The air at the base of the Cinder Peak Mountains tasted like copper and burnt ozone. Han Sen leaned against a jagged rock, his lungs burning. The higher he climbed, the thinner the air became, and his 10 Health Points felt more fragile than ever. One slip or one rockslide would end him.
High above, the sky was no longer blue. It was split in half: one side a swirling vortex of golden flames, the other a suffocating ocean of black shadow.
The weight of the pressure coming from the sky was physical. It felt like a heavy hand pressing down on Han Sen's shoulders, trying to force him to his knees. This was the "Gaze" of true power. The two beings above didn't even know he existed, yet their mere presence was enough to crush a Level 1 human.
A screech tore through the air, followed by a roar that shook the very foundation of the mountain.
[Detected: Celestial Vermillion Phoenix (Level 180)]
[Detected: Abyssal Gold-Maned Lion (Level 175)]
[Warning: Environmental damage is exceeding Host's durability.]
A shockwave of heat rippled downward as the Phoenix slammed into the Lion's shadow shield. The trees around Han Sen began to wither and smoke. His skin felt like it was being held over an open flame.
[HP: 9/10]
[HP: 8/10]
"Dammit," Han Sen hissed, his teeth grit against the pain. "Just the heat from their fight is killing me."
He scrambled to open his system. He didn't have a defensive skill. He had to make one. He focused on his own skin, on the way the heat tried to peel it away. He looked at a passive trait called [Temperature Resistance].
[Allocating Skill Points: 500,000]
[Temperature Resistance has evolved into: Void Aegis (Passive).]
The burning sensation vanished instantly. A thin, invisible layer of distorted space wrapped around his body. The heat from the Phoenix's flames hit the barrier and simply slid away, leaving Han Sen in a pocket of cool air.
He looked up again. The battle was reaching its peak. The Lion swung a massive paw made of concentrated darkness, tearing a trail of glowing red feathers from the Phoenix's wing. The Phoenix spiraled downward, her golden blood falling like meteors.
Each drop of blood that hit the mountainside caused a massive explosion of fire. Han Sen watched as a forest three miles away was erased in a single burst of light.
The Phoenix was losing. She wasn't just fighting for her life: she was retreating toward a hidden cave halfway up the peak. She moved with a desperate, protective instinct that Han Sen recognized.
"She's guarding something," Han Sen whispered.
He watched the Abyssal Lion dive after her. The Lion's eyes were filled with a predatory greed. It didn't just want to kill; it wanted to consume.
Han Sen began to climb faster. His [Ghost-Veil Steps] allowed him to move like a blur, leaping over chasms and sprinting up vertical cliffs. He was an ant heading toward a volcano, but he didn't stop.
The Phoenix crashed into a ledge, her brilliant feathers charred and broken. The Lion landed heavily in front of her, its black mane dripping with shadows that ate away at the stone.
Han Sen reached the edge of the clearing, hiding behind a pillar of obsidian. He stayed perfectly still, his [Void Aegis] hiding his heat signature and his [Ghost-Veil Steps] silencing his heartbeat.
He was ten feet away from two gods. If either of them breathed in his direction, he would vanish. But he watched as the Phoenix dragged herself toward the back of the cave, where three shimmering, pearlescent eggs lay in a nest of ash.
The Lion let out a low, rumbling growl that sounded like grinding stones. It stepped forward, its claws extended.
Han Sen's hand went to a small hunting knife at his belt. It was a pathetic weapon, but he opened his system one more time. He didn't look at the Lion. He looked at the Phoenix's eyes. They weren't filled with fear; they were filled with a mother's final, crushing sorrow.
"I might be Level 1," Han Sen thought, his gaze turning cold and analytical. "But I have the one thing this Lion doesn't expect: a way to break the rules."