The Earth Demon Rhinoceros did not slow down in the slightest.

With bloodthirst blazing in its eyes, it continued its charge straight at Ray.

Ray shot forward like a launched spear. Silver Impaling Array erupted beneath him, the grass spikes hurling his body upward in a clean, violent arc.

The Earth Demon Rhinoceros charged straight into the array. Its massive body was halted for no more than a heartbeat, yet that heartbeat was enough.

Twisting his waist midair, Ray drew every ounce of strength into his fist and smashed it straight toward the beast's face.

The rhinoceros roared, horns lowering as it met the punch head-on.

Among soul beasts of the same age, the Earth Demon Rhinoceros ranked among the top three in raw strength. Even the Duskgold Dreadclaw Bear would only place within the top ten.

Bang!

The impact sounded like colliding steel plates. Ray was blasted backward as if struck by a speeding train, his arm going numb from shoulder to fingertip. Even so, he flicked his wrist, sending a strand of Silverfalls Vine whipping out to coil around the rhinoceros's neck like a lasso.

The rhinoceros staggered a step back from the collision. It wasn't injured, but Ray's eyes flashed with pride. Very few could force such a reaction from a creature feared for its brute force alone.

Still airborne, Ray swept his gaze across the surroundings. The space reminded him of the beast arenas of old, places steeped in blood, courage, and greed, where soul masters tested their lives against soul beasts for fame and fortune. This place carried that same ruthless atmosphere.

The Earth Demon Rhinoceros possessed terrifying defense, even sturdier than the Duskgold Dreadclaw Bear. What it lacked was finesse and explosive killing power.

Ray yanked hard on the vine. Like a compressed spring snapping loose, he shot through the air once more.

At the same instant, Raziel struck.

Positioned at the rhinoceros's flank, his second soul ring flared as he activated Light Dragon Storm. Years of combat experience told him exactly where to aim.

The head.

Agility-type soul masters were known for explosive bursts of power, and Raziel was no exception.

The rhinoceros twisted, trying to pursue Ray, and that tiny opening was all Raziel needed. His daggers flashed, slamming into the beast's head.

The attack couldn't pierce the rhinoceros's hide, but it hurt.

That was enough.

With an angry bellow, the rhinoceros stomped its right foot down.

Boom!

A shockwave of yellow light detonated outward, spreading nearly twenty-five meters before fading. A step further, and it would have reached Lily and Violetta.

War Stomp.

A powerful paralysis-type soul skill.

Ray reacted instantly, tugging on the vine connected to Raziel and dragging him into the air. Even so, Raziel was a fraction too slow. Numbness surged through his body as the shockwave grazed him, forcing him to circulate his soul power desperately to regain control.

Meanwhile, Ray landed squarely atop the rhinoceros's head.

Golden scales tore through his skin as his right arm transformed into the Golden Dragon Claw.

Earth was the most stable of all elements, renowned for its defense. Breaking through an Earth Demon Rhinoceros's hide was the greatest challenge when facing it.

But Ray wasn't worried.

As long as his claw pierced the defense, the crushing effect would finish the job.

Yet just as he prepared to strike, something completely unexpected happened.

The moment the Golden Dragon Claw fully formed, searing heat flooded his body, like fire igniting within his blood.

His two purple soul rings vanished.

In their place, a single golden soul ring appeared.

A golden soul ring.

Violetta and Lily froze, minds blank. Even Raziel, midair and preparing another assault, stared in disbelief.

The golden ring radiated dazzling brilliance, bathing Ray in molten light. The scales on his arm and claw lost their muted sheen, now gleaming like cut gemstones.

A terrifying aura of blood essence surged outward as his body swelled with strength.

Bang!

The Earth Demon Rhinoceros threw its head violently, hurling Ray away.

Distracted by the sudden transformation, Ray missed his chance to attack. He barely managed to raise his scaled arm to block the rhinoceros's horn.

This time, there was no tremor. No numbness.

He stared at the golden glow enveloping him, stunned.

