The scent of blood hung heavy in the mist-laden air.
Mark stood still, cradling the weakened form of Anan in his arms. The ground beneath them was cracked and soaked in a mix of blood and melted frost. His face, normally composed even in the face of a mythical beast like Blizzard Pegasus, was twisted in frustration.
He turned sharply toward the towering beast still standing nearby. "I told you not to kill him." His voice turned cold.
The Snow Wolf King, blood smeared along his flank, met Mark's gaze. "I aimed to suppress him," he said, voice low. "But he… he was strong. Just as abnormal as you. I held back, but he forced me to end it."
Mark narrowed his eyes. "You're a second-stage Transcendent Beast. He's not even a Transcendent yet, just an Ascendant. Was that truly beyond you?"
A moment of silence passed.
