Qingyi hadn't even regained her footing when she was hit by a golden Geo-element storm. It was like taking a direct blow—she was instantly thrown to the ground.
She had felt this kind of pure, dense Geo energy before—on Sam Li.
But the Geo energy Sam carried was warm.
What emanated from this beast, however, was wild and violently aggressive.
Seth, with the strongest defense among them, barely managed to push himself up.
He didn't speak.
He just picked up his shield, staggered to the front, and raised it high.
If anything wanted to harm his comrades, it would have to break through his shield first.
Jane, clearly far less durable, coughed up blood after being hit by the storm.
Zhu Yuan forced herself up, but she was badly injured...
Qingyi was just as battered...
At that moment, all four—Zhu Yuan, Qingyi, Seth, and Jane—were overwhelmed by a deep sense of despair.
Facing the enormous Geo beast before them, only one thought crossed their minds:
No mortal can win.
Even if the strongest figure in New Eridu appeared now, it seemed impossible that anyone could defeat this mountain-like monster.
Just then—
A faint roar of an engine came from the distance.
Qingyi slowly turned her head and saw a familiar-looking truck racing toward them in the golden light of sunset.
Zhu Yuan spotted it too.
"It's that speeding truck from a week ago…"
Back then, she and Qingyi had spent an entire afternoon searching for it in the Janus District, with no luck. They eventually gave up.
She never imagined that, a week later, they'd see that same modified truck here in the outer ring.
And yet, instead of feeling relief, Zhu Yuan panicked.
She didn't want the truck coming to help—she wanted it to turn around, fast.
"Stop! It's dangerous—don't come any closer!"
But...
The truck didn't seem to notice the giant beast at all. It kept driving straight toward them, closing in fast.
Zhu Yuan kept shouting.
She knew—if it got too close, the beast would attack, and no one in that truck would be able to escape.
But what none of them realized was that—
The giant beast had stopped attacking.
Just like them, it was silently watching the truck.
But unlike them, the beast's blood-red eyes burned with fury, anticipation, excitement—an intense thirst for battle.
Then came a thunderous roar, shaking the heavens.
"Morax! You've finally come! A thousand years of hatred—let it end here!"
The roar rang in Zhu Yuan, Qingyi, and the others' ears, forcing them to cover their heads in pain.
At the same time—
They memorized the name the beast had screamed: Morax.
A name they had never heard before.
Was this the beast's ancient enemy? A legendary human warrior? A secret power behind the scenes?
Seth, hands over his ears, glanced back.
The beast didn't attack them.
Instead, it stomped the ground and, with a mighty push, launched itself into the sky.
No—it leapt.
A full hundred meters into the air, straight toward the oncoming truck.
Seth screamed,
"It's coming for you—turn back! Don't come over! Get out of here!"
He didn't want to watch another group be crushed underfoot.
He yelled with all he had.
But the truck didn't react.
It didn't turn or slow down—just stopped right in the middle of the road.
From a distance, they saw someone step out of the cab.
Then—
A flash of golden light.
Like a cannonball, that figure soared into the sky, rocketing straight to meet the beast in midair.
Seth, Zhu Yuan, Qingyi, and Jane watched in stunned silence.
That person met the towering Azhdaha in the skies above—and without a word, the two collided.
...
High above.
Sam Li had hoped to reason with Azhdaha. He didn't want to fight.
But the beast was far too aggressive. The moment it saw him, it launched itself into the sky in a frenzy.
If Sam didn't step in,
Azhdaha's massive body would've come crashing down, crushing not just the truck, but everyone inside.
So—
He made his move.
Because he had a history with Azhdaha, he didn't use the Vortex Vanquisher.
Instead, he struck with his bare fist, aiming straight for the beast's armored head.
His punch met Azhdaha's skull with a deafening crash.
A golden storm of Geo energy exploded outward from the point of impact, spreading in all directions—
a blast that swept across several kilometers in an instant.
Zhu Yuan, Qingyi, Jane, and Seth were engulfed by the surge of light.
But unlike before,
this storm didn't harm them.
Instead, it felt… familiar.
And warm.
When the golden glow finally faded,
they all looked up at the sky in unison.
Azhdaha, vast and mighty, had failed to block that blow.
He was falling—plummeting toward the earth.
And that golden figure still stood tall in the sky.
The sight was unforgettable.
Seth couldn't believe it.
Who was that?
Who could send a monster like Azhdaha crashing down with one punch?
Was it one of the original Void Hunters?
Or some hidden powerhouse in New Eridu?
Before he could think further—
Azhdaha slammed into the ground like a mountain falling from the heavens.
The earth shook violently, like a magnitude-nine earthquake tearing through the land.
Then Qingyi spoke softly.
"It's Sam Li."
Seth froze.
"Senior Qingyi… what did you say?"
Qingyi looked up at the golden figure in the sky. For the first time, the tension left her face, and she smiled.
"It's Sam. He came to the outer ring too."
Such dense Geo energy… such a familiar warmth.
It could only be him.
Seth stared at the figure.
And in his mind, the golden silhouette began to merge with Sam's image.
It really was Sam.
But—
Seth knew Sam had awakened his Geo power long ago. He was clearly far stronger than someone like Seth, who had just begun.
Still, he didn't understand.
They both possessed Geo.
So why…
Why couldn't he even withstand one strike from a Geo beast,
while Sam had taken it head-on—and won?
Before he could dwell on it—
Azhdaha, who had just crashed down, roared in fury.
He rose again and, from his back, launched all of his cone-shaped rock projectiles straight at Sam.
...