Days of relentless training had reshaped Raqin's understanding of power.
Not just growth… but compression.
His Status Panel was no longer a mystery.
Level 5 in the Sword Path… meant density.
His Nanoblade Qi wasn't just stronger—it was fivefold condensed, sharper, deadlier, capable of slicing through resistance like thought through silence.
Level 4 in the Fist Path… meant impact.
Each strike carried four layers of compressed force, stacked and released in a single instant.
Level 4 in Movement… meant efficiency.
Even the simplest step could now channel quadruple energy output, turning motion into controlled bursts of explosive speed.
And his Nanobody…
Level 2.
His flesh, bones, and cells now rivaled a Rank 3 Tier 1 beast.
Raqin exhaled slowly.
"Everything… is aligned."
His eyes sharpened.
"It's time."
He closed his eyes and activated the Heavenly Sword Dragon Foundation Technique.
At once—
His Nanoblade Qi surged.
Not outward…
But inward.
His blood trembled.
Then—
Crack.
A spark.
Then another.
Lightning flickered within his veins.
At first, it was wild—unstable, erratic—
But then…
It obeyed.
"My affinity… has finally awakened."
The lightning coursed through his bloodstream, illuminating his veins like glowing circuits.
The lightning changed.
It began to devour and merge with the Nanoblade Qi.
Not clashing—
But fusing.
"Not just lightning…"
"…this is evolution."
The color shifted.
From bright white…
To a grey-bluish hue, cold, sharp, and terrifyingly stable.
This wasn't ordinary lightning.
This was—
Nanoblade Lightning.
The energy spread.
Heart.
Lungs.
Liver.
Every organ became a forge.
His body trembled violently.
Cracks formed on his skin as sparks burst outward.
"Too fast—!"
His jaw clenched, veins bulging.
"Control it… or be destroyed."
The grey-bluish lightning twisted.
Coiled.
Evolved.
Into—
Tiny dragon-shaped currents.
They roared silently as they coursed through his body, circling his meridians, devouring impurities, reinforcing everything in their path.
Each cycle made them stronger.
Sharper.
More alive.
"This… is the Heavenly Sword Dragon…!"
Then—
Everything collapsed inward.
The dragons froze.
Compressed.
Merged.
Until—
A single form remained.
A sword.
Forged from lightning.
Tempered by blood.
Alive with dragon essence.
Raqin's blood began to boil violently.
His skin turned crimson red, like molten iron fresh from a divine forge.
Steam rose from his body.
Lightning cracked across his surface.
If anyone had seen him now—
They would hear it.
Dragon roars.
Sword chimes.
Echoing from his very existence.
Then—
Behind him—
A faint shadow appeared.
A sword.
Ancient. Boundless. Absolute.
It flickered—
And vanished.
Raqin's eyes snapped open.
A flash of grey-blue lightning crossed his pupils.
He inhaled.
The air trembled.
Raqin's eyes narrowed slightly after stabilizing his breakthrough.
Through his link with Drakey, streams of sensory data and fragmented impressions flowed into his mind.
A beast… no—
Something worse.
A creature capable of shifting between beast and humanoid form… hunting across the entire Black Mountain Range.
Entire hybrid packs wiped out.
Not one territory.
Not one incident.
Everywhere.
Raqin frowned.
"I don't have enough information…"
He paused briefly, then sent a command through the link.
"Drakey… keep observing. Do not engage unless necessary. Do not let them sense you."
Far away, deep within the forest—
A pair of cold, predatory eyes blinked once.
Meanwhile — The Settlement
Laughter echoed faintly across the grassland.
Jill ran freely, her small feet brushing through the tall grass, her laughter light and unrestrained.
For the first time in a long time…
She felt free.
No fear.
No pressure.
Just play.
Until—
She crossed the boundary.
The trees swallowed her.
The light dimmed.
Silence.
Jill froze.
Her heart skipped.
"…I messed up."
The warnings came flooding back.
Don't enter the forest.
Don't wander too far.
Don't—
Panic clawed at her chest.
But she bit her lip.
