Difference in life level

Hah, man, it was an amazing hunt. Ray was wearing his new 9-star tuxedo, rewarded after he fused more monsters.

Yeah, for the last hour, he'd been hunting monsters, and he came across a place filled with mice and chicken monsters for now.

Just as he was coming out of the cave, he met another small horde of mice monsters not too many this time. With the help of his current monsters, who had higher cultivation than the mice, they finished them off easily. The monsters didn't even get close to Ray.

Ray could confidently say he had absolute defense for now. His minions chickens, mice, and Miceooster wouldn't even let an attacker get within two meters of him.

After defeating those mice monsters, Ray upgraded his mice legion, both male and female. But he didn't want to stay in the cave any longer; it could be dangerous. So, he left the way he came, only to find another group of chicken monsters.

With the help of his legion, he destroyed them again, fusing the chicken monsters with his current ones to make them stronger.

Ray was now walking slowly, his pace steady. In the last hour or two, he had learned a lot. First, walking alone was the best option. If he traveled with his full legion, it would be six of them himself, the chickens, the mice, and Miceooster. A group like that would make too much noise and attract attention.

That's why he decided to put his monsters back into the system space. It was safer that way.

As for danger, yes, he was still weak now, but he believed he had enough awareness to sense trouble before it came close. If anything too powerful appeared, he could call his legion out in an instant.

Ray walked through the jungle, looking at the towering trees around him, some as high as 30 to 100 meters.

He glanced at the transparent screen in front of him:

Chicken (Female) – 9 Star

Rooster (Male) – 9 Star

Mice (Male) – 9 Star

Chicken (Female) – 9 Star

Miceooster (Male) – 9 Star

After killing the monsters he'd encountered so far, he fused and upgraded his minions. It felt good, but he couldn't relax. So far, he hadn't met any monsters stronger than 6 stars.

Suddenly, he stopped.

Rustling.

Ray's ears caught the faint sound from the woods. He turned sharply to his left, scanning the dense trees and tangled grass. Thick bushes and heavy plants crowded the area, their shadows shifting with the breeze.

His breath hitched. Something was there hidden, moving.

Without hesitation, Ray called out, his voice steady despite his pounding heart. "Come out."

He summoned his monster legion from the storage space. He didn't want to take any chances. Whatever it was, he wouldn't face it alone.

Dark shadows rippled at his feet, and then, with a burst of energy, five figures emerged from his shadow like beams of living darkness. They stood before him, shielding him like an unbreakable wall.

Ray stepped back, gripping his sides. He knew his monsters were strong powerful enough to take down most threats. But him? He wouldn't survive a single blow, not even from a weak two-star monster.

"Miceooster, come to my side," he said quickly, trying to form a plan. Whatever it was out there, he had to stay safe.

Sssssssss… srrrrr.

A low hissing sound echoed through the trees. The faint slide of something heavy against the ground followed.

Ray's eyes narrowed as he instinctively stepped further back. His heart pounded in his chest.

"It's big… and heavy," he whispered under his breath, his voice barely audible. His eyes darted to the shadows between the trees, the breaking of branches and rustling of leaves sending his nerves into overdrive.

Thump. Thump.

His heartbeat was deafening in his ears now. His pupils dilated as his body began to tremble uncontrollably.

"What… is happening to me?" Ray thought, disgusted with himself. His body felt weak, betraying him when he needed it most.

He clenched his fists, trying to stop the shaking, but it was useless. The sheer presence of whatever was out there had overwhelmed him. It wasn't fear it was instinct, deep and primal, forcing his body to bow in submission.

"This body," he growled under his breath. "Damn it. It's reacting like this… just because of some creature?"

But Ray wasn't blind to the truth. This body wasn't like his past one. It was mortal fragile, weak. A body that had never stood before something so much stronger.

"No," he muttered, forcing himself to straighten up. His mind flashed back to the only other time he'd felt this way the moment he saw the Primordial Ice Phoenix in his past life. Its bloodline had been so pure, so far above the laws of heaven, that his body had instinctively trembled in awe.

"This is the same… a difference in life levels," he thought bitterly. His body had already given up, bowing to the overwhelming superiority of whatever beast was out there.

But his pride? His pride would never bow.

"No," Ray whispered harshly, his voice filled with defiance. He reached into his system space and pulled out a sword a reward from one of his fused monster upgrade boxes.

The weapon was heavy in his trembling hands, but he gripped it tightly, driving the tip into the ground to steady himself. His back straightened, his head lifted, and his pride burned brighter than ever.

"I will not be looked down on. Not by this beast. Not by anyone."

His legs shook beneath him, and his hands quivered on the sword's handle, but Ray ignored it all. His body might betray him, but his spirit never would.

"If it were my past life's cultivation, I could've killed this thing with the sound of my heartbeat," he thought, his lips curling into a grim line. "Even if I die here, my body will not falter. His pride is untouchable even by the gods."

The trembling in his hands stilled, not because the fear had vanished, but because of sheer force of will. He raised his chin, his silver eyes locked forward, waiting for the creature to reveal itself.

Finally, it came.

The beast slithered into view, its massive body crushing plants and snapping branches as it moved. Ray's breath hitched as his eyes fell on its form.

A green, scaled serpent thirty feet long coiled before him. Its segmented body glistened in the faint light, and sharp mandibles twitched as it hissed, the sound grating and unnatural.

Ray's gaze traveled upward until he met its cold, glowing eyes. A wave of pressure bore down on him, thick and suffocating. His grip on the sword tightened.

His voice was calm, but his determination burned fiercely. "I will not bow."

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