Life is full of surprises, as they say.
Who would've thought that the ferocious, terrifying-looking Byakko would turn out to be a surprisingly calm and prideful beast—one with a competitive streak and a tendency to throw tantrums like a spoiled child?
Ever since we became brothers, I've started to see the sides of him he used to keep hidden. He's ruthless and vengeful, sure—but also protective and proud. Proud not only of his strength, but of my growth toward reaching his level.
Basically, he's like a tiger from Earth—just more human.
He's helped me… Well, "helped" might be too soft a word. Let's say he beat the fear out of me after the incident that almost killed me.
At that time, both Byakko and Jashin—my patron, the God of Evil—realized a major flaw in me. Something I had been attempting to ignore.
My mind wasn't ready.
When facing mortal danger… I crumbled. My instincts were sharp. My combat sense, even Byakko admits, is monstrous. But when death looked me in the eye? I froze. I panicked. I was weak.
Too kind. Too soft. Too… human.
Jashin's solution was brutal—because that's who he is.
He forced me into death matches. Repeated, unrelenting battles that left no room for hesitation or mercy.
And it worked.
It's been over a year since that day. I've never hesitated to kill since. Never froze, never looked away. Every time I drive my claw into someone's gut or tear out a heart with my halberd, I picture the people who hurt me and the ones who would do it in the future if given the chance.
Tang Feng. That spider. Tang San. Qian Renxue.
Their faces make it easier to kill.
...It's a good thing I still practice music, chess, and calligraphy every now and then. Without those… I might have already been consumed by the evil thoughts clawing at my mind.
The matches weren't just for survival. They helped me refine my fighting style and self created spirit skills, even allowing me to create some new ones.
They're the reason I finally decided on the direction I want to take for the development of my martial spirits.
Fafnir will become my tool for crowd control and group combat. It'll utilize negative emotions and mental attacks. That's its domain.
My halberd, on the other hand, will become my pure killing edge. The weapon I use to eliminate everything in my way. A bloody and violent type of simplicity.
If I can master using both at the same time, I'll be able to isolate enemies using Fafnir… and finish them one by one with my halberd.
That's also why I finally chose the target for my fourth spirit ring: the Golden-Eyed Wyrm.
A beast with a faint dragon bloodline and a unique, dangerous ability—its gaze infects an opponent's spirit power with its mental force, turning it into gold. Like a virus. A fitting ability I've nicknamed "Midas' Gaze."
This hunt is my final test.
Before it began, I spoke with Jashin. We both agreed—it's time for me to return to the human world. I can't grow any further in the Star Dou Forest.
But I had to prove it first.
A ten-thousand-year-old beast. One whose speed is nearly unmatched, even among other spirit beasts of the same level. The last time I faced one of such speed, I nearly died.
That's why we chose this as the test.
It's been a few days since I started tracking it… and I've had no luck so far.
Not surprising. Beyond its gaze, its greatest strength is speed. It has wings, after all.
I could have flown and used Fafnir's tracking ability to find it—but I've learned the hard way that conserving spirit power matters more than convenience.
The trees blurred past me as I raced through the forest, moving as fast as I could without wasting too much of my spirit power.
The forest was eerily quiet—a warning. I was close. Maybe not to my intended target, but definitely to something dangerous.
Breaking through the treeline, I found myself at the edge of a clearing. In its center, a massive winged snake devoured what looked like a deer-type spirit beast. White scales shimmered in the light, and golden-feathered wings flared as it shifted its body.
From its features alone, I knew what it was.
Jackpot.
I didn't hesitate. Activating my three spirit skills, I clapped sharply—amplifying the sound waves into a sonic blast that surged straight toward my target.
No—my prey.
The Wyrm's head shot up. Its golden eyes locked onto me. I immediately leapt, twisting to break eye contact before its mental power could infect me.
My sonic strike hit it squarely, but the beast only staggered slightly. No real damage.
Expected.
Its only obvious weak point was its underbelly—and it was smart enough to guard it.
Hundreds of thoughts raced through my mind. In seconds, the Wyrm launched itself into the air, mouth wide open, fangs gleaming as it came for me.
A year ago, my heart would've jumped out of my chest.
Now? I felt nothing.
Not fear. Not panic. Just focus.
It underestimated me. That much was clear. Instead of relying on its gaze, it tried to devour me head-on.
That made this easier.
I switched to my halberd. As it lunged, I thrust the weapon forward, aiming for the inside of its mouth.
Its eyes widened—alarm, disbelief.
Even as my lower body began to turn to gold under its gaze, my own eyes reflected nothing but it's own.
