Something wrapped around him.

His muscles tensed violently as thick spider silk coiled around his body, binding his limbs in an instant. He strained with all his strength, veins bulging, but the silk didn't budge.

At that moment, he realized with horror—

He couldn't even reach the emergency exit button.

A chilling xixisuosuo sound echoed through the forest.

Pain exploded through his body.

Then the pain vanished.

Cold seeped into his bones as numbness swallowed him whole.

*

"Prepare emergency treatment!" a Spirit Tower staff member barked urgently.

Volt's metal chamber slid out violently. His body was trembling uncontrollably, even as the electrodes were torn away.

White-clad figures swarmed in. One of them plunged a syringe into Volt's neck, delivering the contents directly into his bloodstream.

"Was it the Man-Faced Demon Spider again?"

"Yes. That one's brutal. Didn't even give him time to press the button." A sigh followed. "This child's luck is truly terrible."

Alfred and Aaron watched in silence as the medics worked with swift precision.

After more than ten minutes, the leader of the group finally exhaled. "He'll be fine. His willpower is strong. Let him rest, and he'll wake up soon."

The white-clad figures departed, leaving the room eerily calm, as if nothing unusual had occurred.

Barbara stood frozen, his face pale.

"T-Teacher… Director Aaron… Rach's okay, right?" His voice wavered. "Isn't the spirit ascension platform virtual? How did it end up like this…"

A nearby staff member replied calmly, "The spirit ascension platform is virtual, but not entirely. What you feel inside is identical to reality. Pain, fear, sensation—everything is transmitted directly to the brain.

"If someone is torn apart inside, their brain experiences every detail. Even after the body is restored, the mind may still believe death has occurred. Once that belief forms, the body can truly begin to shut down."

Barbara's breath hitched.

"This effect is strongest on first-time entrants. As spiritual power increases, resistance improves. But by the time one can fully ignore it…" The staff member smiled faintly. "They won't be eligible for the elementary platform anymore. They'll enter the intermediate one instead."

His smile sent a chill down Barbara's spine.

*

Lily wandered through the forest quietly, her steps unhurried, her expression distant.

The towering trees, the fresh air, the overwhelming vitality—it all felt strangely familiar. Like a dream from another lifetime.

So beautiful… I really like this feeling.

The Spirit Tower's creation was nothing short of miraculous.

She ventured deeper, encountering several soul beasts along the way. Each fell easily, and every victory caused a faint glow to ripple through her body.

Her eyes brightened with each sensation.

Among the five, she and Ray knew the least about the spirit ascension platform. Yet instinctively, she felt that something important was happening within her.

Then—

The bushes ahead exploded.

A massive figure leapt out.

A giant bear, over three meters tall, its body covered in light brown fur. Thick claws dug into the ground as yellow eyes locked onto Lily.

It roared.

And charged.

*

"A thousand-year soul beast," a staff member muttered. "Should we intervene?"

Alfred didn't look away from the screen. "Observe."

It was a rare Crystal Bear, a mutated cousin of the Dreadclaw Bear. Though weaker than its infamous relative, it possessed a terrifying ability: every attack caused partial crystallization of its target. Stack enough hits, and the opponent would shatter.

Its weakness was simple—no ranged attacks.

Even with only one soul ring, Lily was the strongest among the five in terms of control. Her mastery of elements, especially space, placed her in a league of her own.

Alfred wanted to see how she would respond.

The Crystal Bear attacked.

*

Lily didn't panic.

A yellow soul ring rose beneath her feet.

"First soul skill… Elemental Tide."

Green light washed over her body. Then silver flashed—

She vanished.

The Crystal Bear slammed into empty air, crashing headlong into a massive tree.

Without turning back, Lily ran.

She waved her hand behind her, conjuring a violent gust. Leaves erupted into the air, forming a swirling curtain that blinded the bear.

In that instant, silver light flashed again.

She changed direction.

And disappeared.

*

"Beautiful," Aaron praised softly. "Clean and decisive."

Alfred nodded. Calm judgment, instant decision-making, flawless execution. Knowing when to retreat was a strength.

His gaze shifted to another screen.

Three dots remained.

Lily was running straight toward Ray.

"Yi?" Alfred murmured, surprised.

