The moment the Necto Bear opened its eyes, the entire cave fell into a suffocating silence.
Without wasting a second, Alex stored the jar of Nourishing Honey inside his ring. His instincts screamed danger.
The beast moved.
Its massive body shifted, and the ground trembled under its weight. The sudden motion threw Alex off balance, and he fell hard onto the cold stone floor.
Pain surged through his body, but he forced himself up.
Slowly… steadily…
He stood again.
His eyes burned with sharp intent.
The Necto Bear let out a deep roar, filled with pure rage. The sound alone made the air vibrate.
"Good," Yi Zhau said calmly from behind, his tone carrying faint approval. "At least you're not completely useless."
Before Alex could respond, the beast attacked.
Its claw came down with overwhelming force.
Alex tried to evade, but the difference in speed was too great.
His body was struck and sent crashing into the cave wall. Cracks spread instantly, and dust fell around him.
Blood spilled from his mouth as he dropped to one knee.
"ALEX!" Yi Zhau's voice turned sharp. "Fight! Or die here!"
Alex wiped the blood from his lips, his breathing uneven. "…I know…"
He raised his hand, forcing his focus back.
Water particles gathered rapidly, compressing into small spheres above his palm. With a sharp motion, he released them toward the beast.
The attacks struck the bear's body.
But they lacked power.
They shattered on impact without leaving a mark.
The Necto Bear didn't even react.
"…too weak," Alex muttered under his breath.
The beast's eyes darkened further, its anger rising.
Alex clenched his teeth and gathered more energy. This time, he compressed the water into his palm, increasing its density and force.
The energy spiraled violently around his hand.
With a determined step forward, he attacked directly.
His palm struck the bear's chest.
The impact caused a brief disturbance in the air, but it ended there.
No damage.
Not even a visible reaction.
The bear lowered its head slightly, staring at him as if he were insignificant.
"…that's your limit?" Yi Zhau said, his voice carrying clear disappointment.
The next moment, the beast retaliated.
Its attack was direct and brutal.
Alex was struck again and thrown backward, his body hitting the ground with force. This time, he didn't rise immediately.
Blood spread across his clothes, and his breathing became shallow.
The Necto Bear gathered energy inside its mouth. A dark glow formed, growing rapidly.
"Alex, move!" Yi Zhau shouted.
But Alex couldn't.
His body refused to respond.
Everything slowed as he watched the incoming attack.
"…so this is how it ends…"
Just as the beam was about to reach him—
A transparent barrier formed instantly in front of him.
The attack collided with it, creating a violent explosion that shook the cave.
Dust and energy spread in all directions.
When it cleared, Yi Zhau stood in front of Alex.
His expression had changed.
Cold.
Serious.
"You think my disciple will die in front of me?" he said quietly.
The Necto Bear shifted its attention.
Now, its focus was on Yi Zhau.
The atmosphere changed completely.
Yi Zhau stepped forward, his aura spreading like a silent storm.
"I was planning to let the boy handle this," he said calmly. "But it seems you've overestimated yourself."
The beast roared and charged again.
Yi Zhau remained still until the last moment.
Then he raised his hand.
A wave of soul power erupted outward, colliding with the beast and forcing it to slow down.
"For a creature at your level… you lack awareness," Yi Zhau said.
The bear attacked again, faster this time.
Its claws cut through the air with destructive force.
Yi Zhau moved effortlessly, his figure shifting like a shadow. Each step avoided the attack with precise timing.
He formed blades of condensed soul energy and released them toward the beast.
The attacks struck its body, finally drawing a reaction.
The Necto Bear growled in pain.
But it didn't retreat.
Instead, it slammed its limbs into the ground, sending shockwaves through the cave.
Yi Zhau responded instantly, forming a barrier that absorbed the impact.
"Brute force," he said with a faint smirk. "That is all you have."
The beast lunged again.
This time, Yi Zhau vanished from its sight.
In the next moment, he appeared above it.
His palm descended, carrying concentrated soul energy.
The strike landed on the bear's head, forcing it downward and cracking the ground beneath it.
The beast roared in fury, its movements becoming more violent and unpredictable. It swung wildly, destroying everything around it.
The cave walls began to crumble slightly under the pressure.
Yi Zhau continued to move with control, delivering precise strikes whenever an opening appeared.
Each attack carried significant force.
Each movement drained his energy.
Time passed.
Gradually, his aura weakened.
"…half of my soul power is already gone," he muttered quietly.
The Necto Bear was injured now. Blood covered parts of its body, and its breathing grew heavier.
Yet it still stood.
Its eyes burned with madness.
"Stubborn creature," Yi Zhau said, his tone cold.
The bear began gathering energy again, preparing another devastating attack.
Yi Zhau's expression hardened.
"Enough."
He raised both hands, drawing in all remaining soul power.
The energy around him intensified rapidly.
The cave trembled under the pressure.
The air itself seemed to distort.
"If you refuse to fall…"
His voice deepened.
"…then I will erase you."
He compressed the gathered energy into his palm. It became dense, unstable, and overwhelmingly powerful.
Without hesitation, he released it.
The attack struck the bear directly.
For a moment—
Everything went silent.
Then—
The Necto Bear's body collapsed under the impact.
Its life force disappeared instantly.
The battle ended.
Yi Zhau stood still, his aura significantly weakened.
"…waste of effort," he muttered.
He walked toward the fallen beast and extracted its Soul Core and Soul Bone, both radiating energy.
After securing them, he turned toward Alex.
Alex was leaning against a rock, barely conscious. His injuries were severe, preventing him from even standing.
Yi Zhau raised his finger.
A pill emerged from Alex's storage ring and floated toward him.
"Consume it," Yi Zhau said.
Alex obeyed without hesitation.
The moment he swallowed the pill, warmth spread through his body, slowly repairing the damage.
He looked at Yi Zhau, gratitude visible in his eyes.
"…Master…"
Yi Zhau snorted lightly.
"I am your master. It would be embarrassing if you died this early."
Before Alex could respond—
A loud cracking sound echoed through the cave.
Large fractures spread across the walls.
The earlier battle had destabilized the structure.
The cave began to collapse.
"Troublesome," Yi Zhau said.
He lifted Alex using soul power, forming invisible hands that carried him.
They moved out quickly.
Just as they exited—
The cave collapsed completely behind them, turning into ruins.
Dust rose into the air.
Silence followed.
Outside, under the open sky, Alex looked back at the destroyed cave.
His body was still weak.
But his mind…
Had changed.
This fight—
Had shown him the true gap between him and real power.
And deep inside—
A new determination began to grow.
This was not the end.
It was only the beginning.