Chapter 16.
"Let's see how you fare against ice, buddy," Ethen muttered, stepping forward toward the remaining 79 beasts being 40 Crimson Dreadmanes and 39 Obsidian Panthers.
The Obsidian Panthers trembled, instinctively retreating, but the Dreadmanes stood their ground. One opened its jaws, unleashing a torrent of flames.
Ethen didn't flinch. His eyes shifted to gold, and he raised his hand. A barrier of shimmering gold energy formed instantly, splitting the inferno apart and scattering embers harmlessly to the side.
"One Dreadmane won't be enough," he said coldly. Then, with a mocking grin, he added, "Please, I urge you to fight me like you mean it."
With their leader back on his feet, his team roared with renewed vigor. Fists broke bones, claws tore, magic blazed as they dove back into their skirmishes. Only four held back, watching with tense eyes,Thessaria, Julia, Solvian, and Logan. The rest reveled in the slaughter.
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Back at the Cave
Meanwhile, back at their temporary home, Seraphine was busy teaching Theresa how to cook.
"You sure this meat will come out right?" Theresa asked, brow furrowed as she watched Seraphine sprinkle spices over a slab of crimson flesh.
"You bet it will," Seraphine replied. "This is one of the rarest species you'll ever find in the capital. Chris and I thought it best to set up camp here, to make training easier. That's why we needed this."
Theresa glanced toward the clearing, where Lucien swung a wooden sword with wide, clumsy arcs while Jessica practiced shaping water into a snake that coiled around her arm.
"Their power is still weak," Theresa whispered.
"You'd be surprised," Seraphine replied, smirking. "They've already surpassed the average human." She clapped her hands. "Done! Now we just need fire to roast it."
Almost on cue, Chris appeared, carrying logs stacked neatly in his arms. But beside him walked Lucas dragging not just logs, but four colossal trees floating behind him as if weightless.
"Anyone say firewood?" Chris grinned.
Jessica and Lucien stopped mid-practice, jaws dropping. Seraphine froze, her mouth gaping wide. These weren't just any trees,they were massive, closer to baobab trees, among the largest in existence.
"H-H-HOLY CRAP, WHAT AM I LOOKING AT?!" Seraphine shrieked. "How are those even supposed to fit in the fire pit?!"
Lucas ignored her outburst, studying the logs Chris had brought. "Hmm… long, slim, round. Not bad. Guess each tree will have its own form of log." He extended his hand, wind circling his palm.
"Go."
With a swift motion, the four trees were carved into perfect logs,long, rounded, even circular,splitting into tens of thousands of uniform pieces in mere seconds.
Everyone except Lucas and Theresa went still, frozen in awe. Seraphine shakily raised her finger.
"Quick question," she muttered. "If all of those already fit here, where exactly are you planning to stack the rest?"
Theresa tilted her head thoughtfully. "Good point. No choice then." She clenched her fists, her aura flaring. "We'll just make space."
Chris blinked. "Wait, wait, I know you're strong but—"
Before he could finish, Theresa planted one leg back, shifting into a stance. She knelt slightly, one hand raised vertically before sweeping it behind her. Her eyes closed, a deep breath leaving her lips.
"What are you doing?!" Chris demanded, panic rising.
Lucas sighed. "You might want to get down." He was already lying flat against the earth.
Seeing someone like Lucas who carried trees as if they were twigs,flatten himself to the ground was enough to make everyone else drop instantly.
Then it came. Crimson aura burst from Theresa's body, mixed with roaring flames. The sheer pressure dwarfed even the King's presence. She focused, gathered, and then swept her hand in a wide horizontal arc.
FWOOOSH!
Every tree in the clearing ignited,not like wood catching flame, but like parchment being ripped and scattered to the wind. In seconds, the forested wall that blocked the horizon was gone, reduced to nothing but drifting ash.
"There," Theresa said, dusting her hands. "All done."
The others slowly lifted their heads. The once-crowded forest now stretched into open land as far as they could see.
Jessica blinked once, then twice, before her body went stiff. Foam formed at the corners of her mouth, and she collapsed backward.
"Jessica!!" Lucien cried, cradling her head. "Don't you dare give up on me, sister!" His panicked wail was so exaggerated it made the moment absurdly comical.
Chris and Seraphine were left speechless, staring like broken dolls.
"W-what… what did we just witness?" Seraphine asked, utterly defeated.
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The Battlefield
Meanwhile, back in the heart of the forest, the real storm was ending.
Ethen stood at the center of carnage. Around him lay the broken, burned, and frozen bodies of 98 beasts,all slain by his hands alone. His chest was streaked with blood, his breath heavy, but his aura still burned like a demon's flame.
Before him knelt the last two survivors,a single Crimson Dreadmane and an Obsidian Panther.
Both lowered their heads to the earth, submitting to the man who now stood as the undisputed apex of the forest.
Half his face was still swallowed by shadow. Only one glowing red eye burned in the dim light, gleaming with the promise of something far greater.
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To be continued…
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