—Few hours later—

Leo had been relaxing and meditating beside the Titanbreath Lotus for quite some time now, quietly consuming the Heartstones it had produced. The steady influx of energy helped balance his stats and replenish the power he had lost earlier. Compared to before, the violent sounds of battle outside had dulled significantly, fading into distant echoes. It seemed the chaos would be resolved soon.

Updated Stats:

Vitality: 505 [695]

Strength: 500 -> 505 [690 -> 695]

Agility: 414 -> 415 [604 -> 605]

Stamina: 503 -> 506 [693 -> 696]

Intelligence: 724 [914]

Mana: 72400 [91400]

"But to think my half-destroyed heart really generated…" Leo exhaled slowly, the breath steady as memories surfaced. His mind replayed the moment his heart had been bored through, the overwhelming sensation of emptiness that followed. Back then, he had truly believed he was dead.

Thankfully, his regeneration had worked even on something as vital as his heart. The Elasian Bloom petal had further enhanced the process, restoring it completely until it now functioned as if nothing had ever happened. More astonishing was the fact that he had managed to digest the excess energy from the petal ahead of time—without suffering any backlash.

"Most probably because most of my vitality was drained, and the energy from the Elasian Bloom was diverted to replenish it," Leo thought, his brows knitting slightly as he pieced it together.

Suddenly, a sharp intent surged through his senses.

It came from Howl.

"Shit… is it a demon?" Leo muttered under his breath. He sprang to his feet and swiftly donned the armour Brant had given him, the metal plates locking into place with a muted clink.

Only now did he realize how foolish it had been to forget wearing it earlier. It might have spared him the excruciating burns he had suffered.

"But then again, it might've just been destroyed by that red demon," Leo added grimly, recalling the horrifying figure with twisted goat horns. Just thinking about it made his spine crawl. He honestly felt like he might end up with PTSD—half-expecting that thing to crawl into his dreams the moment he closed his eyes.

Activating [Stealth], Leo carefully moved away from the Titanbreath Lotus. The treasure had finally chosen Howl as its guardian, and retrieving it without Howl would only sever the connection once more. So, he couldn't allow an intruder to reach this place. Then called all his beast back and told Niri to prepare [Solar Beam].

As another idea struck him, Leo activated an additional skill.

[Mist Shroud] – 2000 mana/minute

Ding!

Stats increased by 30%

"What?" Leo was baffled by the mana consumption, then he realised why.

"Looks like the amount of attribute points that increase is directly proportional to mana... At least the consumption is per minute. So... 45 minutes."

Now that Leo's stats have increased from before, a percentage increase in stats also becomes higher, making the mana cost high.

Tlak. Tlak. Tlak.

Soft, metallic footsteps echoed faintly through the fog, rhythmic.

A figure slowly emerged from within the mist.

"Strange…" a deep, resonant voice rumbled.

"Where did this mist come from?"

As the figure advanced, its form gradually became clearer. It stood nearly 6'5" tall, with a lean yet powerfully built frame. A single strip of black cloth was draped around its lower body, while its upper body remained completely bare, revealing sharply defined muscles and sculpted abs. Its skin gleamed unnaturally, reflecting light with a cold, dark greyish metallic sheen. Its eyes—entirely pitch black—held no irises or pupils.

"Isn't this the Colossus Lord Xyren captured?" the figure mused internally. "He mentioned it had metal manipulation abilities… If I obtain it, my techniques and blade could rise to the next rank."

Its expression darkened slightly.

"But why the hell does my taming talent keep bouncing back every time I try to tame it?"

"It's not even the pain of rejection… it just doesn't reach it at all."

He said, confusion flickering across his expression.

"It doesn't even feel influenced by the wrath drug," he continued, voice low and thoughtful. "Not to mention, it wasn't responding to the call at all. It came to this city on its own… yet didn't attack it. Why?"

He took a slow step forward, metal-sheen muscles shifting beneath his skin.

"Even circling the city just to wake the other colossus Lord Zyreth captured." His voice began to stretch lazily, as if deliberately drawing out every word. "And then there's this mistttt…"

He rolled his shoulders as he spoke, stretching as though relaxed, yet his hand trembled faintly. His head dipped ever so slightly, shadowing his face—like a predator settling into position.

"Everything comes down to one conclusion—"

His eyes slit narrow, focusing with an intensity that felt like pressure despite the absence of pupils. In the same instant, his hand warped and reshaped, fingers thinning and elongating into sharp, metallic blades that whistled through the air as they shot forward.

"—IT HAS BEEN TAMED!"

Leo's figure instantly materialized in the blade's path. He twisted midair and jumped back, the edge slicing through where his chest had been a heartbeat earlier.

"Tsk." Leo clicked his tongue, boots scraping against the ground as he regained balance.

The demon tilted his head slowly, studying him.

"Who are you?" he asked, disbelief lacing his deep voice. "You don't look like an instructor… or a professor." His lips curled. "A candidate?"

His grin spread unnaturally wide.

"Two," he said with manic delight. "I found two human prodigies in a single day!"

He let out a low laugh, metal skin creaking faintly as his shoulders shook.

"Too bad one escaped my blade—damn that bastard spatial mage." His gaze snapped back to Leo, sharp and eager. "But you? I'll kill you. You're even stronger than the previous one!"

Leo skidded to a halt, dirt scattering beneath his boots as his hands began to glow white, energy humming softly around his fingers.

What the fuck is he blabbering on about? Leo thought. Is he a verbose?

He couldn't believe he was about to fight a demon again—especially after barely escaping one earlier. But this one felt different. Dangerous, yes—but manageable. The previous demon had felt like an existence far beyond reach.

"Are you the one who tamed this colossus?" the demon asked, his grin twisting into mockery as he lunged forward.

Leo ducked and stepped sideways, narrowly evading the slashing blades. He had nothing to block them with—one wrong move and he'd lose a limb.

[Umbral Rift Pounce]!

His figure vanished.

In the very next instant, Leo reappeared behind the demon, driving a solid punch straight into his back. The impact sent a dull metallic boom through the air as the demon was flung forward, body bending unnaturally before crashing face-first into the dirt.

"You bastard!" the demon roared.

He twisted violently, raising one arm and aiming the blade toward Leo. Astral blades erupted outward in rapid succession, screeching through the air. Leo sprinted sideways in a tight circle, each blade missing him by inches, close enough to stir his torn clothes and slice the mist behind him.

Wait… Leo thought, eyes narrowing. He looks completely metal.

Should I try using my skill?

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.