Om waited for a few moments in the suffocating silence of the cave.
The air was thick with dust and the smell of shattered stone. Broken rocks lay scattered everywhere, remnants of the fierce clash that had just taken place. For a while, nothing moved. No sound echoed through the cavern. Not even the faintest breath of wind stirred the stillness.
Om narrowed his eyes.
Is it over…?
After confirming that there was no movement, he slowly turned and began walking toward the opposite side of the cave. His footsteps echoed faintly against the stone walls as he searched for another exit.
But before he could take more than a few steps—
A low rumble filled the cave.
It wasn't loud.
Yet it carried a terrifying presence.
Om instantly stopped.
His body froze as the sound of shifting stone reached his ears. Slowly, he turned his head back.
The pile of rocks behind him… was moving.
A look of horror crossed his face.
The massive boulders that had collapsed moments earlier began to tremble. Dust rose into the air as the stones rolled away, pushed aside by something enormous beneath them.
Then—
A creature emerged.
The Flying Lion.
Its massive body forced the remaining rocks apart as it rose from the rubble. But the beast before Om no longer looked as majestic as it once had.
Its golden wings were torn and bleeding. Feathers were scattered across the ground, stained with dark crimson. The lion tried to lift its wings, but its body trembled violently as if refusing to obey.
One of its eyes remained closed, swollen and covered in blood. Deep wounds covered its body, and blood flowed from several places, dripping onto the stone floor.
Its claws trembled slightly.
Yet even in this battered state…
The beast did not look weak.
There was no pain visible in the single eye that remained open.
Instead—
There was pride.
And fury.
Pure, hellish fury.
The majestic aura that defined the creature had not disappeared. If anything, it had become more terrifying.
Om suddenly remembered his father's words.
"There is nothing more dangerous than a wounded lion."
Om swallowed the saliva gathering in his throat.
Thirty meters separated him from the beast.
The lion slowly shook its massive body, dust scattering into the air.
Then—
Its claws began to glow.
A golden light spread from its paws, illuminating the cave walls.
Om's eyes widened.
And in the next second—
The lion disappeared.
The hair on Om's body stood on end.
His instincts screamed.
Without thinking, he jumped sideways.
BOOM!
Less than a second later, the spot where Om had been standing exploded as the lion crashed down from above. Rocks shattered into powder beneath its glowing claws, sending dust and fragments flying everywhere.
Om landed several meters away, breathing heavily.
For a brief moment, he felt grateful.
Mark…
It was because of Mark's relentless training that Om's senses had been sharpened to such an extreme level. His perception had nearly reached the Essence Stage, allowing him to react in time.
Om wiped the faint smile from his face.
The ground where he had stood had been reduced to dust.
If that strike had landed—
He would already be dead.
Om focused all his energy on the beast.
The lion let out a low snarl.
Then it vanished again.
This time Om jumped backward with precise timing.
Another violent impact shook the cave.
The beast had begun using a hit-and-run strategy.
Again.
And again.
And again.
The lion struck repeatedly with terrifying speed.
Om continued dodging.
One jump.
Two jumps.
Three jumps.
Four—
On the fifth attack, Om failed.
As he leaped sideways, the lion's claw grazed his abdomen.
The sharp talon tore through flesh.
Om crashed onto the ground, rolling several times before stopping.
Pain exploded through his stomach.
It felt like fire spreading inside his body.
Om instinctively clutched the wound.
Blood poured out rapidly, soaking his hand.
His breathing became uneven as he stared at the crimson liquid spreading across his fingers.
The bleeding refused to stop.
Before he could even gather himself—
The lion attacked again.
It gave him no chance to rest.
Om barely had a moment to look at his wound when the beast's claw came crashing down toward his head.
CRASH!
The impact drove Om into the ground.
His face slammed into the cave floor, the stone cracking beneath the force of the strike.
For a moment—
Everything became silent.
The lion stared at the motionless body.
It was certain of its victory.
No mortal could survive such a precise attack.
The beast slowly approached Om's body.
After all…
This had been its goal from the beginning.
From the moment it first sensed Om, the lion had felt something unusual.
Something special.
If it consumed him…
It believed it could break through the Essence Stage and ascend to the next realm.
But as it moved closer—
The lion suddenly stopped.
It heard something.
Thump.
Thump.
A heartbeat.
The lion's eye widened slightly.
Om… was still alive.
Suddenly—
Om's hand moved.
With a sudden motion, he pushed himself up and pulled his head out from the cracked stone.
When Om lifted his face—
His expression had changed.
Completely.
The lion felt something shift in the air.
Om's aura was different.
The lion's instincts screamed in alarm.
A strange power was radiating from Om's body.
His soul energy.
And it was growing.
Second by second.
The lion's eye widened in shock.
The aura surrounding Om continued to intensify.
The beast had lived for over one million years.
It had seen countless warriors.
It had witnessed powerful beings who could sharpen their senses through endless battles.
But soul energy was different.
Soul strength was mysterious.
There was no clear method to increase it in this small time
Most beings were simply born with the amount nature gave them and incresed with the stage
Only rare anomalies possessed extraordinary soul power by birth
Yet right now—
Om's soul energy was increasing continuously.
For the first time in its million-year life…
The lion felt fear.
Cracks appeared across Om's body.
It was as if his soul was trying to break free from its mortal shell.
Light seeped through the cracks in his skin.
Om slowly raised his head.
The disbelief and pain that had filled his eyes earlier had disappeared.
Now—
His face held no expression at all.
He looked at the lion calmly.
The beast shivered.
For a moment, it felt like it was the prey.
The lion's pride could not accept that.
With a furious roar, it leaped forward once again.
Even though it knew Om's soul energy now surpassed its own.
But this time—
Everything slowed down.
Om could clearly see the lion crouch.
Its muscles tighten.
Its body launch forward.
Yet Om simply smiled.
Anyone who knew him would immediately say—
This was not the same Om.
The lion closed the distance in an instant.
Om stepped slightly to the side.
His sword began to glow.
Ancient Sanskrit runes appeared along the blade, shining with divine light.
Then—
With a single fluid motion—
Om swung his sword.
A flash of power cut through the air.
The lion's wing separated from its body.
Blood sprayed across the cave.
Before the beast could even react—
Om kicked it in the stomach.
The massive creature was sent flying across the cave, crashing violently into the rocky wall.
The cave trembled.
The lion struggled to rise.
Its breathing was ragged.
Standing itself had become difficult.
Om disappeared from his position.
In the next instant—
He stood before the fallen beast.
The lion looked at him with pure horror.
Om's body was in worse condition than before.
Cracks covered his skin.
Light poured out from the fractures as if something inside him was breaking apart.
Yet—
Om was smiling.
Not in pain.
But in enjoyment.
As if he was experiencing the most thrilling moment of his life.
He slowly raised his sword.
With one clean motion—
The blade descended.
The lion's head separated from its body.
Silence returned to the cave.