Ian, Ralph, and Asha stood before the volcanic wolf. Suddenly, a terrifying roar erupted from the beast's throat, and a wave of fire, like a crimson storm, surged toward them.
Ralph shoved Ian aside and shouted:
"This one's mine! Finally, something worth fighting has shown up!"
Without fear, he leapt straight into the sea of flames. His fists glowed and struck with overwhelming force. The fire shattered, scattering flames that lit up the dark cave.
Ian grinned at the sight.
"Alright, if that's how you want it… I'll fight alongside you."
At that moment, the ancestral blood in Ian's veins began to boil. A dark, terrifying aura engulfed his entire body once more. With inhuman speed, he dashed toward the volcanic wolf.
Ralph, witnessing this, laughed with excitement:
"Hah… so you've been hiding your true power too. This just got interesting! Looks like I picked the right teammate."
With that, he charged back into battle.
Asha, watching from behind, froze in shock. These two… are they really human? With this kind of power, they're more like monsters…
She wanted to join the fight, but a heavy weight of helplessness pressed down on her shoulders. I don't have what it takes yet… I still have so much further to go.
The battle raged on. The beast's flames lit the cavern like an inferno, but Ian and Ralph either dodged the attacks or shattered them apart. Realizing that fire was useless, the volcanic wolf let out a piercing howl and lunged straight at Ralph.
Ralph smirked:
"Finally tired of playing from a distance? Too bad… close combat is my specialty!"
The wolf's blazing claws came down, but Ralph dodged swiftly, moving to its flank. His powerful fist slammed into the beast's body… but it was like striking steel. No damage at all.
Ralph's eyes widened in shock—and in that instant of hesitation, the wolf's next strike landed squarely. The crushing blow hurled him into the cavern wall like a ragdoll. His teeth clenched tightly before he fell unconscious.
Ian seized the opportunity, charging at the wolf with a fierce shout as his blade descended on its neck. Yet the strike couldn't cut through the fiery mane. Ian stared in disbelief, and in the next moment a torrent of flames engulfed him, blasting him aside to land near Ralph.
Seeing this, despair washed over Asha. Even with all their strength, the two of them can't defeat it…
The beast strode slowly toward the two wounded warriors to finish them off. But Asha stood before it with her spear.
"I may not fight like they can… but I'll never let you touch my teammates!"
Just as she braced herself, Ralph's voice rang out behind her:
"Letting a girl protect me… how embarrassing. This mutt is gonna pay."
Ian also rose to his feet, fury in his eyes:
"He's right. It's shameful we made you worry. Don't worry, Asha… I'll tear this monster apart!"
Once more, the two of them charged at the wolf.
This time, Ralph's fists were wrapped in a radiant aura. Asha stared in disbelief. That's… the second stage of aura! But how… in such a short time?!
With wild, destructive power, Ralph's aura-clad fist smashed into the beast's side. The sound of bones cracking echoed through the cave as the massive wolf was hurled into the air.
Ian, waiting for this moment, leapt high with his sword cloaked in aura. The wolf unleashed one final storm of fire in defense, but Ian's blade cleaved through the flames. With a single strike, the volcanic wolf's head was severed.
A heavy silence filled the cavern. Only the sound of their ragged breaths remained.
Asha's hands trembled as she looked at them. I know I'll grow stronger one day… but I don't think I'll ever surpass these two. They're truly insane monsters of battle…
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