The beast's dull eyes slowly followed Sham's approach. Its massive head remained resting heavily on the ground, but its breathing grew slightly heavier as Sham moved closer. The faint groaning sound continued, yet there was a subtle tension building in the air.
As soon as Sham moved a few steps forward, the beast suddenly roared.
The roar was not just a sound. The air around the beast seemed to compress and surge outward violently. A powerful burst of pressure rushed forward, pushing through the surrounding leaves and branches. The compressed air moved directly toward Sham with tremendous force, strong enough to shake the ground beneath us.
I reacted instantly.
Nature energy gathered at once, and a translucent shield formed in front of Sham just as the burst of compressed air reached him. The barrier appeared between him and the incoming force, shimmering faintly as it stabilized.
The pressure struck the shield violently.
The impact caused the barrier to tremble immediately. Fine cracks began spreading across its surface, growing rapidly as the force continued to press against it. The air around the shield distorted slightly from the pressure, and the ground beneath us vibrated faintly.
Within a moment, the cracks widened and the shield shattered.
Fragments of translucent energy scattered and disappeared almost instantly. The remaining force of the air burst surged forward without obstruction.
It struck Sham directly, pushing him backward. His feet slid across the forest floor as loose leaves and dust scattered beneath him. Sham quickly adjusted his stance, lowering his center of gravity as he resisted the force. He dragged his foot against the soil, carving a shallow line in the ground before finally stabilizing himself and stopping his backward movement.
Sham steadied himself and looked toward me, a hint of disappointment visible in his expression. Even though his face remained calm, I could tell he had not expected the roar alone to push him back so easily.
"Skra-beast too strong," he said quietly.
I nodded slowly, my mind already working through another approach. The beast's strength was still overwhelming, but its injuries limited its movement. That was the only advantage we had.
"Let us move forward together," I said calmly. "I will create and control multiple shields at a time to protect from the roar. When we reach close enough, stab its eyes first and then kill it."
Sham listened carefully, then gave a firm nod without hesitation. His grip on the sword tightened slightly as he prepared to advance again.
We both began moving forward, this time side by side. Our pace was slow and cautious as we approached the beast once more. I flowed refined energy quietly, focusing on controlling it more precisely. The pressure built gradually as I prepared myself to create multiple shields at once, knowing the strain would be greater than before.
The beast roared again.
The sound erupted suddenly, and the air in front of it compressed before surging outward with heavy force. Leaves scattered across the ground, and the pressure rushed toward us rapidly.
I reacted immediately.
Refined energy flowed from my forehead toward the book hidden inside my shirt, responding instantly to my intent. As the energy circulated back under my control, I formed multiple shields in front of us. One translucent barrier appeared, then another, followed by several more in quick succession. The shields layered over each other, forming a stacked defense between us and the incoming burst.
The air slammed into the shields.
The first barrier cracked instantly under the pressure, faint fractures spreading across its surface before it shattered. The second shield trembled violently, holding for a brief moment before breaking apart as well. The third and fourth layers resisted slightly longer, but cracks soon spread across them, weakening their structure.
Controlling multiple shields at the same time strained my focus heavily. I could feel the refined energy flowing rapidly as I maintained each layer. A sharp pain formed in my forehead, growing stronger as I forced myself to hold the shields in place.
Despite the pain, I clenched my jaw and continued moving forward alongside Sham, maintaining the layered defense as long as possible.
One by one, the shields began to break under the relentless pressure. Each layer held only for a brief moment before cracks spread across its surface and shattered into faint fragments of dissipating energy. The air continued pushing forward, but with every shield that formed and broke, its force gradually weakened.
I maintained my focus despite the sharp pain building in my forehead. The refined energy continued flowing as I created each layer, forcing myself to hold on until we could close the distance.
By the time the final shield shattered, the burst of air had already weakened significantly and soon dissipated completely. The pressure around us eased, and we had successfully advanced close to the beast's face.
Sham glanced at me, silently confirming our next move.
I gave a slight nod.
Understanding immediately, Sham turned his attention back to the beast. He tightened his grip on the sword and raised it, preparing to strike directly at its eyes.
But just as he was about to move forward and stab, the beast suddenly lifted its mouth.
Its massive jaws slowly opened, revealing rows of thick teeth. The head shifted forward, and the enormous mouth moved toward Sham, attempting to swallow him in a sudden motion.
I reacted instantly and grabbed Sham by his shoulder and pulled him backward with all my strength. The sudden movement caught him off guard, and both of us lost our balance. We stumbled and fell to the ground, barely moving away from the beast's massive jaws as they snapped shut where Sham had been standing moments earlier.
Before we could regain our footing, the beast roared again.
The roar erupted at close range, and the compressed air burst outward with even greater force. The impact struck us directly, leaving no time to react. I felt the pressure hit my body, and the next moment I was thrown backward across the forest floor.
Dry leaves scattered beneath me as I rolled several meters away before finally coming to a stop.
I quickly pushed myself up, steadying my footing as I tried to regain my bearings. The ground beneath me was scattered with dry leaves and loose soil, making it difficult to stabilize immediately. A dull ache spread across my body from the impact, but I ignored it and focused on the situation.
Then I noticed something unusual.
My arm felt lighter. The familiar weight that had been resting around it was suddenly gone.
I looked down instinctively, my eyes moving quickly toward my arm. Camose was no longer wrapped around it.
I quickly lifted my gaze and looked forward.
Camose was on the ground, only a short distance away from the beast. Its small translucent body moved steadily across the forest floor as it slithered forward. The golden eyes that usually remained calm were now fixed firmly on the beast, carrying a rare intensity. Despite its small size compared to the massive creature ahead, Camose moved with determination, as if it had already decided to confront the beast.
When did it loosen from my arm?
The thought flashed through my mind, but there was no time to dwell on it.
"Camose," I called out, keeping my voice low but urgent.
Camose did not respond.
It continued moving forward, ignoring my call completely. Its body slid over the dry leaves, closing the distance toward the beast as if intending to attack it.
The beast also noticed the movement.
Its massive head shifted slightly, and its dull eyes moved toward Camose. Slowly, its mouth began to open. The enormous jaws parted gradually, revealing thick teeth as the beast prepared to swallow the small serpent approaching it.
I reacted immediately and a translucent shield formed instantly in front of the beast's open mouth, positioning itself between the massive jaws and Camose.
The beast lunged forward.
Its enormous jaws collided with the shield, and the barrier shattered instantly under the overwhelming force. The translucent fragments dispersed and faded almost immediately, leaving no resistance.
Without hesitation, I formed multiple shields around Camose. One barrier appeared, then another, layering tightly around its small body. The translucent shields surrounded Camose from all sides, forming a protective enclosure.
The strain returned immediately.
Controlling multiple shields at once forced refined energy to flow rapidly. A sharp pain pierced my forehead, growing stronger as I maintained the layered defense. Despite the discomfort, I clenched my jaw and held my focus, refusing to let the shields collapse.
Meanwhile, Sham quickly ran forward, his sword held firmly as he attempted to reach Camose before the beast could break through the barriers.