Chapter 4: The Phantasm Beasts Unleashed

After listening to Mels, Cloud-reaching Sword God finally took note of the strange situation in the sky. He looked up, and although the birds were flying very high and the sun was dazzlingly bright, thanks to his keen eyesight, he could still easily identify them as Summoned Beasts.

Giving Mels a slight nod, Cloud-reaching Sword God said: "Mels, it seems our enemies have arrived. I apologize, but my elder brother instructed us not to let you know about the impending attack, which is why I kept it from you until now.

We changed our plans because Magic Family headquarters came under attack by a group of mysterious assailants two months ago. There were about three hundred of them, and according to surviving guards, several were exceptionally skilled martial artists! That's why, even with nearly a thousand guards at headquarters, they couldn't withstand the assault!" Mels paled, asking anxiously: "What about Lannis's family?"

"Hah, don't worry. Lannis's father is currently in the capital of the Fijinando United Kingdom, and the others are scattered at various branch offices, so none were injured.

But the strangest part is, these raiders killed and wounded many guards but took no treasure. They didn't even touch the family's vast collection of martial arts manuals. So their motive remains a mystery. Given the situation, Lannis's father asked us to bring Lannis to the Fijinando United Kingdom.

But just as we left Bomat Harbor, Big Brother got word that a mysterious group planned to ambush us and kidnap Miss Lannis on the road. That's why we abandoned the main road and chose a quieter, more secluded path." Cloud-reaching Sword God laid out the situation for Mels.

After hearing this, Mels finally understood why White-haired Wind God didn't allow Akafir to stay in Bomat Harbor and why they'd suddenly switched to back roads. After a moment's thought, Mels looked up at Cloud-reaching Sword God and said: "Second Master, based on what you've said, I believe these Summoned Beasts must have been released by enemies lurking nearby as scouts!"

"Right!" Cloud-reaching Sword God gave a firm nod, his expression turning grave: "Because we're facing not just numbers, but unknown masters as well, I'm laying all this out for you. I need you to take Lannis and Akafir and get ahead of the convoy. Make for the capital immediately!"

"No! I want to stay and fight alongside you!" Hearing this, Mels, young and fearless, refused to leave his masters to face such odds alone.

"Silly boy!" Cloud-reaching Sword God smiled and patted Mels' head, then said sternly: "Do you really think these petty villains are a match for us old fellows? Don't worry. The reason for sending you ahead is simply because Lannis isn't suited for combat, and Akafir is seriously ill right now. Getting to the capital quickly keeps Lannis safe and lets Akafir recover. That's why I want you to leave first."

"But..." Although Cloud-reaching Sword God's reasoning was sound, Mels still didn't want to leave.

Before he could finish, Cloud-reaching Sword God interrupted again: "Silly Boy, now is not the time for arguments. We all know you care for Lannis, which is why I'm entrusting this important task to you. Don't think leaving here will be safe. For the remaining three days of the journey, you alone will be responsible for protecting them. If you encounter enemies, you'll have to fight to the death! Understand?"

Seeing the firm look in Cloud-reaching Sword God's eyes, Mels knew he couldn't persuade him further, so he nodded gently and said: "Second Master, I understand. We'll wait for you in the capital. Please take care!" Without waiting for a reply, Mels tightly hugged his master, then turned and jogged back toward his own carriage.

Watching Mels' retreating figure, Cloud-reaching Sword God's eyes seemed to mist over slightly. The actual situation was far more serious than what he had told Mels, but to let Mels leave with peace of mind, he had to downplay it.

A moment later, after the carriage carrying Mels and the others had departed, Cloud-reaching Sword God turned and called the other elders hidden around to his side, quietly instructing them on the battle plan. A life-and-death struggle was about to begin!

On the main road, Mels drove the carriage forward at full speed. Mels was no fool; he already knew that any opponent who could make the Seven Immortals of Myriad Changes so tense was definitely not simple! Originally determined to stay and face the powerful enemy alongside the Seven Immortals, his only reason for leaving was Lannis and Akafir.

