"Woah! That's a big kitty!" Kang Eun-Woo took a few steps back, holding his shield steady, ready for an all-out battle.
RRRAAAWWRRR!
The entire mountain range shook as the powerful roar flattened everything in its path. Silver and gold blended in beautiful harmony as trees were completely uprooted, their leaves scattering and painting the crystal-blue grass in new colors.
"I don't think this kitty wants to negotiate… prepare yourselves! This battle will be our redemption—I'm itching for some action!" Kim Seong-Hoon shouted. An ethereal light-blue dragon head appeared above him, but this time it wrapped down to his shoulders, as if the dragon grew longer and stronger with each level he gained.
The veil covering everyone vanished as Jieun stood straight, eyes filled with determination—not something you'd expect from a nine-year-old child. But the time she'd spent in this world had likely forced her to grow. Celestial fire blazed on her palms, dancing with fierce intensity. Her violet dress began to glow, and her black sandals shimmered with celestial light. "I'm afraid… but this time, I'll prove I'm not useless, that I'm as strong as anyone else. This time, I'll leave this cat cooked!"
"Woo!" Malrang's tails danced gracefully, suddenly igniting in a mesmerizing violet hellfire—her unique skill. The ground beneath her feet slowly turned to ash, likely from her new abilities. Malrang is growing stronger. I'm glad. I could see the fierce determination and fury in the fox's sharp eyes, as if she was challenging the predator before her.
"Let's roll!" Eun-Woo's words echoed across the battlefield, and I felt my body relax slightly, my spirits lifting. Even though I wasn't directly involved in the fight, his new skill seemed to boost the team's morale, likely because we were all linked as a party. I swear, this world really is like an MMORPG. Eun-Woo's like a true tank, leading the party and boosting our spirits. Having him in the group will be a huge asset for all our future battles.
The massive, fifty-meter-tall black cat moved with surprising speed, swiping at Kang Eun-Woo with its enormous, razor-sharp claw. "Guardian Shield!" Moonlight radiated from his golden shield, creating a towering twenty-meter barrier as he braced himself, standing firm against the blow. Meanwhile, his hammer in the other hand shone brightly, summoning an immense sunlight beam from the sky, crashing down on the cat from above.
GRRRROAAAARGH!
The cat groaned in pain, the left side of its body scorched by the attack. In response, it began to concentrate a black beam in its mouth, aiming at Eun-Woo. But at that moment... "Celestial Destruction!" Jieun shouted, as celestial light spiraled across the battlefield, engulfing the cat's entire body.
KABOOOOM!
A brilliant explosion of celestial light erupted, tearing chunks of flesh from the cat's body. In its agony, the monster lost control, and the black beam veered off toward a nearby mountain. My eyes nearly popped out of their sockets as the entire mountain was obliterated in an instant, cold sweat drenching me. If Eun-Woo had been hit by that… I'm not sure his shield could've held. That attack was terrifying—even I wouldn't feel confident taking a hit like that.
"Keep the attacks going while it's distracted!" Eun-Woo roared, directing the other teammates.
A fierce combination of fire and ice rocked the battlefield. Kim Seong-Hoon's dragon sword gleamed as the dragon's eye spun wildly, coming to life. A massive frost dragon, roughly thirty meters long, flew at the Black Cat, sinking its icy jaws into the creature's neck and freezing the entire area around it. Meanwhile, Malrang, fully engulfed in flames, unleashed a beam of hellfire from below, scorching the monster and causing it to collapse into the fire, writhing in pain.
"Nice combo!" I couldn't help but shout, cheering them on. Watching the battle from a spectator's perspective was thrilling—it looked incredible. I wasn't used to this view as I was usually the one in the thick of the fight. But the thrill of being in the fight myself was even more exhilarating.
FWOOSH
Black flames engulfed the monster, burning with intense heat and obscuring it from view. Kim Seong-Hoon's ice dragon shattered into pieces, scattering beautifully across the ground.
BOOM
In the next instant, a massive wave of black fire erupted in all directions, leaving the ground charred and barren. Just before everything was reduced to ash, I glimpsed everyone rushing to get behind Kang Eun-Woo, who cast a massive guard shield. To strengthen their defense, the team worked together, layering their own protective abilities within the circle, fully shielding themselves.
I was ready to cast my Kinetic Shield, but a mysterious golden light enveloped me, shielding me from the blast's damage and impact. It was likely the system protecting my body since I wasn't allowed to participate in the battle. How convenient.
I was quickly engulfed by the black flames, but thanks to my enhanced vision, I could see clearly through the darkness. My teammates were sweating under the intense heat, their protective shields melting away inch by inch—a sight that likely had them on edge.
