059 Granting Time for Meditation

In an instant, Xiu Nan sensed a change within his body. It was as though some invisible liquid began to seep from his back, penetrating his muscles, bones, and organs, nourishing everything within him.

When this aura dissipated, he clenched his fists tightly and immediately felt a surge in strength—about a third more than his previous physical prowess. Having already trained his body to the limits of human capability, this added third pushed him beyond what ordinary people could ever achieve. And the augmentation would only continue, for the rune could grow stronger without end.

"From now on, I'll call you Whitewood..."

Xiu Nan, exhilarated by his newfound power, promptly named his rune beast, the Pale-Eyed Kite. The reasoning was: Pale Eye → White Eye → Whitewood.

In truth, a ring beast was never merely a tool. It possessed traits of living creatures, complete with habits and preferences. The mysterious power of the Ring granted them new life.

"Screech! Screech! Screech!"

The Pale-Eyed Kite, now named Whitewood, called out several times, clearly pleased with its new name.

The next day, the Senran Tribe dispatched all its warriors, vowing to capture the thief who had dared to steal from them. The elderly priest issued a command: any human encountered, regardless of origin, was to be taken captive.

The Senran Tribe was a large community, nearly a thousand strong. Among them were many warriors, and several Bone Ring Masters wielding supernatural abilities. In this region of the island, they were unchallenged rulers, facing no rivals.

Now, with the entire tribe mobilized, many animal gathering sites and smaller villages fell victim, few escaping their wrath.

To the west of the Senran Tribe lay a swamp. Duckweed and lotus floated atop the water, reeds and cattails lined the shore. The mud was a grayish green, occasionally bubbling up with rotten air. Few local creatures dared enter, for this was the domain of the crocodile clan.

But today, the tranquility was shattered. Two massive beasts were locked in a wild battle, their struggle snapping trees and splattering mud everywhere. High-pitched bird cries and deep roars echoed together.

"Senran warrior, you’ve crossed the border! This is our Giant Crocodile Tribe’s territory—leave at once!"

A one-eyed native stood beside a tree, arms crossed, his body glowing faintly gray-green. The light pulsed with his breath, mingling with the flashes from the giant crocodile locked in combat with the Pale-Eyed Kite.

The crocodile, armored in scales, opened its dreadful jaws to reveal rows of sharp teeth, roaring at the kite circling above.

"Leave? Ha! I’ll take you down first!"

The Senran side was led by a burly man, his forehead marked with numerous tribal tattoos—his status was high.

"Attack! Tear it to pieces!" he sneered coldly.

"Screech!" The Pale-Eyed Kite answered with its cry.

It dove from the sky, its talons glowing white, slashing fiercely at the crocodile’s back. With a rip, deep gashes appeared.

The giant crocodile roared in pain, its muscular forelimbs swinging upwards, swatting the kite away. Scales and feathers flew, streaked with blood.

This was no ordinary crocodile—it was a supernatural variant, its limbs long and powerful.

The kite crashed into a tree trunk, snapping a tree half a man’s width thick. Splinters scattered like a shower of petals from the sky.

The two beasts collided, breaking tree after tree, scales and feathers torn loose. Blood and chunks of flesh splattered everywhere.

Yet as soon as these fell to the ground, they dissolved into shimmering light, vanishing instantly.

Both the crocodile and the kite were soaked in blood, their bodies torn and battered, the ground a scene of utter chaos.

Unable to hold back, the Senran Ring Master called upon the kite’s abilities, shouting in the native tongue.

"Bone Transformation! Lock!"

Instantly, the kite, circling mid-air, halted. Its talons gripped a branch tightly. White light flared from its eye sockets, its pale gray eyes locked onto the crocodile below. From its beak came a mechanical clicking, like gears grinding.

"Click! Click! Click-click-click-click-click..."

The charging crocodile’s body suddenly froze, its joints stiff as if rusted, movement now painfully sluggish.

The kite seized its chance, dropping from dozens of meters above, its talons and beak ripping furiously at the crocodile’s back, even attempting to attack its belly.

"Black Marsh Crocodile, Intimidate!"

The Giant Crocodile Tribe’s Ring Master shouted.

The battered crocodile raised its head, mouth wide, letting out a foul roar.

But the Pale-Eyed Kite was ready, already soaring high enough to avoid much of the effect.

The Ring Master of the crocodile tribe could only watch helplessly. Black Marsh Crocodile failed to intimidate its opponent and could not trap it in its jaws. The subsequent lethal roll was thus unusable.

If the fight continued, defeat was certain.

So, seizing a brief opening, he withdrew his wounded crocodile and fled swiftly.

The Senran warrior made no attempt at a relentless pursuit.

He quickly led his team back to the tribe, reported the situation, and spent half a day repairing the rune. Then he chose a direction to search for suspicious individuals.

There were five in the squad: two with spears, two with bows, moving skillfully through the forest.

Crunch...

The five stepped onto a clearing carpeted with fallen leaves, then halted—the path ahead was blocked by a solitary figure.

The lead warrior narrowed his eyes, a bloodthirsty smile on his face. From behind him, a Pale-Eyed Kite appeared, almost enveloping his entire body, its wings beating as it hovered, talons gripping his shoulder.

Xiu Nan’s expression remained calm as he whispered, "Whitewood."

Pale wings unfolded behind him, their tips bristling with sinister bone spikes. A monstrous bird emerged.

Whitewood locked eyes with the distant Pale-Eyed Kite.

The Senran warrior’s face twisted with contempt—the other kite was far smaller, barely a third the size of his own. And the oddly dressed stranger was using a Pale-Eyed Kite, almost certainly the thief. This glory would be his!

"Attack! Tear his rune to shreds! Take him alive!"

He exclaimed in the native tongue, brimming with excitement.

The kite behind him spread its wings, casting a vast shadow as it blocked the sunlight.

Xiu Nan gently patted Whitewood’s head. "Go tear it apart. What stands before you is neither kin nor kind, but food—a most exquisite meal that will let you evolve. You will win..."

Whitewood shrieked excitedly and shot forward. Though only a third the size of its opponent, its aura was undiminished!

Watching its charge, Xiu Nan murmured,

"Activate shared ability."

"Target: Pale-Eyed Kite Whitewood."

"Bestow ability: Meditation Time."

"Meditation Time duration: 2 seconds."

"Two seconds...that should be enough to kill him..."