The Return of Godkin

Chapter 211: Ten thousand year old beast

Ray was troubled by the same unease gnawing at Raziel. This was supposed to be a trial of survival, yet two full hours had passed in absolute peace. No ambushes. No prowling soul beasts. Not even a hint of danger. In a forest like this, finding food and shelter was trivial. If things continued like this, then where was the test?

"Should we go look around?" Raziel finally whispered, his restlessness breaking through.

Ray glanced up at the sky, where the sun was already sinking toward the treetops. "Not yet. We wait until night falls. Violetta will be much stronger once she can use her Starwheel Ice Staff."

Rushing blindly was how people got killed. Ray knew better than to let impatience dictate their moves. If the examiners wanted to pressure them, then surviving calmly until everyone was at their peak would only tilt the odds in their favor.

They waited.

Twilight slowly bled into the forest, painting the leaves in shades of dark blue and violet. As shadows thickened, Ray climbed a tall tree and looked out over the endless sea of ancient trees.

Then a howl tore through the world.

The sound was so violent that it felt as if the forest itself recoiled. Leaves shook loose, birds fled in panicked flocks, and even Ray's heart seized for a split second. His blood essence surged on its own, burning away the fear before it could take root.

He froze.

That sound was nothing like anything he had ever heard.

The Three-Eyed Demon Ape had once nearly taken his life, yet even that ten-thousand-year beast had not produced something so overwhelming.

He slid down the tree and rushed back to the others.

Raziel's face was already ghostly pale. "W-what was that? I thought my heart was going to jump out."

Violetta clutched her staff tightly, and even Lily's calm eyes carried a flicker of unease.

"I don't know," Ray said in a low voice, "but it wasn't far."

Another roar rolled across the forest, sharper this time, vibrating through their bones. Strangely, instead of fear, it brought a wave of clarity, as though whatever had cried out was challenging the heavens themselves.

Lily broke the silence. "Let's go see."

Ray nodded. "We can't avoid it anyway. If we don't go to it, it'll come to us."

Lily released her wind birds, and the four moved forward, Ray leading while masking their scent as best he could. They advanced slowly, every step measured.

"There's a valley ahead, to the left," Lily murmured. "My wind birds were blown apart by a powerful gust."

Ray activated his bloodline. Golden scales crept across his arm, and a golden soul ring flared into being. The warm, steady aura dulled the pressure weighing on their minds.

The forest suddenly opened into a wide, verdant valley.

The moment they stepped near its edge, the air grew thick, heavy with oppressive power. Ray dropped to the ground without hesitation. "Crawl."

The others followed suit, inching forward until they could peer over the ridge.

What they saw stole their breath.

Two colossal figures were locked in combat below, each clash sending shockwaves rippling through the valley. Boulders shattered. The ground cracked. The sky itself seemed to tremble.

Ray's Purple Demon Eyes flared, piercing the blinding light.

One of the combatants glowed with dark-gold radiance. Its massive body towered more than ten meters tall, its claws carving deep scars into the valley walls with every swing.

The Duskgold Dreadclaw Bear.

Not the ones they had seen before. This one was on an entirely different level.

A thousand-year one ruled forests. A ten-thousand-year one was a calamity.

And this beast looked like it could rip even those apart.

Yet it was evenly matched.

Opposite it was another creature, wrapped in blinding golden light. Its body was crystalline, lion-like, yet tipped with draconic claws. Fine golden scales shimmered beneath its fur, and on its forehead was a vertical slit, a third eye glowing with eerie red light.

Ray described it quickly.

Raziel's eyes narrowed. "A golden lion with dragon claws and a third eye…" He paused, then sucked in a sharp breath. "I think I know what that is."

Unease coiled in Ray's chest just as tightly as it did in Raziel's. This was meant to be a trial of survival, yet two full hours had slipped by in nothing but peace. No ambushes. No prowling soul beasts. Not even the rustle of something hunting. In a forest this rich, food and shelter were trivial to find. If this was all the trial amounted to, then where was the danger?

