Before Lior—
A monstrous shadow loomed.
A 100-meter-long shark.
A Megalodon-class beast.
Its sheer size distorted the water around it. Compared to it, Lior looked no bigger than an ant.
For a moment—
He froze.
…So this is it.
The guardian.
But suddenly—
The Megalodon swung its massive tail.
"—!!"
Lior didn't even notice in time.
BOOM.
The impact sent him flying backward through the water. His body spun violently before he finally stabilized himself.
As soon as he looked ahead—
The Megalodon was already rushing toward him.
I'm sure… this is the guardian beast Precious mentioned.
But the problem is—
I have to defeat it… without killing it.
"…Damn it."
The Megalodon opened its massive jaws—
Ready to swallow him whole.
Lior reacted instantly—
"Water Shooter!"
A burst of high-pressure water shot from his hands, pushing him backward just in time to dodge.
He countered immediately—
"Mana Blast!"
A purple glow surrounded his body, gathering into a concentrated sphere.
He fired it.
BOOM!
An underwater explosion erupted.
"MAAAY!!"
The Megalodon roared—slightly injured.
But it didn't stop.
It twisted its massive body—
Then swung its tail again.
This time—
The entire surrounding water surged.
Massive waves formed, trapping Lior in the center.
"…!"
Before he could react—
The water around him darkened into a massive circular zone.
"…What is this—?!"
Pressure.
Unimaginable pressure.
It crushed against his body.
"—Agh…!!"
His bones creaked under the force.
This pressure… it's too much…!
If this continues—I'll die!
Without hesitation—
Lior transformed.
His body expanded—
Scales forming—
Wings emerging—
A dragon.
But not just any dragon—
"Spirit Dragon Form."
His body turned semi-transparent… almost ghost-like.
The pressure—
Vanished.
"…I'm not a water dragon. That's why I was at a disadvantage."
He looked at the Megalodon calmly now.
"In this form… defeating you without killing you…"
"…is like playing a game."
In an instant—
He closed the distance.
"Moon Totem."
A massive explosion erupted underwater.
The entire lake shook.
Above the Surface…
Yuki was sitting peacefully near the lake.
"…?"
Suddenly—
The water began to move.
Then—
BOOOOM!!
A massive surge shot into the sky—
Before crashing back down.
Yuki was drenched completely.
"…-_-"
Back Underwater…
The Megalodon took heavy damage—
But it quickly began to recover.
However—
Now that Lior was in dragon form—
Its size advantage was no longer overwhelming.
Without hesitation—
Lior activated another skill.
"Poeater."
The effect was immediate.
The Megalodon's movements slowed.
Its body weakened.
"MAAAY!!"
It cried out in pain.
"Poeater drains your energy… your stamina… your aura… even your strength," Lior said coldly. "It also damages your soul."
Then—
"Golden Yama."
The Megalodon trembled.
Fear.
Pure, overwhelming fear.
Its eyes widened—
Then suddenly—
Its expression froze.
Shock.
Terror.
Its body stiffened—
Then went completely still.
Unconscious.
Floating like a corpse.
Lior exhaled slowly.
"Golden Yama shows a horrifying illusion… then absorbs aura and blood to sustain itself."
"…And finally—two internal shocks."
"One in the brain."
"One in the heart."
He looked at the defeated beast.
"It won't die… but it's as good as dead for now."
"…Just like I was told. Defeat—without killing."
Lior returned to his human form.
From his pocket dimension, he pulled out a small box.
"This is an artifact—MABO."
"It can store non-living beings… though its capacity is limited."
"…A rare and expensive item."
He touched the box to the Megalodon.
In an instant—
The massive beast vanished—
Compressed into the small container.
"…Done."
Lior turned upward.
"I got the artifact… and the beast."
He began swimming toward the surface.
Back at the Lake
Yuki was casually eating roasted rabbit.
Suddenly—
SPLASH!!
Water exploded upward again—
And fell directly on him.
"…NOT AGAIN!! -_-"
At that moment—
Lior emerged from the lake.
"Uff… finally—"
He paused.
"…Wait. You're eating?"
"…?" Yuki looked at him. "Yeah… I was hungry."
"Oh man… I was fighting down there!"
"Anyway… what did you even do in the last 1–2 hours?"
Yuki froze.
"…1–2 hours?"
He stared at Lior.
"Brother… it's been four days."
"…What?"
"I thought you were dead," Yuki continued casually while eating. "So I even built a small house on that mountain."
"…I was planning to live here."
"But seriously—you're alive! I'm… happy."
"…You don't look happy," Lior said blankly.
"…Hmm?"
Yuki raised the meat in his hand.
"Oh, this? I was just hungry. I saved some for you too—I was gonna eat it at night, but you can have it."
"…I'm vegetarian," Lior replied. "I don't eat meat."
"Oh… then I don't have anything else."
"It's fine. I can survive without food for at least 14 days… I think."
"…Nice."
Yuki finished chewing.
"So now what?"
"…What do you mean 'what'?" Lior said. "Let's go back."
But as they looked up—
The sky was already turning orange.
Evening had arrived.
"…Let's go tomorrow," Yuki said.
"…Yeah," Lior nodded. "You're right."
For now—
They would rest.