Aren instantly summoned his merged wolf shadow the moment the millipede moved.

He retreated a few steps, creating distance, as the wolf launched forward and slammed into the creature at full speed. The impact forced the millipede to halt for a brief moment, but it recovered almost instantly. Its massive jaws snapped shut around the wolf's neck, crushing it and slamming it into the ground, forcefully unsummoning it before lunging straight for Aren.

Aren had already summoned his wolf guard.

Seeing one of his strongest summons tossed aside so easily made his expression darken, but he did not let it shake him. Panic would get him killed here. He had to fight smart.

He slashed out with a powerful claw strike, the attack crashing into the millipede's hardened exoskeleton. The claws dug several centimeters into its head, but the damage was shallow. The creature screeched in irritation, more annoyed than injured, and continued charging at him without slowing down.

"Tch."

Without hesitation, he summoned as many wolves as he could.

Fang and the others lunged at the same time, circling the millipede and attacking from multiple angles, aiming for any exposed weak points. The millipede responded violently. It thrashed its massive body, rolling and twisting, slamming wolves aside with sheer force. One by one, they were crushed or flung into the cavern walls, unsummoned as quickly as they had appeared.

Aren scanned the cavern desperately for something, anything he could use.

But the space was barren. No terrain advantage. No cover. No tools.

The only way to survive was to find the millipede's weakness.

Before he could focus further, the creature finished dealing with his summons and lunged toward him again.

Left with no other option, He summoned the lightning wolf.

The boss wolf shadow erupted into existence, black lightning crackling violently around its body as it charged forward. Aren leapt onto its back, riding it head-on into the clash like a warrior charging into battle.

Wolf and millipede collided.

The impact threw Aren into the air.

He flipped midair, forcing himself to stay conscious as he observed the fight from above. That was when he saw it. On the millipede's head, there was a slight gap between the head and the segments behind it. Compared to the rest of its armored body, the opening was larger.

That's it.

If he could strike there, he could end this.

he prepared a claw strike.

Too late.

The millipede's tail whipped upward.

By the time he noticed it, he barely had time to react. He crossed his arms and reinforced his guard just as the tail slammed into him. The force sent him flying. He smashed into the cavern wall, coughing up blood as he crumpled to the ground.

His connection weakened.

The boss wolf staggered but continued fighting, firing lightning blast after lightning blast. The millipede pushed through them, ignoring the damage, and slammed the wolf into the wall. Rock shattered on impact as the summon was forcefully unsummoned.

The millipede turned its gaze toward Aren.

But he wasn't there.

The creature paused, searching.

Then it heard movement above.

It tilted its head upward.

Aren came crashing down from above, claws aimed straight for the gap.

Just before the strike could land, the millipede rolled its body inward, curling into a massive armored sphere. Aren's attack slammed harmlessly against it. In the next instant, the creature uncoiled like a spring and smashed into him again.

He was sent flying into a stalactite near the ceiling.

The formation shattered on impact. He fell with it, barely twisting his body in time to avoid being impaled as the massive stone spear crashed into the ground where he had been a moment earlier.

Pain tore through his body as he rolled across the cave floor.

He looked up.

The millipede was already charging again.

This time, it moved with pure rage, its massive body slamming against the cavern walls as it closed the distance.

"Fuck me," Aren cursed, forcing himself back into a fighting stance as he prepared for the next clash.

He decided to use his some of his free stat points. He needed every advantage he could get, and right now, three things mattered more than anything else: strength, speed, and intelligence.

He had neglected intelligence since entering the trials because it had already been higher than his other stats. But now, that was no longer acceptable. Intelligence was not just about knowledge. It was awareness. Reaction speed. The ability to process danger and adapt in the middle of chaos.

And right now, he needed that more than ever.

Without hesitation, he spoke to the system.

"Assign 4 stat points to Strength, Speed, and Intelligence."

The moment the command went through, a wave of warmth surged through his body. His muscles tightened, his senses sharpened, and his thoughts became clearer, faster, more focused.

Normally, he would have taken a moment to steady himself.

But there was no time.

The millipede was already moving.

As it charged, Aren retreated quickly, creating distance before unleashing a full-powered claw strike. The attack slammed into the creature's head, forcing it to pause for a split second. That was all he needed.

He bolted sideways.

The walls. He would use the walls.

The millipede was massive, far too large to maneuver cleanly in tight spaces. Staying near the cavern walls would limit its movement and give him angles to work with.

The millipede launched forward again.

Just as it was about to crash into him, Aren kicked off the ground and jumped as high as he could. His claws dug into a low-hanging stalagmite, his body swinging upward as the millipede slammed into the wall beneath him with explosive force.

Stone cracked.

From above, Aren dropped.

He aimed straight for the gap on its head, putting everything into the strike.

But the millipede recovered faster than he expected.

It twisted its head upward, jaws snapping open, ready to bite him in half.

Aren flipped midair, facing downward, and unleashed another claw strike directly into its mouth. The force slammed its jaws shut with a brutal crack.

Using its head as a platform, Aren pushed off lightly, flipping backward. He landed hard, rolled across the stone floor, and came to a stop on one knee, breath heavy.

He rose instantly and sprinted toward another wall.

He could not fight this thing head-on. He did not have the tools to pierce its armor consistently. This fight would be won with positioning, timing, and precision.

Smart, not strong.

He summoned his wolves again.

The merged wolf and the lightning wolf burst into existence at the same time, charging forward as one. As long as a summon was not completely destroyed, he could bring it back, as long as he had the soul energy.

Both wolves rushed the millipede, forcing its attention away from Aren.

He followed behind them.

He only needed one opening.

The lightning wolf opened its mouth and unleashed a barrage of black lightning. The blast slammed into the millipede's head, knocking it sideways and driving it into the ground. The creature screeched in fury.

The merged wolf attacked from below, clawing and biting at its underbelly. But the millipede retaliated instantly.

Its hooked legs came crashing down, stabbing straight through the merged wolf's body. It lifted the summon effortlessly and slammed it into the ground, forcefully unsummoning it.

Every movement it made was violent. Explosive. Overwhelming. It turned its gaze toward the lightning wolf and lunged.

The lightning wolf answered with a terrifying breath of lightning, the attack cracking the millipede's exoskeleton and forcing another screech from its throat. Still, it pushed through, slamming into the wolf as both struggled against each other.

That was the moment Aren had been waiting for. He launched himself off the wall. His body cut through the air, eyes locked on the gap between the millipede's head and its armored body. He channeled every ounce of soul energy he could into his hand, holding it back, compressing it, waiting.

Closer.

Closer.

The millipede was distracted. Its focus split. Its movement exposed.

This was it.

One strike.

One chance.

He swung down at full force.

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