The air over the battlefield simmered with a terrifying, palpable heat. Beasts from both sides fought with monstrous ferocity, tearing into each other with a single, brutal purpose: annihilation. The fox beasts formed their ragged line—common soldiers, rankers, low-level elites, and among them, one dominant high-level fox whose presence commanded the fray.
At the center, a high-level Asura Wolf stood its ground against three opponents: a Dark Illusionary Fox and two common Illusionary Foxes. It had become a desperate one-versus-three.
Driven by pure, unthinking rage, the combatants surged forward, closing the fatal distance in mere heartbeats.
"Ji Hoon, shield yourself now!" Layla's voice was a sharp crack in his mind. "The ground is going to erupt! You'll be pulverized against the stone!"
Ji Hoon didn't stir. He remained seated, perfectly still.
Sensing the flood of murderous aura rolling toward them, Layla shouted again, "Ji Hoon, move! If you take that force head-on—"
The very atmosphere thickened with an alien pressure, the combined bloodlust of four beasts who had abandoned all restraint, each ready to pay any price for the other's death.
"What does it matter if I live or die this moment?" Ji Hoon's response was disturbingly calm. "My only purpose is to grow stronger. Otherwise, I'll just die of thirst or starvation in a few days anyway."
"Have you gone completely mad?" Layla yelled, her frustration boiling over. "What kind of nonsense is that? Soon this place will be nothing but a charnel house! Is breaking through to ranker so urgent you'd let yourself be killed for it?"
"So what if I die?" he countered flatly. "What changes? I'll just revive after a time."
"And how long do you think that will last?" she snapped. "Do you intend to be trapped here for eternity? That's impossible. The Starfall Revival draws on Heavenly Power from all six realms. You only have six revivals. Attempt a seventh, and it will be a true, final death."
Hearing this, Ji Hoon laughed silently within his spirit.
Hah… I can't tell if you're motivating me or trying to dissuade me.
After a pause, he continued aloud, "Fine. Let's say I humor you. Then tell me—how long does this process truly require?"
Layla considered. "With full concentration, merging mind and core without interference? One to two hours. At your current distracted pace? Three or four. But if I assist you, even in this chaos, no more than two hours."
Ji Hoon drew a slow breath. "Good… That settles my mind."
At that instant, a wave of pure, annihilating aura saturated the air—so heavy it felt like the grasp of death itself. The pressure grew tangible, making even the wind feel like lead.
Layla sensed it immediately. "Ji Hoon, down! Now! Debris is coming—"
Ji Hoon finally moved, scrambling beside a rocky outcrop and curling into a protective ball.
A fraction of a second later, an aura detonation ripped through the space. The concussion hurled dust and shattered stone in all directions, and a sound like the sky cracking thunderously rolled across the battleground.
The Asura Wolf had struck from one side, the three foxes from the other. In a blur of motion, the massive wolf became a streak of lethal light, materializing directly before the foxes.
The foxes were on high alert, yet they had barely registered the sheer terror of the wolf's speed and power. Even as they sensed it, there was no time to mount a defense.
In less than a second, the Asura Wolf was upon them. But it did not target the Dark Illusionary Fox or the one-eyed fox. Instead, it aimed for the third—already grievously wounded and faltering.
A violent impact erupted. Destructive force radiated outwards, shaking the very earth.
Dust swallowed the scene; the ground quaked. Visibility dropped to zero.
As the cloud began to settle, it revealed the Asura Wolf's strike had landed true on the injured fox—yet instead of being sent flying, the fox dissolved into mist.
An illusion.
The instant the wolf comprehended the trick and surged past the phantom, a savage counterattack hit from behind. Both its hind legs were seized in a vise-like grip.
The clearing mist revealed the Dark Illusionary Fox, its jaws locked brutally on the Asura Wolf's tail, whipping it up and down with terrifying force. Meanwhile, the two white Illusionary Foxes had clamped onto the wolf's legs with all their might.
Blood gushed from the wolf's tail and limbs.
Within the fissure, Ji Hoon was jolted by a concussive wave. But it was not the cataclysmic blast he'd braced for—only a sharp, jarring tremor.
His face contorted in frustration.
You've got to be kidding me… Scammed again? How many times will this happen? My mind is completely spent.
"Hah," Layla retorted, her tone laced with annoyed sympathy. "I know precisely what you feel. But what choice do we have? We cannot afford recklessness now. And given your typical luck, even a glancing aura-shock could crack your skull open."
On the battlefield, the Asura Wolf unleashed its full might. Using its colossal frame, it bucked violently with its hindquarters, making the earth tremble as it fought to break free.
Within seconds, the grip of the two lesser foxes began to weaken.
The Asura Wolf roared, channeling raw power into one leg, and spun in a vicious arc. The injured fox was hurled like a ragdoll across the scorched ground.
Yet, the remaining two foxes held on desperately, striving to inflict a mortal wound.
The Dark Illusionary Fox succeeded, gouging deep into muscle and sinew. But the common Illusionary Fox failed to pierce the wolf's defenses. Even mid-battle, the Asura Wolf' innate skill allowed it to mend damage from within.
The common fox clung tenaciously to the wolf's leg. The Asura Wolf thrashed wildly but could not dislodge it. Finally, with a serpentine twist of its body, it wrenched its head around and lunged, its fangs closing around the fox's throat.
Inside the fissure, witnessing it all, Ji Hoon felt a profound exhaustion settle into his bones. A final, resolute thought crystallized:
I'm done with fear—fear of beasts, of auras, of death. Even if I die now, nothing will stop this process.
He settled into a cross-legged position on a narrow stone ledge and plunged deep into the confines of his own mind.
On the battlefield, the Asura Wolf gathered its strength and hurled the Illusionary Fox forward with apocalyptic force. Another colossal explosion followed, shuddering through the landscape.
Ji Hoon sat motionless, meditative. A devastating wave of aura slammed into the cliff face before him, flooding the crevice with crushing pressure—but before he could even flinch…