If she screamed…
Something worse might answer.
So she turned.
Tried to retrace her steps.
Left.
Right.
Nothing looked familiar.
The forest twisted around her like a maze.
She was lost.
Not far away—
Something watched.
Drakey.
Its body melted into the darkness itself, breath nonexistent, presence erased.
It had followed the smallest human.
The weakest.
Curious.
Now—
Its senses sharpened.
A new presence entered its range.
Strange.
Twisted.
Beast…
Yet not beast.
Qi…
Yet distorted.
Its eyes narrowed.
A figure emerged quietly.
A little girl.
Same age as Jill.
Same height.
Same harmless appearance.
But wrong.
Completely wrong.
Drakey activated:
Shadow Hunt.
Its aura vanished completely.
Even the forest seemed to forget it existed.
It followed silently.
Watching.
Waiting.
Jill crouched down, hugging her knees, her voice trembling.
"I'm sorry… Aunty Lisa… Uncle Marcus…"
A voice interrupted her.
Soft.
Gentle.
"Hey… why are you crying out here?"
Jill looked up.
Another girl.
Calm.
Unafraid.
Relieved, Jill wiped her tears quickly.
"I—I got lost… I'm from a settlement nearby…"
The girl smiled.
"I see… I can help you find your way back."
Behind that smile—
Cold calculation.
Naive… but useful.
By sunset—
Panic had spread.
"Jill!"
"Jill!!"
Lisa's voice broke with each shout.
No response.
Fear settled heavily in everyone's chest.
Marcus clenched his fists.
"…The forest."
They all knew.
And they all feared it.
Search parties scattered—
Until—
Two figures emerged.
Jill…
And another child.
Relief—
Then instantly—
Dread.
Marcus' pupils shrank.
…Impossible.
We erased our trail.
They shouldn't have found us yet.
Jill ran forward, crying into Lisa's arms.
"She helped me! Her name is Nix—"
Clap.
Clap.
Clap.
Slow.
Mocking.
The "child" laughed.
Her body twisted.
Bones stretched.
Flesh shifted.
In seconds—
A woman stood before them.
Smiling.
Predatory.
"Thank you, little one."
Her voice dropped.
Cold.
"I think I'll keep you as a pet."
Silence fell like a blade.
Marcus stepped forward, trembling.
"You're… hunting Variant bloodlines…"
Nix's smile widened.
"Oh? You understand your situation."
The air grew heavier.
Oppressive.
Hopeless.
Then—
Marcus revealed the brand on his chest.
Nix's expression changed.
Then—
She laughed.
Loud.
Unrestrained.
"You just made this much more interesting."
"RUN!!"
Marcus roared.
His arms transformed—
Bladed.
Sharp.
Deadly.
"Mantis Slash!"
The attack tore through the air—
Nix caught it.
Barehanded.
Effortlessly.
A single punch—
Marcus' body folded.
Blood sprayed.
Still—
He fought.
A desperate strike—
Pierced her throat.
For a moment—
Silence.
Then—
A scream.
Monstrous.
Her body exploded into her true form—
A grotesque fusion of squirrel and reptile.
Fangs.
Claws.
Madness.
She tore him apart.
Arms.
Legs.
Crushed.
Broken.
Alive.
Screaming.
"I won't kill you…"
Her voice was venomous.
"You'll watch everything."
The fleeing group stopped.
Four figures stood in their path.
No escape.
No hope.
One of them sighed.
"Tch… Nix always cheats."
Nix sealed Marcus into a containment tube.
Then—
Something hit her.
A force.
Invisible.
Violent.
Her shield shattered instantly.
She was sent flying.
She froze.
What—?
Before she could react—
A voice.
Cold.
Final.
"Burst Kill."
A shadow exploded from nowhere.
Claws tore through her defenses.
Before she could even see her attacker—
A massive jaw snapped shut.
Crunch.
Silence.
Her head—
Gone.
In the Darkness
Drakey stood over the corpse.
Blood dripping from its jaws.
Eyes glowing faintly.
Calm.
Silent.
Efficient.
Like death itself.