Three days later...
Jade was already approaching Shadow Heart.
The journey had been relatively quiet.
The landscape of the Spiritual Realm changed constantly as he traveled. Forests gave way to rocky plains, rocky plains became vast deserts, and eventually the air itself began carrying a strange darkness.
Even from a distance, Jade could feel something unusual.
Shadow essence.
It was faint.
But unmistakable.
Shadow Heart was getting closer.
Jade continued walking.
Then—
He stopped.
His expression changed.
A strange sensation suddenly passed through his body.
His Beast Sense had detected something.
Something nearby.
Something powerful.
Jade slowly turned his head.
His senses expanded.
He could feel the creature before he could see it.
Its presence was enormous.
A humanoid monster.
Its rank...
Awakened Mythic.
Jade sighed.
"Of course."
He reached toward his storage space.
A weapon appeared in his hand.
A short dagger with a sharp, beast-like design.
Sharp Beast.
An Awakened Beast-ranked weapon.
Jade rotated it once before gripping it firmly.
Then another object appeared.
Armor.
Dark armor covered with intricate golden patterns.
The armor wrapped around his body piece by piece.
Chest.
Shoulders.
Arms.
Legs.
Finally, a protective layer covered his back.
Fire Defender.
An Initiate Calamity-class armor.
Jade had acquired several pieces of equipment during the past two months.
He wasn't going to waste them.
His stance lowered.
His eyes narrowed.
Then—
BOOM!
Something exploded through the distant landscape.
Jade's Beast Sense immediately locked onto it.
The creature was coming.
Fast.
Far too fast.
Jade circulated essence through his legs.
At the same time, he spoke quietly.
"Ling."
The little shadow immediately appeared beside him.
Without needing another command, Ling stretched itself across the ground and wrapped around Jade's leg.
A familiar strengthening sensation entered his body.
Jade's muscles tightened.
His balance improved.
His movement became lighter.
Then—
The Sand Beast appeared.
Jade's eyes narrowed.
The creature looked almost human.
Two arms.
Two legs.
A torso.
A head.
If not for one horrifying detail...
Its face possessed eight compound eyes.
Four on each side.
Each eye moved independently.
Observing.
Tracking.
Analyzing.
The creature's entire body was covered in golden-brown sand that constantly shifted across its surface.
It stopped.
Its eight eyes focused on Jade.
Then—
It punched.
BOOM!
The Sand Beast's fist tore through the air.
Jade immediately raised his dagger to block.
CLANG!
The impact traveled through his entire arm.
Jade's feet slid backward.
But before he could recover—
The Sand Beast's second hand appeared from behind him.
Jade's eyes widened.
"What—"
BOOM!
The punch struck his back.
His body flew forward.
CRASH!
Jade smashed into a tree.
The trunk cracked violently beneath his body.
Leaves rained down around him.
Jade dropped to the ground.
His breathing became heavier.
"Fast..."
He immediately summoned the Obsidian Vine Shadow.
Dark vines erupted from his palm.
They shot toward the Sand Beast from multiple directions.
The vines twisted around one another, forming a massive net.
The Sand Beast didn't dodge.
Instead—
Its body collapsed.
Not physically.
It became sand.
The entire creature dissolved into countless grains that scattered into the wind.
Jade's eyes widened.
"What?"
The sand gathered behind him.
The Sand Beast reformed.
A fist was already coming toward his back.
BOOM!
Jade was sent flying again.
He crashed into the ground and rolled several meters before stopping.
He slowly pushed himself upright.
His eyes remained fixed on the creature.
He wasn't angry.
He wasn't panicking.
He was studying.
Sharp senses.
Extreme speed.
Ability to dissolve into sand.
Ability to reform.
And apparently...
It could attack from unexpected angles.
Jade wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.
"I need its weakness."
He couldn't defeat the creature by simply attacking harder.
Every time he attacked, it dissolved.
Every time it attacked, he was forced backward.
So he waited.
Then Jade suddenly rushed forward.
