"So you were the one who caused that explosion? I've never seen a skill like that before. What is it?" the unknown creature asked, its voice a low, predatory growl.

Mav’s mind snapped into focus, cutting through the haze of agony. His instincts roared to life—assess the threat, plan the next move. He couldn't afford to panic, no matter how dire the situation.

Through the searing pain, Mav forced open his item box, his hands trembling as he grabbed the last high-tier potion. He gripped the bottle with bloody teeth, tearing off the cork. The liquid inside tasted sharply metallic, mingling with the blood in his mouth as he downed it in a single gulp. He felt the cool rush, but the relief was shallow, unable to fully drown out the deep, throbbing ache that wracked his body.

"Dark Blue Miracle," he whispered, barely able to speak. The words came out in a rasp, but it was enough.

A dark blue flame surged across his body, engulfing him in a wave of warmth. The pain vanished as if extinguished by the flame, his vision snapping back into clarity. For the first time since he got blindsided, he could see clearly.

Standing before him was a monstrous figure—humanoid in shape but with the face and limbs of a lion. Its presence was menacing, the creature's eyes gleaming with a mix of curiosity and cruelty. Mav's heart sank. It reminded him of Maimou, but this one was different. Stronger. And he had no idea what kind of Daimoniki it was.

"So, you can use advanced healing too? Impressive for a human," the creature said, its voice rough yet mocking.

It paced in front of Mav, its head cocked in thought. As the creature paced, its claws occasionally dug into the earth, leaving deep gouges in the soil. Each step was deliberate, its movements eerily calm, as though it had all the time in the world. Its eyes never left Mav, watching, analyzing, as though it were savoring the anticipation of a fight.

"And you've mastered green flames beyond defense? Interesting... You remind me of someone." It paused, a twisted grin forming on its face. "No, you're nowhere near her level." It chuckled darkly.

Mav sat, stunned. Another Daimoniki, capable of speech and likely even stronger than the last. After barely surviving his previous battle, facing this new enemy felt like a death sentence. A fleeting sense of despair threatened to take hold, but he shoved it down. He had to fight. He couldn’t afford to give in now.

His gaze flickered to his remaining skills. All available. He grabbed his last low-tier mana potion and drank it, feeling the mana rush back into him. His mana now stood at 32/120. Barely enough.

"I've got one last shot... Dark Yellow Transcendence and Dark Green Invincibility," he thought, steeling himself.

The creature's grin widened. "Because you managed to kill one of my men, I'll offer you a deal. Land one clean hit on me, and I'll let you live. I’ll leave and never return here. Fail... and you die. Deal?"

Mav blinked, his mind racing to process the creature’s words. But there was no choice. Its tone, cold and unyielding, left no room for negotiation.

"Deal," Mav croaked.

"Come then!" the creature taunted, a glint of amusement in its eyes.

"Dark Yellow Transcendence!" Mav shouted, dark yellow flames flaring around him, fueling his strength.

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"Yellow Enhancement," the creature countered, its body enveloped in a shimmering yellow aura.

Without hesitation, Mav charged, closing the distance in a flash. He swung a fist aimed at the creature's head. But it dodged effortlessly, its menacing smile never fading. Mav's heart pounded as he threw another punch, only for it to be dodged again without the creature even moving from its spot. His frustration mounted as he tried a feint, then a kick, but each move was easily read, evaded with minimal effort.

Blow after blow, Mav unleashed his full strength, his fists slicing through the air. Yet the creature seemed almost bored, dodging with inhuman precision.

"Your strikes have power, but your movements are clumsy. Amateurish, even," it said, effortlessly leaning away from another attack. "Predictable. Is that all you’ve got?"

The words stung, but Mav pressed harder, letting instinct take over. He stopped thinking, relying on pure reflex. His punches came faster, his attacks more erratic. Feint, punch, feint again. Just when he thought he’d caught the creature off-guard, he launched a full-powered strike.

The creature merely stepped back, the force of Mav’s blow tearing through the air, scattering leaves with the shockwave. But it hit nothing.

"You actually made me move from my spot. I’ll give you that much," the creature said, a smirk tugging at the corners of its mouth.

But then, Mav’s heart sank. The power of his skill began to fade. His 15 seconds were up.

Noticing this, the creature's grin widened. "Looks like you’ve reached your limit. Out of mana, or does your skill just have such a short duration?" It mused, rubbing its chin thoughtfully. "Ah, so that’s why you fled last time despite having the advantage."

Doubt clawed at the edges of his mind, the fear that he might not walk away from this one. The creature's mocking words echoed in his head. Am I really gonna die here? But he shook the thoughts away. There was no time for self-pity. If he let his mind wander for even a second, it could be the difference between life and death.

The creature’s eyes darkened as it spoke again, "Well, since you failed to hit me, it’s my turn now."

It lunged forward in a blur of speed.

"Dark Green Invincibility!" Mav shouted, a barrier of dark green flames erupting around him just as the creature's first punch connected.

A deafening shockwave blasted through the forest, scattering leaves and debris in all directions. Mav remained unmoved, his shield holding firm. The creature stepped back, shaking its hand, now twisted and broken.

"Hmph. A strong shield," it growled, casting "Blue Heal." Its hand snapped back into place as if nothing had happened.

"But let's see how long it lasts," it sneered.

"Green Protection," it whispered, its form now sheathed in a compressed layer of green flame, wrapping around it like a second skin over the lingering yellow flame. Then, without warning, it attacked again.

Each punch reverberated through the air, creating shockwaves as the creature’s fists slammed into Mav’s barrier. But the dark green flames held strong, shielding him from every blow. Mav’s heart pounded in his chest. The creature was relentless, faster, and more ferocious than before.

"Still holding, huh?" The creature grinned, taking a step back.

"Let’s see if you can withstand this. Red Armor!" it roared.

As the third flame activated, the air around it shimmered with heat. The yellow aura crackled like electricity, while the green protection shimmered like a living shield, dense and unyielding. The red flames that now coated its body burned with an intensity that warped the very space around it, distorting the air as if reality itself was bending to the creature’s will. It moved faster than before, a blur of color as it launched another barrage of punches. The impacts rang out like thunder, but Mav’s shield held firm—barely.

But time was running out.

5...

4...

3...

2...

1...

The dark green flames surrounding Mav flickered, then vanished. His barrier was gone, leaving him exposed. A final, devastating punch hurtled toward his unprotected stomach.