On the ninth night, beneath the cold glow of the moon, a golden wolf bounded up a snow-covered mountain with two powerful leaps. Reaching the peak, it paused, gazing down into the valley below, where figures with three eyes moved about in the dim light.
Lifting its head, the wolf's sharp eyes caught sight of something above—a shadow streaking across the sky at blinding speed.
A deafening roar split the night.
Descending toward the mountain was a massive, ten-meter-long lizard with powerful wings. Its front limbs were fused with its wings while its muscular hind legs propelled it through the air.
An Ice Wyvern.
The golden wolf responded with a fierce howl, and in an instant, half a dozen obsidian spears materialized around it. With a flicker of intent, the spears shot toward the incoming wyvern.
The wyvern retaliated with a chilling breath of ice, freezing the air itself. The two attacks collided midair, shattering into mist and swirling snow.
The wolf lost sight of the wyvern in the resulting haze, but it anticipated what would happen next. Without hesitation, it leaped away from its current position.
A split second later, the Ice Wyvern crashed down where the wolf had stood, sending tremors through the snow-covered ground. Snow exploded in all directions, partially burying the beast.
The golden wolf landed at a safe distance, quickly forming an obsidian shield. A moment later, a massive claw lashed out, colliding with the shield with bone-rattling force.
From within the swirling snow mist, the wyvern's head emerged, its icy blue eyes locked onto the wolf.
But before it could strike again, a hail of obsidian bullets tore through the air, forcing it to recoil.
The bullets barely left a scratch on its thick, scale-like hide. The wyvern only pulled its head back when some bullets neared its eyes and struck its snout.
The golden wolf hadn't expected the bullets to cause real damage. It only needed a few seconds.
From the wolf's position, an obsidian spear shot forward, shattering the trunk of a tree perched higher up on the mountain slope.
The tree groaned and then toppled.
Just as the wyvern pulled back its head, the massive tree crashed onto the back of its skull, sending a shockwave through the snow.
The Golden Wolf saw his chance. With the Ice Wyvern momentarily trapped beneath the fallen tree, he knew he had only seconds to act. Obsidian spears materialized around him, one after another, launching toward the wyvern in rapid succession.
Sensing the incoming attack, the Ice Wyvern let out a furious roar and unleashed a blast of freezing breath from its mouth.
Undeterred, the Golden Wolf stomped down hard on the snow-covered ground. Beneath the surface, the soil trembled as obsidian spikes erupted, racing toward the Ice Wyvern at high speed.
The wyvern's Ice Breath blanketed the battlefield in a chilling mist, obscuring its vision. Meanwhile, the barrage of obsidian spears masked the magical fluctuation of the hidden spikes below.
A sudden, piercing cry of pain shattered the night.
The Golden Wolf watched as the Ice Wyvern flapped its wings frantically, struggling free from the tree. With a powerful leap, it took to the air. A few beats of its wings later, the wyvern circled above, glaring down at its opponent.
Then, the wolf felt it—a powerful spell fluctuation.
Before he could react, a hundred Ice Arrows materialized in the air around the wyvern, all aimed directly at him.
Without hesitation, the Golden Wolf turned and sprinted up the mountain, dodging the incoming arrows as they rained down behind him. He knew that as long as the Ice Wyvern stayed airborne, he would remain at a disadvantage—he had to reach cover.
The icy barrage struck the mountainside with devastating force. Beasts hidden within the snow-covered landscape scattered in terror. Those too slow to escape were shredded into nothing but a fine mist of blood and ice.
From a distance, watchful eyes observed the battle.
Predators and prey alike paused their nightly routines, captivated by the clash between two Bronze Rank Beasts. Some even began following from afar, waiting for an opportunity. If one of these powerful creatures fell, the remains would serve as a priceless feast—one that could fuel their cultivation for years.
With a final burst of speed, the Golden Wolf darted into the dense forest—and vanished.
The Ice Wyvern hovered above, ceasing its barrage of Ice Arrows. It narrowed its sharp, eagle-like eyes, scanning the trees below for any sign of movement. Yet, the dense canopy provided ample cover, concealing the wolf within its shadows.
