Chapter 264: Lord of Beast

Chapter 264: Chapter 264: Lord of Beast

Ha-eun watched the monster struggle to regain its footing, her expression brightening as she sensed the weakening pressure radiating from its body.

"They’re actually pushing it back."

Soo-jin kept her attention on the frontline, but even she allowed herself a brief glance at the wounded beast.

"At this rate, we may finish before my mana reserves become a problem."

"You sound relieved."

"I am relieved. I’d prefer not to spend the rest of the day repairing injuries caused by people who think dodging is optional."

Tae-hyun heard her from across the battlefield.

"I can hear you!"

"Then you can hear my advice as well. Stop letting it hit you."

He laughed and rushed forward again.

Ares watched the exchange with quiet amusement.

’Their morale is good, and their formation remains stable. More importantly, they’ve learned how to respond to the Beast Tyrant’s attacks without allowing their frustration to interfere with their judgment.’

The monster’s remaining health continued to fall.

Ares could see it clearly, along with the gradual changes taking place in the creature’s body. The damage accumulated by the Hunters was no longer superficial, and the Beast Tyrant’s ability to withstand their combined attacks was rapidly approaching its limit.

Still, Ares did not mistake its weakening condition for the end of the battle.

He had been watching its status from the beginning.

There was something unusual about the way its mana fluctuated whenever its health dropped below certain thresholds, a subtle reaction that would have escaped the notice of anyone unable to perceive the underlying structure of its power.

Now, as its injuries accumulated and its movements became increasingly sluggish, that reaction was growing more pronounced.

’So it really does work that way.’

Ares’s eyes narrowed slightly.

’Let’s see whether they can finish the first stage before it happens.’

The Beast Tyrant suddenly threw back its head and roared.

The sound was rougher than before, carrying a mixture of fury and pain as the monster forced its damaged body forward. Its claws tore through the floor, and its crimson eyes fixed on Tae-hyun, who was preparing another close-range attack.

It lunged.

Tae-hyun met it head-on.

Rather than attempting to overpower the monster’s enormous fist, he shifted his body to the side and struck its wrist, redirecting the attack just enough to create an opening. He stepped forward, drove his elbow into the creature’s ribs, and followed with a powerful punch aimed at the wound beneath its chest armor.

The Beast Tyrant stumbled.

Min-jae seized the opportunity.

Electricity gathered around his legs as he accelerated past the monster’s flank, leaving a trail of blue-white light behind him. He circled its body at tremendous speed before abruptly changing direction, striking its injured shoulder with a lightning-infused kick.

The monster’s upper body twisted.

Ji-hoon was already waiting.

He raised his hand, and a series of barriers appeared behind the Beast Tyrant, preventing it from retreating. A second set materialized around its legs, restricting its movement for the briefest moment.

That was all Ji-hoon needed.

Concentrated mana surged through his arm as he released another powerful attack.

The blast struck the Beast Tyrant directly in the chest, right where Tae-hyun’s earlier punches had fractured its armor.

BOOOOOOOOM!

The resulting explosion illuminated the throne room.

The Beast Tyrant staggered backward, its massive feet dragging across the shattered floor. Its chest armor broke apart in several places, exposing the heavily wounded flesh beneath, while blood splattered across the stone.

A deep, agonized growl escaped its throat.

For the first time, the monster looked as though it might actually fall.

"That’s it!" Min-jae shouted, his expression lighting up. "Keep going! It’s almost done!"

Tae-hyun grinned, rolling his shoulders as mana continued to circulate through his muscles.

"Finally. I was starting to think this thing was made entirely of stone."

"Focus," Ji-hoon warned, although the satisfaction in his own voice was difficult to conceal.

The Beast Tyrant tried to straighten its body.

Its injured leg trembled.

One of its enormous hands pressed against the ground as it struggled to maintain its balance, and the crimson light within its eyes flickered for a fraction of a second.

Ha-eun stared at the monster, barely concealing her excitement.

"We might actually do it."

Soo-jin examined the battlefield, checking the condition of each fighter before allowing herself a small nod.

"Their injuries are manageable, their mana reserves are holding, and the boss is nearly exhausted. For once, I don’t see an immediate reason to expect a disaster."

