When the fog began rising from the ground, Elysian found himself bewildered. Its origin was a mystery—was this a natural phenomenon, or something more sinister related to the night howler's abilities?

'This b*stard is up to something. Whatever it is, I'm sure it's dangerous.'

From what Elysian could recall, the night howler possessed only two abilities: Mist Form and Howling Dark. Their names were self-explanatory, and he suspected this fog was connected to Mist Form—seemingly an enhanced version of the night tooth's Mist Shift ability.

According to Eye's information, 'The night howler can maintain its mist form far longer than a night tooth, capable of engulfing both enemies and surroundings in an impenetrable fog.' While this explained how the creature could affect its environment, one detail troubled Elysian—the night howler remained motionless, watching, showing no signs of using its abilities or transformation.

'Damn it, what game is this creature playing?'

Elysian's frustration mounted as he continued his deadly dance, dodging attacks while cutting down night tooths. His combat-hardened instincts screamed that something was wrong. Years of experience had taught him that overlooking such details, however minor they seemed, often meant the difference between survival and death.

'My gut's screaming danger. I'm missing something crucial, and if I don't figure it out soon, I'm finished.'

As the fog thickened and spread, Elysian noticed something odd—the number of night tooths was dwindling far too quickly. It made no sense. Given how many had been fighting, their numbers should have increased, not decreased. The discrepancy set off alarm bells in his mind.

Sudden realization struck him like lightning. His eyes widened in horror.

"Fuck!" he snarled, teeth clenched as he used Shadowstep, barely escaping the encroaching mist. His timing proved crucial—where he had stood mere moments before, several mist-formed night tooths materialized, their jaws snapping through empty air.

'F*ck, that was close. Too close.

I've overstayed my welcome. Any longer and I'm—'

Before he could complete the thought, the surrounding mist transformed into a writhing mass of night tooth heads. With practiced precision, Elysian's spear became a blur of motion, cutting down the immediate threats while creating space to maneuver. But even as he fought, he knew he was running out of time.

The fog continued to thicken, transforming into an oppressive shroud that spawned night tooths without warning. What made the situation truly terrifying was their unpredictability—they materialized mere moments before striking, giving Elysian precious little time to react.

'What the hell is happening? Mist Shift was never meant to work like this.'

Left with no choice, Elysian spun his spear defensively around, creating a makeshift shield against attacks from all directions. Though effective at keeping the night tooths at bay, this defensive maneuver was rapidly depleting his stamina. Recognizing the unsustainable nature of his situation, he seized a brief opening and sprinted forward, determined to escape.

The night howler, however, had anticipated this move. For the first time that night, the beast unleashed its dreaded ability—Howling Dark. The effect was instantaneous.

'F-f*ck! What's happening to me?!'

An overwhelming wave of terror crashed over Elysian, stopping him dead in his tracks. His body betrayed him, trembling uncontrollably as primal fear coursed through his veins. In that moment of clarity between panic-stricken thoughts, he remembered the night howler's ability. Though he fought to maintain control, that brief pause was all the night tooths needed.

They swarmed him, their fangs promising to tear his flesh apart. Only the Shroud of Tenebris saved him from devastation, its protection turning fatal wounds into shallow gashes. Yet even these relatively minor injuries sent blood coursing through him. While not immediately life-threatening, Elysian knew he couldn't afford for this to continue.

‘Damn it, I’m in deepsh*t! This b*stard is starting to make its move now while his minions are endless.’

Snarling in frustrated defiance, he lashed out with his spear, carving through the horde of night tooths before activating Shadowstep to put distance between himself and his attackers.

The night howler watched with growing curiosity. Its Howling Dark ability typically rendered victims helpless, leaving them paralyzed with terror on the ground. Given the vast difference in their power levels, the fight should have ended there. Yet this boy had not only remained standing but had managed to mount a counter-attack. More puzzling still, its discerning eyes noted how the night tooths' attacks had barely done any damage.

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‘How did I ever think that I could escape from it easily? Tsk, I’m as foolish as ever.’

Elysian stood at a distance, chest heaving from exertion, his cold, calculating gaze trained on the night howler. They regarded each other, even as Elysian was forced to keep moving, the relentless assault of night tooths allowing him no time to rest.

The seriousness of his situation wasn't lost on him. With the night howler maintaining its vigilant watch, his initial escape plan was now scrapped and forgotten. A chilling realization settled over him: unless something changed dramatically, his fate was sealed. He needed to do something, and he needed it fast.

Blood continued to flow from his wounds with each heartbeat, a grim reminder of the price of failure. As the mist thickened around him like a noose, Elysian's mind raced. He needed an advantage, any advantage, but the constant harassment from the night tooths and the looming threat of their master left him little room for an elaborate plan. Time was running out.

'Damn it. No choice but to face this monster head-on. Let's hope all that training wasn't for nothing.

Here goes everything.'

In a blur of motion, Elysian activated Shadowstep, materializing behind the night howler. Without hesitation, he channeled Crimson Sacrifice, targeting the beast's unprotected flank.

'F*ck, that hurts.'

