Raziel Phoenix moved closer instinctively, fear flickering in his eyes. He could never forget that sensation. Being shredded alive. The helplessness. The nightmares that haunted him for a month afterward.

They hadn't encountered that soul beast again in the past three years, but the terror had never truly faded.

"You mean…" Lily started, then fell silent.

Her expression hardened when Ray nodded.

The forest seemed to darken further. An invisible pressure bore down on them, making Raziel Phoenix's palms slick with sweat and his breathing uneven.

"How about… we take another route?" he asked weakly.

Ray's voice was firm. "Some things can't be avoided. If you don't face it, it'll follow you forever. Only by defeating it can you truly move forward."

Raziel Phoenix grimaced. "That's easy for you to say, but—"

Ray suddenly raised both arms.

"Stop."

His eyes narrowed, fixed on the shadows between the trees ahead.

Because of his Silverfalls Vine, Ray's perception of the forest far exceeded the others'. He could feel it clearly now—the fear rippling through the surrounding plant life.

Something enormous was there.

"Come out!" he barked.

Almost simultaneously, Lily formed a fireball and hurled it toward the direction of his gaze.

The fireball streaked forward—and detonated midair as a blur slammed into it.

A towering figure stepped out of the darkness.

Raziel Phoenix sucked in a sharp breath, terror seizing his limbs.

Over three meters tall, its body was covered in dark-gold fur. Its eyes were cold, indifferent, utterly ruthless. But what truly froze the blood were its arms—thick, powerful, each ending in meter-long dark-gold claws that hissed faintly as they cut through the air.

Ray's pupils shrank.

"The Duskgold Dreadclaw Bear."

If there was one soul beast they never wanted to meet again, it was this one.

During their first encounter, Ray had watched a pride of Blazing Demon Lions cower before it like frightened cubs. It was also the first time his golden dragon claw had ever been overwhelmed.

That memory had been burned into both his and Raziel Phoenix's hearts.

For three years, they hadn't seen it again. Almost forgotten it.

Almost.

In offense, defense, and speed, the Duskgold Dreadclaw Bear excelled at everything. Its explosive power dominated both close and long-range combat.

Even among peak-level soul beasts, it stood above the rest. A monster capable of contending with dragons.

Bloodlust seeped into its cold eyes as it advanced, step by heavy step. A faint glow began to spread across its massive body.

"I'll take point," Ray said calmly. "Support me. If I fall, retreat immediately."

As he spoke, he walked forward.

Then jogged.

Then charged.

He surged ahead without hesitation.

Shame flickered across Raziel Phoenix's face as he stared at Ray's back. Every time danger appeared, Ray was always the first to step forward.

No.

Not this time.

Raziel Phoenix burst sideways in a blur.

An ice wheel arced through the air toward the bear as the surrounding elements began to churn violently, converging at a single point.

At last, class zero stood before its greatest foe yet.

Ray closed the distance rapidly, but the Duskgold Dreadclaw Bear suddenly stopped.

The ice wheel struck its head.

It didn't even blink.

Frost spread across its fur, coating it in ice—but the bear roared and swung its claws toward Ray as if nothing had happened. The ice's restraining effect was meaningless.

Ray's right hand transformed into a golden dragon claw as he swung back.

He was no longer the boy he'd been three years ago.

Metal clashed against metal.

The impact thundered through the forest.

Ray staggered back seven steps before regaining his balance.

The last time he had clashed with a hundred-year Duskgold Dreadclaw Bear, he'd been sent flying.

Now, he was still standing.

He glanced down at his claw. It was intact—but the instant of contact had drained a shocking amount of soul power.

This battle had only just begun.

The Duskgold Dreadclaw Bear froze.

An unfamiliar sensation lingered on its claw. Slowly, it lowered its head—and saw it. A shallow nick, no larger than a fingernail, marred the surface of its dark-gold talon.

For a heartbeat, the forest went silent.

Then the bear threw back its head and roared.

The sound tore through the canopy like thunder, shaking leaves loose as a blinding dark-gold radiance erupted from its body. The aura surged outward in violent waves, crushing everything within range.

Icicles and fireballs rained down from above, only to disintegrate the instant they touched the golden light.

For a Duskgold Dreadclaw Bear, its claws were sacred. To be damaged—by a human child, no less—was an unforgivable humiliation.

Rage ignited.

Raziel Phoenix struck.

He had already circled to the flank. Launching himself into the air, his third soul ring flared soundlessly. His body blurred, fading into something half-real, half-illusory, then split into three identical figures that attacked simultaneously from different angles.

The timing was perfect. The bear was still consumed by fury.

Metal rang sharply as twin daggers slashed down.

Clink. Clink. Clink.

The sound was crisp—and meaningless.

The Duskgold Dreadclaw Bear didn't even flinch.

It roared again, golden aura exploding outward as it spun violently, its massive claws sweeping through the air like executioner's blades.

Two of Raziel Phoenix's clones were cleaved apart in an instant, dissolving into wisps of shadow. Only one managed to retreat intact.

Raziel Phoenix flipped backward, landing heavily. Cold sweat drenched his back.

This thing's defense… It's absurd.

Before he could reposition, a deep-blue spear of ice, five meters long, screamed down from the sky straight toward the bear's skull.

Boom!

The spear shattered on impact.

The bear lifted a paw and rubbed its head, clearly irritated but otherwise unharmed.

Violetta's face drained of color. Ice Spear was her strongest offensive skill, a single-target attack she had gained with her third soul ring. Even her brother had acknowledged its power.

And yet—it hadn't even broken the bear's skin.

"Buy me time!" Lily shouted.

Her hands moved in a blur, weaving complex gestures as all three of her soul rings lit up in succession.

First soul skill: Elemental Tide.

Second soul skill: Elemental Control.

Third soul skill, thousand-year: Elemental Fusion.

Rainbow-hued elemental light poured around her, wind, fire, ice, earth, and water intertwining as her aura rose sharply. She looked almost ethereal, like a spirit incarnate.

The Duskgold Dreadclaw Bear chose that moment to move.

Ignoring Raziel Phoenix and Violetta completely, it charged straight for Ray, its massive body surging forward like a collapsing mountain. Five-meter-long claws tore through the air, each strike aimed squarely at his head.

It wanted revenge.

Ray reacted instantly. Blue light flashed beneath his feet as Silver Impaling Array erupted from the ground.

The bear stumbled—but only slightly.

The grass spikes shattered beneath its feet, failing to pierce even the thick pads of its soles. Even worse, the array's high-frequency vibrations barely affected it.

Still, the bear's claws slashed through the air and clipped Ray, forcing him to twist sharply aside.

He caught another vine midair, yanking himself into a sudden change of direction, narrowly avoiding a second strike.

His eyes burned.

Even against a monster like this… he wanted to face it head-on.

He flicked a glance toward Lily.

In the next instant, an ice disc formed beneath his foot. Ray kicked off it with explosive force—not retreating, but accelerating straight toward the bear.

The Duskgold Dreadclaw Bear welcomed him, charging forward to meet the challenge.

Then—

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