The Sand Beast charged as well.
Their distance disappeared.
At the last moment—
Jade jumped.
His body passed over the monster.
Obsidian vines shot from his palm.
One vine wrapped around a nearby tree.
Another wrapped around his body.
Jade swung through the air.
The vines pulled him toward the tree.
He landed against the trunk before sliding down its side.
Then—
He disappeared into the shadow beneath the tree.
The Sand Beast stopped.
Its eight eyes scanned the area.
Nothing.
No movement.
No sound.
The creature slowly approached the tree.
One step.
Two.
Three.
Its eyes moved constantly.
Searching.
Jade remained perfectly still inside the darkness.
His breathing was controlled.
His grip tightened around Sharp Beast.
The Sand Beast reached the shadow.
Its fist suddenly pulled backward.
It had found him.
BOOM!
The punch came down.
But—
The moment the creature entered the shadow...
Vines exploded from the ground.
They wrapped around its legs.
Then its waist.
Then its arms.
The Sand Beast struggled.
Its body began breaking apart.
It was about to dissolve into sand.
Then—
Pain exploded through its back.
"ARRGH!"
The Sand Beast screamed.
A dark figure stood behind it.
A long cape covered most of the figure's body.
Only part of a beautiful, terrifying face could be seen beneath the hood.
The figure held a weapon in its hand.
Ant Demon.
The Sand Beast's eight eyes widened.
It immediately attacked.
One punch.
Then another.
Then another.
A barrage of attacks descended upon Ant Demon.
Yet she moved effortlessly.
Step.
Turn.
Block.
Counter.
Every attack was answered perfectly.
The Sand Beast's fists became faster.
More violent.
Ant Demon continued dodging.
Then—
An aura began leaking from her body.
Darkness spread through the surrounding area.
The Sand Beast suddenly felt something.
Fear.
Its eight eyes widened.
Its instincts screamed at it to retreat.
But instead of retreating...
It became enraged.
It roared and threw its strongest punch.
BOOM!
The attack struck Ant Demon.
She was pushed backward several meters.
Her feet carved two lines into the ground.
But she remained standing.
And then—
Pain struck the Sand Beast's back again.
It turned.
Jade was already there.
Sharp Beast flashed.
STAB!
The dagger pierced directly into its body.
The Sand Beast's eyes widened.
But before Jade could attack again—
Its entire body dissolved.
Sand exploded outward.
The creature reappeared several meters away.
Completely healed.
Jade stared.
Then his Beast Sense activated.
Something was different.
His eyes narrowed.
The Sand Beast was...
Shorter.
Only slightly.
But definitely shorter.
Jade remembered its original height.
It had been noticeably taller than him.
Now...
It was almost his height.
Jade's eyes sharpened.
"So that's the price."
Every time it dissolved into sand...
Its body became smaller.
Its regeneration wasn't free.
It was consuming something.
Perhaps essence.
Perhaps its own body.
But whatever it was—
The Sand Beast was becoming weaker.
The creature roared.
Jade smiled.
"I found it."
The Sand Beast charged again.
At that exact moment—
A massive figure appeared behind Jade.
A humanoid beast.
Large.
Terrifying.
Its body radiated overwhelming strength.
Titan Devourer.
The Echo had taken its place beside Jade.
Its weapon transformed.
Dark essence gathered in its hands.
Then—
A terrifying black arrow formed.
The Sand Beast saw it.
It reacted immediately.
The arrow shot forward.
WHOOSH!
The Sand Beast caught it.
Its fingers closed around the projectile.
But—
Another arrow came from behind.
The Sand Beast turned.
Another humanoid beast stood there.
Titan Devourer.
The second arrow struck.
BOOM!
The Sand Beast staggered.
And something immediately changed.
Its movements became slower.
Its aura weakened.
Its ability was being suppressed.
Jade's eyes widened slightly.
Titan Devourer's attack wasn't simply physical.
It was reducing the creature's ability.
The Sand Beast suddenly sensed something behind it.