A grunt of pain escaped his lips as the ability extracted its toll, draining a portion of his health. The injury from Crimson Sacrifice cut deeper than the night tooths' earlier attacks—this was why he loathed using this particular ability. It was a double-edged sword in the truest sense. Still, necessity had forced his hand, and he'd seized the only opening he'd seen. Fortunately, the Shroud of Tenebris seemed to complement with Crimson Sacrifice, dampening the ability's punitive nature. Without mitigating its negative effect, he would have been in dire straits given his current predicament.

Elysian's momentary bliss at landing a clean hit quickly turned to dismay. Despite using an epic ability with the element of surprise, he'd only managed to inflict a moderate wound on the night howler. The ability should have dealt a grievous wound, potentially fatal to an unsuspecting opponent. The gap in their cultivation levels was proving to be a nearly insurmountable obstacle.

'Sh*t. Two abilities chained perfectly, a clean hit from behind, and this is all I get?

Tsk, this is exactly why fighting someone above your level is such a pain in the ass.'

The night howler's roar of rage shattered the night air. Its hind leg lashed out in violent retaliation as it whirled to face its attacker. Elysian had anticipated the counter, rolling to the side with barely a breath to spare. As the beast turned to confront him, he was already in motion, circling to maintain position at its rear. Direct confrontation would be suicide—he'd seen enough to know that much. With his strongest attack barely causing damage, his only remaining option was to focus on that single wound, striking it again and again until it became a serious issue.

His mind raced as he moved, analyzing the situation with cold clarity despite all the tension. The night howler's durability was frightening, but even the mightiest beast could fall. If he could keep targeting that same spot while avoiding its counters, there might be a chance. It wasn't much of a plan, but it was all he had.

Fortune favored the bold as Elysian seized the initiative before the night howler could fully turn. Channeling aura into his legs, he launched himself like a living arrow, BloodShade gleaming in his left hand. Through gritted teeth, he triggered Crimson Sacrifice once more, his weapon arcing toward the beast's wounded flank—only for his target to dissolve into mist, leaving him striking empty air.

'Sh*t!'

Time seemed to slow as horrified realization dawned. His eyes widened in disbelief as his mind screamed at his own folly. The creature hadn't been vulnerable—it had been baiting him. Like a fool, he'd charged straight into the beast's trap. Still airborne, he watched with terrible clarity as the night howler's Mist Form materialized, its massive jaws right on him. The beast's maw was so big that Elysian's entire body fit easily between it with fangs that could have easily shred him to pieces even with the Shroud of Tenebris protecting him.

Drawing upon the last remnants of his composure, Elysian wrenched his mind back from the brink of panic. With a defiant roar, he channeled all the aura he could muster into his spear, driving it upward into the descending jaw. The desperate maneuver served two purposes—it temporarily prevented the beast from closing its maw while simultaneously inflicting a wound far more serious than his earlier successful strike. The irony wasn't lost on him; he'd turned the creature's own biting force against it.

Seizing the moment, Elysian sprang into action. With BloodShade in hand, he triggered Crimson Sacrifice yet again, stabbing repeatedly into the night howler's mouth. The beast attempted to shift back into Mist Form to escape, but Elysian's aura-infused spear prevented the transformation, leaving it groaning in agony as it frantically tried to bite its way out of it.

A sharp crack caught Elysian's attention—his spear was beginning to splinter under the immense pressure of the beast's jaw. The sight jolted him into action. While Shadowstep would have provided the safest escape, he couldn't afford to waste the energy. He needed another solution.

"Uroko Kōshin," he whispered, and serpentine scales materialized across his body, reinforcing his defenses. "Hebi no Suikyō," he added, the technique flooding his muscles with swiftness as he executed his retreat.

The timing proved perfect—his spear shattered with a thunderous crack as the night howler's jaws finally snapped shut. A moment's delay would have seen him joining the weapon in its doom, becoming nothing more than another meal for the beast.

As Elysian put distance between himself and the night howler, a grim smile crossed his face at the sight of blood flooding the beast's maw. Despite their vast difference in cultivation levels, the creature couldn't escape with just a moderate wound this time. Though not fatal, the injury was severe enough to make the beast think twice about where it would snap its jaws next.

'How do you like that, you bastard? That's what you get for trying to bite me.'

The beast remained unaware of the nastiest surprise yet to come—Crimson's Edge. Among BloodShade's most devastating effect was its ability to cause severe bleeding from each cut and injury it inflicted. This insidious effect grew more dangerous with each passing moment. Elysian had finally managed to turn the tables; he was no longer the one racing against time. The night howler now faced only two options: either end this fight quickly or retreat and let him go.

But before Crimson's Edge could take full effect, Elysian needed to survive what came next. As he backed away, the surrounding fog converged as the night tooths resumed their relentless assault. Unlike before, he no longer had his spear to act as both shield and deterrent against these creatures. All he had now was BloodShade. Though his knife was the more powerful weapon, it was better suited for close combat against single powerful opponents—not for fending off swarms of weaker foes.

'Sigh. This is about to get ugly.'