The moment the weapon revealed itself—
—the atmosphere around the staff completely changed.
The forest, which had been tense before, now turned suffocating.
People standing around the staff began to smile.
Not normal smiles.
Creepy.
Greedy.
Hungry.
Their eyes were fixed on the weapon like beasts staring at fresh prey.
Some of them didn't even hesitate.
They immediately slipped away from the center, disappearing into the forest to call their teammates.
Others stayed back, quietly forming temporary alliances.
Low whispers spread between them.
Plans.
Ambushes.
Backstabs.
Everyone understood one thing—
No one here was a friend.
As soon as that weapon fully came out, this place would turn into a fucking battlefield.
Not far from the staff, Zoya and her group stood together, observing everything.
Zoya's sharp eyes scanned the surroundings.
Hidden figures behind trees.
Movements in the shadows.
Groups forming and dissolving.
She could see it all.
Then she spoke, her tone calm but firm.
"Get ready."
She looked at Liyo, Rose, and the others.
"We're going to have to fight here."
Liyo grinned, lifting his sword and resting it casually on his shoulder.
"Of course," he said, his voice filled with excitement.
Rose slammed her hammer lightly against the ground.
A dull thud echoed beneath her feet.
A twisted, almost lustful smile spread across her face.
"I've been waiting for this," she said softly. "I'm ready to smash every single one of them."
Beside them, the boy with glasses adjusted his stance.
He pulled out his bow smoothly and placed an arrow onto the string.
His eyes narrowed behind the lenses.
Silent.
Focused.
Prepared.
Zoya then turned her attention to the two standing slightly behind.
Horikita.
And Jhon.
She extended her hand forward, holding the axe firmly.
The weapon still carried a faint aura, pulsing as if it was alive.
"You two," she said, "who wants this axe?"
Horikita glanced at it for a moment.
Then she shook her head.
"I don't want it," she said calmly. "I don't use weapons like that."
Zoya shifted her gaze to Jhon.
He stared at the axe for a few seconds before speaking.
"I can take it," he said honestly. "But I don't know if I can use it properly."
Before Zoya could respond, Liyo chuckled.
"It doesn't matter," he said with a relaxed smile. "You don't need to master it."
He tilted his head slightly toward Zoya.
"You just need to protect yourself and Horikita."
His grin widened.
"Young Miss Zoya will take care of everything."
Zoya didn't respond to that.
Her eyes had already returned to the forest.
Time passed slowly.
Minutes went by.
And gradually—
The forest returned to silence.
At least on the surface.
The wind moved through the trees.
Leaves rustled softly.
No one was visible anymore.
But everyone knew the truth.
They were all still there.
Hiding.
Just waiting for the perfect moment to strike the moment the weapon fully emerged.
At the center of the clearing—
Yang Kai's body trembled.
The staff continued to drain him mercilessly.
His skin turned pale.
His lips lost color.
His veins sank as if everything inside him was being emptied out.
He looked like a dried corpse.
Like a mango sucked clean of every drop of juice.
His breathing became shallow.
Unstable.
He could feel it clearly—
If this continued any longer…
He would die.
Just as that thought crossed his mind—
The staff stopped.
Abruptly.
Then—
A blinding crimson ray erupted from it.
It shot straight into the sky.
Violent.
Piercing.
Terrifying.
Yang Kai's grip loosened as his strength gave out. He dropped to one knee, barely able to stay conscious.
Around him—
People screamed.
"Fuck—my eyes!"
"Ahhh… what the hell is that light?!"
The crimson beam burned into their vision like needles stabbing into their eyeballs. It wasn't just bright—it was painful.
People raised their arms, covering their faces.
Even those hiding deep in the forest felt it.
The entire area was consumed by that crimson glow.
Only two individuals remained unaffected.
Zoya.
And Liyo.
Both had already reached F-Rank Regular.
A thin layer of spiritual energy coated their eyes, allowing them to see clearly through the blinding light.
Through that vision—
They saw everything.
Yang Kai, kneeling.
The staff vibrating violently.
The connection between them.
Yang Kai's thoughts were fading.
Damn it…
I lost too much blood…
Even if I fight now… I'll die…
And then—
It happened.
In a single instant—
The staff shot out of the ground.
Not pulled.
Not lifted.
It leaped out.
Then—
It merged into Yang Kai's body.
Completely.
The crimson light vanished instantly.
Silence fell.
Vision returned.
People slowly lowered their arms, blinking repeatedly.
"What the hell was that…"
"For a second I thought I went blind…"
"Shit… my eyes still hurt…"
Then—
Someone noticed.
"The weapon… it's gone."
All eyes snapped toward the center.
The staff was no longer there.
Only Yang Kai remained.
Kneeling.
Weak.
Defenseless.
And in that exact moment—
Everyone reached the same conclusion.
He hid it.
He took the weapon.
Kill him.
Like a dam breaking—
People surged forward.
From the forest—
From the clearing—
From every direction—
Hundreds.
No—
Thousands.
They rushed toward Yang Kai.
Weapons raised.
