Demonic Po*nstar System Chapter 673: New Target

The chill in the afternoon surpassed that of the morning.

Kaiden activated the Association's tactical display via his wrist device. A holographic chart sprang into view over his arm, depicting the northern area's terrain with various icons scattered about. Crimson indicated verified threats. Amber for uncertain ones. Silver for outdated info, spots recorded over an hour prior that might have moved.

Perfection eluded the chart. Association surveillance units refreshed locations using aerial scans and expert accounts, yet the far northern areas featured blind spots.

Beasts roamed anew. Domains altered. An icon displaying a solitary beast lounging in a valley might turn into a group of six upon your approach.

Superior to having zilch.

While his companions strode alongside, Kaiden examined the layout. Luna matched his stride to the left, her gaze flicking from the path forward to the projection.

The objective of his scan was clear to all, prompting no inquiries.

The key term was takedown feasible. Reaching level seventy-five or higher didn't guarantee every beast in that range made a suitable foe. Certain ones proved utterly out of reach for a group at their tier, no matter the synergy.

Should a beast outpace Luna by a wide margin, managing fight range became impossible. Escape would leave them unable to pursue. A rush toward the rear guard would find no blockers. Velocity dismantled their whole battle plan.

A beast overly resilient to ongoing harm would deplete their energy stores prior to falling. The Borer Queen had approached that limit, boasting assailable joints. A sheer defender lacking vital flaws would endure beyond their capacity each encounter.

Their requirement lay in a foe potent enough for substantial gains, sluggish enough for drawing out, and bearing a flaw their lineup could capitalize on.

"There." Following a quarter-hour quest for the ideal prey, Kaiden selected a crimson icon on the display. Level seventy-six. A Gorecliff Trampler, situated within a tight gorge roughly two kilometers to the northeast. Association records labeled it a domain-bound forager armored heavily with sluggish turning ability. Formidable rushes along direct paths, yet deficient in side-to-side movement.

Aria might hover beyond its rush paths. Luna could strike the sides amid preparations. Nyx could hurl rocks from the gorge sides. Bastet could scorch it remotely. Calypso could withstand the rushes by angling her stance rather than confronting directly.

This marked the perfect choice.

"We advance silently. Three additional icons lie between us and the goal, each over level seventy. We detour, avoiding direct paths."

...

Ten more minutes of cautious traversal through the landscape brought them to the overlook.

Kaiden peered below.

His face grew grim.

The Trampler lurked there. Joined by roughly twenty-five others.

Chaos reigned in the gorge. Ashbound plunged deep into the fray, Ash's blade slicing the beast's armored side as Brittany and Stacy assaulted from the other flank. Trisha delivered distant fire from a shelf, power blasts pounding the Trampler's head in a steady beat implying prolonged effort. Ash's recording drones circled the clash in their standard compact array.

Upon noticing Kaiden atop the ridge, Ash halted his strike midway. The Trampler's tail almost struck his torso, yet Brittany pushed him aside at the last instant.

Ash remained indifferent.

He thrust both hands at Kaiden, index fingers aloft, and leered. That showy smile returned, brimming with spiteful payback.

Yet the elite jester failed to clench Kaiden's teeth.

Past Ashbound, arrayed at the gorge's south entry in an orderly line, a complete rival team of twenty combatants stood ready. Not every member battled the Trampler. A few monitored. Others secured the borders. Their equipment matched uniformly, in prime condition, bearing the enchantment richness from a richly funded alliance.

New Dawn.

Kaiden spotted two individuals detached from the team, raised on a stone outcrop offering oversight of the full gorge. They observed.

A female with a shadowed plait and a slim smoke stick emitting wisps from her grasp. A male clad in battle gear that appeared nonchalant on his frame, limbs crossed, stance at ease.

Mariana and Chinedu.

New Dawn's elite stars. Mariana, the Colombian tactician whose slaughter videos garnered views exceeding many leisure broadcasts. Chinedu, the Nigerian lancer whose casual chats and ever-changing companions turned him into media treasure.

Their gazes fixed on Kaiden.

Mariana's smoke stick halted en route to her mouth. Her stare sharpened, evaluating, like a hunter sizing up undecided quarry.

Chinedu grinned. "Hey there!" he called, paired with quick, amiable gestures.

Kaiden offered no reply in kind.

He spun and departed. His companions trailed mutely, as his rigid posture conveyed all his silence withheld.

Rage consumed him, for he understood.

His father dispatched them.

The insight struck with the assurance of one raised analyzing Magnus Ashborn's strategies. New Dawn led the newcomer rankings. Their best approach involved continuing their eighteen-day routine: harvesting effectively, preserving the lead, gliding to triumph. No rivalry justified their elites emerging in Kaiden's foraging zone, precisely at the prey he'd screened for fifteen minutes, save external guidance.

And Ash. The figure who'd obstructed him these past two days now battled beside his chief rivals as if longtime allies.

Ashbound ranked third in standings. New Dawn topped. No alliance made sense between them. Save if another dangled something Ash craved beyond scores.

Kaiden uttered not a word. He summoned the tactical display once more and resumed the hunt.

<Big brother!! I’m->

<I know, Alice.>

Silence fell from her.

The follow-up scan extended further. The initial fitting prey had stood out plainly, an isolated icon in a reachable gorge boasting an advantageous setup. The subsequent demanded combing through groups and travel paths.

A score of minutes involved trekking, examining, diverting, and selecting.

At last, success. A Ridgeback Scorcher, level seventy-seven. Alone. Domain-claiming. Atop a highland some three kilometers northwest, distant from other icons to prevent attracting others in the clash. Flame-oriented strikes, dense shell, though records noted soft belly area revealed amid its fire-exhale preparation.

That vulnerability suited them.

Three kilometers traversed with vigilance. Evading views. Swinging broadly past two herds of wandering beasts. Further twenty minutes expended, no gains collected, every step amassing for one confrontation advancing them toward the vital level mark.

They ascended the highland's rim.

Mariana awaited.

Twelve New Dawn warriors in compact array, clashing with the Ridgeback Scorcher via the synced accuracy of a unit trained jointly for months.

Their arrival preceded Kaiden's team by mere minutes. Maybe instants.

Precision defined the moment.

Kaiden's fingers balled at his hip. He accessed Ash’s broadcast.

The view captured Ash thrusting his arm skyward, recording drone focused on his beaming visage. Brittany and Stacy whooped in the rear, the Gorecliff Trampler's remains evident behind. "Let’s gooo! Chat, did you see that?! Ashbound is FEASTING today!"

Chinedu appeared within, propped on his lance with that relaxed grin, eyeing Ash's jubilation with the wry amusement of someone viewing a whimsically lively companion. His lance end gleamed with fluid. He'd partaken in the takedown.

Kaiden shut the broadcast.

Dual preys. Dual blocks. Varied sites, varied schedules, varied units. Ash and Chinedu at the initial. Mariana at the latter. Each preempting Kaiden's arrival, at foes aligning precisely with his selection standards.

One instance spelled misfortune. Two signaled design.