The lava flow at the end of the valley quickly went from a river of fire to barely a trickle. It was now at a point where Afilada could simply step over it and continue up the hill of coarse black stones. The heat was still intense but their bodies were more resistant to it now that they had been integrated into the Network.

  The rest of her party followed behind her, except for Forto who strode next to her, ready to intercept any attacks. Ayuna would normally be ranging ahead but Afilada felt it would be better if they approached the boss together. As they neared the top of the hill she did motion for her scout to take the first look. She had the highest perception of them all.

  After a quick scan she carefully made her way back down and motioned the others closer. Then in a whisper Ayuna shared what she saw.

  “Identify says it’s a mana-infused Jilipold, but it’s bigger than any I’ve ever seen. It’s at least ten times larger than anything I’ve ever heard of and it has a line of fire burning down its back.”

  There were some uneasy looks but Afilada took charge, stiffening their resolve. “You all know what to do. Forto, you get its attention, Pierto and I will flank it while Ayuna uses her arrows to go for its eyes. If it’s blind it will have a hard time hitting us. Sabi, shield Forto and use your stone spears to keep it locked in place. Watch out for some kind of fire attack, and remember, if it is like jilipold’s from our home it will be very fast and its talons can slice us in half like we’re made of butter.”

  Afilada knew that she was destined to crush all opposition, but even her ego had a hard time confronting the monstrosity in front of her as they crested the hilltop.

  Beast: Mana-infused Jilipold (Epic) level 5.

  This reptilian beast had a snake’s head, but instead of two extra large fangs the teeth looked more like a shark’s and there were two rows of them. The body was that of a quadruped but the skin on even a normal specimen was so thick it could shrug off all but the most focused of strikes. This juggernaut version probably had skin thick enough to deflect all normal attacks. It was also at least ten meters long and six meters high, and that wasn’t counting the tail.

  Rather than having short stubby trunks for legs like you might expect, it had long and sinewy ones that were built for speed. Its tail was also slender but made up almost half of its length and the tip was hardened like a mace. Normally it had a dark green coloring, but this fire-infused version had black skin with angry red lines in a spiderweb across its body. And as Ayuna had said, the ridge along its back had flames that were at least half a meter tall.

  With a grunt Forto charged toward its midsection, his axe held high and his shield ready. He was confident that with his leader here they could take on anything. As Pierto also moved to get in position Afilada was released from her temporary panic. She was a blur of speed as she tried to cut around to her flanking position. The ground up here was the same volcanic rock as the hill, but there were small streams and pools of lava that they would have to avoid.

  As Forto got within five meters the jilipold whipped out with its tail and he maneuvered his shield to block. The mace at the end of the flying tail clanged against his shield with enough force to drive him back several steps and leave a small dent in it. Afilada smiled as she realized it wasn’t also ten times stronger than a real jilipold or he would have been sent flying back down the hill.

  Pierto had reached his position and was ready with his club. Afilada had her sword in a two handed grip, figuring she would need the extra force to penetrate the incredibly thick skin. Forto once more advanced but this time he was looking at the maw of the creature as it had turned to face him. Sabi cast her protective spell on their tank and a shimmer appeared in front of him.

  It was just in time as a ball of flames seemed to swirl in the back of the boss’s throat. The flames built until a raging inferno blasted out and engulfed Forto. The shimmer became a solid wall of burning light before it quickly began to fade. Maybe half of the flames had been spent when Sabi’s barrier disappeared and Forto could do nothing but hide behind his metal shield. The flames were directed around his shield but enough remained to still burn him as they passed by. His tunic caught on fire and he dropped to the ground and tried to roll around to put out the flames.

  Pierto and Afilada had not been sitting idly by while he was getting crisped. With the creature’s attention focused forward they charged its sides and struck. Afilada drove her sword point toward the jilipold’s lungs with all of her momentum behind it. The skin was too tough though and the sword slid upwards and did no noticeable damage. On the other side Pierto’s club slammed into its spine. The beast staggered slightly so some force must have penetrated.

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  If she was going to contribute to this fight she would need to strike for areas where the skin was not as thick, like where the legs joined the body or behind its knees. Ayuna’s first shot with her bow was a great one. As the flames died out her arrow penetrated the back of its open throat. It quickly crunched down on the shaft, breaking it into little bits but you could see the pain in its eyes.