For now, the wyvern held back. Its relentless spellcasting had drained a significant portion of its magic energy, and continuing to attack blindly would only leave it vulnerable. Instead, it remained airborne, circling the forest, absorbing the surrounding spiritual energy to replenish its reserves rapidly.
Even as it searched for the Golden Wolf, the wyvern's gaze was not fixed solely on the forest. It remained wary of the greater dangers lurking beyond. The Golden Wolf had only one enemy—himself. But the wyvern? It had far more enemies than the claws on its paws.
The creature carefully scanned the skies and the surrounding mountains, searching for any sign of a beast it truly feared—a White Lion with eagle wings.
Among all the threats in these lands, there was one name that sent a chill through even the fiercest of predators—Leon, the Pride Leader of the Ice Wing Lions.
Leon's territory lay not far from this mountain, atop a towering 10,000-meter peak, a sacred place where a quasi-second-rank spiritual well flowed within the mountain's depths. Such a location, rich in pure spiritual energy, was a priceless treasure among beasts. Every Bronze Rank beast coveted such a home, but it was the Ice Wing Lions who had claimed it, with Leon ruling over them as their indomitable leader.
Yet, Leon's reign was nearing its end.
With no successor strong enough to take his place, the future of the Ice Wing Lions was uncertain. A power vacuum loomed, and Leon knew that when he fell, rivals would come—seeking to claim what he had built.
For the past year, the aging lion had taken ruthless action, eliminating any beast he deemed a threat to his pride's dominance. No matter how small the risk, he did not hesitate.
The Ice Wyvern knew this all too well.
A year ago, when the Ice Wyvern had first advanced to Bronze Rank, it had taken to the skies, reveling in its newfound strength.
That day, it had witnessed something strange—Leon, the Ice Wing Lion, killing an Ice Tyrant Bear, a formidable intermediate Bronze Rank magic beast. At the time, the wyvern hadn't understood why such a powerful predator would go out of its way to eliminate another beast of similar rank. But as the months passed, more mysterious deaths began to occur throughout the mountains.
Curious, the wyvern investigated. What it uncovered sent a shiver down its spine—Leon was systematically eliminating potential threats.
Realizing the danger, the wyvern took extreme caution. Even as it advanced to intermediate Bronze Rank, it carefully concealed its true power, continuing to project the aura of an initial Bronze Rank beast. A month ago, when it finally reached late Bronze Rank, it made the same choice. It had intended to keep hiding, waiting for Leon to either die of old age or make the first move against him.
But then, everything changed.
His firstborn son was killed.
The hatchling had been of impure blood, weaker than a true wyvern, but it was still his flesh and blood. The wyvern scoured the land for the culprit but found nothing—until a few weeks ago.
While carrying out Lady Fian's orders to teach an Earth Wolf a lesson, he finally found the murderer. But by then, it was too late—the wolf had escaped into a valley protected by a Golden Rank beast.
He could not take his revenge. Not yet.
Instead, he had circled the valley relentlessly, knowing that hunger would eventually force the Earth Wolf to leave its sanctuary. And now, his patience had been rewarded.
But revenge alone was not enough.
To kill the Earth Wolf, he would have to reveal his true strength fully. And once he did, Leon and his pride would inevitably come for him.
He could not afford to be reckless. He would take his revenge—but he would not die for it.
The consequences would be catastrophic if Leon or any of his pride discovered his true rank before he was ready to face them.
He had to be careful.
It wasn't fear of Leon that restrained him—they were now equals in strength. But even the most powerful beast, when cornered and facing certain death, would fight without restraint, knowing it had nothing left to lose. That was the danger.
If he clashed with Leon and suffered serious injuries, the other predators lurking in the mountains wouldn't hesitate to tear him apart.
His golden eyes swept the surroundings. Finding no trace of the Ice Wing Lions nearby, he dived down, icy mist swirling from his wings, and unleashed a torrent of Ice Breath upon the forest below.
Trees cracked and shattered under the freezing assault. Snow and ice spread across the terrain, rapidly encasing the forest in a frozen wasteland. He wanted to see if his prey—the Earth Wolf—would emerge on its own or be forced out.
Deep within the forest, the golden-furred wolf, Gavin's clone, moved swiftly. The forested mountain slopes were steep, and he could already anticipate the Ice Wyvern's next move.