Boom. Boom.

The ground trembled.

Raziel Phoenix's expression sharpened. The noise was close—and approaching fast.

Anyone causing this much chaos in a soul beast forest either had confidence… or madness.

Low on soul power, Raziel Phoenix chose caution. He scaled a tree in seconds, suppressing his aura and holding his breath.

Better to wait than flee blindly.

The thickets ahead exploded.

A colossal figure burst forth, charging wildly—

Straight toward him.

Raziel Phoenix's pupils shrank.

Over four meters tall. Metallic scales covered its body. A single horn jutted from its forehead, gleaming with menace.

A Horned Dragon.

And judging by its presence—

An exceptionally ferocious one.

Raziel Phoenix swallowed hard.

The moment he laid eyes on the ferocious soul beast, his throat went dry. Every soul beast he had encountered today existed only in books before this. Unfortunately, his memory was far too good.

A two-legged Horned Dragon.

A land dragon–type soul beast. Brutal strength. Explosive leaping power. Jerky, unpredictable movements that let it weave through dense forests as if terrain meant nothing. No ranged attacks, but once it locked onto prey, it would chase it to the ends of the world.

Among Agility System Soul Masters, this creature was infamous.

Fast. Tough. Tireless.

And worst of all, unstoppable.

A hundred-year Horned Dragon alone was already a nightmare. For someone like Raziel Phoenix, who had just obtained his second soul ring and was far from peak condition, it was practically a death sentence.

Why… why is it charging straight at me?!

Bang!

Before Raziel Phoenix could even finish the thought, the Horned Dragon smashed headfirst into the tree he was hiding in. The thick trunk, which would've taken two people to wrap their arms around, snapped clean in half.

Raziel Phoenix shot at another tree without hesitation.

Its front limbs look weak… it shouldn't be able to climb, right?

Hope was beautiful.

Reality was merciless.

The Horned Dragon pivoted instantly and charged again. This time, it didn't ram the trunk. It jumped.

Its massive body launched upward, jaws gaping wide as it snapped toward Raziel Phoenix in midair.

A golden blade of light slashed across its scales.

Clang!

The strike left only a shallow, finger-length white scar.

That single exchange told Raziel Phoenix everything he needed to know.

He couldn't hurt it.

He jumped again.

The Horned Dragon pursued him through the canopy, leaping from trunk to trunk with terrifying agility. Its massive body moved with shocking speed, never losing ground.

So this is why they call it the nemesis of Agility System Soul Masters…

Raziel Phoenix didn't dare fight head-on. Even Light Dragon Storm would only get him killed. Its scales rivaled armored dragons, yet it moved like a predator born for ambush.

He ran.

Hard.

But the Horned Dragon was still closing in.

Soul power drained. Muscles screamed. His breathing turned ragged.

Is… is this really how it ends?

His fingers trembled as they hovered over the emergency exit button.

Unwillingness burned in his chest.

This was his first time in the spirit ascension platform. He hadn't come this far just to leave like this.

"HOU—!"

The Horned Dragon roared.

A violent shockwave slammed into Raziel Phoenix's back, staggering him mid-leap.

His hand moved.

He closed his eyes.

Then—

Something tugged sharply at his waist, yanking him sideways.

The Horned Dragon crashed into another tree, missing him completely.

Raziel Phoenix's heart leapt.

That pull… I know that feeling.

He stopped himself from pressing the button.

A silver streak shot past him.

"Get lost!"

A chilling aura swept across the clearing.

The Horned Dragon's movements suddenly slowed, as if something invisible had crushed down on its instincts. In that brief moment of hesitation, the silver streak smashed directly into its skull.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Three thunderous impacts echoed.

The massive beast was sent tumbling across the ground, rolling several times before barely managing to stand.

Ray yanked Raziel Phoenix back with a coil of Silverfalls Vine. "You alright?"

Raziel Phoenix gasped, sweat soaking his back. "I'm fine. But be careful. Once a Horned Dragon locks onto prey, it never gives up."

Ray laughed calmly. "Then it picked the wrong target."

Golden scales spread over his right arm as a tyrannical dragon aura surged outward.

For the first time since appearing, the Horned Dragon hesitated.

Its claws dug into the earth, instincts screaming warnings.

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