Do you think this is a movie?

"This aura...?"

"How is this even possible..."

Violent fluctuations of spiritual power surged forward, crashing against the cultist's body like an unstoppable tidal wave. His pupils trembled. The creature before him... it wasn't an illusion. It was real — horrifyingly, undeniably real.

No matter how much he tried to deny it, reality left no room for escape.

The cultist's eyes suddenly gleamed with an intense demonic light, brimming with twisted resolve.

He couldn't accept that a group of lowly, mindless beasts could rise to such terrifying strength. There had to be a hidden secret behind this. Some forbidden technique. A divine inheritance. A blessing from beyond.

He had to uncover it.

He would rip it from their corpses if he had to.

"Hahahahaha... You fucking pest, you wanna-be hero, let me show you what a real Stage 2 being is capable of..."

As his laughter echoed, the space around him distorted unnaturally. With him at the center, a crushing force descended like a heavenly executioner. The sky itself howled as cracks splintered across the ground, as if the heavens had dropped a divine hammer.

It was the oppressive field of a true Stage 2.

"Die!!"

The cultist's face twisted in maddened rage. He threw his hands skyward and screamed, his voice warped like a resentful spirit that managed to escape from the underworld.

…

Not far away, Ricky hovered silently, a solemn light flickering in his eyes.

He had been scouring the nearby lands, harvesting lifespan from the weaker beasts when he sensed the surge — that violent ripple of spiritual power tearing through the forest like a ancient beast's cry.

Along with it, he had also felt familiar presences — Boar and the cat.

His mind flashed, and the next moment he was streaking through the air, faster than thought.

To be honest, he hadn't expected to run into a Stage 2 being so soon.

Just as he arrived, two panicked voices rang out from behind him.

"Move!!!!!"

"Quickly, get out of the way!"

Both Alexandria and Boar roared at once, desperation thick in their voices. From their perspective, it looked like Ricky had frozen in place, caught off-guard by fear. Their frantic shouts were almost like desperate prayers — as if sheer volume could make Ricky vanish from danger.

But it was already too late.

A massive sphere of chaotic energy had already been hurled in Ricky's direction — a roiling, destructive orb glowing with unstable power, ready to obliterate anything in its path.

The cultist's lips curled slightly upward, a twisted sense of relief easing into his expression. Though he'd acted dismissive, inwardly he had remained wary. Ricky was still a Stage 2 being — pests or not, that level couldn't be ignored.

But now...

Now he could breathe easy.

The pest hadn't even moved, or it could not even react.

Boom!

The ball of energy exploded just before impact.

A thunderous shockwave tore through the air. A storm of blistering heat and searing gas erupted, engulfing Ricky's small figure completely in the raging inferno.

"Noooo!"

Boar let out a guttural cry, filled with guilt and sorrow. Deep inside, a hollow pit formed in his heart — someone had died because of him.

Alexandria remained silent. Her vacant stare locked on the raging inferno ahead, not blinking. If one stood close enough, they could hear her whisper in a voice so faint, it barely carried:

"Why..."

Who she was speaking to… even she didn't know.

"Hahahah... this is it! This is your fate when you dare resist the servant of the lord, the almighty!"

The cultist erupted in manic laughter. His eyes danced with greedy anticipation. A Stage 2 being sacrificed for his god — the reward would be divine. Perhaps even enough to ascend.

Unable to contain himself, he took a step forward, his movement hungry, eager to collect the remains of the 'pest.'

But just then...

A strange silence enveloped the battlefield.

It was unnatural — too deep, too still.

The crackling of fire ceased. The wind quieted. Even the land seemed to hold its breath.

Every footstep of the cultist echoed unnaturally loud, like the rumble of thunder in a hollow cave. Melted stone sizzled beneath his feet. Rivers of molten rock slithered toward the forest, born from the chaos unleashed Just a moment ago.

But none of that mattered now.

From within the smoke and ash, a faint flicker — a silver-green glint — flashed.

Then came the voice.

"Is that all..."

The words didn't echo through the air. They bypassed the ears and dove straight into the mind, like a cold needle stabbing the soul.

The cultist's entire body went stiff.

His mind blanked.

Spiritually, he had already lost.

Boar and Alexandria's eyes widened at the same time. Though the voice was calm, neither of them doubted for even a second who had spoken it.

The smoke parted slowly, swirling like a curtain being pulled away.

Floating calmly in the sky was a mosquito — no longer a mere insect. It was nearly four feet long now, a creature of steel and shadow, its metallic body glinting like it had been forged by the gods themselves.

The air distorted around him.

His upgraded skills burned quietly within — Superior Iron Frame turned his body into a weapon, making each limb shine with sharp menace. Merely standing still, he cut the very air around him.

And Superior Blood Infusion — that was the heartbeat of a warrior. His veins thundered with power, the sound of his own circulation booming like war drums inside his body.

Buzz!

The sound was soft, almost gentle.

Yet with every flap of his wings, the pressure on the cultist multiplied like a mountain stacking on his back.

The cultist's sneer vanished. His face twisted into something between fear and defiance. He clenched his fists and began to chant.

"As long as I am the servant of my lord, I will never be defeated..."

"In the sacredness of my lord..."

...

Ricky's figure suddenly paused mid-air.

He had an expression that was... hard to describe.

Was it amusement?

Annoyance?

Maybe both.

This again?

Was the guy really trying to power up right in front of him?

"Tch! Do you think this is a movie or what…"

He almost rolled his eyes. The cultist was mid-ritual, muttering his evil nonsense with all the seriousness in the world.

Whoosh!

In the blink of an eye, Ricky vanished.

A heartbeat later — he appeared right in front of the cultist.