The forest fell quiet once more.
The lynx lay still.
Lifeless.
The faint glow of lightning that once danced along its twin tails had completely faded into nothingness.
The lizard stood over the corpse, golden eyes calm—unreadable.
*…Not strong enough.*
His thoughts were steady.
Measured.
*The mental attack—*
*It disrupts.*
*It breaks focus.*
*But it doesn't kill.*
At least—
Not at this level.
Not against something at the third layer.
He paused for a moment longer, analyzing in silence.
*It depends on the target's consciousness.*
*And my own strength.*
A slight shift of his tail.
*It's useful…*
*But not decisive.*
Not yet.
Silence lingered.
Then—he moved.
Without effort, he lowered his body and gripped the lynx's corpse.
Despite the clear difference in size—his smaller form against the lynx's larger body—
There was no strain.
No resistance.
He lifted it cleanly.
Effortlessly.
His wings formed along his back—silent, controlled—
And with a single motion—
He rose into the air.
No sound.
No presence.
Invisible.
Carrying the corpse as if it weighed nothing at all.
Below him, the forest blurred, branches and shadows slipping past as he moved swiftly through the trees, retracing his path with precise familiarity.
Back—
To where the fox was.
—
Not far away—
The clash of battle had already settled.
The air was still again.
The ghost had done its job.
The fox stood calmly, her posture relaxed, her tail swaying lightly behind her as the remains of another demonic beast lay nearby.
Then—
A faint disturbance rippled through the air.
Subtle.
Barely perceptible.
But enough.
She glanced upward slightly.
"…Back already?"
A faint smirk touched her lips.
Right on time—
The lizard descended.
Invisible—
But not to her.
She could feel him.
And more importantly—
The weight of the corpse he carried.
Her eyes flicked toward it, interest sparking faintly.
"Not bad."
Her tone carried a trace of approval.
"Looks like you found something a bit more interesting."
She stepped forward, gaze settling over the two corpses now present.
The **Stoneback Ursine**.
And the **Twin-Tailed Lightning Lynx**.
Her lips curved faintly.
"…Perfect."
With a flick of her wrist—
The **Ghost Banner** appeared once more.
It hovered beside her, suspended in the air, its dark cloth rippling faintly as the runes etched across its surface began to glow.
Cold.
Hungry.
"I'll be taking their souls."
Her voice was calm.
Matter-of-fact.
Spiritual energy flowed steadily from her into the banner—
Activating it fully.
The air shifted.
The temperature dropped.
A faint distortion formed above the lynx's corpse first—
Thin.
Flickering.
Then—
It began to pull.
The soul resisted.
Slightly more than the last one.
Stronger.
More intact.
The fox's eyes narrowed just a fraction.
"…Good."
She increased the flow of energy.
The runes flared brighter—
Sharp.
Cold.
Chains formed—
Invisible to ordinary sight, yet undeniable within the spiritual layer—
Wrapping tightly around the emerging soul.
Restraining it.
Dragging it free.
The lynx's soul twisted once—
Then—
It was ripped completely from the body.
Pulled straight into the banner.
The cloth trembled faintly—
Then stilled.
But she didn't stop.
Immediately—
Her focus shifted.
The **Stoneback Ursine**.
This one was heavier.
Denser.
Its soul slower to emerge—
More resistant in form, if not in will.
But once it surfaced—
The same process followed.
Pull.
Bind.
Absorb.
Within moments—
Both souls were taken.
Sealed.
Stored.
The banner dimmed once more.
Satisfied.
The fox exhaled softly before storing it back into her pouch.
"…That makes three."
Her tail swayed once.
"Not bad for a short trip."
She glanced at the lizard, a faint smirk returning.
"At this rate…"
"I might actually fill the banner faster than I expected."
Her gaze drifted briefly to the two corpses.
Then she shrugged lightly.
"Alright."
Her tone returned to casual.
"We should keep moving."
With another flick of her wrist, her storage pouch opened—
A faint pull of spiritual energy formed—
And both corpses were drawn in, disappearing without a trace.
Clean.
Efficient.
She followed by storing the **Ghost Banner** as well, sealing everything away.
Her tail swayed once.
Done.
The forest swallowed them once more.
Invisible.
Silent.
Untouched.
The fox moved with a steady rhythm, her paws barely disturbing the ground as she wove between the trees, following the faint direction given earlier.
Above her, the lizard remained still.
Watching.
Learning.
Not just hunting—
Refining.
Time passed.
The terrain shifted again.
The air grew denser, richer with spiritual energy, and the sounds of the forest changed—less scattered, more concentrated.
More life.
More presence.
The fox slowed slightly.
"…We're getting closer to the ridge."
Her voice was low through the transmission, calm and controlled.
"Feels denser here."
A faint pause.
"…More beasts too."
Her ears flicked as her senses spread outward.
Then—
A small smirk.
"Good."
But just as she was about to move again—
She stopped.
Mid-step.
Completely still.
Above her, the lizard's eyes flickered faintly.
The fox remained frozen for a moment longer.
Sensing.
Weighing.
Then—
She exhaled softly.
"…Let's go further down the stream."
Her voice flowed calmly through the link.
"If this area is already this dense…"
Her tail swayed once.
"…there should be more further ahead."
Above her, the lizard didn't respond.
But his eyes shifted slightly.
Listening.
Processing.
The fox adjusted her direction, following the faint pull of spiritual energy carried along the stream.
"The ghost mentioned something else."
A brief pause.
"At the end of this stretch…"
Her tone lowered slightly.
"There's a territory."
Another step.
"…A python."
Her ears flicked once.
"Eighth layer of Foundation Establishment."
Silence lingered for a moment.