The fox's smile widened.
Cold.
Amused.
"Don't start crying just yet."
Her voice was light—almost playful.
"We're just getting started."
The moment the words left her mouth—
**Crack.**
Lightning split through the air.
Sharp.
Violent.
The lizard's body ignited with arcs of white-blue energy, electricity crawling across his scales, gathering, intensifying—
Then—
It surged.
A bolt shot forward—
Striking the ghost directly.
**BOOM—**
"RAAAAGH—!!"
The ghost's form convulsed violently as the lightning tore through it, the chains locking it in place as the energy ravaged its very existence.
The forest flashed with blinding light.
Again.
And again.
The fox only chuckled.
A wide smile.
Eyes gleaming with interest.
"Submit."
Her voice carried cleanly through the chaos.
"Submit."
The lightning didn't stop.
It poured into the ghost in relentless waves—burning, tearing, destabilizing its already fragile form.
The ghost growled, its voice breaking between fury and pain.
But it didn't yield.
The fox tilted her head slightly, still smiling.
"Well?"
She asked softly.
"Will you submit now?"
For a moment—
Only the crackle of lightning answered.
Then—
Through the pain—
Through the destruction—
The ghost forced out a response.
"…Damn… little fox…"
Its form flickered violently, barely holding together.
"I'll kill you…"
The fox's smile didn't fade.
If anything—
It deepened.
"Still talking."
Her tail swayed slowly.
"…Good."
Because that just meant—
They weren't done yet.
The lightning intensified.
Arcs of white-blue energy lashed across the forest, striking the ghost again and again, each impact tearing deeper into its unstable form.
The chains held firm.
There was nowhere to escape.
No way to evade.
Only endure.
"RAAAAGH—!!"
The ghost's roar echoed, distorted and fractured as its body flickered under the constant assault.
The fox—
Laughed.
Soft at first.
Then brighter.
A clear, delighted sound.
Her turquoise eyes shone as she watched it struggle.
"That's it…"
She murmured, tail swaying lazily.
"Keep resisting."
"Let me see how long you last."
Another surge of lightning erupted from the lizard—stronger than before—crashing into the ghost and forcing another broken scream from it.
Its form began to warp.
Edges blurring.
Energy leaking.
Unstable.
The fox tilted her head slightly, smile unwavering.
"You had a lot to say earlier."
Her voice carried a mocking sweetness.
"Calling me a 'damn little fox'…"
Her eyes narrowed faintly.
"…threatening to kill me."
Another strike.
The ghost's roar weakened—just slightly.
"So?"
She stepped closer.
Unafraid.
Unbothered.
"Where did all that confidence go?"
Lightning continued to ravage the ghost, breaking it down piece by piece while the chains constricted tighter, reinforcing its imprisonment.
The forest echoed with crackling energy and fading defiance.
And through it all—
The fox simply watched.
Smiling.
Then—
Suddenly—
The lightning stopped.
Silence fell.
Abrupt.
Jarring.
The fox blinked, her smile pausing mid-curve as the forest dimmed once more. The crackling energy vanished completely.
"…Hm?"
She turned her head.
The lizard had already looked away.
Toward the corpse.
Without a word, he lowered his head and began eating, tearing into the Mind Ripper's body with calm, methodical movements.
No explanation.
No signal.
Just… finished.
The fox stared for a second—
Then exhaled, her tail flicking.
"…You got bored, didn't you?"
A small, amused huff left her.
"You could've at least said something."
She shook her head lightly.
"I was just getting into it."
Her smile returned—softer now, but still sharp at the edges.
"But… I guess it's about time we stopped anyway."
She turned back.
The ghost was still there—
Bound.
Struggling.
Its form flickering, trying to stabilize after the relentless assault.
Weaker now.
Noticeably so.
The fox stepped closer again, eyes narrowing slightly.
"Well?"
Her voice dropped.
Calm.
Expectant.
"Still not going to submit?"
The ghost lifted its head slowly.
Its form unstable.
Its presence diminished.
But its eyes—
Still burned with defiance.
It growled.
Low.
Hoarse.
Filled with hatred.
"…Never."
The fox stared at it for a beat.
Then—
The ghost snapped again, voice ragged and unstable.
"I'll kill you…!"
"You damn fox—!"
"I'll—"
"Yeah, yeah."
The fox cut it off flatly.
"Shut up already."
Her ears flicked in irritation.
"You've been repeating yourself for a while now."
Without another word, she lifted the **Ghost Banner**.
The runes flared to life.
Chains tightened instantly.
The ghost's form was yanked backward—
Distorted—
Compressed—
"Wait—!"
Too late.
In a single motion, it was dragged back into the banner, sealed once more within the dark cloth.
The banner twitched faintly.
Then stilled.
The fox exhaled softly, her expression returning to calm.
"…Much better."
She tucked the banner away into her storage pouch without hesitation.
Behind her—
The steady sound of tearing flesh continued as the lizard ate, completely uninterested in everything that had just happened.
The fox glanced back at him briefly.
Then smirked.
Her tail swayed lazily.
Because clearly—
That ghost still had a long way to go.
A lot more—
*training.*
The fox adjusted her posture slightly, ears flicking as she gave the storage pouch a light tap.
Her voice turned cold.
"You'd better not try something like that again."
A faint pause.
"Next time, I won't bother playing around."
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
"I'll just refine you into the banner directly."
Her tone was flat.
Practical.
"Keeping something that causes more trouble than it's worth…"
Her tail swayed once.
"…is pointless."
Silence followed.
She turned her gaze forward.
The lizard was still eating.
Calm.
Unhurried.
Completely focused on the corpse.
She watched him.
Quietly.
Time passed.
The forest remained still.
Then—
The last piece disappeared.
The lizard finished devouring the Mind Ripper completely, leaving behind nothing but faint bloodstains staining the ground.
He lifted his head slightly.
At that exact moment—
The system's voice echoed within his mind.
**[Evolution Points Gained: 7,350]**
Then—
**[Bloodline Gene Acquired: Mind Ripper]**
A brief stillness followed.
Then the question came—
Cold.
Precise.
**[Would you like to fuse the gene?]**
The lizard's golden eyes remained calm.
Unblinking.
Because now—
This wasn't about instinct.
Or reaction.
This—
Was a choice.
He didn't hesitate.
*Yes.*
Immediate.
Clear.
The system responded at once.
**[Confirming Gene Fusion: Mind Ripper Bloodline]**
**[Confirmation Accepted.]**