It lasted only an instant, but when the flames subsided, they all stood firm, their feet planted slightly into the ground. To my surprise, none had taken any damage—they had successfully tanked the attack. Kang Eun-Woo was steadily becoming the team's unshakable pillar of support. "Charge!" he roared, as his hammer suddenly expanded a hundredfold, slamming into the now fully recovered Black Cat.
"BA-BOOM!
Thunder roared as the hammer struck the monster twice in quick succession, leaving an afterimage. The force of the impact sent the cat flying, crashing loudly into a nearby mountain. Holy shit! What was that attack? My jaw dropped—it was unbelievably powerful, easily on par with an ultimate-level move.
"Haaa... Haaa..." He breathed heavily, most likely exhausting all of the mana he had.
"Thank you for this opportunity!" Kim Seong-Hoon froze the ground beneath him, gliding across it effortlessly as he closed in on the monster. His dragon sword sliced through the air with a loud scream, unleashing a chilling frost slash imbued with dragon aura. "Dragon Emperor Slash!" The powerful strike cut through the giant cat, severing it in half where it still lay dazed in the rubble that had once been the mountain.
"YAAAOOOOW!"
The monster screamed in agony, its body writhing as it struggled to reconnect, regenerating at an astonishing speed. Veins and nerves began knitting together as if sewn by invisible threads, while its skin gleamed and stretched, reaching across the severed gap to fuse the halves back together.
"I won't let you!" Jieun called out, her voice calm but strong. Everything within a thousand-meter radius became entangled in celestial light. "Big Bang!" The light rapidly expanded, then compressed at lightning speed, erupting in a powerful explosion right where the monster lay.
There was no sound this time—the giant cat likely didn't have any energy left to spare. Its body was a mangled mess after the attack that shook the world. Jieun might have been a child, but her class was incredibly powerful, likely one of the strongest in this world. She dropped to her knees, clutching her chest in pain. Did she use every last bit of mana for that attack? That's suicidal. I was worried Jieun might suffer more harm than good, but with a monster that could tear any of them in half with a single strike, I understood why she felt she had no choice.
Despite everyone's efforts, the mangled body of the monster was already regenerating rapidly. My teammates stared at the giant cat in terror and disbelief. "How could this happen? We used all our mana, our ultimate moves—so why?" That had to be what was running through their minds right now. None of them had the strength to stand on their feet anymore
"WOOO!" Malrang's bark jolted them from their stupor. Her two tails were ablaze with intense hellfire, radiating a dangerous heat. Malrang stood on all fours in an aggressive stance, tails raised high and her face lowered, fixed on the giant cat. Her tails trembled uncontrollably as the flames concentrated into a small ball of violet hellfire. In the next moment, Malrang barked again, and the tiny beam of fire shot forward, reaching its target in an instant.
I felt my heart skip a beat, that was my friend, my companion, she was extremely powerful, and that made me feel less worried, I knew I could always depend on her, especially now. Malrang's attack obliterated the giant cat in an instant. Leaving nothing in its path.
[CONGRATULATIONS!]
[CONGRATULATIONS!]
[CONGRATULATIONS!]
[CONGRATULATIONS!]
Just like in the last trial, the system chanted its congratulations to us, but it only made me feel sick, not relieved. I knew it was just a play for whatever was watching us from above.
"We did it!" Everyone shouted together, their eyes glistening with relief as they finally redeemed themselves from the previous humiliation. I smiled faintly, sharing in their victory, but inside, I couldn't feel much happiness. No matter how much I enjoyed watching them fight, lately only the thrill of battle seemed to make me feel truly alive.
"[CONGRATULATIONS BRAVE WARRIORS, YOUR BATTLE WAS TRULY... EXTRAORDINARY.]"
There he is again... The Creator's voice echoed across the mountain range—or what was left of it after the battle—making me clench my fists so tightly they began to bleed. I hated him, hated him to the core, yet at the same time, I loved this world. I loved the chance to be powerful, to fight all kinds of creatures.
"[AS PROMISED, ALL OF YOU WILL NOW BECOME RULERS, JOINING LEE GAON. THE PURPLE FOXTERIT, MALRANG, WILL EVOLVE INTO AN OVERLORD, A MONSTER EQUIVALENT TO THE HUMAN RULER]"
My eyes gleamed as I watched my friends' bodies radiate with a vibrant display of power. The three new Rulers had emerged, skyrocketing our team's strength to unprecedented levels. Malrang shone even brighter, her body expanding by at least four meters, transforming into a terrifying force in the beast world. I didn't realize it then, but our team would one day shake the entire world, becoming the legends.
"[THE FINAL TRIAL WILL NOW BEGIN… A SPAR MATCH: LEE GAON VERSUS HER TEAM]"