The monster infused its claws with mana as it slowly raised them, the energy gathering like a storm about to break, ready to deliver the decisive blow.
Shin's eyes began to show a faint flicker—fear… frustration… disbelief—as he stared at the towering figure before him.
My attacks… didn't do anything.
The thought echoed in his mind, heavy and suffocating.
All that time… all that effort…
The technique Shin had been refining for so long—the one he had trusted, the one he believed would turn the tide—had barely grazed the monster. A shallow mark. Nothing more.
Meaningless.
The hound moved.
Its claws came crashing down, slicing through the air with terrifying force—so fast it felt like lightning itself had taken form.
Shin reacted on instinct.
With what little strength he had left, he forced his body to move.
Just in time.
Barely.
The claws tore through the space where he had stood a fraction of a second ago.
He landed hard, his body slamming against the ground, breath knocked violently from his lungs.
BOOM.
The attack struck the earth, shattering it completely. Stone cracked, soil erupted, and the ground beneath him fractured under the sheer force.
The shockwave followed instantly.
It hit him like a wall.
Shin was thrown back, his body dragged across the ground before finally coming to a halt at a distance.
For a moment… there was nothing.
Only ringing silence.
Then—
Dust.
Thick clouds of dust filled the battlefield, swallowing everything in a hazy blur.
Shin groaned, forcing himself up.
His body protested every movement.
Still… he stood.
Slowly.
As the dust began to clear, the destruction revealed itself.
A massive crater.
Wide. Deep. Violent.
Shin's eyes widened slightly.
There was no denying it anymore.
I can't win.
The realization settled in, cold and absolute.
Not doubt.
Not fear.
Truth.
I need to find a way to retreat.
His breathing grew heavier.
I'm running low… mana… stamina…
Each breath burned.
At most… three times…
His grip tightened.
I can only use Beast Mimicry three more times before I completely run out.
"Damn it…"
His voice came out low, strained.
Shin's eyes moved quickly, scanning his surroundings.
The valley.
The walls.
The terrain.
Anything—anything—that could give him a way out.
But nothing stood out.
Nothing promised escape.
And in that moment, something shifted inside him.
He was no longer fighting for control.
No longer fighting for confidence.
No longer fighting for pride.
He was fighting to survive.
The hound didn't give him time to think.
It charged.
Fast. Relentless.
Shin moved.
The creature lunged—he dodged.
But it didn't stop.
It never stopped.
The hound unleashed a barrage of attacks, each one heavier than the last, each one faster, sharper, more precise.
There was no opening.
No pause.
No room to counter.
Shin raised his sword.
Clang.
He blocked.
The force rattled through his arms, sending pain up to his shoulders.
Another strike.
Another.
Another.
Too heavy.
Too fast.
Too overwhelming.
I can't keep blocking…
So he adapted.
He had to.
Instead of meeting force with force, Shin shifted his approach—deflecting, redirecting, parrying.
Barely surviving each exchange.
The battle turned brutal.
Steel clashed against claw.
Shockwaves echoed with every impact.
The ground trembled beneath their feet.
But slowly…
Inevitably…
Shin began to slow down.
His movements lost sharpness.
His reactions dulled.
And the monster—
It only grew more overwhelming.
Another strike came.
Shin parried.
Then pushed off—
Jumping back several steps.
Creating distance.
Breaking the rhythm.
For a brief moment… silence.
Then—
He ran.
I need to find an opening.
The thought burned through his mind.
Behind him, the monster gave chase.
And just like that—
The battle transformed.
A chase.
A marathon across the valley.
They moved at high speed, cutting through terrain, weaving through destruction.
But even as they ran—
The attacks never stopped.
The hound unleashed a relentless series of strikes.
Shin dodged.
Again.
Again.
Again.
Every step calculated.
Every movement precise.
He couldn't afford to stumble.
Couldn't afford to slow down.
And as the fight dragged on—
Something changed.
His instincts.
They sharpened.
Gradually.
Subtly.
But undeniably.
Each attack he saw—
He remembered.
Each movement—
He read.
Each pattern—
He learned.
Until—
He realized something.
A flaw.
A habit.
Shin's eyes narrowed slightly.
That's it.
A quiet spark ignited.
That's the final piece.
The missing link.
The key to turning this battle around.
The monster moved again.
Its claws rose—
Mana-infused.
And then—
It swung downward.
Shin's gaze sharpened.
It does this… every time…
Especially—
When it thinks I'm cornered.
A plan began to form.
Clear.
Precise.
Dangerous.
