Nova's eyes narrowed as he approached the center of the village. The mana-infused item was radiating brighter and brighter. But he suddenly froze; he felt that something was off.

The lizard-ant hybrids, the creatures slaughtering the goblins mercilessly, suddenly faltered, their movements halting mid-charge.

Even stranger, the goblins, whom he had assumed were already reduced to nothing but ashes and scattered bones, began rising from the ruins, snarling and clawing at him.

Nova tilted his head, confusion flickering in his eyes. "Wait… what?" he said.

He watched in disbelief as the surviving goblins leaped in perfect coordination with the remaining hybrids, attacking him simultaneously.

"What in the fuck is going on?" Nova whispered, frowning.

He had no idea why the goblins, who had been torn apart moments ago by these creatures, were now fighting alongside them.

Was there some unspoken alliance? A desperation pact? None of it made sense. The logic defied everything he knew about the natural order.

Lunaris hissed lightly, sensing its master's confusion, but pressed close to Nova, ready for whatever came next. Lunaris wasn't really going to do anything, just watch from the sidelines, so it didn't need to worry.

Nova sighed, a smirk slowly forming. "Well, I guess I'll just have to entertain both of you at the same time."

With that, he leaped forward, his speed so extreme it blurred the air around him. The first wave of goblins charged, but Nova didn't even flinch.

With a single backhand, he obliterated five of them in a spray of bone dust and evaporated flesh. The hybrids hesitated, shocked by the display of power, but their hesitation was brief. They lunged in tandem with the remaining goblins, claws and fangs flying.

Nova countered, moving in an incomprehensible pattern of strikes, dodges, and gravity-defying leaps. He grabbed one goblin mid-air, twisting its spine until it shattered audibly, then used its limp body to crush a group of hybrids approaching from behind. Another hybrid attempted a bite, only for Nova to snap its jaw with a casual flick of his fingers.

It was over in moments. Every goblin and hybrid was either reduced to bones or evaporated entirely. The ground was littered with shattered remains, the air thick with the residual pulse of mana. Nova finally stopped, brushing dust off his arm. He stared at the chaos with an almost bored expression.

"And now we can talk about the real problem," he said. "The thief who was going to steal my artifact."

From the center of the village emerged the largest of the lizard-ant hybrids, its scales glinting in unnatural hues, mandibles clicking in a horrifying rhythm. Nova instantly recognized it.

"So you're the one," he muttered, eyes narrowing. "You're the Zygaroth Commander."

The creature bellowed, a sound that rattled the very air, and charged. Its sheer size made the ground tremble, and its limbs moved with terrifying precision.

Nova's heartbeat quickened, not from fear, but from the excitement of finally facing a challenge worthy of his attention.

He met the Zygaroth Commander head-on, dodging a vicious swipe that would have obliterated any ordinary being. Nova grabbed one of its massive claws mid-swing, twisting it until it snapped, then slammed his fist into the creature's chest with such force that the impact cratered the ground beneath him. The Commander roared in fury, staggering but far from defeated.

Nova's attacks became a blur, a barrage of punches, kicks, and bone-shattering strikes delivered faster than sound itself.

The Zygaroth Commander tried to counter, but for every strike it made, Nova was already ten steps ahead. He crushed its legs, snapped its tail, and ripped one of its armored wings from its body. Each move was brutal, deliberate, and impossibly fast.

Finally, with a leap that sent him soaring over the village rooftops, Nova landed on the creature's head, driving his fist through its skull in one seamless motion.

The Zygaroth Commander's final roar echoed through the air before it went completely silent, its body collapsing in a heap of broken bones and scales.

Nova's eyes finally fell on the prize. At the very center of the village, pulsating with raw, unstable mana, sat the artifact he had been tracking all along.

It was a crystalline orb, roughly the size of a human torso, suspended above a jagged pedestal. Inside the orb, energy swirled like liquid lightning, emitting waves of heat, light, and sound that seemed almost alive. Nova could feel the immense power radiating from it, far beyond anything he had expected.

But just as he reached out, a shadow fell over him. He turned sharply, his expression immediately hardening. The goblin chief had survived the massacre, standing at the center with a twisted grin.

His small hands were already crackling with some form of dark magic, and his eyes glowed with a malice that only a desperate creature could muster.

Nova didn't hesitate. He leaped forward, covering the distance in a heartbeat. With a swift, merciless motion, he tore into the goblin chief, his hands crushing bone, flesh, and whatever else the fuck the chief had, as if they were nothing more than paper.

The goblin's screams ended abruptly, and in moments, the chief was reduced to nothing but a smear of remains on the ground.

Finally, Nova stepped forward and touched the artifact. A shockwave of power surged through him, and he felt his senses sharpen, his mana flow accelerating exponentially.

The orb thrummed in his hand, responding to his aura, his mana, acknowledging him as a worthy enough individual. He could feel his mana, his energy, his very soul strengthening by the second.

"This is incredible," Nova whispered, a wide smirk spreading across his face.

Lunaris purred approvingly, brushing against his shoulder as if acknowledging Nova's triumph. Nova chuckled softly, stroking the creature's fur.

"Well, Lunaris, I'd say our little hunt was worth it." He carefully secured the artifact, feeling the mana seep into his body, bolstering him even further.

With the item in hand and the village fully in ruins behind them, Nova turned away, ready to leave. The streets were littered with the remnants of both the goblins and the Zygaroth Commander's flesh, a rare sight of delight.

As they walked away, Nova felt a surge of contentment. Lunaris jumped lightly onto his shoulder, nuzzling him affectionately, and Nova smiled, feeling the warmth of victory.

Together, they left the village behind, moving forward into the wilderness of Beastaria. They smiled as the village exploded into pieces behind them.

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