As the "mad" bear thundered toward him, Predacon did not retreat. Instead, he planted himself firmly, every scale on his body tensing in anticipation of the collision.
His tail began to move—slow at first, then faster, slicing the air in violent arcs. Soul power surged along its length, converging at the tip until it crackled like coiled lightning, heavy and oppressive.
The instant the mad bear crossed into his killing range, Predacon struck.
The tail lashed out like a lightning-forged whip.
Charging headlong into the attack, the bear had no time to react. The moment the glowing tip touched its hide, a deafening explosion erupted. The shockwave tore through the air, and the massive beast was flung backward as if struck by a god's hammer.
For a brief, surreal moment, there was no pain—only confusion.
The mad bear's vision spun as the distance between itself and Predacon rapidly grew. The world blurred until its body smashed into a nearby boulder, shattering stone into flying fragments.
Only then, buried beneath rubble and dust, did its senses return—along with the terrifying realization that this opponent was far beyond its expectations.
Not only was the 'mad' bear shocked, but Predacon was also shocked at the power he displayed.
Is this… my power?
Predacon stared at his own tail in disbelief. But I don't remember ever possessing a skill like that.
Before the thought could settle—
"Congratulations, Host. New skill acquired: Exploding Tail Whip."
The system's cold, mechanical voice echoed in his mind. A translucent notification flared before his eyes, and in that instant, realization struck him harder than the bear's charge ever could.
He could learn skills.
No—he could create them.
Just like a soul beast forging its own innate abilities through instinct and evolution, his power could grow without limits.
Before he could explore the implications, a thunderous roar tore through the forest, rattling leaves, shaking trunks, and crushing his thoughts.
"ROAR!!!"
The Dark-Gold Terror Claw Bear had completely lost itself to rage.
It had believed its opponent to be a cowardly weakling—one that fled instead of fighting head-on. That belief had turned into arrogance, then irritation. Now, with a single devastating strike, that illusion had been obliterated.
Only now did the bear understand the truth.
For an entire month, it had been toyed with.
Lured. Tested. Mocked.
This beast had deliberately let itself be chased—hiding its fangs, suppressing its strength—until now.
Such humiliation was unforgivable.
The Dark-Gold Terror Claw Bear despised tricksters above all else. And so, standing amidst shattered stone and swirling dust, it made its decision.
If its opponent had finally revealed his true power—
then it would do the same.
With that thunderous roar, a radiant golden light burst from the bear's massive body. The glow intensified, condensing and weaving together until a virtual armor of pure golden energy enveloped it completely, clinging to its frame like a second skin forged from sunlight itself.
The oppressive aura instantly multiplied.
Predacon's pupils shrank as he stared, shock flashing across his face. He had never known a Dark-Gold Terror Claw Bear to possess such an ability. Even the memories inherited from his previous life on Earth—records that cataloged countless soul beasts—held no mention of a skill like this.
Yet… the sight before him made sense.
After all, this was no ordinary soul beast.
A Dark-Gold Terror Claw Bear was a super soul beast, a creature born to defy common sense. With merely a thousand years of cultivation, it was capable of contending with—ten-thousand-year soul beasts.
And now, standing before Predacon in radiant golden armor, it no longer looked like a hunted beast.
It looked like a walking calamity.
But Predacon did not feel fear.
Instead, a fierce exhilaration surged through him, boiling straight into his veins. As a Predacon—an ancient species of Transformer Beast—battle and slaughter were engraved into every fragment of his existence. Instinct screamed not to retreat, but to dominate.
Fear had no place in his mind.
He braced himself for another clash with the mad titan.
Predacon planted his legs deep into the earth, claws digging in as he drew every shred of soul power toward his throat. The gathered energy burned violently, causing his scales to glow as if they were softening, his throat radiating like molten lava on the verge of eruption.
The Dark-Gold Terror Claw Bear sensed the danger instantly.
This attack would be devastating.
With a furious snarl, the bear chose to gamble—to break the skill before it could be unleashed. It charged.
The ground beneath its feet cracked apart as it pushed off, raw strength detonating into speed. In a blink, its massive body became a streak of gold, tearing through the battlefield.
Even Predacon's eyes widened at the sudden acceleration.
But he did not panic.
The skill was already complete.
As the bear leapt toward him, Predacon threw his head back and unleashed everything.
A blazing beam of flame erupted from his maw, ripping through the air like a pillar of destruction.
"BOOM!!!"
Another explosion rocked the forest—trees uprooted, earth blasted apart, shockwaves rolling outward.
Yet this time—
The bear did not falter.
Wrapped in golden energy, the Dark-Gold Terror Claw Bear burst through the explosion without slowing, its charge unbroken, its eyes burning with savage intent as it continued its relentless advance.
Predacon had already foreseen the outcome—that was why he was prepared.
As the mad bear's first strike tore past him, Predacon twisted aside at the last instant. The blow missed its mark, smashing only air—but the Dark-Gold Terror Claw Bear did not slow down even for a heartbeat.
Without hesitation, it followed up, swinging its massive fist toward Predacon once again.
This time, Predacon did not evade.
The fist came crashing down, wrapped in blazing golden energy—only to be caught mid-swing.
Predacon's metallic claw snapped shut around the bear's arm, blue soul power surging across its surface like flowing lightning. The collision of gold and blue sent a sharp shockwave rippling through the air.
With a powerful jerk, Predacon yanked the bear toward himself.
Before the mad titan could react, Predacon's other claw flashed forward, tearing straight toward its torso in a brutal counterstrike.
When Predacon's metallic claw—wrapped in raging blue soul power—collided with the bear's golden energy armor, the air rang with the shriek of metal grinding against metal. Sparks burst outward in all directions, scattering like burning stars across the battlefield.
Predacon's brutal counterstrike landed true—
yet it failed to breach the mad bear's seemingly unbreakable defense.
The Dark-Gold Terror Claw Bear snapped back to its senses. With a violent wrench, it twisted its captured arm and tore free from Predacon's grasp, raw strength overwhelming restraint.
In the same motion, it struck again.
This time, it did not use its fists.
Golden energy surged as the bear's arm swung, its long, razor-sharp claws slicing through the air with murderous intent.
Predacon saw the attack coming—but there was no space to evade.
He met it head-on.
The claws crashed into his metallic arm, and the impact sent a terrifying shock through his entire body. His frame trembled violently as power surged through him, joints screaming under the strain.
The force behind this strike was more than twice that of the earlier punch.
It was a reminder—clear and merciless—that the mad titan before him was far from finished.
And so, the battle raged on—
claws against steel, gold against blue—each collision shaking the forest to its roots.
Yet neither of them knew…
From the shadows at the edge of the battlefield, a group of soul masters silently observed the clash. They were clad in deep blue cloaks, embroidered with jagged lightning patterns that faintly shimmered in the darkness.
Not a single sound betrayed their presence.
Their faces remained hidden, but their eyes glinted as they followed every exchange, every surge of power. Calculation flickered within those gazes—cold, sharp, and unmistakable.
It was greed.
Whether they desired the Dark-Gold Terror Claw Bear, the ancient Predacon, or the unimaginable gains such a battle could bring, one thing was clear—
Their intentions were far from good.