The wind carried the sound again.
Faint.
But closer this time.
Xu Tian didn't stop.
He continued forward.
Step by step.
Measured.
The ground beneath him remained uneven.
Loose.
Each movement required attention.
But that wasn't what held his focus.
It was the presence ahead.
Watching.
Waiting.
"…Not human," he thought.
The feeling was different.
Not like the people in the town.
Not controlled.
Not restrained.
Something more raw.
More instinctive.
The girl's grip tightened slightly.
Xu Tian noticed.
"…You feel it too."
The air shifted again.
A low sound followed.
Barely audible.
Like something dragging across stone.
Xu Tian stopped.
Silence fell.
The wind passed.
Then-
Movement.
From the side.
Fast.
Xu Tian turned instantly.
A shape lunged from the darkness.
Low.
Fast.
Direct.
Xu Tian stepped back.
The attack passed just in front of him.
Close.
Too close.
The creature landed.
A few steps away.
Its form crouched low.
Body twisted.
Limbs slightly too long.
Its skin dark.
Rough.
Almost like stone.
Its eyes-
Faintly glowing.
Xu Tian's gaze sharpened.
"…Beast."
But not like anything he had seen before.
The creature didn't hesitate.
It moved again.
Faster.
Xu Tian reacted.
He stepped to the side.
The creature's strike hit the ground.
The impact cracked the surface.
Dust rose.
Xu Tian countered.
A short motion.
Precise.
The strike landed.
A dull sound echoed.
The creature didn't fall.
But it staggered.
Just slightly.
Xu Tian noticed.
"…Hard."
The creature growled.
Low.
Unstable.
Then attacked again.
This time-
More aggressive.
Less controlled.
Xu Tian adjusted.
Step.
Turn.
Avoid.
But the pressure was different.
Not structured.
Not predictable.
Wild.
The creature lunged again.
Xu Tian stepped forward.
Into it.
His strike landed cleanly.
The creature's body shifted.
More than before.
But still-
It didn't go down.
Xu Tian's eyes narrowed.
"…Tougher than expected."
The creature moved again.
Faster.
Stronger.
Xu Tian reacted.
Blocked.
The impact pushed him back half a step.
The difference was clear.
"…Strength increasing."
The creature didn't stop.
It circled now.
Slow.
Measured.
Its glowing eyes fixed on him.
Watching.
Waiting.
Xu Tian remained still.
Observing.
"…Learning."
The pattern changed.
Not just instinct.
Adaptation.
The next attack came suddenly.
From the side.
Xu Tian turned.
Blocked.
Then-
Countered.
A sharper strike.
This time-
The sound was different.
The creature froze.
For a moment.
Its body stiffened.
Cracks spread across its surface.
Then-
It moved again.
But slower.
Unstable.
Xu Tian stepped forward.
Not rushing.
Not hesitating.
His next strike landed.
Clean.
The creature staggered back.
Then collapsed.
Its body breaking apart.
Pieces falling to the ground.
Silence returned.
The wind passed again.
Cold.
Sharp.
Xu Tian stood still.
Watching.
"…So this is outside."
Not controlled.
Not predictable.
Different from the town.
More dangerous.
The girl's grip loosened slightly.
Xu Tian adjusted her position.
Then looked ahead again.
The presence from before-
Had disappeared.
But the feeling remained.
Faint.
Distant.
"…Not alone."
Xu Tian exhaled slowly.
The energy inside him remained steady.
But his awareness sharpened further.
Because now-
He understood.
This wasn't a single encounter.
This was the beginning.
Xu Tian stepped forward again.
Into the open land.
Without hesitation.
Because whatever was out there-
Would only get stronger.