Varian crept across the boss regions. He was very cautious and avoided even being noticed by any magic beast.
All the Inner Zone Bosses reached the peak of Mid Level 4.
'They're almost all lightning beasts, too. So this dungeon must be a lightning dungeon. There are only a few anomalies following Body Path.' He held his breath and dashed through the narrow valley.
Varian discovered this route after trying to find remote ways to a boss's nest.
A boss he was searching for.
'You're the perfect match.' Varian smiled and passed through the valley.
'System, hide my aura.' He said. The next moment, his aura vanished. His power did not.
Varian was almost found out by a few bosses, even when he maintained a large distance. He then realized his aura was giving him away.
Unlike their Outer Zone counter parts, these bosses were much more perceptive.
'If I couldn't hide my aura, this would definitely fail.' He grinned and reached the end of the valley.
It was eerily quiet.
Varian held his breath and gazed at the sleeping giant.
Berserk Honey Badger.
Some animals of Old Earth stepped into Divine Paths, then Dungeons 'took them in'.
The process was unknown, but dungeons, which were of foreign origin, were now using earth's animals against them.
Varian observed the five meter tall creature. Its looks were similar to a weasel, but its personality was the opposite.
Similar to its unmutated self, its thick skin was much stronger and gave it a great defense. At Level 4, its limbs could crush mountains and its teeth could even cut down hard metals.
It was one of the few anomalies following Body Path.
Like its ancestors, Berserk Honey Badger was a lonely creature that just didn't give a fuck about any predator. It was fearless and aggressive. There were no red lines in its eyes.
'Such a perfect match…' Varian calmed himself and observed the Berserk Honey Badger's routine.
Even though a Level 4 Body Awakener would not need food to survive, Berserk Honey Badger chose to hunt.
If it was any other magic beast, it must be for the beast cores or flesh. But this one, it was hunting for pleasure.
'It's the opposite of the Calamity Tiger.' He concluded.
Even though regular Calamity Tigers hunt for beast cores, the Boss Calamity Tiger never left its location.
It was aware that leaving its treasure unguarded was a bad decision.
'Just one more step.' Varian left the area and went back to the outskirts of Inner Zone.
When he was hunting a few days ago, he came across a few Calamity Tigers. He didn't provoke them to avoid problems, but now, he would seek them.
"There!" Varian found a couple of low Level 4 Calamity Tigers across the plateau.
Zap!
Boom!
"Done!"
Varian made a quick work of the magic beasts and retrieved their beast cores.
Then he picked a remote location near the Boss Calamity Tiger and digged a tunnel.
After some serious effort, he connected it to the original underground tunnel he found. He created multiple complex routes.
Even though it took more time, they might be needed. Thankfully, his Body Path powers enabled him to finish the job in a day.
Through these tunnels, he could reach the boss's habitat in a few minutes.
"Start!"
He calculated the time and after picking the period when Berserk Honey Badger would go for hunt; he reached its nest.
Then he left a few Calamity Tiger Beast cores in its location.
From there, he dropped a few beast cores along the narrow valley. Since it was not deserted, no beasts would pick up the cores and disturb the plan.
Finally, he was a few miles from the Calamity Tiger location. If he was right, it could sense the aura around a few miles.
He waited for some time until…
'Berserk Honey Badger is going to return soon.'
He held a few beast cores, drew back his arm and hurled them at the Calamity Tiger.
Boom!
Boom!
As they breached its location, the Calamity Tiger's lightning sense swiped across them.
Sensing the familiar aura of its kin, its eyes turned bloodshot. It wanted to go out and hunt the perpetrator.
"Roaar~"
But the rich lightning mana from the flower calmed it down and the Calamity Tiger shook its head.
Even though it was brash and aggressive, it was not stupid.
It extended its lightning sense and scanned its surroundings. If the perpetrator was near, then it would hunt him down.
If not… then forget it.
The Calamity Tiger's lightning sense quickly expanded and approached the location Varian stood at a few seconds ago.
"Rree?" Strange. There was only aura of calamity tigers. It didn't know Varian's aura was hidden.
The boss was about to give up when its lightning sense found something at the corner of its range.
There were a dozen calamity tiger corpses.
"Roarr!" It roared in anger and right then—
Boom!
A small body blasted into the air and crashed into its nest.
Calamity Tiger looked down and recognized the corpse as one of its own.
All the restraint, all the patience, broke.
The Calamity Tiger trembled and raised its head to the sky. With monstrous rage filling its heart, it growled.
"Roarr!"
It covered itself with lightning and rushed out of its habitat in an instant.
Zap!
Zap!
Zap!
It glanced back at its habitat and a dense lighting barrier covered the flower from the outside.
Then the Calamity Tiger followed the traces of the aura on beast cores and headed towards the valley.
Varian glanced at the lightning barrier and sprinted back. He would not be able to break the barrier in time.
But on the other hand, if the boss just went out without providing any protection to the flower, that'd be too suspicious.
'I considered this scenario.' He grinned and reached the tunnel opening he dug recently.
He jumped in and ran towards the boss's habitat at full speed.
As he neared his target, the ground shook.
Boom!
Zap!
"Roar!"
"Kraa!"
The rumbling of lightning, the crumbling of hills, the growls of the tiger and the grunts of the Honey Badger.
One was an enraged protectionist, and the other was a provoked aggressive player. It was a perfect setup.
Varian soon reached the end and climbed the walls.
Zap!
Zap!
The lightning barrier covered the flower from the three directions, but thankfully, not from the soil.
Varian punched through the ceiling and pulled down the flower .
The beautiful golden flower had twelve petals. They glowed like the brightest sun rays and lit up his face.
The tremendous mana from it was intoxicating, and Varian breathed in the mana. It was beautiful.
Boom!
The ground shook, and Varian had an ominous feeling.
Without hesitation, he ran back.
"Roar!" The weak but fierce roar was getting louder.
The Boss Calamity Tiger was back!