A few days went by which saw the couple face numerous attacks from demon beasts. They range from the fifth stage and below.

However, just like the previous Bear and wolf pack, they were dispatch by May and Taf swiftly after their appearance.

Their tally had now reached 40 demon cores with the majority being stage 3 qi demon beasts.

After two weeks the novelty had apparently worn off and May, in particular, saw huge improvements with the firing of her bow and arrow.

She exuded confidence whenever her bow was nocked then felling one demon beast after the other with seeming ease.

Today saw the two conversing as they each went on about their task.

" It seems we won't face that many high-level beasts within this first month, Taf"

May stated as she kept a watch of the nearby surrounding lands.

" Yes it appears that way, let's still keep up our guard nonetheless. At the very least after taking this 5th stage demon beast core I'll be able to arrive at the 7th stage of qi condensation"

A busy Taf with a knife stated while trying his hardest to cut the underbelly of a 5th stage demon beast boar.

" Damn this thing's skin is so tough. No wonder your arrows were useless against it."

While they spoke a slight shadow begun to take shape where Taf knelt butchering a demon beast they had just killed.

Screeeeeeeeeeeeeech!!!!!!!!!!!

A long piercing cry was heard as two massive talons aimed to lift the previously disposed of demon beast boar.

" May the skies.., aerial attack... "

Taf shouted as he instinctively dodged the Tallon after seeing the previous shadow.

After hearing the screeching sound May had swiftly looked over. there she saw a massive red eagle with a boar within its talons.

" Trying to steal a meal and a core from me at the same time...

Hmmm...., guess you want to be on the menu instead. If so be the case I'll oblige you"

Taf stated as he saw the demon beast eagle flapping its wings hovering as if taunting the couple.

"I'll take care of it...It seems to be at the 5th stage as well"

May spoke as she called out within...

☆Elemental Art ( Air) Eye of the Eagle☆

Then she nocked her bow firing blue tipped arrows one after the other.

Swish! Swish!

The arrows sought to pierce through the eagle that flopped its wings sending gayle force winds. This causing the arrows to lose their previous trajectory.

Seeing her arrows being dodged, May climb higher within the tree.

"Let's see you dodge this..."

☆ Elemental Art ( Light) Illumination☆

The blue tipped arrow had now been covered in white light.

Swish!!!!

A white lit arrow could now be seen moving at blinding speed through the air. The Eagle seemed unphased by May's attack and was prepared once more to elude the arrows attempts a piercing it.

However, before it could flop its wings a cry came from May.

☆Explosion☆

There was no sound of anything combusting only shear blinding white lights appeared.

Screeeeeeeeeeeeeech!!!!!!!!!!!

The Eagle bellowed as it was momentarily blinded. The skies were filled with completely white light. Its talons loosened causing the demon beast boar to fall dropping a few hundred feet.

If a mortal was to look at the sky at the moment they would definitely be blinded, as it was similar to staring directly at the sun.

As the skies started to return to its previous state, still dazed was the eagle whose sight had still not been restored.

" The irony dying to a technique that carries your very name"

May uttered before she called out internally :

Elemental Art (Air) Eye of the Eagle

SWISH!!!!!!

A blue tipped arrow was fired however now the incapacitated eagle had no more defence.

puck!!!

The arrow pierced through the belly of the eagle. Once pierced it took a sudden nosedive crashing into the open lands below.

" Nice job.., big flower. That was some quick thinking on your part"

Taf spoke after bearing witness to the act. Even he had to admit he couldn't have done it better. He smiled as he made his way to the now fallen eagle.

" Well it was asking for it, wasn't it? After all, we do the taking not the other way around"

May spoke smugly as she commanded her arrow back within her grasp.

" You know the words to say to make me happy, don't you. Let me go and carve up these two.

Which would you prefer eagle or boar for tonight's dinner.?"

Taf then spoke as he neared the battered corpse of the boar that seemed tenderized from the fall.

" Hmmm.., I'll let you choose for tonight since you'll be the one preparing it, sir"

Responding from the tree was May as she still kept a sharp eye on the forest.

Hearing her words Taf then summoned a large carving knife along with a file. He then diligently rubbed the file against the knife's edge.

It was not that it was dull but the boar having too much of a thick skin. Soon the edges sharpened to a point that the boar skin could no longer put up any resisted.

After what seemed like fifteen minutes the core had been obtained and the boar perfectly carved. Its meat was then stored within some storage containers and place with the spatial ring.

" Guess your next, my thieving friend"

Seeing that the boar had been dealt with Taf now made his way towards the dark red eagle.

Just like the boar before he once separated its ligaments for storage. As he finally held the blue core within his hand.

He didn't know what it was that he was missing, but there was a nagging feeling within the back of his head.

" What is it that I'm missing..?"

He thought to himself as he eyed the gutted eagle with its dark red feathers.

" May is there anything odd about this eagle that you can identify...?"

The question was then posed by Taf to May. Hearing his words she felt something must have been amiss.

"No, I don't see anything strange at all"

She then spoke after trying to solve the riddle seeming to plague to the mind of Taf. Then she recalled a creature they had learnt about within their preparation for the trial.

"Taf...Taf Its feathers are dark red...."

May uttered as her eyes quickly stared in the skies.

" Shit...., how the hell did that not click immediately. The damn red feathers "

Taf became extremely apprehensive after the veil had been lifted from his eyes.

" May we need to move immediately let's get the hell out of here."

Soon Taf could be seen hurriedly summoning items one after the other back within his spatial ring. There was no time for neatness as he hastily retrieved what he could.

May was similarly hurried as she knew what had occurred had made them even more of a target.

As they both got ready to hightail it out of there. A dozen screeching sounds could be heard.

" Sigh..... I guess this is where our first real battle begins"

Taf stopped as he knew they had reached a point of no return.

Above in the skies were a dozen red featured eagles each either twice or three time as large as the one previously killed.

" The plague of the skies.....

... the red feathered fire eagles"