The forest fell utterly still.
The Mind Ripper's attack had vanished—
Without effect.
Without resistance.
Without leaving a trace.
The lizard stared down at it, golden eyes calm, unblinking, unmoving.
*Just as I thought.*
His mind was quiet.
Cold.
Analyzing.
*Mental attack…*
*Aimed at consciousness.*
*Aimed at the soul.*
No difference.
To him—
They were the same.
And just like before—
It had done nothing.
*Any attack directed at my soul…*
*…is ineffective.*
No damage.
No disturbance.
Nothing.
Slowly—
He pulled his tail free.
The sound was wet.
Subtle.
The Mind Ripper's body jerked slightly as the tail slid from its side, leaving a deep wound that continued to seep dark blood.
The poison surged again the moment contact broke.
Spreading faster.
Its limbs trembled.
But its eyes—
Never left him.
Fear.
Confusion.
Disbelief.
All mixed together as it stared up at the lizard.
The lizard didn't move.
Didn't attack.
Didn't press forward.
He simply watched.
*Again.*
His golden eyes narrowed slightly.
*Use it again.*
*Slower.*
*Clearly.*
*I need to see it.*
The last attack—
Too fast.
Too sudden.
He had sensed it.
But not understood it fully.
This time—
He would.
The Mind Ripper's breathing grew ragged.
Its body weakened.
But beneath that fear—
Its instincts screamed.
*It's not killing me…*
*It's watching.*
*Waiting.*
A chill ran through it.
Because now—
It understood.
This wasn't a fight anymore.
It wasn't even a hunt.
It was—
Observation.
And it—
Was the subject.
The Mind Ripper's body trembled—
Not just from the poison—
But from fury.
A low, guttural growl tore from its throat as its crimson eyes burned with defiance.
*I won't…*
Its claws dug into the ground.
*I won't let it look at me like this…*
Like prey.
Like something beneath it.
Like—
A test subject.
Its breathing grew heavier, uneven, but its mind sharpened through sheer will.
*My attack… may not be enough to kill it…*
Its gaze locked onto the lizard.
Unblinking.
*But if I focus it—*
*Condense it—*
*Pierce through—*
A dangerous glint appeared in its eyes.
*I can wound it.*
*Disrupt it.*
*Make it lose focus… even for a moment.*
That was all it needed.
Just—
One moment.
Its body tensed despite the poison eating at it.
*Then I run.*
*No hesitation.*
*No turning back.*
Because if it stayed—
If it delayed—
*The poison…*
It could already feel it spreading deeper.
Slowing its limbs.
Dulling its strength.
*This is my last chance.*
A faint ripple began to form around it again—
But this time—
Sharper.
More concentrated.
More violent.
Everything it had left—
Poured into a single point.
The air around it seemed to distort faintly.
Pressure building.
Silence tightening.
The lizard watched.
Unmoving.
Golden eyes fixed.
Waiting.
Because this time—
He would see it clearly.
The pressure peaked—
Then—
**It struck.**
A concentrated mental spike, sharper and denser than before, shot forward with everything the Mind Ripper had left.
The lizard watched.
Closely.
Every detail.
Every shift.
Every ripple in the invisible attack as it reached him—
Touched—
And vanished.
Blocked.
Understood.
*So that's how it forms…*
In that exact instant—
Before the Mind Ripper could react—
Before it could turn—
Before it could run—
The lizard moved.
No warning.
No hesitation.
His body blurred forward—
And—
**Snap.**
His jaws clamped shut around the Mind Ripper's head.
Clean.
Final.
No struggle.
No scream.
Just silence.
The body went still instantly.
The last trace of resistance disappeared as life left it in a single, decisive moment.
The forest stilled.
The wind faded.
The lizard held it there for a second longer—
Then released.
The corpse dropped heavily to the ground.
Lifeless.
Unmoving.
The poison continued to spread through it—
But it no longer mattered.
The lizard stood over it, golden eyes calm.
Thoughtful.
*The attack…*
*Condensed.*
*Directed.*
*But still the same.*
A mental attack.
A soul attack.
No different.
No effect.
His tail flicked once.
Then stilled.
The hunt—
Was over.
But the observation—
Had just begun.
The forest was quiet again.
The corpse lay still at his feet.
The lizard lowered his head slightly, tongue flicking out as he licked the blood from his maw.
The metallic taste lingered for only a moment before his focus turned inward.
*This one…*
His golden eyes dimmed faintly.
*After I absorb it…*
*A mental attack.*
*Same structure. Same target.*
*I'll be able to use it too.*
There was no excitement.
Only certainty.
But then—
A pause.
His thoughts shifted.
*…Just like before.*
The memory surfaced.
The fight against the Golden Core cultivator.
That surge.
That uncontrollable burst—
*Blood Fury.*
And before that—
The tracking ability.
The wolf's instincts.
Activated.
Used.
But not chosen.
Not consciously.
His tail moved slightly.
Slow.
Measured.
*I used them…*
*Without knowing.*
A faint ripple of dissatisfaction passed through him.
*Instinct.*
*Reaction.*
*Not control.*
His gaze remained fixed on the corpse.
Unblinking.
*I don't like that.*
Power—
Without control—
Was inefficient.
Unreliable.
Dangerous.
Not because it was weak—
But because it wasn't his.
*I need to understand it.*
*Not just use it.*
His golden eyes sharpened.
*Every ability.*
*Every trigger.*
*Every condition.*
No more accidental activation.
No more unconscious use.
*I decide when it's used.*
*How it's used.*
*And why.*
His tail flicked once.
Final.
Because strength alone wasn't enough anymore.
Not at this level.
Not going forward.
Control—
Was the difference between survival…
And certainty.