Reon's eyes widened.
He turned—
And froze.
His breath hitching in his chest as the monstrous creature loomed before him.
Cloudia, once a beacon of grace and speed, had also stilled, her body tense and rigid, as if paralyzed by the sheer aura of dread that radiated from the beast.
Every detail of the creature struck him like a thunderclap, each feature searing into his mind with a terrifying clarity.
Yet, instinctively, he activated his Identify skill.
But—
[The "Identify" skill was unable to ascertain the status of the target, resulting in an unfortunate malfunction.]
"I expected as much."
The beast was massive—towering far above anything Reon had ever faced, its hulking frame wrapped in thick, matted fur that clung to its form like shadows woven from the night itself.
Its hide—thick as stone, dark—gleamed faintly, a nearly impenetrable armor that reflected the dim light in ghostly hues.
Its sickly yellow eyes glowed with a menacing intensity in the dimming twilight, casting an unearthly gleam through the darkened forest.
The beast's muscular shoulders rippled with power, each movement a brutal display of raw strength.
THOMP!
THOMP!
The ground itself seemed to shudder in response to its approach.
An acrid stench radiated off it in waves, thick and suffocating, masking the familiar scent of the pine trees and turning the air into something foul.
Even in the grip of shock, Reon couldn't help but compare the size of this beast to Cloudia—her true form was already a towering, formidable presence, standing as tall as a two-story building.
Yet this creature dwarfed her, casting a long, menacing shadow over her.
The thought struck him like a cold hand tightening around his heart.
Then, slowly—
The shadows around them thickened, twisting unnaturally under the weight of the creature's overwhelming presence.
The creature's eyes—those deep, glowing orbs, flickering like smoldering embers.
And then, its eyes locked onto him and Cloudia.
The sheer intensity of its gaze sent a tremor of pure dread tearing through him.
And then—it clicked.
Reon recognized the creature.
The Shadow Claw Bear.
A name spoken only in hushed whispers, feared even among the Inner Disciples.
This was the very beast the protagonist of his story had once faced—after completing his training.
The same monster he had battled on his mission, a foe that had pushed even him to the brink of death.
"And even he barely survived..." Reon's breath hitched.
"And that was after awakening his Sword Aura and Physique."
Yet what loomed before him now was no mere beast.
Its towering frame, its suffocating aura—this was a creature of unimaginable strength.
At least a Mid-Ranked Demonic Soldier Beast, its power rivaled that of a Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment Realm Cultivator.
It was a predator that existed on a nightmarish level, far beyond what he and Cloudia could handle in their current state.
Far beyond what he could hope to survive.
His hand instinctively tightened around the hilt of his sword, but the weight of it felt like a cruel joke in the face of such overwhelming power.
For the first time, he felt hesitation—a deep, bone-chilling fear gnawing at him from the inside out.
This was nothing like the wolf he had faced before, nor the pressure Yang Mi had unleashed upon him—this was something far more terrifying.
A glance at Cloudia confirmed his worst fears.
Even she, a High-Ranked Demonic Beast, radiated strength in her own right—yet now, her muscles were taut with a fear she couldn't suppress.
She let out a small gasp, her eyes briefly meeting his in a shared understanding. The wild urgency to protect each other reflected in the silence between them.
Their bond—unspoken, unbroken—was their only lifeline now.
Reon's voice came low, almost a whisper, the weight of it pressing against the suffocating atmosphere.
"Cloudia, run. Run as fast as you can."
Whoosh!
Without hesitation, Cloudia dashed to the side, her form a blur of speed.
But the Shadow Claw Bear was far faster than anything of its size had any right to be.
Swoosh!
The beast's enormous paw swung with terrifying force, slicing through the air with a deafening whistle.
It barely missed her, but Cloudia's speed couldn't outrun its relentless pursuit.
She leaped, twisting mid-air to avoid another strike, her movements graceful, fluid—but the beast was already upon her.
Growl!
A monstrous roar shattered the silence like a thunderclap, reverberating through the forest.
In the blink of an eye, the distance between them vanished.
Before Reon and Cloudia could even process the situation—
Suddenly—
The beast's paw came crashing down from the front, a crushing blow aimed directly at Cloudia, as if it recognized Reon as insignificant, its focus solely on her.
There was something about her—something that drew its fury, as if she posed a threat unlike any other.
Reon reacted instinctively, lunging forward with his blade raised high, desperate to intercept.
But the force of the creature's strike was overwhelming.
Boom!
Reon was sent flying backward, his body smashing into a tree with bone-shattering force.
"Aaarrgggh!"
Pain exploded through him, sharp and searing, as blood trickled from his mouth, his nose, his broken body screaming in protest.
His ribs cracked, splintered under the brutal impact, and his arm snapped like a twig.
The world blurred, the edges darkening as his consciousness slipped away.
Cloudia was also hurled sideways by the impact of the attack, the force diminished only slightly by Reon absorbing some of it. Her body was flung through the air like a ragdoll.
But Reon's mind remained clear enough to know one thing—giving in meant death.
For him, and for Cloudia.