"That’s the closest thing to encouragement I’ve ever heard from you," Ha-eun remarked.

"Don’t get used to it."

Ares remained silent.

His gaze was fixed on the Beast Tyrant’s health.

The number continued to fall.

Five percent.

Four percent.

Three percent.

The monster roared and attempted to launch another attack, but its movement was noticeably slower than before. Tae-hyun dodged its fist, stepped inside its reach, and drove a powerful punch into its chest.

BOOM!

The Beast Tyrant staggered.

Min-jae followed immediately, thrusting his hand forward as lightning gathered around his palm.

"Thunderbolt Pierce!"

The lightning attack struck the monster’s exposed chest, detonating in a brilliant burst of electricity that spread through its damaged armor.

Before the resulting explosion had fully dissipated, Ji-hoon completed another spell.

"Apex Breaker!"

The concentrated mana blast slammed into the Beast Tyrant’s torso.

BOOOOOOOOM!

The monster’s enormous body lurched backward.

Its remaining scales shattered, and its knees buckled beneath its weight. A thunderous crash echoed through the throne room as it dropped onto one knee, one massive hand striking the floor to prevent itself from collapsing completely.

For a brief moment, the entire chamber fell silent.

Then Min-jae raised both arms.

"YES! We did it!"

Tae-hyun laughed, breathing heavily as he looked at the fallen monster.

"That’s what I’m talking about! An S-Rank Gate, and we actually managed to bring down its boss!"

Ji-hoon released a long breath, the tension finally leaving his shoulders.

"We’re not finished until the Gate disappears, but... yes. We’ve made it this far."

Ha-eun smiled in relief, while Soo-jin lowered her hands, allowing her healing magic to fade.

"Good. Now I can finally stop worrying about having to put everyone back together."

Their excitement was understandable.

The Beast Tyrant had been a terrifying opponent, but their teamwork had carried them through the battle. Each Hunter had contributed at a critical moment, and neither the monster’s strength nor its relentless aggression had been enough to break their formation.

They had every reason to believe victory was within reach.

Except Ares.

He was watching the number that had just appeared before his eyes.

1%.

A faint smile crossed his face.

"Seems like it’s time."

---

The moment those words left Ares’s mouth, the entire castle began to shake.

At first, the tremors were subtle, barely noticeable beneath the lingering sounds of the battle. Then the stone floor vibrated violently, sending cracks racing across the walls as dust poured from the ceiling.

RUMBLE!

A deep, resonant sound echoed from beneath the throne room, as though something ancient had awakened within the foundations of the castle.

The Hunters immediately turned toward the Beast Tyrant.

"What is happening?!" Min-jae shouted.

Ji-hoon raised his hand, preparing to summon another barrier, while Ha-eun’s summoned creature spread its wings and released a defensive aura around the group.

Soo-jin’s expression tightened.

"Don’t tell me it has another attack prepared."

The Beast Tyrant remained on one knee.

Yet something was changing.

A faint golden light began to emerge from the cracks in its armor, spreading across its enormous body like molten metal flowing beneath its skin. The light grew brighter with every passing second, forcing the Hunters to shield their eyes as the pressure within the chamber increased.

Then the monster’s body began to rise.

Its enormous feet left the shattered floor, and its injured limbs hung motionless as it floated into the air. The broken scales covering its body detached one after another, dissolving into streams of golden particles that spiraled around its silhouette.

The Beast Tyrant’s massive frame began to shrink.

Its muscular arms became more slender, its hunched back straightened, and the dark mane surrounding its neck dissolved into brilliant strands of light. The horns protruding from its head crumbled away, while the monstrous features of its face gradually transformed into something far more refined.

The transformation was unlike anything the Hunters had witnessed before.

There was no violent burst of flesh, no grotesque distortion, and no sign of the creature struggling against the change. Instead, its enormous body was being reshaped by an overwhelming force, as though the form they had fought against had merely been a shell concealing something far more dangerous.

The golden light intensified.

A final wave of mana swept across the throne room, forcing the Hunters to brace themselves against the pressure.

Then, abruptly, everything became silent.

The light slowly faded.

