Chapter 37: Growth & Confidence II

Chapter 37: Chapter 37: Growth & Confidence II

Yet after several exchanges, Damon could feel it.

He still lacked the strength to finish it himself.

He had improved.

But it wasn’t enough.

The panther’s body carried several injuries.

But it wasn’t slowing down.

Damon exhaled.

"Alright."

"I’ve had my fun."

"Freya."

Before his voice finished... five afterimages appeared.

Freya had already understood.

"Kyuu!"

Damon grinned.

Their synchronization had become almost frightening.

He stepped backward.

The panther instinctively chased him.

And at that exact moment...

Boom!

The first afterimage slammed into its side.

Boom!

The second exploded beneath its feet.

The third appeared above.

The fourth from behind.

The fifth cut off its escape.

The beast was caught completely off guard.

Though heavily injured, it still escaped.

But neither Damon nor Freya minded.

Because everything had gone according to plan.

The panther roared furiously.

Wind gathered around its body.

Dozens of compressed wind bullets flew outward.

A terrifying skill.

But Damon had seen it before.

"Left."

Freya immediately moved.

Boom!

An afterimage intercepted.

"Behind."

Another copy appeared.

"Above."

Boom!

The attack missed again.

Their cooperation had become flawless.

And soon the fight entered a familiar stalemate.

Then...

Freya suddenly stopped moving.

Damon blinked.

"Hm?"

He immediately noticed the change.

Her aura.

It was different.

"Freya?"

The little fox stood quietly.

Her five tails rose behind her.

Silver lightning slowly gathered around her body.

The surrounding Aether began to tremble.

Even Damon instinctively stepped backward.

His eyes widened.

"You’re using it now?"

Freya didn’t answer.

Her beautiful silver fur fluttered.

And then...

Crackle!

The world turned silver.

The Aether around her transformed into pure lightning.

Not just around her.

But around the panther too.

A domain.

A lightning domain.

Boom!

Boom!

Boom!

Lightning bolts rained from every direction.

The panther growled furiously, refusing to submit.

But the pressure only grew stronger.

And Damon wasn’t done being shocked.

Because ten afterimages appeared.

His eyes widened.

"Ten!?"

Previously, Freya could only create five.

But inside this strange domain...

The number had doubled.

The panther’s expression changed.

For the first time... fear appeared.

And then...

The air froze.

A massive ethereal figure slowly appeared behind Freya.

Damon’s breathing stopped.

Those nine tails.

That ancient pressure.

The majestic fox he had first witnessed after her evolution.

But this time... It felt closer.

More real.

As though it truly existed somewhere.

And Freya...

Looked even more noble beneath its shadow.

The panther growled, trying to resist.

Yet the intimidation was overwhelming.

Boom!

An afterimage exploded.

Boom!

Another appeared.

Lightning fell endlessly from the sky.

And amidst the destruction. Freya slowly walked forward.

Step.

Step.

Step.

Like a queen approaching a defeated enemy.

The pressure tightened.

The panther struggled desperately.

It destroyed one afterimage.

Then another.

But ten more appeared.

Wounds accumulated.

Its body trembled.

And yet it still refused to fall.

Damon watched quietly.

Lightning reflected in his eyes.

A smile slowly appeared on his face.

He crossed his arms.

And nodded.

"It’s over."

Behind Freya... The nine-tailed silhouette looked down upon the battlefield.

And before them...

The mighty B rank beast struggled to stand.

But even Damon could tell.

Its defeat was only a matter of time.

Freya stood proudly inside the crackling domain.

Her five tails swayed behind her as streams of silver lightning danced around her body. The tiny fox looked completely calm, almost elegant, yet the B rank beast before her had already lost the will to fight.

And then...

Freya stopped.

Her ears twitched.

Her head tilted slightly.

It almost looked like she had finally gotten what she wanted.

Like someone snapping their fingers.

The next second...

BOOM!

The first explosion erupted inside the beast.

Then another.

BOOM!

BOOM!

BOOM!

Silver lightning burst out from beneath its skin.

The lingering currents left behind by ten afterimages finally reached their limit.

The proud B rank beast screamed.

Its body shook violently as one explosion followed another.

Even Damon, who had expected this outcome, widened his eyes.

"Damn..."

Another explosion erupted.

BOOOOM!

Chunks of flesh disappeared.

The beast’s bones shattered.

Its roar became weaker and weaker.

Until finally...

A pillar of silver lightning burst upward.

And the once mighty B rank beast vanished.

Not even a corpse remained.

Only black ash.

But even that wasn’t safe.

Tiny sparks still crackled through the remains.

The ash itself continued exploding into smaller particles until nothing was left behind.

Damon stood there in silence.

"...Scary."

He blinked.

"Freya, you’re getting terrifying."

The little fox finally relaxed.

The lightning domain disappeared.

The pressure faded.

And just like that, the majestic destroyer returned to being the same cute fox he knew.

She happily trotted toward him.

"Kyuu!"

Damon laughed.

"The contrast is ridiculous."

He crouched and lifted her into his arms.

"You did amazing."

Freya happily narrowed her eyes. Her tails wagged weakly.

Only then did Damon notice.

She was exhausted.

Most of her Aether had been consumed.

He gently rubbed her head.

"You showed off too much."

Freya lowered her ears.

Apparently, she knew.

But she still leaned happily into his chest.

Then...

Damon froze.

His smile slowly disappeared.

He looked at the empty battlefield.

Then at Freya.

Then back at the battlefield.

"...Wait."

He blinked.

"The loot."

Nothing remained.

Nothing.

No hide.

No bones.

No core.

Nothing.

Damon felt his heart ache.

"My beautiful B rank loot..."

Freya immediately looked guilty.

Her ears flattened.

Her tails wrapped around herself.

"Kyuu..."

She buried herself deeper into his arms.

Damon looked at her apologetic face.

Then he sighed.

And laughed.

"You just wanted to show me your new skill, huh?"

The fox nodded weakly.

His smile softened.

"It’s alright."

He scratched under her chin.

"I can’t get angry at you."

"Besides..."

He grinned.

"Who cares about one B rank beast? We already have plenty."

Freya immediately brightened.

Her tails wagged happily.

Damon chuckled.

"You really are easy to read."

He spent a while praising her before finally speaking.

"Rest."

Freya blinked.

"Kyuu?"

"You exhausted yourself. Go recover."

She hesitated.

Clearly, she didn’t want to leave him alone.

Damon smiled.

"Trust me."

He poked her nose.

"Your master isn’t weak anymore."