"Ray, be careful!" Lily shouted.

Yellow light surged toward him as jagged earth spikes erupted from the ground. Having just landed, Ray braced himself.

Then something strange occurred.

The earth spikes struck his body, only for the golden light to merge with his skin. He was blasted into the air, but not a single wound appeared.

Ray grunted from the impact, realization crashing into him.

This golden light… it's reinforcing my body?

Is this the surprise Grandpa Miel mentioned?

There was no time to think.

Spinning midair, Ray seized the Silverfalls Vine bound to the rhinoceros's head and dove downward like a hawk.

At the same moment, Raziel arrived.

Still airborne, his body blurred as he split into three figures. A heartbeat later, another three shadows emerged from concealment.

Twin Dragon Clones.

Light Dragon Clones and Shadow Dragon Clones combined, creating six identical figures that assaulted the rhinoceros from all directions.

Two clones charged straight at its eyes.

Even the toughest hide couldn't protect that weakness.

As if sensing the danger, the rhinoceros slammed its thick eyelids shut, enduring the storm of attacks.

Maintaining Twin Dragon Clones demanded immense control and soul power, leaving Raziel unable to activate other skills. But he didn't need to.

Six simultaneous assaults were chaos incarnate.

Violetta seized the opening.

Starlight Shackles flared beneath the rhinoceros, chains of light locking around its legs. The restraint lasted only an instant, but it was enough to disrupt the beast's balance.

The massive body tilted.

Above them, the illusionary stars glittered brilliantly. Though false, the night sky empowered Violetta's abilities, granting her perfect control over her Starlight Shackles.

In that fleeting moment of imbalance, the Earth Demon Rhinoceros was finally vulnerable.

If Violetta's Starlight Shackles could restrain even someone of Alfred's caliber, then using it on an Earth Demon Rhinoceros was almost bullying.

Yet Lily did not attack.

Instead, she calmly withdrew her soul power, her soul rings fading as if she had already completed her part.

Violetta snapped out of her daze and reinforced the opening with her shackles. Ray seized the moment without hesitation, vines snapping taut as he vaulted back onto the rhinoceros's head.

His radiant golden dragon claw came crashing down.

This time, his target was the nape.

Ray knew better than to gamble on brute force alone. The rhinoceros's skull was notoriously tough, but its neck, though still sturdy, was comparatively vulnerable.

The instant his claw made contact, the golden light coating his body surged forward, converging entirely on his arm. His claw gleamed like molten gold.

Crack!

The crushing effect erupted.

The rhinoceros's hardened hide shattered like brittle armor. Ray drove his claw deep into the breach.

A split second later, the Earth Demon Rhinoceros collapsed with a thunderous crash. Its massive body slammed into the ground as its spine snapped cleanly, severing both its control and its life.

Ray stood atop the fallen beast, staring at his claw.

It sparkled brilliantly, pristine and unstained by blood.

So strong…

A storm of emotions churned in his chest.

Breaking the second seal had brought him far more than he had expected.

The most obvious change was that mysterious golden soul ring, which appeared whenever he unleashed his golden dragon claw. Unlike Silverfalls Vine, which consumed soul power, this golden soul ring fed on his physical strength and blood essence.

His golden dragon claw no longer drained soul power at all.

Instead, he could feel his blood essence being consumed to sustain it. And when his blood essence dropped too low, a familiar consequence followed.

Hunger.

But this change also meant something extraordinary.

He could now maintain his golden dragon claw for much longer. Its power had increased drastically, and the golden scales amplified his physical strength even further. The scales no longer stopped at his arm, now covering the entire right side of his body, reinforcing everything they touched.

Without these changes, there was no way he could have killed an Earth Demon Rhinoceros so decisively.

Somewhere deep within his consciousness, a name surfaced.

Golden Dragon Body.

This soul skill enhanced every aspect of him, strength, speed, attack, and defense, but its greatest boost was raw power. That was why he could clash head-on with the rhinoceros and not be overwhelmed.

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