High above the forest floor, Yang Kai shifted lazily on the tree branch—
Creak.
A faint, ominous sound echoed beneath him.
His brow twitched.
"…Huh?"
Crack.
Before he could even react—
The branch snapped clean in half.
"What the—"
And the next moment—
Thud!
Yang Kai crashed straight down with the broken branch, landing hard on his butt.
A sharp jolt of pain shot through his spine.
"Ow—AHH, the fuck!"
His voice echoed through the quiet clearing.
Below, every head turned toward him.
For a second—
Silence.
Then—
Rose burst out laughing, clutching her stomach.
"Hahaha! Look at that guy!"
Her voice was loud, unrestrained, completely merciless.
Jhon glanced at Yang Kai with a blank face.
"…Seriously?"
Horikita didn't even bother reacting much, her expression completely uncaring as she looked away.
"…Pathetic."
The boy with glasses adjusted his frames, letting out a quiet sigh.
Liyo didn't even look surprised.
Just… disappointed.
He exhaled and shifted his gaze toward the direction Zoya had gone earlier.
"Hey… she hasn't come back yet."
His tone grew slightly serious.
"Should we check on her?"
Yang Kai pushed himself up from the ground, rubbing his sore backside with a grimace.
"Yeah yeah, I'll go…"
Then he paused.
Looked down at himself.
Then pointed shamelessly at his bare chest.
"…but do any of you have clothes? Mine got fucking erased."
His upper body was completely exposed, his previous clothes reduced to nothing by the earlier explosion.
Liyo turned his head slowly.
Stared at him.
Blank.
As if filtering out everything except the relevant part.
"Then find her quickly and bring her back."
That was it.
No acknowledgment.
No sympathy.
Nothing.
Yang Kai's eye twitched.
"…The fuck is wrong with you people."
But he didn't argue.
Clicking his tongue, he turned and began walking into the forest—
Half-naked.
Completely unbothered.
Meanwhile…
At the crater.
The atmosphere had grown even heavier.
Princess Zoya stood rooted in place.
Her body trembled under the overwhelming pressure radiating from Park Gun.
It felt like being buried alive under an invisible mountain.
Her legs shook.
Her breathing was uneven.
Her muscles screamed in protest.
And yet—
She didn't kneel.
Park Gun watched her quietly.
Those void-like eyes unreadable.
"Tell me who did this…"
He gestured lazily toward the massive crater behind her.
"…and I'll leave you."
His tone was simple.
Calm.
As if he was offering something reasonable.
But Zoya—
Refused.
Her lips parted, her voice trembling under the pressure.
"No…"
Her grip tightened around her daggers.
"Fight me first."
Even saying those words took effort.
Her entire body was barely holding together under his presence.
She couldn't move.
Couldn't attack.
Couldn't even breathe properly.
And yet—
She challenged him.
Park Gun's gaze lingered on her.
Silent.
Observing.
Then—
Xia Niu stepped slightly forward.
His expression remained calm, but his eyes sharpened.
He could see it clearly now.
She can't even stand properly.
Yet she's still trying to fight.
A faint sigh escaped him.
"You can't fight him under this pressure."
His tone was gentle—but factual.
Then he tilted his spear slightly, resting it against his shoulder.
"Want help?"
His gaze shifted toward Park Gun.
A subtle glint passed through his eyes.
"I can vanish the pressure."
The air seemed to tighten further at his words.
Before Zoya could even respond to Xia Niu—
The atmosphere changed.
No—
It collapsed.
Boom.
The spiritual pressure surged violently, multiplying several times over in an instant.
It wasn't just heavy anymore—
It was crushing.
Zoya's body gave out immediately.
Her knees slammed into the ground.
"Kyaa—!"
A sharp cry escaped her lips as the force bore down on her shoulders, her spine, her very bones. It felt like she was being pressed into the earth itself.
Crack.
The ground beneath her fractured further.
Even breathing became painful.
Not far from her, Xia Niu's expression finally shifted.
His calm demeanor remained—but his body tensed.
The pressure had reached him now.
He activated his own spiritual energy, a subtle aura forming around him as he resisted the weight pressing down on his body.
But even then—
It wasn't easy anymore.
His feet dug slightly into the ground.
His grip on the spear tightened.
Interesting…
A faint smile crept onto his lips.
Hehe… this is gonna be fun.
His eyes locked onto Park Gun.
Park Gun stood there unmoving.
Hands still in his pockets.
But now—
A grin slowly spread across his face.
Not normal.
Not sane.
Something darker.
Something hungry.
Two predators—
Finally acknowledging each other.
The air between them distorted slightly.
And just as it felt like the clash was about to erupt—
A voice cut through the tension.
"Zoya! Where are you?"
All three turned.
From the forest—
A figure emerged.
From Zoya and Xia Niu's perspective—he came from the left.
From Park Gun's—he came from the right.
It was Yang Kai.
Bare-chested.
Clothes torn.
Hair messy.
At first glance—
He looked like some random, half-dead lunatic who got lost in the forest.
Or worse—
An ugly pervert who wandered into the wrong place.
He stepped forward casually—
Then froze.
His eyes landed on the scene.
Zoya on her knees.
Xia Niu resisting.
Park Gun standing like a monster.
"…Ahh…"
Yang Kai scratched his head slightly, confused.
What the fuck is happening here…
Zoya saw him.
Her eyes widened instantly.
"Hey—what are you doing here?! Run!"
Her voice was strained, desperate.
This wasn't a situation he could handle.
Not him.
Not now.
"Run!"
She repeated, urgency cutting through her usual calm tone.
Park Gun's gaze shifted toward Yang Kai.
Sharp.
Focused.
Then slowly—
A realization formed.
"So… he is the one who did this destruction."
His voice was low.
Certain.
Zoya's heart tightened.
"No—!"
But Yang Kai—
Was just standing there.
Still processing.
Still confused.
Huh?
Why should I run…?
He had concealed his spiritual energy completely.
To everyone else—
He looked like nothing.
Just a weak, irrelevant existence.
And that—
Was exactly why he didn't understand the urgency.
Then—
Everything changed.
Park Gun moved.
No—
He disappeared.
One moment he was standing meters away—
The next—
He was right in front of Yang Kai.
No sound.
No warning.
Just pure speed.
Yang Kai's pupils shrank.
Fast—
Before his brain could even fully react—
A fist filled his vision.
Park Gun's arm shot forward with explosive force.
His body aligned perfectly.
His stance rooted.
His movement precise.
Yamazaki-Style Kyokushin Karate.
A direct, devastating strike aimed straight at Yang Kai's face.
The air cracked from the speed of the punch.
Zoya's eyes widened in horror.
Xia Niu's smile faded slightly—
Even he recognized it.
That hit—
Was meant to kill.
And Yang Kai—
Had less than a heartbeat to respond.