The roar echoed throughout the Shadow continent, awakening the dormant beast king that had been slumbering beneath the ground. It stirred, responding to the primal call.
Michael halted abruptly as tremors rippled through the earth beneath his feet. "What in the world?" Meanwhile, Jacob surveyed their surroundings, still accompanied by Damien Shadow and Awana, while Michael remained separated from the group within the depths of the Shadow Forest.
Trees throughout the forest began to quiver violently, some toppling from the intensity of the tremors. A thunderous roar descended from beyond the heavens, creating a shockwave that felled multiple trees and hurled Michael against a trunk. His head cracked against the unyielding bark, plunging him into unconsciousness.
Ray, nearly healed, witnessed Michael's violent collision. Acting swiftly, he activated his hard body skill and scooped Lily into his arms, shielding her fragile form from the cascade of falling trees and debris.
"This damned rumbling," Right muttered bitterly. "At this point, we might as well abandon the portal. We'll be too late by the time we reach it."
Percy raged silently: Gods! For subjecting me and my teammates to this cruel fate! Me, Ron, Max, Elias, Lily—all of us enduring this torment because you selected us. What reason could justify choosing a seven-year-old child? What reason for selecting me, or Max, or Elias? Why choose any of us at all?
His mind screamed: Why inflict such harsh treatment upon us?
Why?
A message materialized in his consciousness:
The gods have heard your questioning. The gods have heard your cries. The gods are not yet ready to answer, but will do so when you are prepared. The gods, in their generosity, bestow upon you a second gift.
Gift one: Hard Body
Gift two: Star
Skill description—Star:
Enables the user to harness stardust energy, granting access to star powers.
Proximity to stars generates and amplifies energy.
When distant from your primary star, energy can be drawn from nearby celestial bodies.
"You think granting me a second gift will silence me?" Ray challenged mentally.
His internal protest was interrupted as a tree crashed toward him. He dodged nimbly, his hard body protection long since depleted.
Michael regained consciousness with a groan, clutching his throbbing head. "Come on, what's happening? Is this some earthquake? What exists on this planet that could cause such disturbance?"
But this was no earthquake.
A colossal Shadow beast emerged from the ground, its countless black tentacles writhing beneath multiple yellow eyes that glared down at them. Standing perhaps twenty feet tall, it possessed hundreds of sinuous appendages, with a massive maw gaping from its stomach and another adorning its head. Each mouth bristled with at least a hundred razor-sharp teeth, possibly more.
The beast king lunged toward them. Michael evaded, grasping his shadow staff with a smirk. "Perfect timing. Now I can feed my staff and discover what you're truly capable of." He darted forward, but the creature denied him the opportunity, swinging a tentacle that slammed him against a tree. His staff flew from his grasp, landing several feet away.
"The staff!" he gasped, reaching desperately. Another tentacle seized him, hurling him skyward before snatching him mid-air and smashing him into the ground with such force that it created a crater. Michael slipped back into unconsciousness.
While Michael endured this beating, Ray channeled star energy from distant celestial bodies and from this planet's own star, which glowed with an ominous black light. Unknowingly, he absorbed star void energy—far more potent than regular stardust energy.
Unaware of the distinction, he merged these energies, believing this combination would simply enhance his power. Instead, the star void energy corrupted the stardust, creating a more concentrated void energy within him.
After accumulating sufficient power, Ray attempted to transfer some star energy to Lily, but her body instantly rejected it.
The beast unleashed another shockwave, flinging Michael against a tree and sending Ray, still clutching Lily, hurtling backward. Lily was thrown from his grasp, crashing into a tree and losing consciousness.
Ray immediately sprang to his feet, having activated hard body mid-air to protect himself. "This skill has proven more valuable than I ever anticipated," he remarked, rising again. Concentrating star energy into his palms, he thrust them forward, releasing a black star beam that surged toward the beast.
The creature, mistaking it for ordinary Shadow energy, attempted to absorb the attack. The shadow void energy struck violently, nearly severing one of the beast king's tentacles. The monster roared in pain, thrashing its appendages toward Ray, who dodged, activated hard body again, and continued evading.
As Ray ducked and weaved through the onslaught of tentacles, a thought troubled him: "Wait—the energy was black. Shouldn't stardust be yellow or something similar? Why was it black?"
Distracted by these questions, he failed to notice a tentacle rushing toward his head. It struck with devastating force, sending him flying backward through multiple trees before he skidded across the ground.
Michael eventually regained his senses, standing shakily as his brain reeled from the impact. He retrieved his staff and assessed the situation. "Clearly Ray's having trouble. Perhaps I can assist," he said, charging forward with the intention of absorbing the shadow energy within the beast king. But matters were not so straightforward.
The beast opened the mouth atop its head, charging a massive yellow beam. "Watch out!" Ray shouted, still being assaulted by tentacles. The beast demonstrated remarkable multitasking ability—while charging its devastating attack, it continued lashing out with its tentacles, its numerous eyes tracking both opponents simultaneously.
The beam shot toward Michael, who stood helpless. He couldn't absorb it—this wasn't shadow energy. He was doomed, facing certain death.
"You fool! How dare you attempt to kill my team member before I do!" Jacob shouted, rushing forward and striking the beam with his fist, momentarily deflecting it.
The beam quickly resumed its course toward Jacob, the brief deflection having minimal effect. It tore through Jacob's right arm, obliterating his gauntlet and limb entirely.
He screamed, clutching the bloody stump of his destroyed arm. Quickly regaining his footing, he prepared to strike the beast with all the power his Beast Slayer gauntlet had accumulated since his level up. He was finished with games—it was time to prove his worth, to demonstrate he could slay a beast alone and deserve godhood.
"Don't do it, you idiot!" Michael warned.
"I saved you—show some gratitude," Jacob retorted.
"Fine, die then. You've only been holding our team back," Michael replied coldly.
"Whatever, loser. I'm not going to—"
Another beam, identical in size and yellow hue, struck Jacob mid-sentence, incinerating him to ash.
Michael's wish had manifested—Jacob was dead. Though not exactly as he'd envisioned sacrificing Jacob to the first beast they encountered, the outcome satisfied him. Jacob had already slain thirty beasts within the loop, but his death would allow their team to advance more effectively. They would function better without him.
Lily finally regained consciousness, surveying the chaos around her. Seeing Ray struggling against the tentacles, she rushed forward, firing light beams that merely scorched the appendages.
The beast king launched a tentacle toward Lily. Her small body couldn't move quickly enough to evade—she was defenseless, frozen in place.
"I won't let you kill her!" Ray bellowed. "I won't let anyone die! We promised to survive together, and I intend to keep that vow no matter what!" He leaped forward, navigating through multiple tentacles before grabbing Lily and diving clear of the incoming strike.
"You tried to kill my only friend," he seethed, "the person I've protected for so long—the one who saved my life! I will end your existence and make you suffer for this," Ray vowed.
And so his quest for vengeance began.