"Should we move?" Raziel finally whispered, unable to bear the stillness any longer.

Ray lifted his gaze to the sky, where the sun was sinking into a copper-red sea of leaves. "Not yet. We wait for night. Violetta will be much stronger once she can use the Starwheel Ice Staff."

Charging around blindly was how people died. Ray had learned that lesson too many times. If the examiners wanted to pressure them, then keeping calm and letting everyone reach their peak condition was the smartest response.

So they waited.

Twilight seeped through the forest like spilled ink, dyeing the world in deep blues and purples. When the shadows grew long and heavy, Ray climbed a tall tree and scanned the endless canopy.

Then a howl split the sky.

The sound slammed into the forest like a physical blow. Leaves tore loose, birds erupted into the air in shrieking flocks, and for a heartbeat even Ray's blood turned cold. His blood essence surged instinctively, burning away the fear before it could root itself.

He froze, breath caught in his throat.

That howl was nothing like anything he had ever heard.

Even the ten-thousand-year Three-Eyed Demon Ape that had nearly killed him had not carried such overwhelming might.

He slid down the tree and rushed back.

Raziel's face was already drained of color. "W-what was that? My heart nearly stopped."

Violetta clutched her staff, knuckles white. Even Lily's usually tranquil eyes flickered with tension.

"I don't know," Ray said quietly, "but it wasn't far."

Another roar followed, sharper and more piercing, vibrating through their bones. Strangely, instead of fear, it left behind a strange clarity, as though whatever made that sound was challenging the heavens themselves.

Lily broke the silence. "Let's go."

Ray nodded. "We have to. If we don't go to it, it'll come to us."

Wind birds took flight from Lily's hands, and the four moved forward in a tight formation. Ray led, using his bloodline aura to blur their presence as much as he could.

"There's a valley to the left," Lily whispered. "A powerful gust tore my wind birds apart there."

Ray pushed his blood essence higher. Golden scales rippled over his arm, and a golden soul ring flared into being. The warm, steady aura eased the crushing pressure around them.

The forest abruptly opened into a vast, lush valley.

The moment they neared its edge, the air grew heavy, thick with a terrifying presence. Ray dropped flat to the ground. "Crawl."

The others followed, inching forward until they could peer over the ridge.

What lay below left them breathless.

Two colossal shapes were locked in battle, each collision sending shockwaves tearing through the valley. Boulders shattered. The earth split. Even the air screamed.

Ray's Purple Demon Eyes burned as he forced his vision through the blinding light.

One of the beasts shone with dark-gold radiance, its towering body over ten meters tall. Every swing of its claws carved deep scars into the valley walls.

The Duskgold Dreadclaw Bear.

Not the ones they had faced before. This was something far beyond them.

A thousand-year Duskgold Bear ruled a forest. A ten-thousand-year one was a natural disaster.

And this one looked capable of ripping even those apart.

Yet it was being held back.

Its opponent glowed with dazzling gold. The creature's body was crystalline and lion-like, but its claws were draconic, tipped with flame. Fine golden scales glimmered beneath its fur, and on its forehead a vertical slit opened into a blazing red third eye.

Ray described it in a hushed rush.

Raziel's pupils shrank. "A golden lion with dragon claws and a third eye…" He swallowed hard. "I think I know what that is."

Unease wound itself around Ray's chest, tight and persistent, no different from the tension gripping Raziel. This was supposed to be a trial of survival, yet two full hours had passed in eerie calm. No ambushes. No prowling beasts. Not even the faintest rustle of something stalking them through the undergrowth. In a forest this rich, food and shelter were effortless to find. If this was all there was to it, then where was the danger?

"Should we move?" Raziel finally whispered, his patience snapping under the weight of the silence.

Ray glanced up at the sky, where the sun was sinking into a copper-red ocean of leaves. "Not yet. We wait for night. Violetta will be much stronger once she can use the Starwheel Ice Staff."