Heat.
Terrifying heat.
It turned.
Jade stood several meters away.
His hands were raised.
Blood-red flames streamed through the air.
The destructive Blood Flames crashed toward the Sand Beast.
BOOM!
The creature was engulfed.
It screamed.
Its sandy body began burning.
Yet it dissolved again.
The flames continued burning across the scattered grains.
The Sand Beast reformed.
Smaller.
Weaker.
But still alive.
Jade immediately moved.
He dismissed Sharp Beast.
Then—
The crimson greatsword appeared in his hand.
Ling immediately jumped onto the weapon.
Dark shadow essence wrapped around the blade.
The sword became heavier.
Stronger.
More dangerous.
Then destructive Blood Flames erupted across its surface.
Crimson fire danced along the blade.
Jade's eyes locked onto the Sand Beast.
The monster charged.
Jade charged as well.
They collided.
The Sand Beast threw a punch.
Jade shifted his body.
The fist missed by barely a breath.
Jade swung.
The Sand Beast raised its arm to block.
Too slow.
SLASH!
The crimson greatsword tore across its neck.
The wound opened halfway through.
Blood and sand exploded outward.
The Sand Beast's head nearly separated.
But before it could collapse—
Its body dissolved.
Sand scattered everywhere.
Then—
The creature reappeared.
Its body was restored.
But even from a distance...
Jade could see it.
Smaller.
Much smaller.
The Sand Beast immediately attacked.
Its fist came toward Jade's face.
Jade leaned backward.
The punch passed above his nose.
He countered with another slash.
The Sand Beast dissolved.
Reappeared.
Attacked.
Jade dodged.
Slashed.
The creature dissolved again.
Each time—
It became smaller.
Each time—
Its movements became slightly slower.
Each time—
Jade learned more.
The battle became a cycle.
Attack.
Dissolve.
Reform.
Counter.
Dissolve.
Reform.
The Sand Beast was losing its greatest advantage.
Its regeneration was consuming its own body.
Eventually...
The creature charged again.
Jade watched carefully.
His eyes followed every movement.
Its body was smaller now.
Its movements were becoming desperate.
Then—
The Sand Beast suddenly launched itself toward him.
Jade prepared to counter.
But something unexpected happened.
The creature's foot caught against a protruding stone.
Its balance broke.
It stumbled.
Jade's eyes sharpened.
Now.
He raised two fingers.
"Ant Demon."
Two arrows appeared.
Ant Demon released hers.
Titan Devourer released his.
Both arrows flew toward the Sand Beast's heart.
WHOOSH!
The Sand Beast's eyes widened.
It tried to dissolve.
Too late.
Ling suddenly moved.
The little shadow shot forward like a streak of darkness.
It wrapped itself around Ant Demon's arrow.
The arrow's trajectory changed.
It curved through the air.
The Sand Beast barely managed to turn.
Its eyes widened even further.
One arrow came from the front.
Another—
from behind.
The Sand Beast raised its arms.
But it couldn't block both.
Jade watched silently.
Everything seemed to slow.
The first arrow approached.
The second followed.
The Sand Beast's heart was exposed.
Then—
THUD!
Ant Demon's arrow pierced directly through its chest.
The Sand Beast's body jerked.
A heartbeat later—
Titan Devourer's arrow struck the same location.
CRACK!
The force drove both arrows deeper.
The Sand Beast froze.
Its eight compound eyes slowly lost their light.
Its body trembled.
Then—
It collapsed.
The enormous humanoid monster hit the ground with a heavy crash.
Dust rose into the air.
Silence followed.
Jade stood motionless.
His greatsword slowly lowered.
Ant Demon disappeared into his shadow.
Titan Devourer also faded.
Ling returned to Jade's side.
Then—
The familiar voice of the System echoed inside his mind.
"You have slain an Awakened Mythic-Sand Beast."
Jade stared at the corpse.
His breathing slowly returned to normal.
Another battle had ended.
And Shadow Heart...
Was getting closer.