And another deeper desire.
The desire to kill.
Gravity took over.
We crashed to the ground.
My halberd had pinned the winged snake in place, its body skewered, thrashing wildly. My legs were gold—petrified—but the beast still lived.
That wouldn't last long.
Tightening my grip on the halberd, I channeled my spirit power into it.
Self-Created Skill: Surge.
Lightning erupted from the weapon, spiraling toward its tip. I had designed this skill by drawing inspiration from highly condensed lightning balls and the Chidori. I let the white ball of lightning swell and listened, as it emitted the high pitched whistle of a thousand birds. Before the entire edge of my halberd could be engulphed within the destructive sphere, I allowed my control to slip.
The next moment, it detonated
BOOM.
The beast's head was gone. Only its twitching tail remained.
Switching to Fafnir, I let its corrosive evil energy flood my body, eating away the gold-turned flesh. After thirty minutes, I stood tall again, fully restored, my spirit power only slightly depleted.
"Great job."
I didn't turn. I already knew the voice.
"Thanks. What did Master Jashin think? Is he satisfied?"
"Yes," Byakko replied, walking beside me. "And so am I. You're not the naive child from a year ago. You're a warrior now. A proper monster. You used its stupidity against it and finished it with ruthless efficiency—as you should."
"Your words honor me, oh great one," I replied dryly.
A massive paw slapped me on the back.
I glared at him.
"Stop being a smartass," he said, chuckling. "Look at the ground. This harvest turned out even better than expected."
I followed his gaze.
A glowing object shimmered on the forest floor.
A spirit bone.
And judging by its shape—it was a head bone.
"What should I do with it?" I asked, brows furrowed.
"What kind of dumb question is that? Absorb it, of course!"
"But... its age is too low. Ten thousand years isn't enough."
"Are you insane? What the hell are you say—"
He stopped mid-sentence.
When I looked up from the spirit bone and met his gaze again, I couldn't help but laugh at the wide-eyed expression on his face.
"What did my dear patron and master say?"
"Sigh… The Evil God has ordered that the spirit bone be left with me," Byakko muttered. "He says you'll be able to enhance its age in the future."
I simply smiled, sat cross-legged on the ground, and drew the spirit ring toward me, beginning the absorption process.
The beast didn't even have a chance to resist. Its lingering will was obliterated by Fafnir the moment it surfaced.
Only three hours passed before I had completed the process.
When I stood up, four spirit rings hovered beneath me—two yellow, one purple, and one black.
Before I could say a word, my friend spoke first.
"It's time."
"Not even a visit home first?"
"Don't make this harder, brother. Just go. It's time to return to where you belong. As your guardian, your friend—and your brother—I'm proud of the progress you've made. So is Lord Jashin. And remember, I'm always here. One mental transmission away."
"I know." I smiled faintly. "Stay safe, Byakko. And try not to do anything stupid… like challenging two hundred-thousand-year-old spirit beasts again."
"Of course not. We'll take them down together—when you return."
"We will."
With those final words, I turned and launched myself into the air using Evil Dragon's Ascent.
I would miss this place—my hidden refuge, my enigmatic master, and my fierce, loyal guardian.
But I knew one was watching over me…
…and the other was only a call away.
This wasn't goodbye.
It was only see you later.
And when I return… I'll be stronger than ever.
I'll have become the true heir to my Master's throne.
But now, it was time for me to take the next step.
Destination?
Shrek Academy.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Author's note:
New chapter, and with it, the final one of Volume 2.
I forgot to give a warning last chapter, but hey—surprise! It worked out in its own way.
Not much to say here beyond a few key things: the MC gets his fourth spirit ring, and it's a black one, along with a spirit bone. I skipped ahead a year and did my best to make the time skip feel natural. During that time, the MC officially accepted the Evil God—who I've now named Jashin (shoutout to Talvin_Shiji for the name suggestion)—as his master.
I had the MC go through intense, off-screen training to toughen his mentality before he reenters the outside world. The spirit ring hunt acted as a final test to show his growth.
I also made the fight end quickly on purpose—not because of laziness but to showcase his progress and newfound ruthlessness. The fact that he stared directly into the Wyrm's eyes, even while turning to gold, was meant to show his resolve.
His fourth spirit skill will be revealed in the next volume—but if you're curious and can't wait, I'll be updating the Auxiliary Chapter soon with the MC's full profile.
That's all for now! A Closing Thoughts chapter will be out shortly, so stay tuned for that.
Thanks so much for your continued support, and I'll see you in the next one!