Nox didn't let the encounter with the Inferno Prince slow him down. He delved deeper into the forest to hunt for more monsters, as there were only a few minutes before daybreak and the final began. It didn't take long for him to encounter a horde of beasts, all of which were slaughtered. Now that he was deep in the forest—though still far from the marked region—Nox was beginning to encounter more and more monsters. His intuition was right; the deeper he went, the more frequently he met monsters. Nox summoned the Orc Shaman once again after the latter had regained some stamina and sent him out once more. Some time later, he arrived at what could only be described as a massive frozen wasteland, where the air was frigid and the trees had turned to ice. Cold mist escaped Nox's mouth as he glanced around, his feet sinking slightly into the ground. Because of the intense snow blizzard, Nox's vision was slightly blurred, and he could only see a few meters ahead. To combat the storm and see clearly, he had no choice but to summon a makeshift scarf from his inventory to cover his face. After adjusting his gaze, Nox finally took in his surroundings, and his eyes glistened with delight at what he saw. About a hundred meters from him were thousands of white-skinned bear monsters with predatory blue eyes locked onto him. But behind the army of bears, Nox could sense a presence far more deadly watching calmly. "Well, let's do this," Nox muttered under his breath as he stepped forward, the snow crunching beneath his boots, his cloak billowing in the wind. Growl! Growl! A chorus of growls echoed, the collective sound capable of making even the bravest of Awakened falter and reconsider their life choices. The growls sounded as if the beasts were trying to warn Nox; their eyes narrowed further. Nox, who could perfectly understand beasts because of his class, understood their intentions—but that didn't mean he would stop. Just when he was fifty meters away, Nox snapped his fingers. The sound traveled far and wide. It was a simple snap, yet it made the bears courteous and wary for some reason. A moment later, following a blinding flash of light, the golden-masked light construct Deus Machina Veritas appeared and went down on one knee before Nox like a loyal subordinate. The moment the beasts felt the aura of this new threat, they immediately flinched back, and Nox even sensed a reaction from the overwhelming presence behind the monsters. Now that Nox was level 64, his mana pool had reached 1,880, which meant he could keep the light construct active for some time. "Go slaughter all of them. Spare only their chief," Nox ordered in a cold voice, his tone merciless. Veritas only nodded. Its body grew in size until it was over two meters tall, and radiant swords made out of light energy appeared in its grasp. Without thinking twice, Deus Machina Veritas rose from its kneeling position and rushed forward. The snowstorm around them was pushed aside as it charged through it, looking like some kind of golden blur. Shing! Shing! Shing! Its glowing swords moved fast, slashing through the bear monsters like they were nothing. Arms flew off, heads were split open, and blood sprayed everywhere. The first group of monsters didn't even get the chance to attack—they just dropped one after another, killed instantly. The snow turned red with blood, and the ground looked like a messed-up painting made of gore and ice. Dozens of monsters were gone in just a few seconds. Ding! Ding! Ding! Nox didn't move; he just watched with a wicked gleam in his eyes as he observed the one-sided massacre, enjoying the pleasant dinging sound of the system announcing his experience points. --- Meanwhile… somewhere not too far from the Frostpire Kingdom, hidden high above the clouds and perched atop the jagged cliffs of the Elder Sky Range, a colossal structure floated in defiance of gravity. This was the citadel of the Supreme Dragon Court. Within its grand chamber—shaped like the open mouth of an ancient wyrm—eight figures gathered around a circular obsidian table, each seat engraved with runes of a different element. Massive auras pressed against one another in an invisible war for dominance. Suddenly, a fiery portal erupted in the center of the chamber, drawing the attention of all eight elders. From it, Valkor stumbled out, clutching his chest, blood staining his armor. The Supreme Dragon Court was made up of powerful dragons from all eight kingdoms in the Dragon Realm, and it was rumored that their strength rivaled that of the various Dragon Monarchs. Their primary goal was to create and enforce laws for the Dragon Realm. They didn't interfere much with the activities of the kingdoms, only stepping in when a powerful enemy threatened the existence of the dragon race as a whole. "State the reason for this blatant disrespect," boomed a deep voice layered with centuries of authority. The one who spoke was Elder Rhun'var, a powerful Light Dragon and the Supreme Judge. The other elders leaned forward, their expressions serious. It was easy to tell they were also angered at the sudden intrusion, as they were currently having an important meeting. Valkor bowed stiffly, pain etching his features. "Forgive the intrusion… but I bring grave news." The atmosphere thickened. "I encountered a being… no—a hybrid in the Ancient Forest," Valkor said, lifting his head. "He possessed not two, but three elements: Ice. Light. Flame." Murmurs rippled across the table. One of the elders scoffed. "Impossible. The stabilization process for more than two elements is naturally destructive," Another added: "No soul has survived it since the Cataclysm." "I speak the truth! That hybrid wielded three elements, and my gut keeps telling me that he has more in his possession," Valkor snapped, slamming a bloodied hand onto the table, slightly angered that the Monarchs doubted him. "Let him speak," Elder Rhun'var said calmly, his deep voice filled with ancient authority. "Are you certain of what you speak, young lad?" Valkor gritted his teeth and nodded vigorously. "He intervened in my duel with an ugly looking beast and saved the creature. " The inferno prince paused and added in a low grim voice. "He called that creature his." That sent shockwaves through the chambers. "A hybrid that can control beasts?" The Elder Dragon representing the Wind Kingdom jumped from his seat, wind swirling violently around his body. "Such a thing should not be allowed to exist!" "After the completion of the Kingdom Contest, conduct a thorough search of the Ancient Forests. No matter what, we must eliminate this hybrid before he matures any further," the Shore Dragon Judge slammed his fist on the table, and a grin appeared on Valkor's face. "Cocky bastard, you're in a lot of trouble now." --- Back in the forest, the sun slowly rose into the sky, bathing a single lone figure who was standing in the midst of a battlefield, dozens of monster corpses laying around. [Ding! You've reached Level 70!]