Although he was only seventeen, his budding feelings for Lannis were sincere, and Akafir, though they hadn't known each other long, was his best brother. For their sake, Mels wouldn't hesitate even to give his life. Therefore, after weighing the pros and cons, Mels chose to follow Cloud-reaching Sword God's instruction and leave the carriage convoy. Of course, Mels also knew the road ahead wouldn't be smooth; scheming enemies would surely be waiting somewhere to ambush them!

The reality indeed matched Mels' thoughts. The enemies preparing to ambush the carriage convoy had already laid a tight net, determined not to allow a single person to escape their encirclement. The reason these enemies abandoned the mountain paths and chose to attack on the open plains was precisely to prevent anyone in the carriage convoy from escaping using the terrain. Therefore, the Seven Immortals' decision to let Mels and the others leave first, while to some extent allowing them to avoid the enemy's strongest forces, actually meant they would have to face more second-rate assassins stationed around the perimeter.

The carriage raced along the main road. On a road so close to the capital, it should have been exceptionally busy, yet now not a single person was in sight. This peculiar situation had already caught Mels' attention, but he wouldn't stop for even a minute now. Mels believed that every step closer to the capital increased their chance of escaping the enemy's encirclement.

Inside the carriage, Sol and Rek sat tensely by the windows on either side, looking out. Before leaving the carriage convoy, they had already learned about the current situation from Mels and knew they needed to be alert for enemies appearing at any moment. With Akafir unable to fight and Lannis not skilled in combat, they were the last line of defense for protecting the two. Therefore, spotting the enemy early would be decisive for victory!

After two hours of galloping, Mels gradually slowed the carriage's speed.

It should be safe here by now! Mels thought to himself.

However, before his thought could fully form, the soil on both sides of the main road exploded violently. Five men dressed in red tight-fitting clothes, their faces covered by masks, holding semicircular scimitars, appeared ferociously before Mels. Before Mels could react, one of them raised his blade and swiftly cut the two galloping horses in half!

The carriage, now horseless, immediately lifted into the air, seemingly about to shatter into pieces. Facing the crisis, Mels remained calm. Channeling his Qi energy, he tightly gripped the carriage shafts and, with almost miraculous skill, forcefully pressed the airborne carriage back down to the ground, preventing everyone inside from being seriously injured at the very start of the battle.

"This kid has decent skills!" Watching Mels' impressive performance, the tallest among the five, who appeared to be the leader, praised. Then he gave a sinister smile and continued: "But with your petty tricks, you definitely won't gain any advantage against us brothers! Be smart and hand over the Magic Family girl in the carriage. Seeing as you have some talent, this master might just spare your life!" As soon as this man finished speaking, the other four burst into laughter.

"Shameless cowards hiding your faces! Thinking you can make this Young Master hand someone over with just you few is simply dreaming! Why don't you take a piss and look at your reflection to see if you're even worthy to be this Young Master's opponent!" Having grown up among mountain bandits, Mels was far superior to these big men when it came to insults. After this verbal assault, the several big men were instantly furious.

"Brat, I'll show you some color! You really think I'm a sick cat! Brothers, who's going to teach this little bastard a lesson?" the big man shouted to his underlings.

Perhaps because they looked down on Mels' youth, or perhaps due to overconfidence in their own martial arts, the several big men all clamored to step forward and "teach" Mels a lesson! For a moment, they argued and fought over who would get this "good task"! "Haha... come on then, hurry up! This Young Master doesn't have time to fool around with you!" Mels further provoked them.

In truth, Mels wasn't normally this arrogant. However, with powerful enemies before him, provoking opponents to gain a greater combat advantage was part of his strategy. That's why Mels repeatedly taunted and mocked the enemies, aiming to make them lose their rationality in a fit of rage and fail to utilize their true strength.

Indeed, Mels' provocation had a significant effect. Among the five enemies, a thin, small man at the back could no longer endure Mels' taunts. With a loud roar of "Die!" he leaped high into the air, pouncing down on Mels.

"Good timing!" Facing the enemy's attack, Mels didn't retreat. He drew the Soft Sword from his waist, and his body sprang up from the carriage like a coiled spring, flying to meet the enemy's assault.

Upon the first exchange, Mels realized the enemy's strength was indeed formidable. Although the blade techniques used were simple, every move was vicious and ruthless. The two combatants in the air, blades and sword clashing, produced a series of metallic sounds. Sparks continuously erupted between the two weapons, like fireworks blooming in the sky, dazzling everyone present.

