The man staggered to his feet, one hand pressed firmly against his ribs. By now, he was nearly two hundred meters away from his beasts, broken trees littering the path behind him.

"…That broke a few ribs," he muttered as blood seeped from both corners of his mouth.

"Oh yeah?" Leo's voice rang out calmly. "Then brace yourself. A few more are coming."

The man's blood ran cold.

Leo was already beside him.

His pupils constricted as he snapped his arm up, barely managing to block the punch aimed straight for his head.

Boom!

Leo's fist slammed into his forearm, which flared with raging aura. For an instant, it held—then a dent formed along the reinforced limb. Bone cracked beneath the pressure as the man was sent flying once more, this time spinning sideways through the air.

Back near the battlefield, Shyra had already activated [Mist Shroud].

A dense, shadowy haze spread outward, empowering every being with even the faintest connection to her soul. Lily. Her beasts. Even Miho—who, by technical definition, was a soul servant to Lily.

Shyra became a phantom within the mist.

She struck relentlessly, chaining [Umbral Rift Pounce], [Critical Strike], and [Violet Hellbrand] with lethal precision. Nyxa supported her by constantly blinking in and out of existence using [Luminous Prowl Steps], harassing and distracting the enemies without giving them a moment to focus.

The man's earlier words proved true—the Magic Scorpion fought alone, holding Lunaria and the Treant at bay. Lily stayed at range, firing carefully; one misstep closer would mean instant death. Miho had been moved to safety, though her breathing was beginning to steady—regaining consciousness.

[Solar Beam]!

Niri unleashed her skill, the radiant attack lining up both the lion and the scorpion in its path.

The Noble Lion reacted instantly, sidestepping the beam—but Shyra punished the opening. Her claw tore through its leg, empowered by Critical Strike and venom. The lion roared in pain, its movement faltering.

The beam continued onward toward the scorpion.

Then—

It reflected.

The light shattered into countless smaller rays, scattering harmlessly in all directions. The scorpion stood completely unscathed.

Niri's eyes widened as she immediately shifted tactics, summoning [Vine Estranglement] to seize control of the battlefield.

The Noble Lion countered.

Activating a skill similar to [Critical Strike], it slashed squarely at Nyxa. Even reinforced by [Astral Aura Weave], a deep gash opened across her body. She was sent flying, crashing into the ground—out of commission in a single blow.

Since the life bracelet didn't activate, which meant the damage wasn't fatal.

Niri retreated at once to heal her.

Within the mist, only Shyra and her allies could see clearly. The lion and scorpion fought blindly, relying solely on instinct and battle-honed experience.

This is why people prefer a single high-level beast over multiple mid or low-level ones. One monster can turn the tide.

The man stood again—this time staring at his arm. It hung at an unnatural angle, the bone clearly fractured.

"You're abnormal," he said seriously. "I won't underestimate you anymore."

He shifted into a battle stance.

Leo suddenly appeared in front of him and blurted out, genuinely surprised,

"…Muay Thai?"

"Hoh?" The man raised a brow. "You recognize it? Then come."

Leo closed in again—but the man shifted his stance mid-motion and slipped past the attack.

"Boxing?!" Leo exclaimed.

Before he could process it, a kick slammed toward him. Leo blocked instinctively, activating [Astral Aura Weave], yet he still skidded backwards across the ground.

"Tch… that hurt," Leo muttered, rubbing his shoulder. "That felt like Critical Strike…"

The man watched him with renewed caution.

"You're not Mid 3-star," he said slowly. "I don't know how you're hiding it, but you've surpassed 3-star… not quite 4-star. Pseudo rank, maybe."

He returned to a Muay Thai stance.

Leo enveloped his entire body in aura and settled into his own.

"Well, I only know Krav Maga," Leo said calmly. "Let's see who comes out on top."

Krav Maga is a lethal combat system designed to neutralise enemies quickly by targeting sensitive areas of the body. Leo had learned it during his military days.

I have the advantage in raw strength, Leo noted internally.

A quick glance toward the centre showed the battle still balanced. Shyra's assassination-style combat clashed violently against the lion's direct, dominant approach. In the distance, Leo briefly caught sight of the druid—it had broken free from the vines and now stood guard over the treasure beacon, shielding it as if its life depended on it.

Both men charged.

Or rather—attempted to.

The man seamlessly switched between Muay Thai and boxing, his footwork and evasion polished to near perfection. Leo, though less refined, compensated with superior agility stats—that even though lower than others, was higher than that man's, slipping past lethal Muay Thai strikes while avoiding being cornered.

Stats and power versus skill and instinct honed over years.

They were so evenly matched that, amidst the flurry of blows, conversation broke out naturally.

"Andrew sold you the information too?" Leo asked, driving a punch toward Leon's sternum.

"Yeah," Leon replied, sidestepping smoothly. "Looks like he played us both and made a quick fortune."

"What's your name?" Leo asked, ducking under an elbow strike. "I'm Leo."

"…Leo?" Leon blinked. "The first-ranked guy on the leaderboard? Hm. No wonder. My name's Leon. I am second"

"Our names are awfully similar," Leo smirked, attempting a headbutt. "How about we share territory under that beacon? You'll be my subordinate, of course."

"Not happening, I prefer solitude," Leon replied flatly—and returned the headbutt.

That was a mistake.

Leo's superior stats overwhelmed him. Leon was sent tumbling backward again, clutching his head as blood streamed down his face. Even Leo staggered slightly—the recoil from Leon's aura-reinforced skull wasn't light. They both retreated, creating distance.

Then—

Leon sensed an attack.

A fireball hurtled toward him as he raised his hand.

[Magic Interference]

The flames vanished the moment they touched his palm.

He spotted Miho—black hair dishevelled, legs trembling—struggling to conjure another flame.

"Don't interfere," Leon said sharply, appearing in front of her. He raised his fist to punch her gut—then stopped.

"So fragile," he muttered, sensing her strength barely at mid-2-star.

Instead, he flicked her forehead.

Miho yelped and fell backwards onto the ground, clutching her head.

"Ah!" she cried softly, eyes watering as she sat there in pain.

"Sit there girl, this battle is not for you." Saying that, he turned towards Leo.

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