"Seems like I can't stay safe on the big trees any more." Tony muttered as he stared at tree climbing foxes.
"Now there is only one way to survive. I must escape from these beats."
Without hesitation, Tony dropped from the tree.
The moment his feet touched the ground, the nearest beast lunged.
He moved instantly. His body twisted and his fist drove forward.
Tyrant Dragon Fist- Silent Punch!
The beast was crushed mid-air.
Coiling Dragon Punch!
Three more beasts were crushed with an explosive force and it sent a shockwave that scattered the pack.
Tony didn't stop. He used the clearance to run away while his eyes frantically looked for the escape path or any hiding place.
But the beasts kept coming behind him.
"Good."
One strike after another, he unleashed his fury. Each punch carried overwhelming force, breaking bones, tearing bodies, sending beasts flying.
The ground trembled under repeated impacts.Blood stained the soil… Bodies piled up.
Ten… Fifteen.. Twenty… Thirty. The pack thinned.
Silence!
Tony stood still, his chest rising slowly as he looked around frantically.
Tony wiped the blood from his hand and looked toward the dark forest.
"…So this is your plan, you little witch..." A faint, dangerous smile appeared. " I will make you regret your life."
Tony's eyes filled with anger.
Tony's breath grew ragged as he ran through the twisted forest, his body already pushed far beyond its limits. The hyena pack refused to relent.
Every strike of the Tyrant Dragon Fist drained what little remained of his life energy, yet the beasts kept coming.
Blood dripped from his arms, his shoulders, his back. Bite marks tore through his flesh, and his movements slowed with each passing second. He could feel it clearly… if this continued, he would die here. Not gloriously, not meaningfully, but like prey torn apart in the dark.
"Damn it… I need a way out…" he muttered, forcing his legs to keep moving.
Then…
He saw it. 'The ancient black well…!'
Without hesitation, Tony sprinted toward it, his instincts screaming that this was his only chance. The beasts followed, their howls growing louder as they closed in. Reaching the edge, he didn't stop to think. He jumped..
He plunged into the water below with a heavy splash, the impact sending a shock through his battered body. For a brief moment, everything went silent. Above him, the beasts roared in frustration, circling the well but refusing to enter.
Tony exhaled in relief as he floated upward.
"I'm… alive…"
But that relief lasted only a second.
A burning sensation erupted across his entire body.
It started from his skin… Then spread inward. His blood began to boil. His muscles tightened violently.
"What the hell is this…?!" he gasped, his body trembling as the pain intensified.
At that exact moment, the system screen appeared.
**************************
[Fated Villain System]
Special Environment Detected: Phoenix Blood Essence Pool
Compatibility: High with Dragon Physique evolution
Warning: Extreme Pain and Structural Reconstruction Expected
Failure Result: Crippled Body or Death
*************************
Tony's pupils shrank. "Phoenix blood essence…?! The sacred fire beast!"
Tony clenched his teeth as the pain intensified.
A dangerous, determined smile appeared on his face.
"Good… If I survive this… I won't be the same." He closed his eyes.
[Activate Dragon Physique evolution.]
The response was immediate.
The system forcefully initiated the process. The first wave came like an explosion.
A torrent of energy surged into his body as the system began injecting rare body clenching materials directly into his bloodstream. Dragon marrow, refined herbs, and unknown essences flooded his system without mercy.
Infernal Flame Dragon Blood…
His veins ignited. Fire erupted within him, clashing violently with the phoenix essence already present in the water. Instead of harmonizing, the two forces collided like enemies, tearing through his body.
"Noooooo…!!"
Tony's scream echoed within the well as his skin cracked open, glowing red beneath the surface. His organs felt like they were melting, his bones like they were being forged in a furnace.
Before he could stabilize… The second wave arrived.
Abyssal Black Dragon Blood!
Dark, heavy energy flooded his core, suppressing the raging flames for a moment… only to compress them further. The pressure doubled, then tripled.
His bones shattered… Reformed… Shattered again.
"ARGHHHH…!!!"
His body twisted unnaturally, muscles tearing and rebuilding in violent cycles. His spine arched as energy surged through his chakras, each point exploding with unbearable force.
Still… It wasn't over. The third blood descended.
Azure Sea Dragon Blood!
Lightning… Pure, violent lightning.
It coursed through his nerves, striking every inch of his body from within. His muscles convulsed uncontrollably, his senses overwhelmed by endless flashes of pain.
It felt like he was being torn apart at the atomic level.
Golden Tyrant Dragon Blood.
A heavy, overwhelming force pressed down on his entire being, forcing his body to endure, to adapt, to submit or break. His bones thickened under pressure, his flesh condensed, his very existence being reshaped into something stronger… or destroyed entirely.
The surface of the skin felt like a dragon scaled overlapping one another.
The phoenix blood essence water made his pain worse. But the healing ability doubled.
"NO… I WON'T DIE!!"
Tony roared, his voice hoarse, his mind teetering on the edge of collapse.
For a moment… Doubt crept in.
'Why?! Wouldn't it be easier… to just let go?'
The thought lingered… Tempting.
Tony's eyes snapped open. "I refuse! I am not dying here…!!!"
"I will rise… and crush everyone who stands above me."
The system responded. The final stage began.
The Dragon Marrow fully fused. His meridians expanded violently, burning, freezing, and shattering all at once as the four dragon blood types collided and merged within him. The phoenix essence acted as both destroyer and healer, continuously breaking his body down while forcing it to rebuild stronger each time.
Finally the system added a strange mix containing several rarest of the rare elemental ingredients into his body.
An icy surge flooded his system, stabilizing the chaos just enough to prevent total destruction. Fire, lightning, darkness, and pressure all balanced precariously within him.
His body entered a cycle.
Time lost meaning… Seconds felt like hours… Hours felt like eternity.
His screams faded into silence as even his voice gave out. Only his will remained… Refusing to break.
***
Tony floated in the dark water, his body no longer broken, no longer human in the same sense as before. His skin had hardened subtly, his muscles refined into something far more efficient, and beneath it all, a faint, overwhelming power pulsed quietly.
He slowly opened his eyes.
Golden light flickered within them for a brief moment before fading.
"I survived..." Tony clenched his fists and raised above water.