Seeing the massive creatures lunging at them, Henry instantly rolled to the side, barely dodging the attacks.

Art, however, froze in place — shock rooted him to the ground. Unlike Henry and Derek, he wasn't battle-hardened… nor was he strong enough to react that fast.

But before the giant rats could reach him, Derek launched himself forward, spinning in midair as his foot slammed into two of them, sending their massive bodies flying.

One rat slipped past him, streaking straight toward Art.

Derek's hand shot out as he grabbed the beast by the skull, yanked it back, and drove his fist through its head with monstrous force.

A sickening crunch followed.

A hole blasted clean through.

Dead!

But while he was dealing with it, two more rats leaped at him from behind, only for twin fireballs to slam into them one after another.

Boom! Boom!

It was Henry. "I got two already, Derek! You've only killed one so far!"

Saying that with a smirk, he launched himself back into battle, unleashing fireball after fireball.

Derek didn't respond — just smiled a little before glancing at Art. "Are you hurt?"

"No… I'm okay." Art exhaled slowly, hand still trembling. "Just shaken. This is my first time facing magical beasts."

"Don't worry, you'll adjust," Derek said in a steady voice. "But stay alert and focus on protecting yourself. Don't take unnecessary risks."

Then he launched back into the battlefield as well.

He didn't bring out his sword, though. He used his bare hands to fight, and it was usual for a cultivator as well.

BAM! BAM! THUD!

His punches crashed like falling boulders, heavy, ruthless, and fatal.

After just one hit, not a single one could stand back up. These weakly magic beasts didn't stand a chance.

Henry stared in disbelief, then gritted his teeth, refusing to fall behind. He raised his palms and unleashed fireball after fireball. But this time with more destructive power.

Minutes later, the clearing was littered with dead beasts.

"How many did you kill?" Henry asked, crossing his arms.

"Eleven," Derek said casually. "You?"

"Nine," Henry muttered, clearly irritated.

Derek grinned. "You'll need a lot more training if you want to beat me."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Henry brushed it off, but a spark of determination lit in his eyes.

"This is good training, though. I'll catch up soon. You, Cecilia… even Leo."

His smile faded slightly when he said the last name. His fist tightened.

Derek said nothing. He already understood — his loss to Leo in the duel a few days ago wasn't something Henry had gotten over.

After that, they continued their march. They pushed deeper.

It didn't take long before they had to face another wave of beasts. This time, they were giant squirrels, horns curled like rams, eyes burning blood-red, claws long and jagged like butcher blades.

But this time, everyone was prepared.

Even Art started fighting. His movements were a bit awkward, inexperienced, and hesitant… but still. He was fighting.

Meanwhile, Derek and Henry began slaughtering the beasts effortlessly, swatting them down as if they were mere insects.

Before long, this wave of enemies was wiped out as well.

They ventured deeper into the forest, encountering two more groups of magical beasts along the way.

By now, Derek had killed 49 beasts, while Henry had taken down 36.

They continued forward.

But while they were walking....

Suddenly...

"SAVE ME... SOMEONE.. PLEASE SAVE ME.."

A scream — Sharp, high, and filled with terror.

All three froze.

"Someone's in danger," Derek said instantly.

Henry's expression darkened. "What should we do? That came from deeper in the forest. If I'm not wrong, that territory is filled with D-class magical beasts. We haven't faced any danger yet because everything we've fought so far has been F-class or even weaker. Maximum had turned into a magical beast recently, barely stronger than normal animals." He paused for a bit. "But D-class beasts are on a whole different league. No way we will stand a chance against them."

"Dangerous or not, we can't just stand here and do nothing, knowing someone could get hurt or die. You two go and find an instructor. Meanwhile, I'll go see what I can do."

Derek said that without any hesitation and turned to move, but Henry grabbed his arm before he could take even a single step.

"I'm coming with you. Art can go back and find someone for help."

"No," Derek said firmly. "If Art returns alone, he could get ambushed. It will be almost impossible for him to get back without any serious injury or even worse."

"But if you go alone, you might not survive as well!" Art argued, his voice cracking with fear.

Derek met their eyes — calm, steady, unshaken.

"That's exactly why both of you need to go back quickly and bring help. Don't worry. I'll scout from a distance. I'll only engage if I'm certain I can handle it. And if possible… I'll buy as much time as I can until help arrives."

Art and Henry didn't know what to say. Neither of them wanted Derek to go alone and face any life-threatening danger.

Seeing their hesitation, Derek spoke again.

"Hurry. There's no time to waste."

Saying that, he didn't wait for a reply and instantly shot toward the direction the cry for help had come from.

Henry and Art exchanged a glance. Then they turned and sprinted back at full speed.

Time passed as Derek rushed forward. His sword shot out of his storage ring — he caught it mid-run without slowing down.

After running for almost twenty minutes, he finally reached the place he had been rushing toward.

But the instant his eyes landed on what lay ahead...

He froze.

Shocked.

Horrified.

On one side, Leo lay sprawled on the ground, unconscious.

Nearby, a girl was dragging herself backward across the dirt, both her legs visibly mangled and severely injured.

And standing before them was a giant bear, a magical beast.

Its body looked unnaturally hardened, like forged iron. Its eyes were pitch black, void of any warmth. Blade-like claws jutted from its massive paws. Its grotesque maw hung open, lined with ferocious fangs, thick saliva dripping steadily from its jaws.

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