Kai woke up with a start.
His heart pounded. The voices were louder than yesterday.
Reginald complained, "This cave is unfit for a gentleman."
Jax shouted, "Let's punch something!"
Blaze burned with anger, "Everything is too slow!"
Kai sat up fast and rubbed his face. "Not now…"
Lira was already awake, packing the bags. Mira was still snoring with her card bag as a pillow.
"Bad dream?" Lira asked quietly.
Kai nodded. "The giant beast. It was calling me. Saying 'take me'."
Lira's face turned serious. "The tenth Echo is tempting you. We must move faster today."
They ate a quick breakfast and left the cave. The purple rain had stopped, but the sky looked worse — bigger cracks, darker light.
Mira skipped ahead. "Come on! The Breaker camp is only one and a half days away now. I can't wait to show them my card collection!"
Kai tried to smile, but his radar kept pinging.
**Strong Echo signal nearby. Moving slowly.**
He kept quiet at first.
After two hours of walking, the signal grew stronger. The giant shadow beast's tracks appeared again — big footprints mixed with black blood.
Mira noticed them first. "Look! The big shiny is close! It's still alive!"
Lira stopped. "We go around it. No detours."
But Kai's feet felt heavy. Nyxar whispered inside his head. **"It is dying. One touch and the tenth Echo is yours. Power beyond your dreams."**
Kai shook his head hard. "No. We stick to the plan."
They tried to walk around the tracks.
Then a weak roar echoed through the trees.
The giant beast was close. Very close.
Mira's eyes sparkled. "Just one look? Please?"
Kai felt the pull like a rope around his chest. His status screen appeared by itself.
**[Status Update]**
**Fractured Echo Weaver – Level 5**
**Active Echoes: 9/10**
**Overlap Risk: 84% – Critical**
**Warning: Tenth Echo nearby. Taking it will trigger God Fragment takeover.**
**God Influence: 41%**
Kai closed the screen quickly.
The roar came again — weaker, but full of pain.
Against his better judgment, Kai said, "Just look. From far away. No touching."
They moved carefully through the trees.
In a small clearing, the giant shadow beast lay on the ground. The spear was still stuck in its side. Black blood pooled around it. Its many eyes were half-closed, but they opened when Kai stepped closer.
The beast looked straight at him.
A new blue message appeared — different from normal.
**Special Offer**
**Absorb the Alpha Shadow King Echo?**
**Benefits: Massive power boost, command over shadow beasts, partial god resistance.**
**Cost: Tenth slot filled. High chance of permanent personality loss.**
Mira whispered excitedly, "It's offering itself! So shiny!"
Lira grabbed Kai's arm. "This is Nyxar's trap. The god is making the beast call you. Do not go closer."
Kai's legs moved forward anyway.
He stopped ten meters away.
The beast spoke in a deep, tired voice inside his mind. Not Nyxar — its own voice.
**"Thief… take me… before the Hunters find me again. I do not want them to have my power."**
Kai's nine Echoes went crazy.
Reginald: "A king's power is worthy!"
Jax: "Take it and become stronger!"
Alpha Shadow (his own echo): "It is like me… but greater. Merge us!"
Nyxar spoke last, calm and tempting. **"Accept it. We will rule the shadows together."**
Kai felt his hand rise by itself.
He was only five meters away now.
Mira was bouncing. "Do it! Do it! I want the ultra rare card!"
Lira's voice cracked with worry. "Kai! Look at me! Remember who you are. You are not a thief. You are Kai Voss — the one who chooses!"
Kai stopped.
His hand shook.
He could almost touch the beast.
One choice.
His fingers moved closer.
Then, in a moment of pure will, Kai forced his hand back.
"No," he said through gritted teeth. "I choose me."
The giant beast let out a sad, low roar.
At that exact moment, loud voices came from the other side of the clearing.
"There it is!"
The Echo Hunters were back — more of them this time. At least fifteen. The leader from yesterday stood at the front with a new, bigger weapon.
He saw Kai and laughed. "The Thief again! Perfect. We kill the beast, then we take all your Echoes!"
The hunters charged.
The giant beast tried to stand but fell again.
Mira threw cards fast. Explosions lit up the clearing.
Lira sent silver threads flying to slow the hunters.
Kai felt rage and temptation at the same time.
He merged wind dash and shadow claw and jumped into the fight.
But inside, Nyxar laughed softly. **"You refused the easy gift. Now watch your friends struggle. How long until you beg for the tenth Echo?"**
The battle exploded.
Hunters attacked from all sides.
Kai punched with fire and stone, but he was holding back — afraid of losing control.
One hunter got too close to Lira.
Kai roared and used triple merge — fire + wind + shadow claw.
The burning dark claw slashed the hunter away.
But the move made his overlap risk spike.
His voice came out as a crazy mix again.
"Burn them!"
"Cut them!"
"Run!"
"Lead!"
Mira shouted, "Kai! Your eyes are turning purple!"
The giant beast watched everything.
It whispered one last time in Kai's mind.
**"If you will not take me… then save me… or kill me. Do not let them have my power."**
Kai stood between his friends, the hunters, and the dying king beast.
His hand trembled.
The tenth Echo was right there.
One decision away.