If the wyvern remained in the air, he would never be able to defeat it. His only chance was to cripple its ability to fly—and for that, he needed an ambush.
The forest alone wouldn't provide a good hiding place. He needed a cave.
Finding a wall of soil covered in snow, he quickly cleared away the snow with his paws. Then, using his earth magic, he manipulated the soil, carving out a hole just large enough to accommodate him. Once inside, he backed into the cramped space, ensuring his breath and aura disappeared entirely.
Now, he waited.
Last night, he had met the Silver Spirit Wolf and confirmed that the Ice Wyvern was a late Bronze Rank beast. Nine days ago, he wouldn't have stood a chance against it. But now? Now, things were different.
Even if he couldn't kill it, he would make sure it never forgot this lesson.
A small spirit form—born from the spiritual fragment inside his large node—escaped from his body. This spirit manipulated the spiritual energy around it, weaving an illusion over the hole's entrance, ensuring his hiding place remained undisturbed.
Long before his spirit fully formed, he had already learned to perform illusion spells. Any magic energy could be used for illusions—the elemental energy merely assisted in slowing the spiritual power consumption.
With the spirit, it became easier to perform spiritual spells.
Now, the spirit waited outside, its presence blending seamlessly into the environment.
Minutes later, the Ice Wyvern unleashed another onslaught, spraying Ice Breath relentlessly over the forest, freezing and destroying everything in its path.
Then came the Ice Arrows, fired in waves to obliterate the frozen forest. Yet, despite the devastation, the Earth Wolf remained unseen.
But then, the wyvern's sharp senses caught something—a flicker of earth magic fluctuation beneath the debris of fallen trees.
His slitted pupils narrowed. It was moving.
Lowering himself, he circled the area, launching bursts of Ice Breath at every spot where the fluctuation appeared. But each time he struck, the presence vanished, shifting to another location.
His patience wore thin.
Had the Earth Wolf escaped while he was momentarily distracted?
No. It was still here.
His thoughts sharpened. If the wolf knew magic, it could have gone underground. His gaze shifted, sensing another fluctuation of earth energy—this time closer.
Snarling, the wyvern landed, his massive claws crushing the frozen ground beneath him. He prowled through the skeletal remains of the forest, scanning for movement.
Then, suddenly, magic surged behind him.
His instincts screamed at him to turn—but he didn't.
Instead, he lunged forward, attacking where the fluctuation had been, expecting to chase the elusive target once more.
But this time, he was wrong.
Pain erupted through his body.
A piercing, excruciating agony tore through his right wing, the flesh shredded apart by the Earth Wolf's devastating ambush.
The wyvern let out a deafening roar, stumbling as he felt his balance shift. He couldn't fly.
He had fallen into a trap.
Realizing he had no choice but to fight on the ground, he abandoned all pretense of hiding his strength.
A wave of pure killing intent radiated from his body as he fully unleashed his late Bronze Rank aura.
With frightening speed, the Ice Wyvern spun around, unleashing a massive blast of Ice Breath in retaliation.
But Gavin's clone stood firm.
Even as the wyvern's late Bronze Rank aura surged around him, he remained unfazed. In response, he let out a low growl, unleashing his own Intermediate Bronze Rank aura—a display of strength meant to show that he was no easy prey.
The Earth Wolf, seeing the incoming Ice Breath, quickly conjured a shield—a shimmering barrier made of transparent gemstones.
The Ice Wyvern continued its relentless assault, spraying its freezing breath at full power, determined to shatter the shield. But at the same time, the Earth Wolf's divided spirit, a spectral extension of himself, had already moved behind the Ice Wyvern.
Then—attack!
A Diamond Spear materialized in the air and shot toward the wyvern's exposed back.
Sensing the threat at the last moment, the wyvern reacted instinctively. Ice Armor rapidly formed around its body, encasing it in a protective layer. The spear pierced through the Ice Armor, but most of its energy was lost in the process. By the time it reached the wyvern's scaled back, it only managed to leave a shallow wound.
The Ice Wyvern let out a frustrated snarl.
It now understood one thing—in a battle of magic, it was at a disadvantage.
If it continued to trade magical attacks, the Earth Wolf would keep outmaneuvering it, striking from unexpected angles.