Floating above the ruined floor was a man.

He possessed a tall, perfectly proportioned physique, with long, pure golden hair that flowed gently behind him despite the absence of wind. His features were strikingly handsome, almost unnaturally flawless, while his golden eyes shone with an ancient authority that made it difficult to meet his gaze.

Not a single trace of the monstrous beast remained in his appearance.

Yet the pressure radiating from him was unmistakable.

It was the same presence that had nearly crushed the Hunters beneath its weight moments earlier.

Only now, it felt incomparably more concentrated.

Ha-eun stared at the transformed creature, her face draining of color.

"N-No way..."

Her voice trembled as she struggled to comprehend what she was seeing.

"After taking that much damage... it’s still alive?"

The man slowly opened his golden eyes.

The instant his gaze swept across the chamber, every Hunter felt an instinctive chill run down their spine. The overwhelming mana that had once poured from the Beast Tyrant like a raging torrent was now compressed within his human-like body, yet its density made the original aura seem almost insignificant.

Ares stepped forward.

"Everyone, listen carefully."

His calm voice cut through the oppressive silence.

"The boss has reached its second and final stage. This is Varkhazan, the Beast Tyrant, now awakened as the Lord of Beasts. Its strength has increased fivefold compared to what it possessed before."

For several seconds, nobody spoke.

Then Kang Ji-hoon’s expression changed.

"F-Fivefold?!"

He stared at the man floating before them, struggling to reconcile Ares’s words with the condition of the creature they had just fought.

They had needed the combined strength of several S-Rank Awakeners to overwhelm the Beast Tyrant’s first form. Even with their coordinated attacks and the support provided by Ha-eun and Soo-jin, they had barely managed to reduce its health to the final threshold.

And now its strength had increased fivefold?

"You’re telling us this thing was holding back an even more terrifying form?" Min-jae asked, his voice betraying a rare hint of disbelief.

"No," Ares replied. "You weakened its original body enough to trigger the transformation. The power it possesses now is simply beyond what that form could express."

Soo-jin’s eyes narrowed as she assessed the golden-haired figure.

"Then what are we supposed to do? If its strength really has increased fivefold, our current formation won’t be enough to defeat it."

She did not sound panicked, but the seriousness in her voice made it clear that she had already begun calculating their remaining options.

Their mana reserves had diminished considerably during the previous battle. Even with her healing magic and Ha-eun’s defensive support, sustaining another prolonged fight against an opponent several times stronger would be dangerous.

The others understood the same thing.

For the first time since entering the throne room, uncertainty settled over the group.

Ares, however, merely smiled.

"There is a way to win."

He stepped forward, his expression remaining as relaxed as ever.

"But I want everyone to step back."

Tae-hyun turned toward him.

"Wait. What do you mean, step back?"

He looked from Ares to Varkhazan, then back again, finally understanding what the man intended.

"You’re planning to fight it alone?"

Min-jae immediately shook his head.

"That’s too dangerous! You’re a mage, Ares. Even if your magic is powerful, fighting something like that at close range is practically asking to get killed!"

Ares glanced at him.

"You’re correct about one thing. I am a mage."

He paused, a faint smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

"But I never said I couldn’t fight physically."

Before anyone could respond, Ares raised his hand and snapped his fingers.

SNAP.

A transparent violet barrier materialized around the throne room.

Its surface spread rapidly across the chamber, enclosing the shattered pillars, the ruined floor, and the space surrounding Varkhazan. The barrier glimmered with a strange, almost imperceptible light, and the moment it finished forming, the six Hunters standing behind Ares felt the space beneath their feet shift.

"What—?!"

A powerful spatial force enveloped them.

Before they could resist, their surroundings blurred, and their bodies were transported beyond the violet barrier in an instant.

They reappeared outside the sealed chamber, several meters away from its entrance.

Min-jae stumbled forward, catching himself before he fell.

"What was that?!"

Ji-hoon immediately examined the barrier, his expression becoming increasingly serious as he sensed the unfamiliar energy embedded within its structure.

"A barrier...?"

He placed his hand against its surface.

The violet wall rippled beneath his palm, but not even the slightest crack appeared.