Then all I have to do…
His breathing steadied.
Is make it think I'm cornered.
And wait.
For that moment.
That single, perfect opening.
And end this… cunning bastard.
The battle continued.
Unchanged on the surface.
But now—
Shin was no longer reacting.
He was guiding.
Leading.
Controlling the flow without the monster realizing it.
Step by step—
He moved toward the end.
Until—
It happened.
A dead end.
The valley walls rose around him.
Left.
Right.
Front.
No escape.
And behind him—
The monster.
Finally—
The prey had been cornered.
Shin stood still.
Trapped.
The hound approached slowly.
Deliberately.
Confident.
As if the outcome had already been decided.
Shin turned toward it.
Their eyes met.
The distance between them closed.
Step by step.
The monster advanced.
Shin stepped back.
Again.
Again.
Until—
His back hit the wall.
Cold stone.
No more room.
His eyes trembled slightly.
Fear.
Confusion.
Uncertainty.
What do I do…?
For a moment—
He didn't know.
But the monster did.
It moved forward.
Unstoppable.
Certain.
Its body began to change.
Mana surged.
Wrapped around it.
Enhanced it.
Strengthened it.
Its claws pulsed with power.
Shin watched.
Silently.
As the oppressive aura engulfed the creature.
Heavy.
Suffocating.
Unavoidable.
Then—
It struck.
The claws came down at full speed.
Shin moved.
Fast.
He raised his sword—
And blocked.
The impact exploded outward.
A violent clash.
Shockwaves tore through the battlefield—
Through the ground—
Through the air—
Through him.
The force drove him down.
One knee hit the ground.
Pain surged through his body.
Sharp.
Unforgiving.
Blood dripped from his mouth.
Through clenched teeth.
The monster paused.
Unimpressed.
Unfinished.
It raised both claws again.
Higher.
Stronger.
More decisive.
This time—
To end it.
The claws came down again.
Faster.
Heavier.
Deadlier.
And Shin—
He smiled.
Just slightly.
Got you.
"Now it's my turn."
He released everything.
All the mana he had suppressed—
All the power he had hidden—
All of it erupted at once.
It surged through his body.
Through his veins.
Through his blade.
He channeled everything.
Into speed.
Into technique.
Into one single point.
And for a moment—
Time stopped.
Then—
"Beast Mimicry… First Form—Predator's Fang."
He moved.
No hesitation.
No wasted motion.
Just pure execution.
A thrust.
Blindingly fast.
The blade shot forward—
And pierced straight through the monster's chest.
Clean.
Precise.
Perfect.
For the first time—
The monster failed to react.
Failed to defend.
Failed to anticipate.
Shin had caught it.
Completely.
The perfect opening.
From the moment the claws began their descent—
To the moment his blade struck—
Everything aligned.
The ground shattered beneath the force.
The impact exploded outward.
The hound was sent flying—
Its massive body crashing into the valley wall.
The stone broke instantly.
Collapsed.
Giant boulders fell—
Crashing down onto the monster.
A massive hole tore through the wall.
Rubble scattered everywhere.
Silence followed.
Shin stood.
Barely.
His breathing ragged.
Unstable.
Then—
His body gave in.
He dropped to one knee.
Coughing.
Blood spilling from his mouth.
The strain—
It was too much.
"I think… I overdid it…"
Every part of him ached.
"My body… hurts all over…"
Still—
He forced himself up.
One step.
Then another.
Sword in hand.
"I guess… my plan worked…"
His voice was low, tired.
"I had to suppress my mana… avoid suspicion…"
A faint smirk appeared.
"And act like I was cornered… just to lower its guard…"
He exhaled.
"But now…"
His gaze hardened.
"Who's the last one standing?"
A laugh escaped him.
Dry.
Exhausted.
But real.
The fight—
Was over.
Or so it seemed.
A wave of relief washed over him.
Heavy.
Deep.
Earned.
But then—
The ground trembled.
Slightly.
At first.
Then stronger.
Shin's expression changed instantly.
Alert.
Sharp.
"Huh…?"
He looked around.
"What's going on…?"
His grip tightened.
"Reinforcements…?"
A pause.
"Shit."
Without hesitation, he climbed the rubble.
Reaching the top.
Gaining a higher view.
He scanned the battlefield.
Nothing.
No enemies.
No movement.
No reinforcements.
But the trembling—
It only got worse.
Violent.
Unnatural.
Shin's expression darkened.
Then what is it…?
And then—
It hit him.
Like lightning.
His eyes widened.
Slowly—
He looked down.
Below me…"