The wyvern lunged forward, not caring about the gemstone shield in front of it.
Then—a feint.
At the last moment, the Ice Wyvern whipped its tail around, attacking the Earth Wolf from the side.
The move was sudden—almost impossible to dodge.
Gavin's clone noticed the blur of movement only at the very last second. He had no time to evade.
Instead, he reacted instinctively—the left side of his body hardened, his fur turning into an impenetrable diamond layer.
Impact!
The wyvern's tail strike connected, sending a shockwave through the wolf's body. Though the diamond skin absorbed most of the impact, the sheer force still launched him through the air, sending him crashing into tree debris.
Even as he tumbled, Gavin recalled his divided spirit, calling it back into his body.
Before he could fully recover, he saw it—the wyvern's claws descending toward him.
The Earth Wolf reacted instantly—his entire forearm transformed, shifting into diamond-clad muscle and razor-sharp claws.
The two attacks collided mid-air—Wyvern claw vs. Diamond claw.
The Wyvern overpowered him, forcing him backward—but not without consequence. The diamond's unmatched sharpness had left deep claw marks on the wyvern's front leg, drawing blood for the first time in the fight.
The Ice Wyvern was fast, but only in reaction speed—not in movement.
Gavin's clone observed as the wyvern instinctively pulled back its injured foot. Seizing the opportunity, the Earth Wolf darted forward and began circling the Ice Wyvern, moving too fast for the eye to track.
The wyvern lashed out, swiping its claws and tail, but every attack missed.
The Earth Wolf had become nothing more than a golden blur, weaving in and out of sight.
Then—a flash of golden fur!
A golden-colored wolf lunged at the wyvern from the blur, aiming for another strike. The wyvern, with its keen reflexes, slashed out with its front claws—only for its attack to pass right through.
The wolf vanished like a phantom.
An illusion.
Realization dawned on the Ice Wyvern. This wasn't just a battle anymore—it was a trap.
Desperate Escape
For the first time, the wyvern was not thinking about killing the Earth Wolf—it was thinking about escaping.
But escape was impossible.
With one wing crippled, flying was out of the question. Running? The Earth Wolf was faster.
There was only one option left: wound the wolf badly enough so it couldn't stop him.
Fueled by desperation, the wyvern began lashing out wildly, trying to destroy the illusions, but every failed strike only wasted more of its energy. Its movements grew sluggish.
Then—agony.
In a blur of motion, a deep claw mark ripped across the wyvern's stomach.
A whimper escaped its throat. More wounds followed. Gashes appeared on its legs, its sides, its back—every attack precise and unrelenting.
Panic crept into the wyvern's mind.
If this continued, it was finished.
In a last-ditch effort, it reeled back and let out a massive blast of Ice Breath—a frigid storm of death.
FWOOSH!
It was sudden—unexpected.
The Earth Wolf, still running in circles, had no time to react.
The freezing blast slammed into his side, launching him across the battlefield. His body skidded against the frozen ground, coming to a stop where the Ice Breath had landed—his entire side encased in frost.
The cold was unbearable. His skin and muscles on that side had gone numb, the frostbite setting in almost instantly.
The Ice Wyvern, panting, saw its one chance.
It didn't hesitate.
Instead of pressing the attack, the Ice Wyvern turned and fled, doing everything in its power to escape with its life.
But the Earth Wolf refused to let it go.
Gritting its teeth, ignoring the pain, the wolf forced itself to its feet. The frost still clung to its body, numbing its muscles, but it couldn't afford weakness now.
Then—a surge of energy erupted from within.
A burst of raw power shattered the ice, freeing the frozen side of its body. Steam rose from its fur as the last remnants of frost were burned away.
Without hesitation, the Earth Wolf dashed forward, chasing after the retreating wyvern.
As it ran, magic energy surged through its veins, sealing its open wounds and stopping the blood flow.
The Ice Wyvern, sensing the relentless pursuit, felt a cold dread creeping into its heart.
It realized the truth—this wolf would never stop.
A grim determination settled over the wyvern. If escape was impossible, then it had only one choice left.
"If it won't give me a chance to live..." the wyvern thought, its eyes flashing with desperation.
"...then I'll take it down with me."
With a final roar, it whirled around—ready for one last battle.