Jade looked at the profile again.
---
Deity Type: Ant Demon
Data Type: Shadow Blood
Data Rank: Initiate
Data Class: Beast
Data Level: 3
---
Jade's eyes lingered on the words.
A Level 3 Beast Data.
Even now, he found it hard to believe.
Without wasting another second, Jade summoned Ant Demon.
Dark red blood gathered before him.
Then the blood split apart into countless crimson ants.
Thousands of them flew into the air in different directions like a storm of scarlet sparks.
They swirled around one another, moving with perfect order.
Then slowly—
they began to form a body.
An elegant woman appeared before Jade.
She wore dark armor edged in crimson.
Her eyes were blood-red beneath the shadow of her hood.
A red cloak covered most of her hair, letting only a few strands spill forward.
Her gaze was calm, cold, and sharp.
In her hand rested a great sword formed from shadow and blood.
The blade looked alive.
Dark.
Heavy.
Deadly.
Jade stared at her for several seconds.
She felt less like a summon…
and more like a warrior born from slaughter itself.
Then Jade gave her a mental command.
Show me your skill.
Ant Demon lowered her head in acknowledgment.
Then she moved.
Her great sword rose.
Her feet stepped forward.
Her movements were smooth—
almost like dancing.
Yet every movement carried deadly precision.
She spun.
Turned.
Slid.
Each step flowed perfectly into the next.
Her footwork was graceful, but terrifying.
Like death hidden inside elegance.
Jade watched closely.
The more he watched, the clearer he felt it—
a death aura hidden inside every movement.
Her technique was not simply swordsmanship.
It was killing shaped into art.
Then she stopped.
Without warning—
her body dissolved.
She transformed into flowing dark blood.
The blood rushed across the ground like a shadow.
Then instantly rose behind Jade.
Returning to human form.
Jade turned sharply.
His eyes widened.
If not for his Light Shard senses, he would never have noticed her movement.
She had become blood itself.
Fast.
Silent.
Nearly impossible to detect.
Jade nodded slowly.
Satisfied.
Then gave another command.
Go help the convoy. Fight beside them.
Ant Demon bowed once.
Then turned and vanished into the battlefield.
Jade watched her disappear into the darkness before focusing on his next Data.
He summoned Obsidian Vine Shadow.
Dark vines burst from his wrist immediately.
They twisted like living shadows.
Their surface gleamed black like polished obsidian.
Sharp enough to cut.
Hard enough to defend.
Jade touched one and felt its toughness instantly.
It was far stronger than ordinary vines.
Then Jade gave it a command.
Wrap around me.
The vines obeyed.
They climbed across his arms.
Around his shoulders.
Across his chest and waist.
Around his legs.
Layer after layer.
Until Jade's body became covered in dark armor formed from obsidian vine.
He looked massive.
Like a monstrous ape forged from black stone and shadow.
Heavy.
Armored.
Powerful.
He clenched his fist.
The armor moved with him naturally.
Perfectly.
Jade smiled.
He liked it immediately.
Then he leapt back into the battlefield.
---
The war had grown worse.
Shadow creatures kept pouring from the darkness endlessly.
The convoy still held formation.
Cassie and the flute players remained protected in the center.
Their flutes continued singing through the battlefield.
The silver aura spread like mist.
Wounded humans recovered almost instantly.
Cuts closed.
Blood stopped flowing.
Pain faded.
For over an hour no human had died.
Even the injured kept returning to battle.
From a distance it looked like the fight was under control.
But everyone knew the truth.
They were losing.
Not bodies—
but stamina.
Energy.
Strength.
The monsters did not stop coming.
And the humans were getting tired.
Jade landed among a group of shadow beasts.
With one Sharp Punch, he shattered one creature.
With another strike, he crushed another.
His obsidian-covered arms smashed through shadow bodies like falling hammers.
Then suddenly—
Jade felt it.
A stronger presence.
He turned.
A creature emerged from the black mist.
Huge.
Humanoid.
Lion-like.
Its body was covered in thick dark-gold fur.
Its muscles bulged beneath its skin.
Its claws were long like blades.
Its golden eyes burned like fire.
It walked upright like a warrior.
And every step carried monstrous weight.
An Initiate Monster.
Jade tensed immediately.
The lion monster lunged.
Fast.
Far faster than the beasts.
Jade raised his obsidian-coated arm like a blade and slashed.
The lion twisted around it.
Then its fist slammed directly into Jade's chest.
BOOM.
Jade was blasted backward.
He crashed through broken rock before rolling across the ground.
Pain exploded through his ribs.
But before the pain could deepen—
the flute aura reached him.
Warm healing energy flowed into his body.
His injuries began recovering immediately.
Jade stood.
The lion attacked again.
Jade met it head-on.
He swung his arm like a blade toward the creature's neck.
The lion ducked.
Its claw ripped across Jade's armor.
Sparks burst from the obsidian surface.
Jade stepped back and instantly commanded a vine to strike.
A sharp obsidian vine shot forward like a spear.
It hit the lion's chest.
But—
it didn't pierce.
The vine struck the creature's body and bounced away.
Jade froze.
His eyes narrowed.
The lion's durability was too high.
The creature growled and stepped forward.
Jade understood immediately.
This enemy was too strong.
Stronger than the others.
His Obsidian Vine Shadow could wound beasts—
but not this.
If he kept fighting recklessly…
he would die.
Jade's gaze sharpened.
He shifted his stance.
Ready to retreat if necessary.
The lion crouched low.
Preparing to attack again.
And Jade prepared to move.