"That’s impressive..."

Qasim looked at his injuries as they slowly healed because of Aurora’s potions. Everyone had received one, and they were already recovering.

*With this, we can win.*

Qasim looked around. Team Four was finally back together and in their best physical condition. Yasmin and Levia were both replenishing their power, while Doran kept an eye on the Lion. Meanwhile, Valen was talking with Aurora, and he didn’t look very happy anymore.

"Please tell me you’re kidding..."

"Do I look like I’m joking about everything?"

"Aurora, please. You can’t just retire..."

"I’m sorry, Valen. It’s time. I don’t have a team anymore, remember? I failed. I’m a horrible leader. Forty years in this domain, and I’m still a Second Step... I’m still a Hilal-Awal. I think it’s time for me to realize that I’m no longer in my prime."

"No... Please think again. I... You helped me. You helped all of Team Four at our lowest. I have a deep respect for you, Aurora, and I can’t just watch you leave like this..."

"If you really have that much respect for me, then let me leave, Valen. Don’t worry. If you ever need someone to talk to, I’ll be there for you. Just not as the leader of Team Two, but as myself. An old lady listening to a friend..."

Valen was visibly saddened by the news, but Aurora placed a hand on his cheek.

"C’mon now. This isn’t the Nasun’s boy I remember. Go on and show me that you’ve grown from the little boy I remember."

"C’mon, Valen. Say the thing... Say the thing Nasun used to say whenever he felt down.

"In my darkest moment..."

"I shall shine brighter..." Valen continued her sentence, a hint of sadness and nostalgia flashing across his eyes.

Qasim watched the two from a distance. He didn’t understand what was happening, but after a moment, Valen turned around.

"My boys and girls, let’s end this horrible mission already!"

"Yes!"

Valen then turned back to Aurora.

"Where are you going now?"

"I’ll probably check Team Three’s situation and ask the officials to take me back. Then I’ll hold a funeral for my fallen team... Maybe I’ll go to a bar and cry a little."

"Good luck, then."

"Be careful, Valen..."

"I will."

After saying their goodbyes, Aurora made her way back while Valen walked forward and stopped in front of Doran.

"Bring him with us. We’ll use him as a hostage for negotiations in case anything goes wrong."

"Alright."

Doran put the Lion over his shoulder before following the others.

Now standing in front of them were two large doors. Qasim remembered them well. He held his chest tightly and took a deep breath.

In the next moment, Valen opened the doors, and all of Team Four entered with their attacks ready.

It was a large room. In the middle sat someone comfortably in a chair, wearing a badly designed fox mask.

"Yo—"

Without giving him a chance to finish, Doran attacked first with a Light Beam.

The fox dodged the attack, but the mask shattered from the impact, revealing the ugly fox face beneath it.

Yasmin was next. She lunged at him, disappearing into her black cloud while a wave of daggers flew from within it, making it nearly impossible for him to see her.

Even so, he easily dodged her attacks.

The Savior then grabbed a table and smashed it into Yasmin’s cloud, hitting her in the process. He followed with a kick at incredible speed, sending her flying straight toward Doran, who was preparing his next attack and was now forced to catch her.

But in the next second, Doran’s eyes widened.

The fox was already in front of him.

*Is this kind of speed even possible?*

Doran was horrified by that abnormal speed. Just as the fox was about to hit both of them, he glanced toward the ground and saw sharp earth pillars shooting straight toward the fox.

Instead of dodging, however, the fox looked toward the person who had cast the spell.

His golden eyes landed on Levia, the caster, and then on Valen standing behind her, boosting her.

The fox simply licked his lips and gave a wicked smile.

The sharp earth pillars successfully struck his entire body.

But to everyone’s surprise, the pillars shattered upon impact as if they had struck metal.

The fox stopped himself right in front of Doran and gave him a sinister look before punching both him and Yasmin, sending them flying toward Levia and Valen.

The group watched as the fox slowly approached them, smiling as though he were enjoying some kind of game.

But unbeknownst to him, Qasim was already beside him, preparing a powerful spell.

This spell was unique. Qasim had created it using every type of mana he possessed, making it far more powerful than his usual attacks.

Wind, Water, Fire, Electricity, and Earth were all present, combining into an extremely unstable mass of power.

Qasim was about to unleash it when he suddenly froze.

The fox’s golden eye was looking at him from the side.

He hadn’t even bothered to dodge.

He simply stared at the boy with a strange mixture of confusion and excitement.

"Yo... This is the first time we’ve met, right?"

As the fox spoke in his cold tone, Qasim felt his heart beating faster. Sweat covered his body as an awful memory began playing in the back of his mind.

He imagined the fox’s bloody, smiling face as he swallowed Qasim’s head and killed him.

His killer was standing right in front of him.

Yet Qasim couldn’t move.

The fear was simply too overwhelming.

"Well, that’s an unexpected surprise~"

Qasim’s eyes widened as he saw the fox reaching for his head.

*Move. MOVE... I SAID MOVE, DAMN IT!*

But his body refused.

Or, more accurately, Qasim couldn’t force himself to move.

In the next second, however, the fox was blasted in the face by another Light Beam from Doran. He was pushed back by Yasmin’s follow-up attack and Levia’s fireballs, while Valen rushed over to check on Qasim.

"You okay, my boy? What happened?"

"I... I just..."

"It’s okay. Stay focused. I need you to take a deep breath—"

"Kill that nasty human for me, little brat~"

The fox suddenly said something strange, confusing the entire team.

Valen laughed in his face and mocked him.

"What’s the matter, huh? Your brain didn’t evolve with your body—"

Valen’s eyes widened.

Something had changed.

Blood.

Levia’s heart dropped when she saw the scene.

Doran’s mouth fell open in confusion, while Yasmin’s eyes widened.

Qasim was even more shocked than any of them.

Just now...

Right now...

His body had moved on its own.

Valen’s arm was covered in blood.

Qasim’s hand had pierced straight through it.

No weapon was needed.

His raw physical strength alone had been enough to cause the damage.

*What the fuck am I doing...?*

Qasim was lost in his thoughts, desperately trying to regain control of his body.

Then the fox suddenly burst into laughter.

"Haha! What’s the matter? Your brain didn’t evolve yet?"

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