Killing intent overflowing.
They wanted the staff.
They wanted his life.
Rose's smile froze.
The boy with glasses narrowed his eyes.
Horikita's grip tightened.
Jhon's expression hardened.
They all understood—
This wasn't a fight.
This was a massacre waiting to happen.
But before the wave could reach Yang Kai—
Two figures moved.
Zoya.
Liyo.
Their speed was terrifying.
Like blurs tearing through space.
In an instant—
They appeared beside Yang Kai.
Zoya on his left.
Liyo on his right.
Both raised their hands.
Weapons still in grip.
Their expressions turned serious.
Then—
Spiritual energy erupted from their bodies.
It surged outward like a violent tide.
And formed a barrier.
A translucent dome wrapped around the three of them.
Solid.
Unbreakable.
The first wave of attackers slammed into it—
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
They were thrown back instantly.
The barrier didn't even tremble.
Rose's eyes widened slightly.
The boy with glasses stopped smiling.
Horikita stared in shock.
Jhon blinked, trying to process what he was seeing.
"…Is this magic?" he asked.
Rose tilted her head, a creepy grin slowly returning.
"I think so."
The moment the first wave of attacks struck, the entire forest center erupted into chaos.
Blunt wooden weapons, stones, and crude spears rained down upon the shimmering barrier that surrounded Yang Kai, Princess Zoya, and Liyo Griffin. The impacts came in relentless succession—thuds, cracks, and dull reverberations layering into a deafening storm.
Yet the barrier did not break.
Not even a crack.
Not even a ripple beyond faint distortions of light.
Outside, frustration quickly turned into rage.
"Damn it… this bastard is hiding behind some magical shit!"
"How the hell are they doing that?!"
"This isn't normal… this is some supernatural bullshit!"
"If we capture them, we'll force them to tell us!"
Their voices overlapped—fear disguised as aggression.
Inside the barrier, however, the situation was far from stable.
Zoya stood on Yang Kai's left, her daggers raised but unmoving, her cold expression unchanged—but beneath that calm, her spiritual energy was draining rapidly. A faint sheen of sweat formed along her neck.
On the opposite side, Liyo gritted his teeth, veins bulging along his temple. His sword hand trembled slightly—not from fear, but from the sheer strain of maintaining the barrier.
This wasn't defense.
This was endurance under siege.
Each impact from outside forced them to pour more energy into reinforcing the shield.
And the attackers were not stopping.
Liyo clicked his tongue in irritation, then turned his head sharply toward the others outside.
"Hey! Don't just stand there like idiots!" he barked. "Clear them out!"
That was all it took.
Rose Alfard moved first.
A grin spread across her face—wide, twisted, and disturbingly delighted. Her eyes gleamed like a predator finally unleashed.
She dashed forward, her small frame bursting with explosive speed.
Then she leapt.
Her hammer rose high above her head, both hands gripping it as if it weighed nothing.
For a split second, the battlefield slowed—
One man near the barrier turned, sensing something behind him.
His eyes widened.
Too late.
Boom.
The hammer came down with monstrous force.
His skull didn't crack—it detonated.
Blood, bone, and flesh exploded outward in a grotesque spray, his body collapsing instantly like a puppet with its strings cut.
For a heartbeat, everything froze.
Then—
All eyes turned to Rose.
Silence.
Then greed.
"This little girl… she has a weapon."
"Oi kid… hand that over nicely."
"Heh… don't worry, we won't kill you quickly."
They began advancing.
Slow at first.
Then faster.
Like wolves closing in.
Rose tilted her head slightly, her smile widening unnaturally.
"Come… come…" she whispered, almost lovingly.
Behind her, Jhon Leothan exhaled sharply and stepped forward, gripping Yang Kai's axe tightly in his hands. His earlier exhaustion was still there—but adrenaline had taken over.
He glanced sideways at the boy with glasses.
"Yoo bro… time to do your thing," Jhon said, voice steady but urgent. "We'll handle close combat. You cover us."
The boy with glasses adjusted his grip on the bow, a confident smirk forming.
"Relax," he replied casually. "My aim doesn't miss."
Without another word—
Jhon charged.
Beside him, Horikita Haichi moved in perfect sync, her wooden branch held like a true blade. Her posture was sharp, disciplined, her exhaustion buried beneath sheer will.
The two of them surged forward to meet the incoming crowd head-on.
The battlefield split into layers:
Frontline chaos—Rose smashing through bodies like a manic storm.
Mid-range pressure—Jhon and Horikita intercepting attackers before they could overwhelm.
Long-range precision—the boy with glasses drawing arrows, his eyes calculating trajectories.
And at the center—
A fragile equilibrium.
Inside the barrier, Yang Kai remained on one knee, breathing heavily, his body still weakened from the staff's blood absorption.
His vision blurred slightly.
But his mind…
Was sharpening.
Outside, hundreds were closing in.
Inside, the defenders were burning through their strength.
And somewhere within Yang Kai—
Something felt wrong—his consciousness was fading little by little, until suddenly, he collapsed and lay unconscious on the ground.