‘...What the hell is with this size?’

I lifted my head to meet its gaze, only to pause in momentary confusion as my eyes traveled endlessly upward.

Why is it so huge?

The creature that appeared had an absurdly massive physique—practically the size of a building.

Just judging by its sheer bulk, it easily surpassed the Blue-rank beasts.

‘Damn.’

How did it grow this big? I examined the creature, trying to make sense of its sudden transformation.

Maybe it wasn’t the one I knew after all? The thought flickered across my mind, but—

‘No, it’s definitely the same.’

Upon sensing its energy and presence, I was certain—it was the same one.

The head of the White Faction.

I clearly remembered that distinct rough and unrefined aura. This thing’s energy matched that exactly.

The difference, however—

‘It’s much stronger.’

Far, far stronger than when I last encountered it.

‘Just how much has it grown?’

Even if it was nighttime, the gap in power was too extreme to be dismissed.

‘At the very least, it’s doubled.’

Among all the Moonlit Night Tribe members I had encountered so far, this one had changed the most—both in sheer size and in the overwhelming presence it exuded.

Its existence had grown in proportion to its body.

‘Huh.’

Interesting. So such a drastic transformation was possible.

As I curiously observed the beast—

“Grrrrrrr!!!”

A deep, guttural roar erupted from its throat.

The sheer volume of its voice shook the entire surroundings.

“This bastard—”

Its voice, rough and heavy as if clogged with phlegm, grated through the air.

It had never had a clear voice before, but now, it had become downright monstrous.

“You dare—do you even realize where you are—?!”

It had truly become a beast in every sense of the word.

‘Even the Blue-rank ones weren’t this extreme.’

I had seen them grow fur and undergo transformations, but none of them had fully turned into a beast like the White-rank one.

At least the Blue-rank ones retained some semblance of humanity.

‘But this thing—it’s just a damn beast.’

A massive tiger-like humanoid.

No, calling it humanoid felt wrong. It was just a gigantic white tiger standing on two legs.

No matter how I looked at it, there was no way to consider it human.

“Grrrrrr...”

Its low growl reverberated through the air.

“Hm.”

I tilted my head slightly as I observed it.

“This is quite different from last time.”

Snort—!

It exhaled sharply through its nose, sending a powerful gust that made my hair whip in the wind.

“You arrogant wretch. To think you’d appear before me so brazenly. You must truly think nothing of me.”

Krrrrk—!! Crack—! BOOOOM—!!

As it spoke, the beast swung its massive arm violently. Its claws tore through the air, raking deep scars across the ground.

“Did you think that just because you succeeded in ambushing me once, that you were something special? Or perhaps, since you crushed the Blue-rank one, you assumed I would be just as easy?”

“Hm?”

I narrowed my eyes at its words. Why was it only mentioning the Blue-rank?

That part felt odd.

‘So it doesn’t know about the Red-rank.’

It seemed unaware that I had already beaten the Red-rank one.

Which meant—

‘Yusa must have hidden it.’

That bastard must have kept his mouth shut about the incident.

Realizing this, I looked up at the beast and spoke.

“You’re mistaken about something. What’s so surprising about me walking in openly?”

“What...?”

“There is no place under this sky that I cannot go.”

With those words, I lowered my arms from behind my back.

“Does a master need permission from his own possession? Nothing could be more laughable.”

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr—!!!

The White-rank beast reacted to my words. Its already massive muscles swelled even further as it bared its fangs.

“You arrogant bastard.”

Krrrrrrrrrrrrk—!!!

Its presence surged violently.

Perhaps due to the intensity of its power, the very air around it began to distort.

“This sky belongs to you? The master is watching from above, and yet you dare betray the mercy bestowed upon you!”

Swish—!

Its massive tail cut through the air.

Boom—!!

Like a whip, it slammed into the ground, shattering it upon impact.

“I don’t know what you’re trying to achieve by causing this chaos, but you’ve made a mistake.”

Its fur bristled sharply.

“Even if you managed to land a lucky ambush once, assuming this time will be the same is your greatest miscalculation.”

“Oh? And what makes it different?”

“The full moon is approaching.”

Crack—!!

The ground beneath its feet fractured.

“And when it arrives, my blessed fangs will devour you whole.”

ROOOOOOOOAAAAARRRR—!!!

The massive beast lunged at me.

*********

Kwaaaaaah—!!! Boom—!! Boom—!!

A thunderous explosion erupted, shaking the entire area. The ground trembled violently, and buildings all around began to collapse and crumble.

“Run for your lives...!!”

“Get out of here, now—!!”

The soldiers were in complete panic, desperately trying to flee. Their faces were filled with terror, and understandably so.

Who wouldn’t be afraid when a creature the size of a house was rampaging through the area?

“Graaaaaah—!!!”

The leader of the White Faction, resembling a massive tiger, swung its enormous arm.

Kwaaaang—!!!

Its claws tore through the air, bringing down yet another building. A mansion that had been sturdily built crumbled as if it were nothing.

“Do not run—!!!”

With a roar, it charged forward, closing the distance in an instant.

‘Fast.’

I couldn’t help but admire its speed.

Despite its enormous bulk, it had retained its agility.

“Grrrrr!!!”

It reached out for me with its massive hand.

Watching that, I clenched my fist.

Boom—!

A tremor surged through my arm.

I infused all of Tua Pacheonmu’s power into my strike.

Our fists clashed.

Kuaaaaaa—!!!

A shockwave erupted, sending waves of energy surging in all directions.

