One week later, Sofía advanced through the forest, following the tracks the magical beast had left behind. The air was thick, saturated with mana so dense it caused pain even to the most seasoned warriors. Many knights and mages had fallen behind; even Sofía felt her magical core straining under the pressure.

  "Lusian, are you all right?" she asked, her voice steady but edged with concern.

  "What's happening?" he replied, breathing hard. "My chest… it hurts like never before."

  "The mana density is far stronger here," Sofía explained. "Our cores are not accustomed to assimilating this kind of energy."

  Lusian closed his eyes and took a slow breath, recalling the days he had traveled to high-altitude cities. But this… this was different—ten times worse.

  "We can't keep going like this… What do we do, Mother?"

  "We wait," Sofía said firmly. "Our bodies must adapt gradually to this environment. Only then can we move forward without perishing."

  Meanwhile, elsewhere in the forest, Gonzalo Sneider, commander of the Sneider forces, pressed through a treacherous marsh. Each step was a struggle; every sound, a warning. The trees concealed dangers that had already claimed several lives. Flying creatures descended without warning, snatching his men in the blink of an eye. Helpless, he could only hear their screams echoing high above the canopy.

  In an instant, a massive set of jaws burst from the depths of the water and clamped down on him. Before he could react, the commander was dragged beneath the lake's surface—gone forever.

  The commander of the Briggs unit stepped forward, his voice grave.

  "Commander Gonzalo is dead. Everyone, remain calm. I will assume command. This place is extremely dangerous. Do not lower your guard."

  Four days later, on an open plain, the Bourlance unit had regrouped when Kara accidentally stumbled into the midst of a battle.

  "My lady, what are you doing here?" Commander Wilbur Bourlance shouted in alarm.

  "You saw nothing," Kara replied calmly as she secured her helmet, her composure at odds with the chaos around her. "Understood?"

  "Does your father know you're here?" the commander pressed. "The entire duchy must be in turmoil."

  "I have no idea what you're talking about," Kara answered, stepping back into formation without hesitation.

  "Please, return at once. I will assign escorts to ensure your safety—"

  The ground trembled violently. A herd of majestic B-class deer, along with their fawns, thundered across the plain in blind panic. The knights braced themselves; confusion reigned. Yet the deer continued running, driven solely by fear.

  With swift precision, the Bourlance forces felled several of the beasts. The opportunity was obvious—their meat, a delicacy among the nobility, could not be wasted. But as they gathered their spoils, an ominous presence rippled through the air.

  "Humans!" a voice thundered directly into their minds. "You steal my prey and trespass in my domain! I will kill you all!"

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  "That thing… is speaking to us?" Kara whispered, unable to mask her astonishment.

  Dread seized the group. Before them stood Basilco, the King of the Forest—a magical beast eight meters tall and fifteen meters long. His eyes burned with primal fury as he opened his jaws and unleashed a beam of light that obliterated everything in its path.

  In a single instant, 221 knights and 76 mages vanished, leaving behind silence and despair. The survivors, stunned, unleashed spells at Basilco, but it was futile—the beast suffered no damage. With each heavy step, his colossal form advanced, intent on annihilating those who dared challenge him.

  Wilbur did not hesitate. He activated the emergency signal he carried, hoping a nearby unit would answer the call. Seizing Kara, he pulled her away from the heart of the battle, aware that many knights could barely fight under the suffocating mana saturating the area.

  Just as they gained distance, another blinding flash erupted from Basilco. Yet another group of knights disappeared, consumed by the forest king's wrath.

  "We have to help them!" Kara cried desperately. "They're all going to die!"

  "My lady, your safety comes first," Wilbur insisted, trying to steady her. "We will wait for reinforcements, and then I will escort you out of the forest."

  When Sofía saw the distress signal, she immediately ordered deployment. From afar, they could make out Basilco's towering silhouette. Lusian drew a steady breath and spoke carefully.

  "That is… Basilco. Mother, wait."

  "What is it, my son?" Sofía asked anxiously. "Can't you see they're in danger?"

  "That creature is the king of this forest," Lusian said with determination. "Sending soldiers against him would be suicide. Numbers won't change the outcome. But there is a way to defeat him."

  "Tell me what you know. The soldiers will remain behind," Sofía ordered, trusting him yet fully aware of the risk.

  "This monster is called Sarcosuchus imperator. He is resistant to all elements. His deadliest attack is the beam of light he fires from his mouth. There are only two ways to harm him: overwhelming physical force—though his size makes a frontal assault nearly useless—or dark magic equal to or stronger than his own power. He has one weakness: just before firing his beam, he concentrates mana at four points around his legs. If we strike those points with dark magic at that exact moment, he will be immobilized briefly. That will give us the opening to unleash everything. If you trust me, I can coordinate with Umber and strike at the precise instant."

  Sofía paused, pride and concern warring across her face.

  "I do not want to put you in danger, Lusian. You should remain with the group," she said gently.

  "Mother, I will be with Umber," he replied firmly. "No one else can support him the way I can. Trust me. I promise to retreat if I am in danger."

  Sofía nodded at last. She knew better than to try to restrain him once he had resolved himself.

  "Very well. I will trust you this time. But remember—if you are in danger, you will withdraw immediately. Your safety comes first."

  With decisive authority, Sofía organized five small strike teams, each composed of ten knights and five mages. The remainder held position nearby, ready to respond.

  Meanwhile, Basilco continued slaughtering the Bourlance unit. Suddenly, a sharp pain tore through him—a lion had lunged at his flank. The monster tried to react, but his legs stiffened as a powerful electric current surged through the ground, amplified by water spells cast by the Douglas mages. The opening allowed the duchess and Tunder to strike with full force.

  Enraged, Basilco began concentrating mana for a devastating attack. At that precise instant, one of the concentration points was struck with dark magic, and the beast writhed in agony. Larryet did not hesitate—he leapt onto Basilco's head, crushing one of his eyes. The creature tried to bite him, only to be seized once more by a violent surge of electricity.

  Desperate, Basilco attempted to gather mana again, but another strike of dark magic interrupted him, halting the attack. Each movement became more erratic, each action more vulnerable, as the heroes pressed their assault with relentless precision.

  Overwhelmed and cornered, Basilco tried to flee, but a lion and a wolf clamped onto his legs, tearing into him mercilessly. Sofía, channeling her area spell to amplify the strength and speed of her beasts, rode straight toward the monster. Her spear plunged into his remaining eye, leaving him utterly blind.

  A cry unlike any ever heard in that forest echoed across the land. Basilco, until that moment invincible, had learned what fear was. His reign over that territory was ending. Since birth, he had known no rival. The monsters of his forest had fallen before his light-breath, and no Omega-class beast had ever dared challenge him.

  Today, everything had changed.