Theo's POV
We left the wolf behind.
Just like the others.
But this time—
It didn't feel like a victory.
The body dissolved slower than anything we had seen so far, breaking apart into fragments of mana that lingered longer than they should have.
Like something was resisting.
Like something deeper in this gate didn't want to let go.
I didn't say anything.
But I felt it.
Something was waiting.
"…We're close," Sera said.
Her voice was quieter now.
More serious.
No one asked what she meant.
We all understood.
The mist thickened as we moved forward.
Not just visually—
But physically.
It felt heavier.
Like every step met resistance.
I activated Control Zone: Water.
Carefully.
Refined.
Not too wide.
Just enough to map the space around us.
But this time—
Something was wrong.
The flow didn't spread naturally.
It bent.
Distorted.
"…Something's interfering," I muttered.
Sera glanced back slightly.
"…Explain."
"…My control isn't moving properly," I said.
"…It's like something is redirecting it."
Dain frowned.
"…So something's controlling the environment?"
"…Yeah," I replied.
That wasn't normal.
Not at this level.
We slowed down.
Even Bran.
Every step was measured now.
Like we were walking into something—
Not just deeper—
But closer.
Then—
The forest opened.
The trees thinned out.
The ground flattened.
Too clean.
Too quiet.
"…This looks like a clearing," Luna said softly.
"…Too perfect," Dain added.
Exactly.
No signs of monsters.
No broken terrain.
Just space.
Sera raised her hand.
We stopped instantly.
"…This is it."
The moment she said it—
We felt it.
Pressure.
Not from above.
From below.
Then—
The ground cracked.
"…MOVE!" Sera shouted.
We scattered instantly.
The earth exploded upward—
And it emerged.
Massive.
Towering over anything we had faced so far.
Its body was layered in jagged, dark armor, sharper and denser than the boar's. Its form resembled a wolf—but twisted, elongated, unnatural.
Its claws dug deep into the ground.
And its eyes—
Glowed with awareness.
"…That's the boss," Dain said.
No one argued.
Because this time—
There was no doubt.
It exhaled slowly—
And the mist responded.
Moved.
Controlled.
"…It's controlling the environment," I said.
Sera's expression hardened.
"…Then we break that control."
The monster moved first.
Fast.
Too fast for its size.
It went straight for the injured team.
Smart.
Too smart.
"Bran!" Sera shouted.
He intercepted—
But the impact pushed him back hard.
"…It's heavy!" he grunted.
Dain attacked—
The monster reacted instantly—
Forcing him back.
Luna supported—
But the pressure didn't ease.
Not even slightly.
I focused.
Not on its body—
On the flow.
The mist.
The water.
It wasn't random.
It was connected.
All of it—
Centered on the monster.
That's it…
I activated Control Zone: Water again—
But this time—
I didn't resist.
I followed.
Moved with the distortion.
Traced it back.
The connection sharpened.
Clearer.
"I see it…" I whispered.
Sera attacked again—
Creating pressure—
Dain followed—
Bran held—
They forced it to focus on them.
That was my chance.
Water gathered around me.
Not one attack.
Multiple.
Multi Water Ball.
They spread outward—
Positioning around the monster.
Then—
Water Vision.
The world sharpened instantly.
The flow—
The control—
The connections—
All visible.
"…Got you."
"NOW!" I shouted.
The water spheres fired—
Not at the monster—
But around it.
Breaking the flow.
Disrupting its control.
The mist reacted violently.
The connection—
Shattered.
Just for a moment.
But that was enough.
Sera moved.
Dain followed.
Bran pushed forward.
An opening.
I pulled everything inward.
Compressed it.
Perfectly.
The pressure built faster than ever before.
Tighter.
Sharper.
Stable.
The rotation formed smoothly.
Complete.
I stepped forward—
And released it.
The spinning pressure spear tore forward—
A clean strike—
Straight toward its core.
For a moment—
Victory felt certain.
Then—
The monster countered.
Its body twisted—
Its mouth opened—
Darkness gathered.
Not mist.
Not mana.
Something heavier.
"…What is that—" Dain started.
Too late.
The dark energy surged forward—
Colliding with my spear.
The moment they touched—
Everything broke.
My attack—
Gone.
Erased.
Like it never existed.
…What?
The monster didn't stop.
It charged through the clash—
Already closing the distance.
"…THEO—MOVE!" Sera shouted.
I tried—
But I was too slow.
The impact hit me directly.
A crushing force slammed into my chest—
Pain exploded through my body.
I was thrown back—
The world spinning—
Breaking—
Then—
Something changed.
The pain spread deeper.
Into my core.
Into my mana.
"…What… is this…?" I gasped.
It wasn't just damage.
Something had entered me.
Through the attack.
Through the magic.
My body reacted.
Not rejecting it.
Absorbing it.
"AAAHHH—!"
The scream tore out of me.
It burned.
Wrong.
Like something didn't belong inside me—
But was forcing itself in anyway.
My control collapsed.
Everything blurred.
But before I lost consciousness—
I saw it.
The monster had overcommitted.
It left itself open.
"…NOW!" Sera shouted.
Bran charged.
Dain struck.
Sera followed.
Luna supported.
They didn't hesitate.
Every attack landed.
Relentless.
Precise.
Overwhelming.
The monster roared—
Then broke.
Fell.
Silence.
Heavy.
Final.
My body felt distant.
The pain faded—
But something remained.
Deep.
Quiet.
Rooted.
What… did I just absorb…?
No answer came.
Only darkness.
"…Theo!"
And then—
Nothing.