Chapter 70: Wind Lynx [1] The staff met the black blur with enough force to rattle his arms. Moon’s eyes tracked backwards, finally catching sight of the perpetrator as it landed several meters away. A small feline beast, roughly the size of a large housecat, with a sleek black coat of fur that shone under the bright sun. Its eyes blazed with hunger as it stared at Moon, its body coiled for another strike. Moon pulled up its status. [Wind Lynx] [Level: 20] [Details: An ambush predator capable of manipulating wind. Blends perfectly into the darkness due to its pitch-black coat. Weak constitution but exceptional agility and stealth capabilities. Uses wind manipulation for both offence and enhanced movement.] Moon’s grip tightened on his staff. The details explained the seemingly impossible approach and the blur he’d barely registered. The Wind Lynx before him was a level twenty beast with resonance to the wind element—a rare trait that elevated it from a standard B-rank threat to A-rank. "An A-rank beast already, huh? This is about to get interesting," Moon grinned. This was an interesting matchup for Moon. He wanted to test his current capabilities against A-rank threats. He began channeling his mana to initiate his attacks. He was no fool, he wasn’t going to engage this powerful beast in close combat. He wasn’t seeking to lose a couple hundred lives for no reason when ranged combat was his specialty. Whoosh! Whoosh! Before Moon could form his spell, the Wind Lynx was already a step ahead. Wind began swirling around its body, levitating surrounding leaves from the ground and tearing others from branches. The air pressure dropped noticeably. The Lynx compressed the gathered wind into visible blades and sent powerful wind slashes toward Moon with insane speed. Moon immediately leapt backward and raised his staff. Earth erupted from the ground, forming a thick wall that intercepted all the wind attacks before they could reach him. Bam! Bam! Bam! Crack! The sound of the wall fracturing soon reached his ears. The barrier had done its job well, defending against all the attacks while still holding structural integrity to sustain a few more strikes that the lynx could be preparing. Moon started forming his counterspell as he began to peek around the wall’s edge. Although the barrier had protected him from the wind blades, it had also completely blocked his vision of the Lynx’s position. Multiple compressed fireballs formed around his staff, each the size of a tennis ball, crackling with concentrated heat. But he didn’t release them immediately. For all he knew, the Lynx could have relocated. He’d lost direct sight of it moments earlier, and an ambush predator wouldn’t waste that opportunity. Whoosh! Snarl! Moon’s body snapped to the left where the Lynx was mid-leap, attempting to shred his face. It had used the wall as cover to circle around and flank him while he tried to peek, attempting a sneaky killing blow from his blind side. Unfortunately for the beast, Moon had learned from previous mistakes. The Wild Slother’s flanking manoeuvre was still fresh in his mind. His staff swept around in a defensive arc, catching the Lynx’s extended claws before they could reach flesh. The impact sent a wave of shock through his arms, but his strength held firm. Then Moon released his prepared spell at point-blank range. All five fireballs launched simultaneously toward the Lynx’s exposed torso while it was still airborne. Moon’s smile widened as he expected the creature to fall to the ground as a charred corpse, limp and defeated. Whoosh! Wind erupted violently from the Lynx’s body, propelling it sideways mid-air with explosive force. Moon’s eyes widened as all five fireballs passed through empty space, missing their target completely. The compressed projectiles detonated against trees and earth behind where the Lynx had been a fraction of a second earlier, leaving scorch marks and small craters. The Lynx had used a concentrated wind burst to change its trajectory while airborne, not to counter Moon’s attack or defend against it, but to simply remove itself from the line of fire entirely. The execution was flawless, the timing was perfect. It demonstrated a level of awareness and elemental control that went far beyond instinctive beast behaviour that Moon was accustomed to. Moon felt genuine awe at the Lynx’s performance. This was no average wind manipulation; it was top-notch, intelligent use of the element’s advantages. The Lynx understood basic principles of momentum and had the skill to execute complex manoeuvres under pressure. The creature landed gracefully fifteen feet away, its dark eyes locked on Moon with renewed intensity. It had survived what should have been a killing blow, and both combatants knew the fight was far from over. Moon reassessed his opponent. This wasn’t just an average A-rank beast; it was an exceptional specimen within that tier. Probably the alpha of its territory, or at minimum a beast with combat experience far beyond what its level suggested. "Alright," Moon muttered, his grin returning despite the failed attack. "You’ve earned my respect. Let’s see what else you can do." He began channeling fire and wind elements simultaneously, preparing for a more complex assault that would be harder to evade through simple repositioning. Fire gathered at the tip of his staff while wind swirled around his free hand. The combination would create a vortex of flames that could limit movement and cover a wider area, making the attack much harder to dodge than straightforward projectiles. The Wind Lynx didn’t wait for Moon to complete his technique. It attacked first, sending compressed wind blades in rapid succession while simultaneously using wind currents to propel itself in unpredictable patterns around Moon’s position. Slash! Slash! Slash! Moon raised an earth barrier to intercept the wind blades, but the Lynx was already moving, circling at high speed. The creature was using the terrain, bouncing off trees, using rocks as launch points, creating angles of attack that forced Moon to constantly rotate his defenses to stay safe. Moon released his combined fire-wind attack, sending a spiraling vortex of flames toward the Lynx’s projected path. The creature saw it coming and launched itself upward with a wind burst, clearing the flames entirely. While airborne, it sent another barrage of wind attacks downward toward Moon’s exposed position. Moon had to abandon his offensive stance and create another earth wall. The wind blades struck with tremendous force, cracking the barrier. This thing is relentless, Moon thought, his mind working rapidly, trying to think of plans around its agility. The Lynx landed and immediately repositioned again, not giving Moon any time to prepare a proper counterattack. It was fighting intelligently, using hit and run tactics, never staying in one place long enough to become a target. Moon tried water and fire next, creating a widespread mist to obscure vision and limit the Lynx’s ability to see his attacks coming. But the creature simply used wind to blow the mist away, clearing its field of view instantly. Fire attacks? Dodged with terrifying agility. Earth spikes? The Lynx sensed the ground disturbances before they erupted and moved preemptively. Wind against wind? The Lynx’s mastery was superior, it redirected Moon’s wind attacks or used them in a way to its advantage.