"Big Guy, how is the boss doing in the fight right now?" Sol, who didn't understand martial arts well, couldn't tell if Mels had the upper hand and could only ask Rek beside him.

"Judging by the current situation, it seems evenly matched! But the enemy attacked first. For the boss to fight him to a draw from the start, I think the boss's skill is above the enemy's!" Rek said to Sol while watching Mels fight.

"Haha... then the boss should be able to defeat the enemy quickly!" Sol said, taking it for granted.

"No, that's hard to say. Although the boss's skill is likely above the enemy's, judging by the current situation, the enemy's moves are sinister and vicious, and his combat experience also seems superior to the boss's. Even if the boss can defeat him, it would take at least three hundred moves." Rek shared his analysis with Sol beside him.

"Brother Rek, then you should go help Brother Mels quickly!" Upon hearing Rek's words, Lannis immediately grew very anxious for Mels and urged Rek to go assist in the fight. However, Rek couldn't agree to her request.

Rek shook his head slightly and said: "No, the enemy still has four others. If I join the fight now, the enemy will definitely send someone else in too! Once a chaotic melee starts, not only will the pressure on me and the boss increase greatly, but you will also come under attack.

Right now, Akafir can't fight, and Sol isn't accustomed to close combat. If the boss and I get tied up by them, you'll be in danger."

The reason Mels entrusted the important task of Lannis' safety to Rek was precisely because Rek was cautious and careful in handling matters, not prone to taking unnecessary actions. Rek certainly didn't disappoint Mels!

On the battlefield, Mels and his opponent had entered a stalemate. Back and forth they went, each using their own signature moves, trying to defeat the other. Yet, for the moment, neither could gain the upper hand.

While fighting, Mels observed the surroundings and thought to himself: It seems my adoptive father's Wolf Wind Sword Technique can't defeat that guy quickly. But if I use Second Master's Wind-Severing Divine Sword, my Qi energy won't last for prolonged combat! There are still so many enemies. If I expend too much Qi, even if I defeat this guy, I'll be left with no way out! What should I do?

Unable to decide on a course of action, Mels could only take it step by step, temporarily prolonging the fight.

However, the enemy leader commanding the five assassins was unwilling to see the battle drag on indefinitely. He said to the thin, small man fighting Mels: "Third Brother, how long do you plan to play around? Hurry up and finish off that brat!"

Upon hearing his order, the thin, small man immediately responded: "Understood, boss! I'll do it now!" After saying this, the man swiftly launched two blade strikes, forcing Mels to one side, then leaped back and gave Mels a cold laugh.

Seeing the thin man's reaction, Mels knew he was about to use his trump card. Since the enemy had retreated, even if Mels pursued, it wouldn't be very effective. Therefore, Mels simply stood his ground, strengthening his guard and waiting for the enemy to launch his attack.

Sure enough, a moment later, the man raised his scimitar, channeled his entire body's Qi energy, his face turning crimson as if enduring great pain.

What kind of martial art is this? Why does using it cause such pain? Mels wondered inwardly.

His question had just formed when the man suddenly roared, and his body instantly produced three overlapping shadows. Seeing the enemy before him split into three, Mels couldn't believe his eyes. Subconsciously raising his arm to rub his eyes, he found the enemy had indeed become "three"! However, the left and right figures were somewhat translucent, while the middle one was the solid entity!

Watching from the side, Rek's heart sank when he saw the enemy split into three. When he confirmed his suspicion, he shouted to Mels: "Boss, be careful! They're from the Ghost Mansion!"

"What! Ghost Mansion?" Mels exclaimed in shock upon hearing Rek's words.

The Ghost Mansion was an evil sect active for many years within the Relkes Empire. Although their numbers weren't large, they indeed had many masters! For a long time, due to their mysterious movements, coupled with their ruthless methods and bizarre martial arts, martial artists across the continent had regarded them as a cult, comparing them to floodwaters and fierce beasts, avoiding them at all costs! And today, they had traveled thousands of miles to the Fijinando United Kingdom. It was clear they were determined to capture Lannis!

