Jade stared at the figure standing in the distance.
A young man.
He looked relatively ordinary at first glance.
But the weapon in his hands immediately caught Jade's attention.
A bow.
And an arrow already resting against the string.
The young man stood completely still.
His face was hidden behind a mask.
Only his eyes were visible.
Jade's Beast Sense swept over him.
His expression immediately changed.
He was only an Initiate.
The realization sent a warning through Jade's entire body.
"Only an Initiate..."
His grip tightened around his crimson greatsword.
Behind him, Titan Devourer slowly began getting back to his feet.
Jade immediately looked toward him.
"Come back."
Dark essence gathered around Titan Devora's body.
The powerful humanoid beast dissolved into countless streams of dark energy before returning to Jade's Soul Sea.
There, within the embrace of Jade's blood essence, Titan Devourer could recover.
Jade wasn't going to allow him to remain outside while facing an unknown opponent.
He also dismissed his mount.
The creature disappeared into essence.
Jade was now standing alone.
Facing the masked young man.
The atmosphere became strangely quiet.
Jade's eyes narrowed.
He didn't know who this person was.
He didn't know why he had attacked Titan Devourer
And he certainly didn't understand why an opponent stronger than an Initiate had appeared here.
Jade's expression became cold.
He immediately activated his Beast God Body.
BOOM!
A tremendous force erupted from his body.
Tenacious energy flooded through every part of his existence.
His muscles tightened.
His bones became denser.
His senses sharpened.
Then the ancient armor began forming around him.
Layer after layer of brown and dark material covered his body.
The breastplate appeared first.
Then the shoulder guards.
The heavy gauntlets wrapped around his arms.
Ancient greaves covered his legs.
Finally—
The mask appeared.
A terrifying black mask covered Jade's face.
Two curved horns rose from its surface.
Black strands extended from the back of the mask, clinging tightly against his face and head.
The moment the mask settled into place—
Jade's aura changed.
He no longer looked like an ordinary Initiate.
He looked like something ancient.
Something that had walked through countless battlefields.
Jade's eyes glowed beneath the mask.
Then he summoned Ling.
The little shadow immediately wrapped itself around his body.
Darkness spread across Jade's armor.
At the same time, his body was still carrying the injuries from his previous battle.
His muscles ached.
Several tissues had been damaged by his own destructive Blood Flames.
Jade activated his healing flames.
Warm crimson fire spread across his body.
The torn tissues slowly repaired themselves.
Pain faded.
His breathing became steadier.
Only then did Jade finally speak.
His voice came from beneath the horned mask.
"Why on earth did you attack my Titan Devourer ?"
The masked young man remained silent.
Jade's eyes narrowed.
"I clearly told Titan Devourer not to attack any humans."
"So why did you attack him?"
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then—
The young man disappeared.
Jade's pupils contracted.
"He's fast!"
The masked figure instantly teleported away from Jade's immediate range.
An arrow was already drawn.
Then another.
And another.
The bow moved.
Four arrows appeared almost simultaneously.
WHOOSH!
WHOOSH!
WHOOSH!
WHOOSH!
They came from different directions.
Jade immediately reacted.
The Obsidian Vine Shadow erupted around him.
Black vines shot outward.
CLANG!
CLANG!
CLANG!
CLANG!
Every arrow was caught.
But the force behind them was incredible.
Jade was pushed backward.
His feet dragged across the ground.
Then—
BOOM!
He crashed into the earth.
Dust exploded around him.
Jade rolled once before stopping.
Silence.
Then he slowly stood.
His mask remained intact.
His eyes narrowed.
The mysterious figure was nowhere in sight.
Jade closed his eyes.
Beast Sense.
Nothing.
He couldn't see him.
But he could feel him.
A faint presence.
Somewhere nearby.
Jade immediately summoned the Return Sword.
The weapon materialized in his hand.
Jade examined it.
The sword had a strange curved shape.
It looked less like an ordinary sword and more like a boomerang forged into the shape of a blade.
Jade tilted his head.
"So..."
"It behaves like a boomerang?"
He gripped it.
Then threw it backward.
WHOOSH!
The Return Sword curved through the air.
It flew behind Jade.
Straight toward the hidden figure.
The masked young man appeared.
His bow moved instantly.
TWANG!
An arrow struck the incoming weapon.
CLANG!
The Return Sword was deflected.
But Jade wasn't surprised.
The weapon immediately changed direction.
It curved through the air.
And returned toward Jade.
Jade reached out and caught it.
At the same moment—
Another arrow came toward him.
Jade tilted his head slightly.
The arrow passed beside his face.
A strand of his hair was cut.
Jade's eyes sharpened.
"So that's how you fight."
He understood immediately.
This person didn't want close combat.
He relied on distance.
Speed.
Teleportation.
And arrows.
If Jade allowed him to keep fighting like this—
the battle would become extremely troublesome.
"Then..."
"I'll just bring you closer."
Jade slammed his hand toward the ground.
The Obsidian Vine Shadow spread outward.
Dark vines disappeared into the surrounding shadows.
They moved silently beneath the ground.
Jade didn't attack immediately.
He waited.
The mysterious figure appeared again.
An arrow flew.
Jade dodged.
Another arrow.
He moved aside.
