CHAPTER 23: TO THE BASE (7)

*Rumble*

The sound of the cave's spikes falling down filled the area, as what manifested were huge piles of broken down rocks on the floor, leaving fine, dry particles of weathered rocks mixed with the floor soil lingering in the air.

*Thud*

*Thud*

While the cave collapsed, the klaur then strode over to Aria to confirm if its attack hit.

On reaching there, it instantly sighted a bright blue light in mist of the lingering particles that covered Aria from sight.

*Woosh*

The klaur heard a sound coming from the beside the dust, but there was nothing.

*Thud*

Then came a sound, as it then surveyed the area, but couldn't find anything.

As the sounds became louder, the klaur couldn't find her, as she had used her psyche to enter spirit mode.

Then came Aria with her blade imbued with mana, giving it a blue flame-like structure emanating from the blade.

*Swoosh*

A blue slash appeared striking the right leg of the klaur, leaving a slight cut.

*Stomp*

Instantly, the klaur then strike down the ground on reflex to the attack. Following a short pause, it searched to see if it had hit Aria.

*Thud*

After the stomp to the ground, the klaur then heard more footsteps.

The klaur was perplexed by the strange sounds, as it then resorted to use its senses to search.

Using its senses, it was able to pickup slight traces of Aria's movements.

*Swoosh*

Aria then attacked, this time striking the right forelimbs.

Following the slight traces of her movement, it instantly stomped the ground using its claws.

Inspecting the target place, it noticed it had not attacked her.

Meanwhile attacking the klaur at random, Aria pondered.

— She said I should find a clear cave area, but how do I find it when I am dealing with a klaur this large?

The only thing I have to is...

The klaur was aggravated as it noticed, its attack had no effect, it switched to attack at a large scale.

It then started to charge up as fur stood straight with undulating blue wavy lines, but this time was distinct as the short blue sparks of electricity flew from its furs.

Noticing, this would be different from its normal attack, Aria stopped as she faced upon the klaur, head-on while in spirit mode.

With the klaur charging on, its mouth opened as it lit up with a blue mana orb.

The orb started to increase drastically, as it slowly escaped its mouth.

Aria knew this attack was going to be a large scale attack.

With the orb larger than the klaur it started to shoot out beams of concentrated mana as it could no longer contain it.

Aria was driven to the corner with no option of where to run or hide. She stood still and smiled.

Because it was all part of the plan; knowing she couldn't break through the wall, she would have to simply enrage the klaur, and make it to breaking the wall for her.

Aria then stood beside the klaur and undo her spirit form, making her visible to it.

As the klaur then sighted Aria, it aimed the mana orb toward her, blasting forth the orb.

*Boom*

The mana orb then exploded with a loud sound.

The klaur noticed the wall exploded, with no one in sight. It thought it had finished off Aria, and slowly headed back.

*Thud*

On heading back, it heard a footstep.

It then glanced at the wall which it had exploded and noticed Aria standing unscattered.

The klaur was shocked as Aria withstood its attack unscattered.

But unknown to the klaur, Aria had expected that to happen, as informed, the attack pattern of the Alpha klaur.

***

'Remember this,

Alpha klaurs relies on its sight, more when attacking. If you can avoid its sight, that would be an advantage to you.

They can't use more than 3 mana blasts, it can't change the blast position because it's impossible. And each blast has a range, so if you can make them waste their mana blast, you would have the upper hand.

But in any case it's an irregular, the third blast would be something else different.

So be careful'.

***

— Now I just have to defeat it before its third blast, and I have won.

She pondered as she stared confidently at it.

*Fwosh*

Holding out her blade, Aria signaled the klaur by embedding it with mana—like a matchstick, giving it blue mana flames that imitated a short sword.

Aria's intentions were clear as she attempted to provoke the klaur into the cave area, as told.

Noticing the danger Aria possessed to it, the klaur rushed forth to her as it attempted to strike with its claw.

On reaching Aria's range, she dashed to the left, evading the klaur's claws

*Stomp*

The sound of the strike was much louder than previous ones, as this strike could clearly be heard, with dust rising from the floor, which was all due to Aria angering the klaur.

The klaur glanced left. It then noticed Aria, going through the hole it made in the wall.

Sightlessly, the klaurs followed her.

Lacking hesitation, it burst through the hole in walls, only to appear at a strange place.

The place was clear of cave spikes, with a brightly lit area, on the top was a hole filled where light passed through.

Standing in the center was the klaur after it had busted through. It looked with a worried face glancing sideways as Aria couldn't be sighted.

Aria was in spirit mode as she tiptoed to the klaur, with the attempt of slashing the klaur with a blade stretched out.

As the klaur sensed her movements, it leaped forth, moving out of Aria's attack range.

Aria noticed and then ran forth as she arrived underneath the klaur's stomach—it's blind spot.