Understanding the opponent's identity, Mels became even more vigilant, ready at any moment to receive the enemy's attack. However, he hadn't anticipated that the enemy's strength far exceeded his imagination. The thin man's left-side shadow suddenly raised its blade, pointing the scimitar straight at the sky, angrily shouting: "Ghost!" Meanwhile, the right-side shadow swung its blade downward, simultaneously shouting: "Wail!"

After the two shadows completed their preparations, the thin man in the middle brandished his scimitar, instantly shifting through seven or eight postures, then roared: "Blade!"

Following this furious shout, the three shadows shot forward at high speed, directly pouncing on Mels.

Three enemies, three scimitars, and within them, powerful Qi energy surged forth, manifesting countless phantom scimitar images all shooting toward Mels. Facing the enemy's powerful assault, Mels knew he couldn't withstand it directly. So he retreated as he defended, stepping backward while continuously swinging his treasured sword, trying to block the surging onslaught of Qi blade phantoms.

However, Mels was still too young, his combat experience too shallow. If it were White-haired Wind God, he would certainly have realized that ordinary sword techniques alone couldn't withstand the enemy's Qi energy attack. Mels failed to recognize this, and thus the battle situation finally took a decisive turn...

The Qi blade phantoms released by the thin man numbered in the thousands. Though Mels desperately parried, he couldn't block all the attacks. In less than half a second, seven wounds appeared on Mels' left shoulder, right arm, and thigh.

Fortunately, the thin man's skill wasn't exceptionally profound. Therefore, after Mels retreated about thirty meters away from him, the man's Qi energy began to gradually weaken, unable to harm Mels further. However, before Mels could rejoice at escaping disaster, the thin man withdrew his Qi energy and sneered coldly: "Brat, you've been hit by this master's Ghost Wail Blade. Even if you escape today, within ten days without the antidote, your entire body will fester and you'll die."

Mels had been wondering why, after being cut several times, the wounds only felt numb and itchy without much pain. Upon hearing the thin man's words, he immediately understood the reason.

The enemy's vicious cunning ignited a boundless rage within Mels. With a furious roar, he declared, "Even if I die, you're going down first!" With that, he no longer cared whether his Qi would last or if the battle would drag on. Reversing his grip on the sword, he formed a sword-finger gesture with his left hand. Then, brandishing his sword and channeling all his Qi toward the enemy, he unleashed the Wind-Severing Sword Technique of the Cloud-reaching Sword God.

Among the Seven Immortals of Myriad Changes, each member's nickname came from their respective martial arts specialty. Although they were all disciples of the True Nameless Divine Style, what each of them learned was completely different.

The reason Udais, the second brother, was called the Cloud-reaching Sword God was due to his outstanding swordsmanship! While the Cloud-reaching Sword God's reputation wasn't the most prominent among the Seven Immortals, his true martial prowess was second only to the White-haired Wind God. The Wind-Severing Sword Technique he passed on to Mels, though a foundational technique, was astonishingly powerful in its own right.

After channeling all his Qi, a faint cyan glow emanated from Mels's sword-wielding right hand. As he swung his arm, the cyan light converged onto the blade, enveloping the longsword in a sheath of Qi. Although Mels's reaction took the skinny man by surprise, the latter looked down on Mels's martial arts. Confident of absolute victory, the skinny man never imagined Mels was a disciple of the Cloud-reaching Sword God. This moment of negligence would cost him dearly. Mels swung his left hand, drawing a horizontal line from left to right, while his sword-wielding right hand drew a vertical line from top to bottom, forming a cross.

"Now!" Mels roared. With his resounding cry, his sword shot forth a brilliant flash of light toward the enemy. However, the flash vanished into thin air almost instantly!

Was it due to Mels's lack of skill? Or was it because he had been wounded in the previous fight, preventing him from unleashing his full combat power? Each of the five enemies wondered.

Yet Mels showed no expression of defeat. He slowly pulled back his sword and turned to retreat toward Rek and the others. Seeing Mels's strange actions, the skinny man cried out in confusion, "Brat, are you surrendering?"

"Haha... surrender?" Mels turned and looked at the skinny man with disdain, then snorted coldly. "I don't even want to talk to someone who's already dead!" Mels's words left the five enemies stunned. At that very moment, the mysterious figures suddenly noticed two red lines appear on the skinny man who had been facing Mels—one from forehead to groin, the other from left chest to right chest.

