Valtor pushed ahead. His eyes were bright, almost burning with excitement.

Then...

The air shifted.

A heavy pressure rolled through the forest, making the smaller plants tremble.

Valtor stopped.

"…Oi."

From between the trees, a massive shadow stepped forward.

Its body was covered in dark, uneven scales, and its eyes glowed with a deep, violent light.

Every breath it took made the air feel thick.

Arden's eyes narrowed instantly.

"Third realm demonic beast," he said sharply. "Valtor, get back. Now."

Valtor's lips stretched into a grin.

"So this is it," he muttered. "Perfect."

"Valtor!" Arden shouted.

But Valtor was already moving.

He stomped forward, muscles tightening as he rushed in with a roar. "COME ON!"

The beast turned its head slowly.

Then...

BOOM!

A shockwave exploded outward from its body.

Valtor didn't even have time to block.

His body was thrown back like a broken doll, crashing through trees before slamming hard into the ground.

"VALTOR!" Dion shouted.

Dion dashed forward, sliding to Valtor's side.

Smoke rose from Valtor's torn clothes, his chest heaving as he coughed.

"…Tch," Valtor groaned. "That… hit hard."

His body was bruised and bleeding, bones aching, but he was still breathing.

Dion let out a sharp breath. "You idiot."

He quickly pulled out a green bottle and tipped it toward Valtor's mouth.

"Drink slowly."

Valtor swallowed, face twisting. "Still… bitter…"

"But alive," Dion replied.

Arden walked over, stopping beside them.

He looked down at Valtor, then sighed deeply.

"Dion," he said quietly, "take care of him."

Dion nodded without hesitation. "Leave him to me."

Arden straightened and turned toward the beast.

The demonic creature watched him calmly, head tilted slightly, as if curious.

Arden clenched his fists.

"I've beaten a third realm cultivator before," he said, more to himself than anyone else.

"But a third realm demonic beast…"

He took a deep breath, mana flowing steadily through his body.

"Let's see," Arden said, eyes steady, "which one of us is stronger."

The demonic beast let out a rough snort.

It looked like a massive rhino, its body thick and heavy, skin layered with dark plates.

The ground shook as it lowered its head and charged straight at Arden.

Valtor, still leaning against a tree, widened his eyes. "S-Senior Brother!"

Arden didn't move back.

Instead, he slammed his fist into the ground.

The earth cracked.

Roots burst upward in an instant, thick and fast, wrapping around the rhino's legs and body.

They twisted and tightened, digging into the ground like living chains.

The beast roared and released a shockwave.

BOOM!

Several roots exploded apart.

But before the pieces even hit the ground, new roots grew out, thicker than before, wrapping even tighter.

The rhino roared again and sent another shockwave.

More roots broke, and more grew, replacing them.

Arden smiled faintly.

"My [Unique Physique] is [Nature]," he said calmly.

"So don't think you can destroy my roots that easily."

The beast struggled harder, but the ground itself betrayed it.

Roots wrapped around its neck, its legs, and even its horns.

Every movement only made them tighten more.

Soon, the rhino couldn't move at all.

Its breathing became heavy and panicked.

Arden raised his hand.

Wood formed in his palm, shaping itself into a smooth bow.

Another movement, and a sharp wooden arrow appeared, its tip glowing faintly with mana.

He drew the bowstring back.

"End of the line."

The arrow flew.

It pierced straight through the rhino's head, coming out the other side.

The massive body trembled once… then collapsed, completely still.

The forest went quiet.

Valtor stared, mouth slightly open. "…So this is the power of Senior Brother Arden."

Dion let out a low whistle.

Arden lowered the bow, the wood fading back into mana.

He turned to the others. "Bring the corpse back. We're returning."

Then he walked over to Valtor and stopped in front of him.

"Are you okay?"

Valtor nodded fast.

"Yeah. I'm fine. The green potion saved me."

He tapped his chest and then his stomach.

"I was in pain for a bit, but it healed fast. I can still move."

Arden let out a quiet breath. The tension in his shoulders eased a little.

"Good," he said. Then his face turned serious again.

"Don't do that again."

Valtor scratched the back of his head.

"I know… I just thought I could handle it."

Arden shook his head slightly.

"You're strong for a first realm, but that was still a third realm demonic beast."

He pointed at the corpse behind them. "One mistake, and you'd be dead."

He paused, then added in a flat tone,

"Don't be the first disciple to die in the God Gym."

Valtor stiffened. "Y-Yeah. I won't."

He nodded firmly this time. "I promise."

Dion, standing nearby, crossed his arms and chuckled.

"You scared us there. Try not to give your seniors heart attacks."

Valtor grinned weakly. "Sorry about that."

Arden turned away from him and walked back toward the corpse.

He crouched slightly, studying it.

His eyes traced the thick hide, the broken horn, and the heavy muscles that still hadn't relaxed.

"…Still," he muttered.

Dion stepped closer. "Still what?"

Arden frowned. "It's a third realm demonic beast… but it feels weaker than I expected."

Valtor blinked. "Weaker? That thing blasted me flying."

Arden nodded.

"That's because you're still in the first realm. Against you, it was overwhelming."

He paused, then added calmly.

"But compared to a third realm cultivator, it lacks refinement. It relies on brute strength and demonic mana, not control."

Valtor scratched his head, trying to process it. "So… it's strong, but sloppy?"

"That's one way to put it," Arden replied. "Still dangerous, but predictable."

He looked back at the corpse one last time.

"Even so, I expected more resistance. Maybe the demonic beasts here haven't fully awakened yet."

Dion adjusted his grip on Valtor's shoulder. "Either way, we got what we came for."

Arden nodded. "Yeah. No need to push our luck today."

He turned toward the path leading back to the God Gym. "Let's head back for now."

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