"This isn’t an ordinary defensive spell."

Ha-eun’s summoned creature moved protectively beside her, its wings partially spread as she studied the chamber beyond the barrier.

She could still sense Varkhazan’s presence.

In fact, she could feel it more clearly now that she was no longer standing inside the throne room.

The pressure was immense.

It spread through the surrounding space like an invisible ocean, making her instincts scream that approaching the creature would be a terrible mistake.

"Is that really five times stronger than before?" she whispered.

Soo-jin stood beside her, her expression unusually grave.

"Whether it’s five times stronger or not, I don’t think we can help him from out here."

Tae-hyun clenched his fists, clearly dissatisfied with being removed from the battle.

"Then why did he send us away? If he intends to fight that monster alone, shouldn’t we at least try to—"

"Look at the barrier," Ji-hoon interrupted.

The others turned toward him.

Ji-hoon’s gaze remained fixed on the violet wall, his expression reflecting a mixture of apprehension and reluctant understanding.

"Whatever he’s planning, he doesn’t want us interfering."

He lowered his hand.

"And judging from the way he created this barrier without any visible effort... I don’t think we have the ability to stop him."

The Hunters fell silent.

Beyond the barrier, Ares continued walking toward Varkhazan.

---

The golden-haired man watched him approach.

For a moment, Varkhazan said nothing, his golden eyes studying the figure walking across the shattered floor with an expression of faint amusement.

Ares was not particularly imposing.

He possessed a well-proportioned physique, but there was nothing about his appearance that suggested he could withstand the overwhelming power radiating from the Lord of Beasts. Compared to the enormous creature he had just become, Ares looked almost fragile.

And yet the human continued walking without the slightest hesitation.

Varkhazan tilted his head.

"Are you truly confident that you can defeat me?"

His voice was deep and resonant, carrying a strange majesty that seemed to reverberate through the chamber itself.

"I have just undergone my final evolution. The power you witnessed in my previous form was merely a fraction of what I possess now, and yet you stand before me as though the outcome has already been decided."

His golden eyes narrowed.

"Is that arrogance... or ignorance?"

Ares stopped a short distance away.

He looked up at Varkhazan and smiled.

"Of course I can defeat you."

For the first time, genuine interest appeared in the Lord of Beasts’ expression.

"How amusing."

Varkhazan slowly lowered himself until his feet touched the floor. Despite his human-like appearance, the pressure radiating from his body remained overwhelming, and each step he took caused the damaged stone beneath him to crack.

"I admire your confidence, human. Few creatures would dare to speak so boldly before the Lord of Beasts."

He extended one hand, examining his fingers as golden mana flickered around them.

"Very well. Let us see how long that confidence survives."

Ares’s smile widened slightly.

"Are you finished talking?"

Varkhazan’s expression stiffened.

Ares tilted his head.

"Then bring it on."

For a brief moment, the Lord of Beasts simply stared at him.

Then a low laugh escaped his throat.

"Interesting."

His golden eyes settled on Ares once more, and the air around him began to tremble as his mana surged.

"Very interesting indeed."

Yet beneath his amusement, something else stirred.

An unfamiliar sensation.

Varkhazan had existed long enough to recognize the difference between a creature that was merely fearless and one that possessed the power to justify its confidence. He had seen countless warriors stand before him with trembling limbs, desperate courage, or the foolish conviction that their determination alone could overcome the difference in strength.

Ares displayed none of those qualities.

He was calm.

Not the forced calmness of someone concealing fear, nor the composure of a warrior who had accepted his own death.

It was the genuine indifference of someone who saw no reason to be concerned.

Varkhazan’s instincts stirred.

Looking at the man before him, he could see no obvious reason for concern. Ares’s mana was not openly overflowing, and his physical appearance gave no indication that he possessed the strength to threaten the Lord of Beasts.

By every reasonable measure, the human should have been nothing more than a weakling standing before an overwhelmingly superior opponent.

And yet...

Something felt wrong.

An instinct buried deep within Varkhazan’s being, older than the castle and more primal than the power of his final evolution, was quietly warning him.

Be careful.

Varkhazan’s golden eyes narrowed.

’Who exactly are you?’