"Th... third brother!" the leader of the mysterious figures stammered, his voice trembling. "Are... are you okay?"

"Huh? I'm fi... ah!" The skinny man tried to respond, but his body suddenly split into four pieces before he could utter another word.

"Third brother!" Seeing their comrade die so tragically, the four remaining mysterious men let out anguished cries.

Once certain the skinny man was beyond help, the leader of the mysterious men, his eyes bloodshot, shouted at Mels, "You'll pay for this with your life!" With that, he prepared to launch an attack, vowing to kill Mels with his own blade.

Just then, one of his subordinates grabbed him and said, "Big brother, that kid used the Cloud-reaching Sword God's sword technique. You must be very careful!"

"The Cloud-reaching Sword God! No wonder you dare act so arrogantly!" the leader of the mysterious men said through gritted teeth.

He seemed somewhat wary of the Cloud-reaching Sword God. After brief consideration, the leader roared at his men, "To hell with the Cloud-reaching Sword God! Brothers, attack together! Spare the girl from the Magic Family, kill the rest!"

With their leader's attack order given, these mysterious men naturally showed no mercy. Not only did they raise their weapons, but they also lifted their left hands high, summoning their respective Summoned Beasts, preparing to overwhelm Mels and his group.

Seeing the enemy preparing for a chaotic melee, Mels knew the final decisive battle had arrived. On his side, aside from himself, only Rek was fit for combat. Although Sol was a mage, his power was largely ineffective in close-quarters melee combat; at best, he could summon the Steel Ape to fend off the Summoned Beasts. The situation had become extremely critical for Mels.

"Little One, come out!" Since the enemy had already summoned their beasts, Mels had no choice but to use his own. Rek and Sol also began chanting Summoned Beast incantations simultaneously, summoning the Soul Mage and the Steel Ape to prepare for the enemy's assault. A fierce battle seemed inevitable.

Among the four Summoned Beasts used by the mysterious men, two were Thunderbirds, mid-level physical-attack-type beasts from the magical beast category. These were flying beasts that could hover in the air, resembling eagles in appearance but smaller in size, attacking with sharp claws. Their low attack power alone didn't warrant a mid-level classification, but their extreme flight speed and excellent reconnaissance abilities made them highly useful, hence their mid-tier status.

The other two mysterious men respectively possessed a mid-level physical-attack-type plant-based Summoned Beast called the "Ancient Treant" and a mid-level magical-attack-type beast from the magical beast category called the "Flame Beast." The Ancient Treant resembled a large tree but had a human-like face on its trunk, attacking from a distance with its branches and vines. While it held a strong advantage in ranged attacks, its slow movement and fear of fire prevented it from achieving a higher rating.

The Flame Beast was a Summoned Beast that attacked entirely with magic. It was only the size of an average cat, but the flames it spewed from its mouth made many plant-based Summoned Beasts flee in terror. Among the four Summoned Beasts on the field, the Flame Beast possessed the strongest attack power and was the only opponent the Soul Mage feared.

Comparing the Summoned Beasts of both sides, while the Soul Mage and the Steel Ape wouldn't lose to the Flame Beast or the Ancient Treant, the numerical disadvantage made their weakness obvious. Although Mels's Little One had evolved, Mels still couldn't achieve a synchronization rate high enough to use new skills with it. Therefore, Mels himself had no idea what Little One was truly capable of, let alone how to command it to use its strongest signature skills against the opponents.

"Kill!" Before Mels and the others could finish their preparations, the four mysterious men launched their attack first. Instantly, the two flying Thunderbirds circled above Mels and his group, seeking openings to attack. The Flame Beast charged ahead, closely following the leader of the mysterious men as they pounced on Mels. The Ancient Treant trailed far behind, waving its numerous vines like a rear guard, as if ready to deliver a heavy blow should Mels and his allies make any rash move.

Faced with this situation, Mels had no time for lengthy conversation with Little One. He gave it a pat on the head and said, "Little One, I don't know what level you can reach now, but I want you to know this is our most important battle. If we lose, we'll all lose our lives. So, I want you to fight with all your might!" After speaking, Mels gave Little One a faint smile, then drew his Soft Sword to meet the enemy's assault once more.

