempting to throw itself at Lin Yuan.

Lin Yuan, anticipating this last vestige of resistance, had been conserving its energy for the chance to strike. Alas, Lin Yuan's caution paid off.

Effortlessly handling the big black tiger's final, futile onslaught, Lin Yuan delivered a precise blow to the creature's head.

Since the battle began, Lin Yuan had struck the big black tiger's head numerous times. Each blow felt like striking iron, yet this time was different.

The big black tiger came to an abrupt halt, collapsing to the ground, devoid of any strength to fight back.

Simultaneously, the system alert Lin Yuan had been anticipating chimed in: "You have successfully slain a Level 3 Demonic Beast and earned 1 attribute point."

Lin Yuan took stock of the battle's spoils. To his surprise, he had amassed an unallocated 2.1 attribute points.

In the heat of the fight with the big black tiger, Lin Yuan hadn't paid much attention to the Demonic Beasts they had slain. Reflecting on it now, he realized he had taken down several Level 2 Demonic Beasts.

Looking up at the moon suspended in the sky, he felt a wave of emotion wash over him.

The battle had spanned an entire day. While not his most perilous, it was certainly his most enduring. Only by exerting his utmost effort had he managed to persevere.

After a moment's consideration, Lin Yuan allocated his attribute points: 0.1 to speed, and one each to attack and defense.

Lin Yuan's attributes underwent another transformation:

Host: Lin Yuan

Status: Big Black Snake (Evolving)

Level: 4/10

Talents: 1. Identify enemy location by scent. 2. Create a precise image of the surroundings within a five hundred meter radius by scent.

Speed: 4

Defense: 4

Attack: 4

Available Points: 0

Martial Arts: Golden Body Technique

Skills: Strangulation, Venom Enhancement

Ascending to the rank of a Level 4 Demonic Beast, his wounds swiftly healed.

His stature visibly increased once more, breaking the fifty-foot threshold. He had become a true colossus, his size now ranking among the elite of his peers.

As he was on the cusp of leveling up, Lin Yuan felt a sudden premonition. He lifted his gaze to the heavens, where the stars had begun to fade, and the once bright moon was now slowly suffused with a crimson hue.

As Lin Yuan witnessed the round moon bleed into crimson, it was as if a tempest tore through his mind, threatening to strip away his sanity and plunge his soul into an abyss of madness and primal savagery, transforming him into a beast of pure slaughter.

On the brink of losing himself, a soothing chill cascaded through Lin Yuan's thoughts, quelling the surge of murderous impulses.

Then, the system's icy prompt cut through the chaos:

"Temporary mission triggered — Mutated Moon."

"Mission — Mutated Moon: For reasons unknown, the heavens have shifted, tainting the moon's white glow with the hue of blood. All demonic beasts bathed in this crimson light must endure a test of will. Success grants you 1 attribute point; failure leads to madness and death in a frenzy of bloodshed. The forest tonight is destined to be drenched in gore. Will you survive the ordeal and greet the dawn?"

"Mission completion reward: Receive specific rewards based on your score at sunrise."

"Congratulations, host, for withstanding the red moon's corruption. You've earned 1 attribute point!"

Lin Yuan snapped back to reality. The red moon above seemed to hold no sway over him now, yet the undercurrents of fury and bloodlust still simmered within.

His triumph over the trial seemed more a stroke of fortune than skill, with the system anchoring his mind in the final moments. Whether this was cheating, he couldn't say, but the system's validation with the attribute point suggested legitimacy.

At that moment, the whole forest erupted into chaos!

Though Lin Yuan had withstood the test, countless demonic beasts had not. Lost to the red moon's glow, they had devolved into mindless, murderous horrors.

And now, the forest resounded with their terrifying roars.