Chapter 43: Inferno Reckoning—Martial Epiphany
The battlefield crackled with embers, the once-lush forest now reduced to a desolate inferno. Heat shimmered in the air, warping reality itself. Yet, in the midst of destruction, two figures stood firm—one, a monstrous beast wreathed in fire, stuck to a tree and the other, a lone martial artist facing it head-on.
With a furious bellow, its horn ignited, the flames around it condensing into a blinding inferno. The surrounding trees trembled, leaves withering under the intense heat before spontaneously combusting.
Then—
BOOOOOM!
The Rhino exploded with power, shattering the massive tree it had crashed into. Fiery debris was sent flying in all directions as it ripped itself free. Its molten scales, previously red, now glowed a blinding white-hot hue, like magma bursting from the earth’s core.
A terrifying presence erupted.