But just as his fingers moved, the Black Dog King roared and lunged. A torrent of black energy burst from its twin maws, cascading like a tidal wave, shaking the ground itself as it slammed toward him.
Max's expression changed drastically. He retreated on instinct, swinging his sword in a defensive arc, choosing survival over treasure. The Nether Stone would have to wait.
The Big Belly Monk, seeing this, immediately seized the opportunity. His eyes flashed with greed as he sprinted forward, his broad, meaty hand slapping down on the surface of the Nether Stone. "Mine!" he roared.
But the moment his palm touched the stone, the cave echoed with a deep, resounding bang, like a giant heartbeat. The monk's confident expression shifted instantly to one of horror. The Nether Stone wouldn't budge. It was so heavy, so impossibly dense, that even his peak Legend Rank strength couldn't make it shift by an inch.
Then something worse happened—something truly terrifying.