To Mels, Little One was like a partner. Therefore, whether Little One was powerful or not made no difference to him. He wouldn't force it or demand anything from it. Even now, facing the strongest enemies, Mels remained the same.

Watching Mels rush off to join the battle, Little One felt a strange sensation. Even it didn't understand why the current Mels seemed like a stranger.

Roani had once told it that due to the drop in synchronization rate, a temporary communication gap would form between it and Mels. If the synchronization rate could be restored, not only would their bond return to how it was before, but they would also gain even greater power. However, due to time constraints, Little One and Mels hadn't yet restored their synchronization rate to over fifty percent. Thus, even though it desperately wanted to fight, it could only use its original skills.

Little One watched quietly—watching Mels and Rek fight desperately, watching the Steel Ape and the Ancient Treant locked in a life-and-death struggle, watching the Soul Mage fire magical arrows again and again. Its heart quivered.

"I must fight too. I have to help the boss, I must!" With this resolve, Little One flapped its small wings, struggling to fly into the air. The Thunderbirds in the sky saw it as the biggest threat. The two Thunderbirds charged at it from front and back at full speed. Before Little One could react, sharp claws struck its body. The tremendous impact and sharp talons sent Little One crashing heavily to the ground.

Left with no choice, Little One could only use its acid spray as its sole means of counterattack. Unfortunately, the agile Thunderbirds were unlikely to be hit by a short-range, linear acid attack! Nimbly dodging the acid, the Thunderbirds gleefully dove again, sending Little One scurrying for cover, utterly defenseless and unable to fight back.

Since its evolution, Little One's body was no longer as scrawny, and its movements weren't as agile as before. Consequently, it became the perfect target for the two Thunderbirds. With each successive attack, the wounds on Little One's body multiplied. The pain made it even clumsier, leading to more attacks.

Seeing Little One completely helpless, the two Thunderbirds continued their assault relentlessly. As they dove down once more, seemingly intent on piercing Little One's body with their sharp beaks, a crisis loomed. At that critical moment, a longsword shot through the air from above, forcing the Thunderbirds back just as they were about to strike Little One.

This sword was none other than Mels's trusted weapon!

It turned out Mels had noticed Little One's inability to counter the Thunderbirds and had tried several times to help, but he was pinned down by two mysterious men and couldn't break free. Yet even in such a situation, Mels would rather lose his weapon than see Little One get hurt. That's why he threw his Soft Sword in time to alleviate Little One's crisis! The consequence of Mels's action was that he now had to face two fully armed mysterious men empty-handed, making the battle situation even more unfavorable!

On another front, Rek was engaged in a fierce battle with the leader of the mysterious men. Although Rek's martial arts weren't as outstanding as Mels's, his defensive, less-offensive fighting style prevented the leader from quickly overpowering him. The two sides were locked in a stalemate under these circumstances.

Sol was the last line of defense protecting Lannis. However, as a mage, he now had to face a warrior skilled in close combat, making his situation perilous. With no time to chant lengthy incantations, Sol could only rely on minor spells to counter the enemy, often being chased around and looking utterly disheveled.

Although everyone was at a disadvantage, Lannis was extremely worried. Unskilled in combat, she couldn't help her companions and could only watch the battle anxiously, her heart in turmoil.

"Ah!" A scream from Sol nearly made everyone's hearts leap into their throats.

It turned out that after a brief skirmish, the mysterious man fighting Sol realized that if he targeted Lannis, Sol would disregard his own safety to rush back and protect her. Discovering this, he immediately lured Sol into a trap. As a result, Sol's shoulder was slashed open by the enemy's curved blade, causing blood to gush out and him to collapse unconscious.

"Hehe, time to die, brat!" Seeing his scheme succeed, the mysterious man gleefully raised his curved blade, intending to split Sol's body in two.

At that critical moment, when Sol's life hung by a thread, an iron sword shot through the air, accurately piercing the mysterious man's shoulder. Though the wound wasn't deep, the intense pain forced the man to halt his already poised strike and retreat.

It was Akafir, weakened by illness, barely steadying himself as he stood protectively in front of Sol. "If you want to bully Brother Sol, you'll have to kill me first!"