‘Well, look at that.’

A smirk crept onto my face as I observed the aftermath.

Even though I had poured Tua Pacheonmu’s full power into that strike, the White Faction leader had only been pushed back slightly. It barely showed any signs of damage.

‘Its durability is ridiculous.’

It had strengthened across the board.

Power, speed, endurance, energy—every aspect had improved tremendously.

‘This might be the strongest faction leader I’ve encountered so far.’

Even considering the nighttime advantage, the White Faction leader was overwhelmingly powerful. During the day, the leader of the Red Faction had seemed the strongest, but now...

‘This can’t just be the difference between night and day.’

Judging from its confidence, something more was at play.

‘Does it grow stronger as the full moon approaches?’

That seemed likely. Its heightened arrogance could be a result of that power surge.

Truth be told, I knew little about the Moonlit Night Tribe.

But among all these enhancements, one flaw stood out.

‘Its stats have all increased, but...’

Its movements had become crude.

It was relying purely on instinct, moving more like a wild beast than before.

Screeeeech—!!

‘Hmm.’

From behind my mask, my eyes shifted.

‘That should be enough.’

I had gathered all the information I needed. With that realization, I stopped moving.

At that moment, the White Faction leader swiped its claws at me.

“Grrrr—!! I’ve got you—!!”

Its massive claws filled my vision.

If I didn’t move, my body would be torn apart.

Just before its claws could reach me—

Tap.

I moved my hand.

Crunch—!!!

“....!!!”

The beast’s blue eyes widened in shock. My body, which should have been shredded, remained untouched.

Instead, it was its own arm that had been torn off.

“Graaaahh!!”

It howled in agony.

“Shut up.”

Before it could scream any further, I stepped in close and struck its jaw upward.

Crack—!!

The impact sent its head snapping back toward the sky.

Its massive frame wobbled, momentarily losing balance.

And with such a large body, that meant there were plenty of vulnerable spots to strike.

I tensed my muscles.

Sky-Shattering Surge.

As the pain surged through my body, my strength increased.

It felt easier to use than before.

I could feel my blood channels expanding as I gathered energy.

In an instant, Tua Pacheonmu’s power condensed into my palm.

At a glance, it resembled Flame Prison, but—

This was far rougher, containing an overwhelming force.

Heaven-Crushing Strike.

Holding the heavens in my grasp, I shattered it toward the beast.

Boom—!!

A small sound, followed by °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° an earth-shaking impact.

Kuaaaaaa—!!!

The explosion was incomparable to before.

The massive beast was sent flying backward.

It crashed through its own mansion, destroying multiple buildings in the process.

“Grrghhh...”

Embedded in the wreckage, it groaned in pain.

A gaping hole had been punched through its body—the same kind that had appeared on the leader of the Blue Faction.

I smirked.

“As tough as you look.”

It was genuine praise. The first time I had used Heaven-Crushing Strike on the Blue Faction leader, it hadn’t been nearly this powerful.

At least twice as strong.

The enhanced body of the Moonlit Night Tribe had allowed me to unleash that much force.

Yet, the White Faction leader had survived it.

And more than that—

Ssssshhhhh—!!!

Blue smoke billowed from its torn flesh and gaping wound.

It was regenerating. Rapidly.

The Moonlit Night Tribe was already known for their incredible recovery speed, but this one was exceptional.

And—

‘Even its severed arm is starting to regrow.’

It was slow, but unmistakably growing back.

I was curious whether this was unique to this one, but—

“Is that all? If so, I’m disappointed.”

There was no need to watch any further.

“This is crude and unsightly, hardly worth observing. Calling it a mere display of tricks would be an overstatement.”

I tightened my grip.

Its regeneration was fast. It would be back on its feet soon.

Not that it mattered.

I had already gathered enough information.

Giiiiiiiiing—!!

I activated Tua Pacheonmu again and initiated Sky-Shattering Surge.

The pain surged, but my body, already adapted, maximized its potential.

At the same time, I activated Ninefold Flame Wheel, causing my energy to clash violently.

Power collided with power.

The pain from Sky-Shattering Surge was far worse than before.

‘But I’m used to this.’

Enduring pain was something I was more familiar with than anyone.

I had never attempted to use Sky-Shattering Surge while simultaneously channeling another technique, but—

It felt right.

The energy flowed faster.

The pain was greater, but the casting speed was what mattered.

‘I wanted to try this anyway.’

Now was the perfect chance to test it.

My body held up, allowing the energy to circulate even faster.

Rumble—!!

A storm brewed within me.

I controlled it with sheer willpower and incantations to prevent an explosion.

I twisted my waist.

Planted my foot firmly into the ground.

The form and trajectory of the technique were different from before.

I didn’t have time to create a new movement for the situation.

So, I borrowed from Tua Pacheonmu’s first stance.

One-Fist Sky Breaker.

A simple punch, yet executed with absolute precision.

And into it, I infused Cheonma Divine Art.

Would it succeed?

That thought didn’t even cross my mind.

Instead, something else did.

‘What should I name it?’

I didn’t know whether this attack would succeed or fail, but that wasn’t my concern.

I was more focused on giving it a name.

After a brief moment of consideration—

Ah, right.

Heavenly Demon’s Fist.

I decided on the spot.

And I liked it.

Heavenly Demon’s Fist .

Nodding slightly in approval of the freshly coined name, I launched my fist forward.

Screeeeeeeeeech—!!!

The unleashed energy let out an ear-piercing wail.

In that instant—

The night was torn apart.