A MONSTER THAT FEEDS ON POWER
The beast grew larger with every breath.
Muscles swelled beneath its black fur. Bones cracked loudly as its body expanded, towering higher above the clearing.
The ground trembled under its weight.
Rowan stared up at it in disbelief.
“…It just doubled in size.”
Lucian’s expression darkened.
“It’s absorbing the energy around it.”
The Alpha King immediately understood.
“It feeds on power.”
Lucian nodded.
“And Aria is radiating the strongest power in this forest.”
The beast lowered its massive head again.
This time its glowing red eyes burned brighter.
Focused completely on Aria.
The Blood Emperor laughed loudly behind them.
“Do you see now?”
His voice carried across the battlefield.
“You’re making it stronger.”
Aria’s silver eyes narrowed slightly.
The Primordial voice inside her echoed again.
“…A parasite.”
The creature roared and charged again.
Each step cracked the earth.
Lucian shouted,
“Spread out!”
Warriors scattered as the massive creature slammed into the clearing like a living avalanche.
Trees exploded into splinters.
Rowan leapt aside just before one claw smashed into the ground where he had been standing.
“Yep!”
“Definitely bigger!”
The Alpha King attacked again.
Golden energy exploded around his fist as he slammed into the beast’s side.
The impact shook the creature.
But it barely slowed.
The beast swung its enormous tail.
The King jumped back just in time as the tail smashed through three trees behind him.
Lucian ran forward next.
He leapt high, aiming for the creature’s eye.
His blade struck deep.
The beast roared in pain.
For a moment, the entire forest shook from the sound.
Lucian landed and stepped back quickly.
“That hurt it!”
Rowan shifted into his wolf and lunged again.
This time he went for the creature’s throat.
His massive jaws clamped down hard.
The beast howled in rage and slammed him into the dirt again.
Rowan rolled away, coughing.
“Still not enough!”
Aria watched everything quietly.
Her glowing silver eyes studied the creature’s movements carefully.
It wasn’t just feeding on her power.
It was learning from it.
Adapting.
Growing stronger.
Lucian noticed her still standing there.
“Aria!”
She didn’t answer immediately.
The Primordial spirit inside her whispered coldly.
Destroy it.
Her hand lifted slowly.
Silver energy began gathering again.
But Elias suddenly stepped forward.
“Wait!”
Everyone looked at him.
Aria’s glowing eyes turned toward him.
“Why?”
Elias pointed toward the creature.
“Every time you release that power, it grows stronger.”
Lucian realized it instantly.
“He’s right.”
Rowan wiped blood from his mouth.
“So what do we do?”
Lucian looked at the beast again.
Its body had grown even larger now.
“We stop feeding it.”
The Alpha King stepped beside Aria again.
His voice was calm.
“Control your power.”
The Primordial voice inside her resisted.
Power exists to be used.
But Aria’s own voice pushed back.
“No.”
The silver energy around her began shrinking slowly.
The moment it faded—
The beast suddenly slowed.
Lucian’s eyes widened.
“It worked.”
Without Aria’s power feeding it, the creature’s growth stopped.
The Blood Emperor’s smile faded again.
“Clever.”
The beast roared angrily.
Now that it wasn’t growing stronger, it attacked wildly.
The Alpha King rushed forward again.
This time his strike hit harder.
Without the extra energy feeding it, the creature staggered.
Lucian attacked its injured eye again.
Rowan tore into its leg from the side.
For the first time—
The beast looked unstable.
Aria watched it carefully.
The Primordial spirit whispered again.
Now destroy it.
Aria raised her hand.
But this time—
Only a small amount of silver energy gathered.
Focused.
Controlled.
She pointed toward the beast.
The ground beneath it suddenly split open.
Deep cracks shot up around its legs, trapping it momentarily.
Lucian grinned slightly.
“Nice.”
Rowan growled.
“Now!”
The Alpha King jumped high.
Golden power surged through his body.
His fist came down like a falling star.
The strike hit the beast’s skull with devastating force.
The creature collapsed to one knee.
The entire forest shook from the impact.
Lucian raised his sword for another strike.
But before he could move—
The Blood Emperor suddenly laughed again.
Everyone froze.
“…You think this was the real threat?”
Lucian’s head turned slowly toward him.
“What?”
The Blood Emperor’s red eyes gleamed.
“That creature was only a test.”
Aria’s glowing gaze hardened.
“Test?”
The Blood Emperor spread his arms calmly.
“I wanted to see how much of the Primordial power had awakened.”
Lucian’s stomach dropped.
“…You used us.”
The Blood Emperor smiled.
“Of course.”
Then his eyes locked onto Aria again.
“And now I know exactly how strong you are.”
Suddenly—
The ground beneath the clearing began shaking again.
But this time—
It wasn’t coming from Aria.
Rowan frowned.
“Uh…”
“That’s new.”
Lucian looked toward the mountains.
His face slowly went pale.
Because something far larger was moving beneath the earth.