Looking at Sol lying unconscious on the ground, at Akafir fighting despite his frail condition, at Rek being pushed to the point of being unable to mount an offense, and at Mels—the one he respected most, now locked in a bitter struggle to save them—Little One felt as if its heart were bleeding.

I need power! If I have power, please give it to me! I need power!" Little One kept shouting inwardly.

"Little one, do you truly need power?" Suddenly, a voice echoed within Little One's mind, questioning it.

"Yes! Whoever you are, I want the power to defeat the enemy!" Solely focused on helping Mels, Little One didn't even wonder why there was a response in its mind, merely repeating its plea, craving immense power.

"My child, you already possess power strong enough to be proud of, but you are unwilling to face it! If you truly want power, then slowly close your eyes, open your heart completely, and accept this power!" After hearing these words, Little One immediately followed the instructions, tightly closing its eyes and continuously yearning for power to emerge from within.

The moment Little One delved into its inner world, a whirlwind suddenly swirled around it, seemingly trying to envelop its body. At that instant, Little One's eyes snapped open! Its originally green eyes had turned completely crimson, and an overwhelming killing intent radiated from its gaze.

The two Thunderbirds that had been relentlessly attacking Little One hadn't yet noticed the change. When they saw Little One stop moving, they let out long cries and dove from high above, seemingly eager to taste victory once more.

However, this time they were wrong—so wrong that they made an irreversible mistake.

As the two Thunderbirds dove down, Little One suddenly flapped its wings and shot into the sky with lightning speed. The moment they lost sight of Little One, the Thunderbirds began to sense something was amiss, but it was too late. After dodging the Thunderbirds' attack in a zigzag pattern, Little One had already flown above them.

From its advantageous position, Little One used its now larger body and sharp talons to plummet straight down from the sky, tightly grabbing one of the Thunderbirds and pinning it beneath its feet as they crashed to the ground. Like a meteorite falling, the two Summoned Beasts, one on top of the other, slammed into the ground with a thunderous impact, kicking up a huge cloud of dust. As the dust settled, the Thunderbird pinned beneath Little One's feet was barely clinging to life.

The intense battle between Little One and the Thunderbirds instantly captured the attention of everyone present. Of course, Mels and the others were overjoyed at Little One's comeback victory, while the mysterious men muttered among themselves, "What kind of Summoned Beast is this?"

Little One paid no heed to their reactions. It looked up at the remaining Thunderbird still circling in the air, now fearful and unwilling to continue fighting. After pinpointing the Thunderbird's location, a series of green light rings shot from Little One's forehead, directly targeting the Thunderbird. Upon being struck by these rings, the Thunderbird began tumbling uncontrollably, as if it had lost all ability to maintain flight, threatening to crash at any moment.

Sure enough, moments later, the Thunderbird drifted toward the ground like a kite with a severed string.

"Des... destroying synchronization rate!" Witnessing this scene, the leader of the mysterious men couldn't help but exclaim in astonishment.

"What type of Summoned Beast is this? First, it used physical attacks, then psychic attacks! Could it be... an all-rounder?" one of the mysterious men who had been fighting Mels murmured softly to himself.

After dealing with the two Thunderbirds, Little One still had no intention of stopping the fight. It released the Thunderbird beneath its feet and flapped its wings, soaring high into the sky. Only when it was reduced to a tiny black dot in everyone's vision did Little One stop ascending.

"Raaaaah..." Amidst a series of furious roars, Little One's body began to swell. In moments, it ballooned into a round shape like an inflated sphere.

"Waaah!" With a loud cry, Little One spat out a green, mist-like substance from its mouth. As the substance left its mouth, Little One vigorously flapped its wings, instantly splitting the mist into eight orbs that hovered around it.

"De... struc... tive... Ray... Cannon!" Little One enunciated each word slowly. As soon as its voice fell, the eight orbs descended from the sky—four targeting the four Summoned Beasts, and the remaining four shooting toward the four mysterious men!

"...Incredible! Truly incredible!" Rek watched Little One's attack method and couldn't help but praise it sincerely.

From this series of attacks, Rek realized that Little One had evolved into an all-rounder attack-type Summoned Beast!