*Slash*

While running, she thrust the blade unto its stomach. The strike then made a long cut on its belly.

But, the strike was too shallow because of the klaur evading her attack.

*Thud*

The klaur then landed after it had leaped into the air, but its landing wasn't apparent as the attack left the klaur injured with blood splitting out.

As it noticed it was bleeding, it then ignored the injured as it searched for Aria, looking out to evade the next attack.

Aria pondered as she noticed the attack was too shallow and the klaur was on high alert.

— Tsk! It seems like I have to attack it with a longer blade.

She was then lost in thoughts for an while before a idea came.

— Why don't I imbue more mana into the blade?

Aria then clenched onto the blade with both hands, attempting to imbue more mana into the blade.

Instantly, the mana flickered as it increased, and then formed a longer sword.

— Hah! It worked. But am kinda feeling unwell.

Aria was drowsed as the mana exhaustion of the blade increased, leaving her sight blurred.

Meanwhile, noting its attack had no effect, it then glowed slightly with blue lines on its body. It was switching to a defense position using its last mana blast to strengthen its defense, healing all attacks Aria left on it.

Aria couldn't see this as her mana exhaustion caused her sight to blur, leaving her with no idea the klaur did.

Neglecting the drowsiness of mana exhaustion, she gripped her blade tightly and instantly dashed to the left side of the klaur, rushing in to attack it by the side.

Arriving beside the klaur, Aria then leaped into air with the blade held up high, as she attempted to decapitate the klaur by the neck.

*Clang*

A familiar sound of the blade striking an unknown counterpart was heard, sending a bright blue strike with red sparks through the air.

Aria remembered the sound as it was similar to the last time she attacked a wolf-type klaur.

Shocked by the fact, the sound was resembling despite embedding mana into the blade. She then glanced at the klaur.

On sighting the klaur she noticed it was unscattered without a single cut on its body.

— Huh! How comes, were all my attacks healed?

She pondered as she couldn't see a single scratch on the klaur.

*Ba-Thump*

Aria shuddered as she felt an intense deadly aura emanating from beside her.

As she then glanced, there the klaur was staring at her as it perceived her now, after she had attacked.

She pondered as she glanced at the klaur.

— How was it able to sense me? Was waiting for me to attack?

While Aria was contemplative, with a riddled face.

*Snap*

The klaur instantly with its jaws wide open snacked Aria. Biting through her.

Its jaws gouged through her body, perforated with holes.

The klaur's jaws held tightly into Aria's body, as she lacerated with the sharp blue jaws of the klaur piercing through.

Aria was in agony due to the intense pain she felt, with blood coming out.

The klaur held her up high and shook her profusely for a few seconds, before finally catapulting her into the walls.

*Bam*

On slamming into the wall, Aria felt a shock through her whole body.

Due to the intense pain of being chewed out by the klaur, Aria could move her body.

Afterwards, the klaur then strode to the place where it had catapulted her.

She pondered as she then titled her head as she gazed upon the incoming Klaur.

— I have to fight, I can't die like this. Move. Move.. Moovvee!

While still pondering, Aria searched for her blade as she noticed it was gone.

In an attempt to move her body away to escape the klaur, she noticed it was all to no avail, as her body lost a lot of blood.

With despair on her doorstep, she pondered.

— Is this how am I going to die?

Aria then recalled Blu's face and said.

— I can't die yet, not without leaving a message.

Even in her last moments, Aria knew she had to relay a message to Blu before she passed.

She then reached out to Kyrie through the comms.

"Kyrie"

Kyrie was concerned as she couldn't hear from Aria for the past minutes.

"Aria, are you OK?"

"Am OK".

Aria swore, knowing Kyrie would worry over her.

*Cough*

Blood came coughing out of Aria's mouth while she was talking.

On hearing this, Kyrie said.

"How are you OK? I can hear you coughing".

She then replied bluntly.

"It's OK, it's simply dust. By the way, Kyrie...".

With a worried expression, Kyrie replied.

"Hmm... What?"

Continuing on, she said.

"I want you to tell Blu something for me".

Kyrie asked as she knew something was weird with her statement.

"Tell him what? Why can't you tell him?"

Aria started to feel her sight getting blurry. She then smiled and said.

"Hehe... Tell Blu, I am sorry I couldn't welcome him when he is awake. Thank you for allowing me to see the world you sought out for, even though it was your dream too. I am sorry I beat you to it.

Every time I got the feeling that it was because of me, you had to sleep for long. Knowing you, the first thing you would do—is to seek for me when you wake up, but don't worry about what happened to me. Aria would be fine, so keep living on... ".

Kyrie then noticed her words were deep, and gave the impression of a dying note. She then asked.

"Hey Aria, what's going on".

"Hey, Aria".

Aria then passed out, as the blood lost was much.