Then—
The vines struck.
They shot toward the figure's position.
The masked man vanished.
The vines caught nothing.
Jade's eyes narrowed.
"Again."
More vines spread through the surrounding shadows.
They searched.
They chased.
They tried to trap the mysterious figure from every direction.
Then—
Jade suddenly felt something.
Pain.
Sharp.
Violent.
His eyes widened.
A cold sensation entered his back.
He looked down.
An arrow had pierced through him.
Blood flowed from the wound.
Jade's mind went blank for a moment.
"What...?"
He had been looking directly at the figure.
Yet somehow—
the arrow had come from behind.
The masked man had disappeared.
Then reappeared.
So fast that even Jade's senses had failed to follow the transition.
Jade gritted his teeth.
"Annoying."
He immediately commanded Ant Demon.
"Ant Demon!"
The towering woman .Without hesitation, she raised both hands.
Thousands of black ants poured from her body.
They gathered together.
Layer after layer.
A massive shield of ants formed before Jade.
TWANG!
An arrow struck.
The shield trembled.
Another arrow.
BOOM!
The shield cracked.
More arrows followed.
The entire barrier shook violently.
Jade grabbed the arrow embedded in his back.
He clenched his teeth.
Then—
he pulled.
SHNK!
The arrow came free.
Blood immediately spilled down his back.
Jade's healing flames activated.
Warm crimson fire spread across the wound.
The bleeding slowed.
His eyes became cold.
"I only need to get close."
That was the key.
If the masked fighter refused close combat—
Jade would force him into it.
The Obsidian Vine Shadow suddenly erupted.
Hundreds of vines shot through the surrounding shadows.
The mysterious figure appeared again.
The vines followed.
He tried teleporting away.
Too late.
One vine wrapped around his ankle.
Jade's eyes widened.
"Got you."
The vine tightened.
Then Jade pulled.
The masked figure was ripped from the air.
His body flew toward Jade.
Jade grabbed the vine with both hands.
Then swung.
Once.
Twice.
The masked young man was hurled through the air.
But before he could crash into the ground—
he suddenly began rising.
His body floated upward.
Jade's eyes narrowed.
The figure had already drawn another arrow.
TWANG!
An arrow shot toward him.
Jade immediately shifted his body.
The projectile passed beside him.
Another arrow followed.
Then another.
The masked figure continued rising through the air while firing downward.
Jade's expression became serious.
"This guy..."
"He really doesn't want to come down."
Jade immediately changed his strategy.
The Obsidian Vine Shadow wrapped around his body.
His form began changing.
His arms became wings.
His legs transformed.
His body grew lighter.
Within moments—
Jade transformed into a gigantic bird.
The Beast God Body remained active.
And the black horned mask remained firmly attached to his face.
The mask changed with him.
It adjusted perfectly to his new form.
Jade spread his wings.
BOOM!
He shot into the sky.
The masked figure's eyes widened.
"That mask..."
It had changed shape.
Yet it still covered Jade's face perfectly.
The young man immediately raised his bow.
He fired.
But something was wrong.
The arrow didn't reach Jade.
It slowed.
Then stopped.
Jade was simply too fast.
The masked young man's expression changed.
He could feel it.
The pressure.
The overwhelming strength.
The strange presence radiating from Jade.
It felt familiar.
But he couldn't understand why.
And every time he looked at the terrifying horned mask—
fear crawled deeper into his heart.
At the same time, he felt his strength decreasing.
Not physically.
Something about the masked figure was suppressing his confidence.
His instincts were screaming at him to escape.
The young man gritted his teeth.
He couldn't understand it.
Who was this person?
Why did he feel so familiar?
Why did his body react with such fear?
Still—
he raised his bow.
He aimed directly at the mask.
Then released the string.
TWANG!
The arrow flew.
Jade's eyes narrowed.
He accelerated.
The arrow missed completely.
The mysterious fighter's expression became even more shocked.
The bird was coming directly toward him.
Fast.
Terrifyingly fast.
Jade opened his beak.
Crimson energy gathered inside his mouth.
The masked young man's pupils contracted.
"No—"
WHOOSH!
A stream of blood-red flames erupted from Jade's mouth.
The attack tore through the air.
The young man immediately dismissed his arrow.
He gathered the remaining essence inside his Soul Sea.
His body dropped.
BOOM!
He crashed toward the ground.
But before he could hit—
he teleported.
He reappeared several meters away.
He landed heavily.
His breathing was ragged.
His essence had been consumed significantly.
Yet he was still standing.
The young man immediately dismissed his mask.
Jade slowed.
The battle suddenly felt different.
The masked figure's face was finally visible.
Jade stared.
His enormous bird form descended.
He landed on the ground.
Then his body transformed back into human form.
The Beast God Body remained active for another moment.
Jade stared at the young man's face.
His eyes widened.
His voice escaped before he could stop it.
"Henry..."
The young man froze.
He hadn't seen Jade's face.
He couldn't recognize him.
His eyes narrowed.
"How on earth do you know me?"
Jade slowly dismissed his Beast God Body.
The ancient armor dissolved.
The tenacious energy faded.
But—
The Beast God mask remained.
Jade looked at Henry.
He sighed.
"Damn it..."
"...this fucking mask."