Klaus stood motionless, staring in the direction the monster was approaching. From the heavy, thunderous footsteps echoing through the forest, he knew it was something massive. His senses stretched to their limit, yet he couldn't detect the creature.
That sent a chill down his spine. Even though he was covering a 10-kilometer radius, the monster still remained out of reach, but its steps were felt strongly as if it was right beside him. Suddenly, something shifted. A 4-meter-tall creature crossed into his sensing range, and Klaus's eyes widened in shock.
The monster is enormous. It has a muscular build, covered in dark, blood-streak fur. It has red eyes. Elongated, razor-sharp claws and serrated fangs made it the perfect killing machine.
A wild, untamed mane framed its savage face, and a powerful tail, tipped with a sharp, bone-like spike, swayed behind it, promising deadly strikes.
Klaus instinctively took a few steps back but kept his focus sharp, watching the creature's every movement. Its heavy steps left smoldering fire in its wake, the ground singeing beneath its feet.
"Red Eye Sabertooth Tiger," Klaus muttered under his breath, recognizing the Devil monster immediately. A fearsome fire-type beast, known for its brutal attacks with its claws and teeth.
The reason they're dangerous is that after reaching the Terror stage, they begin to evolve. Their first evolution allows them to walk on two legs, making them look like monstrous humans.
But that's not what makes them terrifying. It's their claws. After evolving, their claws become deadly weapons. They move like humans, and they attack like humans—only fiercer, faster, and stronger.
Now, approaching with an intense fire aura, was a Tier 7 Devil Red-Eye Sabertooth Tiger. Klaus knew he had two choices: run or fight. But he also knew this was a rare chance to win himself a Fire-type devil core.
Despite the danger, Klaus's sword appeared in his hand, radiating ice qi. He was about to fight fire with ice.
Klaus's control over ice far surpassed his mastery of fire. In dangerous situations like this, he always relied on ice. Today was no exception. The monster, still kilometers away, was already exuding an aura more terrifying than the Zombie Kings he fought during the Arcadian mine invasion.
In fact, the aura felt eerily similar to that of the Zombie Emperor, the one the War Goddess battled back then. Klaus knew he'd have to up his game for this fight.
"Brat, kill this monster. The reward will be worth it," his senior's voice echoed from his soul sea, making Klaus grin. He knew that obtaining the Fire Devil Core from this Red-Eye Sabertooth Tiger would benefit him immensely.
"I'll do my best," he muttered, just as the monster appeared before him, towering and radiating immense power. Klaus locked eyes with it.
Without a second thought, the monster charged. Klaus dashed forward to meet it head-on. Boom! The two collided, and the force sent Klaus flying backward, slamming into the ground.
The fiery attack crashed into the ice, shattering it instantly. Although the ice defense wasn't that great, the attack was very powerful to the extent that it landed and shattered the ice instantly and then headed toward him
"What?" Klaus gasped, eyes wide as the remnants of his defense crumbled. The Tiger's strength was far greater than he anticipated.
Klaus slashed his sword, sending an ice arc to meet the fire arc. The two forces collided and exploded, pushing Klaus back several steps. He wanted to dash forward, but before he could move, the Tiger appeared within striking range.
"This is not good," Klaus muttered, realizing he was trapped. He tried to retreat, but at that moment, the Tiger opened its maw. Like a dragon, it unleashed a torrent of fire, red and scorching, spraying toward him with terrifying speed. The flames moved like bullets, aiming to disintegrate him completely.
Klaus, who lacked strong defensive abilities aside from the bell and the flower, quickly summoned the ice lotus and instantly activated the Absolute Ice Domain.
The moment the domain formed, it freed Klaus from the lock the Tiger had placed him in, giving him just enough time to evade. He rolled across the ground, dodging the deadly flames, and in the same motion, activated the Ice Beam ability of the lotus. A concentrated beam of ice shot from the lotus, striking the monster with precision.
The Tiger roared in pain as the beam hit, pushing it back several meters before it crashed onto the ground.
"My turn," Klaus growled, dashing forward, his sword glowing with ice qi. "I have to kill it without using the Pentaface Bead," he muttered to himself, determined. His sword slashed forward, aiming for the Tiger's heart.
But the Tiger was too fast and too strong. Its fiery claw clashed with Klaus's sword, pushing him back effortlessly. When it came to speed, Klaus couldn't keep up.
Strength? He was outmatched. Even in defense, he was barely holding on. Each strike proved how much weaker he was compared to the monster. One small mistake would cost him his life.
It was overwhelming. Fighting a Tier 7 monster while only at Tier 3 was something almost no one could do—yet here he was, doing it. But for the first time, Klaus truly felt the gap in their power. The Tiger wasn't just strong; it could use abilities like a human, making it far more dangerous than he had anticipated.
Now he understood what the Senior had meant when he warned him. The day he faced a Devil, he would need every skill and technique he could muster. The realization sent a chill down his spine.
"Round two," Klaus muttered under his breath. His golden eyes flashed, shifting to a deep crimson, giving him the appearance of a demon king.
As the red light radiated from his eyes, a wave of crimson energy burst out, causing the Tiger to stagger. It hesitated, and Klaus smirked, seizing the moment. He dashed forward with newfound ferocity.
"Give me your core!" he roared, his sword flashing forward with deadly intent, aimed right at the Tiger's neck.