Ji Hoon had completely driven Layla crazy with his words. She was clearly angry, yet he showed no signs of stopping. Instead, he kept pestering her about how he should test his skill.
Still annoyed, Layla snapped,
"Fine. You idiot. I'll say this only once. Whether you remember it or not is your problem."
Ji Hoon laughed lightly.
"Haha, alright. Don't get that angry."
Layla sighed.
"I already told you before, but you forgot. Anyway… listen carefully. Calm your mind and enter your inner consciousness. Do only that first. I'll tell you the rest later."
Ji Hoon smirked.
"Didn't you say you'd explain everything at once? Why stop now? Come on, say it."
He even pretended not to hear her properly, deliberately trying to provoke her.
Layla clenched her teeth.
"You shameless boy. If you're so confident in yourself, then do whatever you want."
She continued,
"Calm your mind, enter your inner world, and you'll see something new there. Once you see it, you'll understand. And no, I'm not explaining anything else."
Ji Hoon chuckled.
"That's it? You could've told me earlier. I can do that even while standing."
Layla laughed mockingly.
"I know how talented you think you are. Go ahead, do whatever you want."
Then her tone turned serious.
"But before that, move a little away from the beast. In your current state, if it attacks, you won't be able to defend yourself."
Ji Hoon replied confidently,
"Why do you think I'd sit down and meditate with that beast nearby? I'm clearly planning to kill it."
Layla smiled coldly.
"Do whatever you want. I already told you to kill it, and you were calling me useless anyway."
Ji Hoon laughed again.
"I know what I'm doing."
Without another word, he sat down right there.
Layla stared at him in disbelief.
"Are you crazy? What are you doing? Sitting like that… as if the beast is protecting you?"
Ji Hoon ignored her completely and settled himself calmly.
Shaking her head, Layla muttered,
"A moment ago he said he could do it standing, and now look at him."
Ji Hoon suddenly opened one eye.
"Can you stay silent for a few moments, idiot?"
He then closed his eyes again.
A short distance away, the dark illusionary fox lay embedded between broken stone, its body unmoving. The cave above had cracked open, allowing faint moonlight to spill inside. The starlight that once illuminated the cave had almost vanished, replaced by the early signs of dawn.
Ji Hoon sat beneath the crack, crossing his legs into a lotus position. His breathing slowed as his mind grew calm.
He had practiced this many times before. Entering his inner world was no longer difficult.
Soon, his consciousness slipped inward.
---
He found himself floating beneath an endless sky filled with countless stars. No land. No wind. Only darkness and starlight.
"This place again…" Ji Hoon muttered.
It was the same inner world he had visited before—only now, the stars were far clearer. He sensed a connection between himself and the starlight.
Feeling confused, he called out,
"Layla? Where are you?"
A familiar voice echoed with laughter.
"Haha, you came surprisingly fast. If it were anyone else, they'd have arrived and left twenty-five times already."
Ji Hoon pouted.
"I only counted from one to thirty-nine. That's fast enough, right?"
Layla appeared, unimpressed.
"If someone else tried this, they wouldn't even last two seconds."
Ji Hoon shrugged.
"They probably have more experience."
Then he grinned.
"Just wait. One day I'll become so strong that I'll destroy the sun itself."
Layla scoffed.
"At this rate, if the sun shines directly on you, you'll die instantly. Stop talking nonsense and focus."
Ji Hoon looked around.
"I don't see any core here."
Layla interrupted,
"Look carefully. Look down. You're floating in space, idiot."
---
Meanwhile, on the battlefield…
Under the fading moonlight, more than eighty percent of the beasts had already fallen. Only a few were still fighting.
At the center of the battlefield, chaos reigned.
A massive beast was sent flying, crashing into the ground as dust rose into the air. When the dust settled, the Asura Wolf stood there—its presence overwhelming.
Behind it, the Golden Wolf trembled, clearly terrified, lowering its head in submission.
With every passing moment, the Asura Wolf grew sharper, stronger, more dominant.
Together, the wolves overwhelmed the remaining illusionary beasts. There was no chance of resistance.
The battlefield slowly grew silent.
A thick mist mixed with the metallic scent of blood spread across the land. As dawn approached, faint golden light lined the horizon.
At the center of it all, a terrifying aura erupted.
From within the fog, a massive figure stood—a divine two-tailed illusionary fox. Its body radiated strange light as the surrounding aura twisted the air itself.
Suddenly—
Its eyes opened.
And the battlefield trembled.
---