  As Forto rolled on the ground the jilipold leaped forward. It was going to land directly on top of him and without his shield in position to block the claws on its feet would rip him to shreds. Luckily, Sabi had another one of her barriers ready and it landed on top of a wall of air. She had angled the shield so that it slid to the side and landed next to him instead of on top of him.

  Pierto was already in motion when it landed and he interposed himself between the beast and Forto. The first swipe of its claws were intercepted by his club but the other paw tore across his chest and sent him tumbling backwards over their rhino tank. Ayuna’s next arrow glanced harmlessly off the thick skin of its face, missing its eyes.

  Afilada ducked under a swing of its tail and sliced at its back leg. This time her sword bit into the flesh and scored a cut at least fifteen centimeters deep into the muscle behind its knee. It roared and tried to kick out with the closest leg, which happened to be the injured one. It wasn’t moving properly and with her high dexterity she was easily able to roll under the blow. This brought her to the other hind leg and she once again sliced across it.

  She continued her role until she was completely on the other side. The beast wasn’t immobilized, but neither of its back legs was working well. Flush with her success she failed to keep an eye on the tail and as she regained her feet it cracked her in the side. The force was enough to send her flying and there was a pop as at least one rib was broken.

  Unfortunately for her she landed near a lava puddle and some ended up on her chest. If the blow from the tail was like getting hit by a train, this was like being burned by the sun. The surrounding fur caught fire and the flesh where it hit melted. But she was no stranger to pain and she wouldn’t let simple agony stop her. The world would be hers!

  Standing she took in the battle and noticed that Pierto had helped Forto to his feet. Side by side they faced the creature which now had an arrow sticking out of its left eye. Ayuna’s bullseye talent let her pull off an incredible shot. Sabi had used more of her mana to send a stone spear into one of its back legs, right where it had been cut. This really hampered the jilipold’s movements.

  If they thought the fight was over they were soon disabused of the notion as it roared out another blast of flames. It wasn’t quite as large as the first time, but Sabi wasn’t ready with a shield either. They weren’t cheap mana-wise and she had just cast her stone spear spell. Forto managed to get his dented metal shield up and he and Pierto hunkered behind it.

  They both were still getting crisped by the flames curling around the edges, but soon the blast had superheated the metal on his shield and Forto involuntarily let go. Luckily the flames were almost spent but Pierto’s entire front was set on fire as his fur and tunic burned. Forto pushed him over and lept on top of him to help smother the fire.

  Sensing that things were rapidly turning against her party, she felt the need for drastic action. Afilada used the distraction of its breath weapon to jump onto its back. While she easily weighed over 110 kilograms the beast below her was so large it didn’t even notice.

  Her first blow was a slash at the base of its tail, cutting off all six meters of willowy danger. That got its attention, but it seemed at a loss of what to do without its tail to strike at her. She dashed up its spine ignoring the burning in her feet as she ran along the flames. She was moving so fast that her legs barely felt the heat from her passage. Arriving at its head she raised the sword above her with the tip pointing down and drove it through one of the creature's small ear holes. There was some resistance but she pushed with all her strength and drove the blue blade completely through its brain until it finally came to a stop when it hit the flesh on the underside of its head.

  Sabi rushed over and did her best to heal Pierto and Forto of their burns. Ayuna glanced around, checking for any more threats. Afilada looked back over the valley from her perch on top of the giant boss. She could just make out the mass of her troops on the field below. Some of the hunters noticed her and started pointing her out to others. She pulled the sword from the jilipold and raised it over her head in victory, keeping the anguish from her face as her broken ribs protested the movement.

  Even from so far away she could hear the roar of approval. Corellians were normally a mostly peaceful people, bound by honor and law. She had shown them what they could become if they let their inner beast rule. She had shown them power and they were coming to love her for it. Now she turned, for that valley was the past. It was the crucible that turned her people into warriors.

  Before her was what looked like another valley, but this one would turn her warriors into a true army. She would take the best for herself, of course, but the others would be dragged along until they were able to form the pedestal on which she would stand.