The backlash sent the Howler flying as if struck by an invisible hammer. It tore through two trees, splintering wood and scattering leaves before finally crashing to a brutal stop. It coughed up a mouthful of dark blood, splattering it across the forest floor. Yet the madness in its eyes did not dim. Snarling, trembling, it forced itself upright, preparing to hurl its battered body back into the fight while the golem remained restrained.

But that moment never arrived.

The Gravelback Howler froze mid-step. Its breath hitched. A violent tremor ran through its frame as it suddenly spat another mouthful of blood. Slowly, shakily, it glanced down——and saw a black claw jutting clean through its chest, piercing from behind. Held within the metallic talons was a round object pulsing faintly, its grey, veiny surface slick with blood.

His vision darkened at the edges, but not before he caught sight of a massive vine—thick as a tree trunk—bursting from the ground. It speared straight through the golem's back, mirroring the way its own chest had been pierced. At the vine's curled, pointed tip rested the golem's white, pulsing core.

For the Gravelback Howler, this sight brought an eerie sense of relief.

It had known it couldn't defeat the golem alone, not in its battered state—but with help, victory was possible. Still, the win being assisted didn't sit right with any competitive beast. So it embraced its death as a trade—its own life for its enemy's—allowing a warped sense of satisfaction to settle in its dimming gaze. It didn't even bother to turn around to look at the entity that killed it.

The claw withdrew with a wet, sucking sound, and the surrounding shadows shivered before pulling together. Shyra's massive form slowly materialised from the dark, as though the darkness itself had woven her shape back into existence.

Gravelback Howler (High 2-star) Killed – 4000xp

Leo gave a curt nod. "Looks like her assassination skills and stealth are improving," he remarked, a faint note of pride colouring his tone.

He summoned the skill windows.

[Stealth] – 2% → 96% (High)

[Critical Strike] – 10% → 88% (Intermediate)

Shyra didn't waste even a heartbeat before biting down on the beast core with a crisp crunch that echoed through the silent clearing.

But… nothing followed.

Leo's brows knitted together.

"What? Why isn't she advancing?" he muttered, confusion slipping into his voice.

He could sense it clearly—her energy was overflowing, filled to the brim. She should have advanced instantly. So why didn't she?

While he tried to unravel the strange situation, Niri's thick vine turned elegantly and lowered the [Earthpulse Heartstone] into his waiting hand.

Earthpulse Heartstone – Intermediate Blue Tier TreasureCharge – 36%

The number shifted his focus immediately.

"Figures… With how intensely that core was pulsing, it must consume a massive amount of energy every beat," he murmured, absently overlooking the fact that Shyra had begun tearing into the Gravelback Howler's flesh, chewing through bones with ruthless efficiency.

He crushed the core in his palm. The strengthening energy seeped into his body, warm and dense, wrapping him in a faint white glow—though much weaker than before.

Ding!

Level 21: 4025 / 14658

Vitality: 36.2 → 36.4 [81.2 → 81.4]

Strength: 38.1 → 39.4 [83.0 → 84.3]

Agility: 38.4 → 38.5 [83.4 → 83.5]

Stamina: 37.4 → 38.7 [82.4 → 83.7]

Intelligence: 56.1 [101.1]

Mana: 9099

"Less charge, lesser stats," he snorted.

But another chime rang out immediately after, sharp and unexpected.

"What now…?" he muttered, frowning.

Ding!

Obsidian Panther Cub [Shyra] (High 2-star) → Obsidian Panther Cub [Shyra] (Peak 2-star) – Noble Bloodline

"Huh? Why so late—" Leo's voice cut off mid-sentence the moment he turned in Shyra's direction.

His breath hitched.

Her new form was… staggering.

In the brief moment he had been focused on his own empowerment, he hadn't noticed her transformation. Now she stood tall—monstrously tall—nearly six to seven meters at the shoulder even standing on all fours, she was taller than James's bipedal Jbear. Her body stretched over ten meters long, sleek yet terrifyingly powerful, with a tail that resembled a deadly whip meant to strike giants.

Her upper canines now protruded from her jaw, elegantly curved and nearly twenty centimetres long—childlike in appearance only because the rest of her body had become colossal.

"Wait… is this why she's still labelled a 'cub'?" Leo muttered, dazed. His eyes roamed her massive frame. "I can only guess how Shyra will look once she becomes a mature adult…"

Her claws had grown drastically—at least thirty centimetres longer, each one a hooked blade of obsidian-black death. And though her entire body shared the same raven-dark tone, the glassy obsidian sheen gave her tusks, claws, and fur an eerie contrast. He imagined her stalking through a pitch-black cave, only the gleam of those blades visible—paralysing prey with terror before she even attacked.

Even Niri fluttered down onto Leo's shoulder, her ruby-bright eyes widening with excitement as she gazed at Shyra.

Clearly, she was only thinking about how much more room she now had to roll over her when she rode her.

Shyra just snorted—a deep, rumbling exhale—and continued devouring the dead Gravelback Howler without a care.

It was as if Shyra were saying, "Ignorant plebeian."The air practically crackled with silent rivalry. Both she and Niri, bearing bloodlines of higher order, seemed to be challenging each other over nobility—an unspoken clash of dignity and pride.

It was then Leo noticed something else—

The Gravelback Howler's body was almost completely gone. Only a few scraps of fur and pulverised bone remained on the forest floor.

He slapped his forehead with a loud smack.

"How could I forget…" Leo muttered, an embarrassed grimace twisting his face. "Just having energy isn't enough to advance. It needs material to build its body too… It's like doing a ton of exercise without eating any protein."

The realization stung more because it was his fault. Ever since the trial began, he had been sending every beast corpse back using the metal plate—clean, efficient, and leaving not a single bite for Shyra. He had only given her the cores, boosting her energy but giving her no physical material to reconstruct her growing form.

He turned toward Niri with a sigh.

"Then I guess even you require that as well…"

Before he could finish the thought, an intent brushed his mind—soft but clear, like a whisper directly into his consciousness.

"Master, my advancement depends mostly on cores and absorbed mana. As I am half spirit, I only require about thirty percent physical material."

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