Kai’s grin did not fade, in fact, the longer he grinned, the wider it became, it was the kind of grin that made grown men regret having fathers.The kind of grin that made entire sects start drafting evacuation plans and the group stared at him with stiff shoulders and fearful eyes but they soon snapped out of it. Luna whispered, “He’s smiling like a villain…”Rina added, “Like someone who just remembered he left the stove on for five years.”Even Tina stepped back half a step but Abigail simply crossed her arms and sighed because she already knew that whatever came out of Kai’s mouth next would NOT be normal.Kai lifted his chin proudly and then asked, with a straight face, “Alright. Which one of you brought a sledgehammer?”Silence fell over the group, the group stared at him like he had just asked who brought a wedding cake to a battlefield.Selene blinked rapidly. “Sledge… hammer?”Luna whispered, scandalized, “Why would we bring something like that?!”Tina frowned deeply. “Kai…

The girls stiffened and very slowly, like prey realizing the predator had just noticed something else to eat.“What… what do you mean by that?” Luna asked cautiously, already backing away one step.Rina swallowed hard. “Kai… you’re not thinking of doing what I think you’re thinking of doing… right?”Tina’s brows knitted tightly. “This vault has already been emptied. There’s no need to...”Kai turned around with a perfectly innocent smile, one hand rubbing the smooth metallic wall of the vault like a craftsman admiring a rare treasure.“Oh, I don’t mean anything,” he said lightly. “I’m just stating a fact.”That did absolutely nothing to calm them, he tapped the iron again, listening to the deep, resonant sound it made.“This iron,” Kai continued, voice calm but eyes gleaming faintly, “is extremely valuable. High purity. Dense structure. Stable. Resistant to corrosion. Whoever forged this knew what they were doing.”The girls exchanged looks of pure dread.“And?” Selene asked carefully

The thing standing before them was not just a beast, it was horror given flesh.Three massive heads rose from a single colossal body, each neck thick and corded with muscle, scales layered beneath fur that looked deceptively soft yet radiated a pressure so heavy it crushed the air around it. Its eyes burned with different shades of malice, one crimson, one sickly yellow, one abyssal black, each locking onto the group with intelligence that was far too sharp for comfort.Thick drool spilled from its jaws, sizzling when it hit the ground, eating into stone as if the earth itself was nothing more than meat waiting to be chewed. Its breath came out in low, thunderous growls that vibrated through bones and organs, making the weaker disciples feel like their insides were shaking loose.Fear hit some of them and then the beast moved.There was no warning, no buildup and in less than a second, one of its massive paws blurred forward, the air exploding with a sonic boom as claws the size of sw

Kai ran like his life depended on it ...because it very much did.The ground thundered beneath his feet as the three-headed monstrosity barreled after him, each step shaking the earth hard enough to rattle his bones. Hot breath blasted against his back, carrying a stench so foul it could probably be classified as a biological weapon. Kai didn’t dare look back. He didn’t need to cause the sound alone and told him everything he needed to know.Too close... way too close.If that thing caught him, even his ridiculous regeneration would not save him from becoming a chew toy.Still, Kai didn’t panic, instead, he calculated.He pushed himself forward for a few more breaths, making sure the distance between him and the others was just right, not too far, and not too close, then suddenly skidded to a halt, boots carving deep lines into the ground.The beast nearly slammed into him.Kai twisted sharply to the side, rolled once, and in the same smooth motion, reached inside his body.With a met

The moment the three-headed beast finally crashed to the ground, the earth trembling beneath its massive corpse, a heavy silence swallowed the battlefield.Then there were exhales.Long, shaky breaths escaped from everyone at once, like a group that had been holding their lungs tight for far too long. Some of the girls dropped to their knees, others leaned on their weapons, a few just sat down hard on the ground, staring blankly at the unmoving monster as if afraid it might suddenly jump back up and eat them out of spite.“It’s… dead,” someone muttered, disbelief thick in her voice.Only then did Abigail move.She sprinted straight toward Kai.“Kai!” she called, skidding to a stop beside him and dropping to her knees without caring about the blood, the scorched earth, or the mess everywhere. Her eyes scanned him rapidly, hands hovering awkwardly over his arms, his shoulders, his chest, not sure where to touch first.At the moment, Kai was already halfway healed. Cracked bones were kni