Kankal City Market, Prosperity and trade were at their peak in the market of Kankal City. As always, the market was lively— colorful stalls, the glow of spiritual stones, the sounds of bargaining, and faint auras of cultivators drifting through the air.
Liora, Snehwal, and Lily were standing in front of a stone merchant's shop. The stones displayed on the counter emitted a soft light—
some carried warmth, some cold, and some had a clear spiritual vibration that could be felt instantly. Lily picked up a blue stone and examined it carefully.
"This stone will be very useful during our journey," she said.
"If the situation in the empire worsens, then—"
Her words were cut short.
Boom—!!!
The entire market shook violently. A terrifying explosion echoed from the northern wall of the city. Stones, dust, and splashes of blood scattered through the air. Liora's eyes narrowed. Snehwal lifted his head at once.
And then— The city wall had collapsed.
From the shattered gap emerged a blood-soaked monster.
Its body was no longer human— tall, twisted, and swollen with veins. Its skin was a deep mix of red and black, as if coated in blood and mud. Its teeth jutted out—broken, sharp, and drenched in blood. A green seal glowed on its forehead, proof that it belonged to someone's pet.
On its back hung a huge sack—
and that sack… was moving.
The next moment—
The monster let out a scream. It was not of pain. Not of anger. It was the scream of an enormous, unending hunger. It grabbed a shopkeeper and lifted him off the ground.
In a single jerk— bones shattered.
Blood burst out. And the body was thrown straight into the sack. Screams echoed everywhere.
"Monster—!!!"
"Run—!!!"
"The wall has fallen—!!!"
The entire market went mad.
People trampled over one another as they fled. Stalls overturned. Stones scattered everywhere.
Children cried.
And the monster—
laughed without restraint.
As it moved, it kept killing people.
Whoever it found— kill them. Lift them.
Throw them into the sack. The sack on its back kept growing heavier.
Liora's body tensed. A cold gleam appeared in her eyes.
"This is not an ordinary monster," she said in a low but firm voice.
"It attacks cities for food."
Lily's breathing quickened, but astonishment and anger flared in her eyes.
"Isn't the security of Kankal City our responsibility?"
But Snehwal had already stepped forward.
There was no softness left in his eyes now—
only cold, steady fury.
"If this thing isn't stopped," he said,
"it will not leave Kankal City."
The monster turned its head. Its gaze locked directly onto Snehwal.
Its smile widened.
Perhaps it had understood—
Today, it had not found just food.
Today, it had found a challenge.
Snehwal raised his hand— And a bow appeared in his grip. He pulled the string back.
Released.
The moment the arrow left the bow, something astonishing happened— From that single arrow, thousands of light-green arrows burst forth, spreading through the air like a storm.
They pierced into the monster's body like straw, sinking deep into its flesh.
Yet—
The monster roared.
A deafening, furious roar that shook the market ruins. The two collided.
The monster lunged forward, trying to grab Snehwal with its massive, blood-stained hands. Each swing carried crushing force.
Snehwal moved swiftly. A sword flashed into his hand. He slashed again and again— cutting through flesh, tearing veins, drawing dark blood.
The monster staggered, but did not fall. It attacked wildly, fueled by hunger and rage.
Snehwal countered with precision and calm fury— dodging, striking, retreating, then striking again. The battle raged on.
Clashes echoed through the shattered market. Blood splashed onto broken stones. The monster kept trying to seize Snehwal—
and Snehwal kept carving wounds into it with his blade.
From a short distance away— Liora and Lily watched. Their eyes followed every movement. There was tension— But more than that, there was admiration.
Liora's lips curved into a faint smile. Her eyes shone with pride. Lily clenched her fists, her heart pounding— But her gaze was firm.
Both of them, without saying a word, were thinking the same thing— Snehwal's courage… his resolve…
his strength— were worthy of praise.
And the fight— was far from over.
The monster slammed its chest with force.
Its entire body trembled with rage. Then it grabbed the huge sack hanging from its back— And tore it apart in a single violent motion.
The dead bodies stuffed inside spilled onto the ground.
The very next moment—
the monster bent down and began drawing the blood of the dead into its own body.
Blood flowed over its mouth, neck, and chest.
Its skin turned an even deeper shade of red, veins bulged out, and its aura suddenly multiplied many times over.
Lily's eyes widened.
"This…," she said angrily,
"its power has reached the peak— equal to that of a Sixth-Stage cultivator!"
At that very moment—
The monster swung its arm with full force.
Boom—!!!
Snehwal's body was hurled into the air and thrown several meters away, crashing into the walls.
"Snehwal—!!!"
Lily's scream rang out.
The next instant—
The air rippled.
And suddenly—
Lily appeared in midair, right above the monster's face. Her clothes fluttered wildly,
and anger and worry burned together in her eyes. The monster raised its head. Its blood-soaked eyes locked directly onto Lily.
For a single moment— The entire battlefield seemed to freeze.
To the monster, it felt as though it had just found a new prey.