Although this special magic beast was the closest one to Zayen, it still took him nearly half an hour to reach it—
and that was even after he repeatedly used [Voidbound Flash Step] to shorten the distance.
This alone was enough to show just how vast Endless Forest truly was.
Standing atop a towering tree, Zayen narrowed his eyes and looked into the distance.
There—
A massive magic beast was rampaging through the forest.
Its body was enormous, easily over five meters tall, built like a walking mountain of muscle. Thick dark fur covered its frame, while patches of coarse, golden-brown hair wrapped around its shoulders and arms like a savage mantle. Two long, curved horns extended from its skull, sweeping backward with a brutal, domineering presence.
Each step it took cracked the ground beneath its feet.
At that very moment, the beast grabbed a Shadowfang Wolf by the neck with one massive hand.
Crack—
With a casual squeeze, the wolf's spine snapped. Its lifeless body was tossed aside like trash, crashing into a tree and shattering it on impact.
Another wolf lunged from behind, fangs bared.
The beast didn't even turn.
Its tail lashed out like a steel whip.
Boom!
The wolf's body exploded into blood and fragments midair.
In just a few breaths, the pack of Shadowfang Wolves—normally feared by most players—was reduced to torn corpses scattered across the forest floor. Blood soaked into the soil as the beast let out a deep, thunderous roar, beating its chest as if declaring dominance over the entire region.
The oppressive aura rolling off its body made the surrounding air feel heavy and suffocating.
...
[ System Identification – Special Magic Beast]
[Name]: Titanmaw Behemoth
[Talent]: Mountain Tyrant
[Grade]: A-Rank (Overlord Exclusive)
[Type]: Humanoid Brute Beast
[Level]: 6 (Peak)
[Attack]: 165
[Defense]: 140
[Speed]: 180
[Skills]: Mountain-Crushing Fist (A-grade), Savage Leap (F-grade), Horn Rend (F-grade), Primal Roar (D-grade), Titanmaw Beam (A-grade), Super Sense (A-grade), Bloodthirsty Rampage (F-grade)
....
Just as Zayen confidently looked at the Titanmaw Behemoth plane, his expression suddenly stiffened, but he immediately recovered. For a special magic beast to reach level was normal after all.
At this moment, the Titanmaw Behemoth paused mid-step, its massive head tilting slightly as it sniffed the air.
Its nostrils flared, inhaling deeply. Then it sniffed again, slower this time, as if analyzing every trace of scent around it.
Suddenly, it pivoted with a terrifying swiftness for a creature its size. Its glowing eyes locked onto a tree at the edge of the clearing.
"Fuck! "Perched atop the branch, Zayen froze—as he realized the Titanmaw Behemoth had already sensed him.
The moment the Titanmaw Behemoth laid eyes on Zayen, it unleashed a deafening, furious roar that split the air like thunder.
BOOM—!
The soundwave tore through the forest, rattling the trees and sending birds fleeing in all directions. Its massive chest heaved violently, and it slammed both fists against its own chest, each strike shaking the earth beneath it.
Then, without hesitation, the Titanmaw Behemoth raised one massive arm, coiling its enormous muscles like a spring. Its claws, sharp as jagged mountains, glinted under the sunlight as it slammed its fist forward with horrifying speed and force.
[Mountain-Crushing Fist]
CRAAASH—!
Zayen barely had time to react. He felt the wind from the punch ripple past him, and instinctively, he activated Voidbound Flash Step, vanishing from the tree just as the Titanmaw Behemoth's fist tore through the branch he had been standing on.
The force of the blow splintered the tree like twigs, sending shards flying into the air. The forest shook again as the beast roared.
At that moment, the Titanmaw Behemoth suddenly sensed something wrong.
It twisted its massive body around—and its pupils shrank.
It saw that just a few meters behind it stood Zayen.
He was holding a short golden dagger in his hand, its blade gleaming faintly as spatial ripples slowly faded around him.
For a brief moment, the Titanmaw Behemoth froze.
It couldn't understand what had just happened.
The human before it had clearly been within the range of its punch—yet not only had he avoided the attack, but he had also appeared directly behind it without making a sound or leaving even the slightest trace.
The Titanmaw Behemoth stared coldly at Zayen, its massive eyes filled with solemnity.
ROAR!
A furious roar erupted from its throat.
In the next instant, its enormous body visibly expanded. Thick muscles bulged beneath its hide, veins standing out like coiled iron chains. Its yellow fur rapidly turned blood-red, and a terrifying aura burst forth, doubling in intensity.
[Bloodthirsty Rampage—Activated]
Its body was as massive as a three- or four-story building. Its imposing presence was awe-inspiring. At that moment, even Zayen was taken aback. His slender figure seemed incredibly small before the Titanmaw Behemoth. Like a mouse in front of a lion. The Titanmaw Behemoth stared coldly at Zayen, his eyes filled with solemnity.
Zayen's pupils contracted.
Without hesitation, he activated the system's identification function once more.
[Attack]: 185
[Defense]: 160
[Speed]: 200
Zayen inhaled sharply.
The Titanmaw Behemoth had entered a full rampage state—every single stat had increased by twenty points.
ROAR!
Another earth-shaking roar followed, echoing for several miles. The entire mountain hollow trembled violently, the ground cracking as shockwaves spread outward. Trees shook wildly, and countless leaves were torn free and sent spiraling into the air.
In the next second, the Titanmaw Behemoth's eyes blazed crimson.
A condensed red energy beam shot straight out from its pupils, tearing through the air with explosive force and streaking toward Zayen at full speed.
The space along its path warped violently.
Zayen's expression changed.
"That's fast…!"
Without even wasting a single moment, Zayen instantly activated the skill.
[Divine Manifestation]
Golden light erupted around him.
In the blink of an eye, three radiant golden shields materialized in midair, stacking tightly in front of Zayen like sacred barriers forged by the gods themselves. Ancient runes flowed across their surfaces as divine energy surged violently.
The red energy beam slammed into the first shield.
BOOOOM—!
A deafening explosion shook the mountain. The first shield shattered instantly, fragments of golden light scattering like broken stars.
The beam didn't stop.
It pierced straight into the second shield, causing it to crack violently as the runes flickered and dimmed.
CRACK—!
The second shield barely held for half a breath before collapsing.
Zayen's eyes narrowed.
The remaining energy struck the third shield, pushing it backward through the air as if a mountain itself were crashing down upon it. Zayen was forced to slide several meters back, his boots carving deep grooves into the ground.
Dust and smoke filled the battlefield.
When the light finally faded, the third shield trembled violently—its surface covered in spiderweb-like cracks—but it did not break.
Zayen let out a slow breath, golden light flickering faintly around his body.
In the distance, the Titanmaw Behemoth stared at him, its blood-red eyes burning with even greater fury.
Before Zayen could even fully regain his footing, the Titanmaw Behemoth moved.
Its massive arm drew back, muscles bulging as veins pulsed beneath its blood-red fur. In the next instant, it unleashed another devastating punch, tearing through the air like a falling mountain.
BOOOOM—!