The boy instantly became wary.
Whatever had killed these creatures had to be an absolute monster.
His eyes widened as a gigantic hand suddenly erupted from beneath the frozen earth.
A heartbeat later, something enormous tore itself from the ground—a colossal ape covered in thick, dragon-like scales.
The boy stared for a moment before a grin slowly spread across his face.
“Oh, did I arrive late to the party?”
The ape answered with an enraged roar.
Green mist began seeping from between its scales, curling around its massive body like poisonous smoke.
Then, with a violent burst, a pair of enormous black wings erupted from its back.
The boy’s grin widened.
“Ohhh… already going all out?
Definitely my type of opponent.”
The ape vanished.
It transformed into a blur of monstrous speed, crossing the distance between them in an instant.
Its enormous fist came crashing down like a hammer from the heavens.
The boy raised his axe.
BOOM!
The impact detonated across the snowy plains.
A devastating shockwave ripped outward, blasting snow into the air and sending it swirling across the battlefield.
Yet the boy barely moved.
He immediately countered.
His foot slammed into the ape’s face, snapping its head backward.
Before the creature could recover, the boy followed with a smooth vertical slash.
SHING!
The axe tore through the ape’s chest.
Crimson blood erupted into the air, staining the pristine snow beneath them.
The boy prepared to strike again—
But the ape reacted.
Its fist came flying toward his face.
The boy barely had time to respond.
Just inches before the punch connected, he kicked the ape in the torso.
BOOM!
Both attacks landed.
The two combatants were sent flying in opposite directions, crashing across the snowy plains as enormous plumes of snow erupted around them.
The boy rolled across the ground before rising to his feet.
A grin spread across his face.
“That felt pretty good.”
He began walking toward the ape.
Across the battlefield, the ape rose almost immediately.
It slowly turned toward him.
Something had changed.
The creature’s aura had become noticeably denser, heavier, more oppressive.
The boy narrowed his eyes.
“If I wasn’t used to getting hit like that…”
He glanced at the crater behind him.
“…that punch would’ve exploded my body.”
His gaze fell upon his axe.
A thought occurred to him.
The boy smiled.
“Let’s see if my theory works.”
He swung.
The blade cut through the air at a horizontal angle.
Nothing seemed to happen.
The distance between them was enormous.
Then—
SPLURT!
Blood suddenly erupted from the ape’s chest.
Another deep wound appeared across its body.
The boy’s eyes widened.
Then he burst into laughter.
“It worked!”
He stared at his axe with excitement.
“This enchanted axe still had magical energy left in it!”
His grin became almost manic.
“And it can create vacuum slashes that travel across enormous distances!”
His excitement lasted only a moment.
A massive palm suddenly filled his vision.
The ape had already reached him.
Its enormous hand clamped around the boy’s head.
Before he could react, the ape dragged him across the snowy plains like he weighed nothing, carving a massive trail through the snow before finally hurling him aside.
The boy flew across the ground.
At the last moment, he twisted his body and caught himself, landing on his feet.
He barely had time to breathe.
The ape was already there.
A fist came toward his face.
The boy ducked.
Another.
He jumped aside.
Another.
He twisted around it.
The boy danced across the battlefield, narrowly avoiding punch after punch while desperately searching for an opening.
Then—
There.
He slipped past one of the ape’s attacks and drove his left fist directly into its face.
BOOM!
The ape barely reacted.
Its massive hand reached for the boy’s neck.
The boy immediately ducked beneath it.
His axe flashed.
SHING!
The ape’s arm was severed.
Before it could respond, the boy spun around and delivered another slash.
Its leg was cut cleanly from beneath it.
Yet the ape didn’t even flinch.
Instead, it inhaled deeply.
The boy’s expression changed.
“Oh—”
The ape exhaled.
WHOOOOM!
A violent blast of wind exploded from its mouth.
The boy was launched through the air like a rag doll.
He slammed into the ground.
Before he could recover, the ape came crashing down after him with terrifying force.
BOOM!
The ground shattered beneath them.
The boy’s eyes widened as he noticed something.
The ape’s severed arm and leg—
They were already growing back.
The boy’s expression hardened.
“You’ve got to be kidding me.”
He planted both feet against the ape’s body and kicked with everything he had.
The ape was launched away.
The boy immediately sprang into the air, chasing after it.
He raised his left fist.
The ape did the same.
Their fists collided.
BOOOOOOM!
A massive shockwave rippled through the sky.
For a moment, neither moved.
Then the boy twisted his body and kicked the ape downward.
The creature plummeted toward the ground.
CRASH!
A gigantic pillar of snow erupted into the sky.
The boy landed effortlessly.
He dusted himself off.
“Wasn’t that fun?”
He grinned.
“Come on.
Let’s see what else you’ve got.”
The ape slowly rose from the crater.
Then it clenched both fists.
Crimson flames suddenly ignited around its hands.
The boy’s eyes narrowed.
The ape opened its palms.
Several circular balls of fire shot forward.
They glided through the air toward him.
The boy swung his axe.
One.
Two.
Three.
The flaming projectiles were sliced apart as though they were nothing more than paper.
The boy immediately followed up.
He swung his axe with tremendous force.
Another vacuum slash tore through the air.
The ape simply raised its hand.
BOOM!
It slapped the invisible attack aside.
The boy’s eyes narrowed.
“Interesting.”
Suddenly, pillars of snow erupted around him.
The boy accelerated across the battlefield.
The ape charged as well.
Its fist came toward him.
The boy deflected it.
Then, with all the strength he could muster, he swung.
SHING!
The axe tore across the ape’s belly.
Blood exploded across the snow.
The enormous creature went limp.
It collapsed.
The boy approached cautiously and planted his foot against the ape’s stomach.
His eyes narrowed.
“Now that was odd.”
Something wasn’t right.
The ape had completely obliterated his vacuum slash earlier.
It wasn’t merely powerful.
It could think.
It could adapt.
Suddenly—
The ape jolted upright.
The boy’s eyes widened.
A fist came flying toward him.
He dodged effortlessly.
The ape stomped its foot.
CRACK!
The ground shattered.
The boy’s balance faltered.
That was all the opening the ape needed.
Its hand struck his axe.
CLANG!
The weapon flew from his grasp.
The boy stared in surprise.
“You—”
The ape kicked him.
The boy was launched into the air.
The creature followed.
It jumped after him and drove its fist into his body.
BOOM!
The boy was slammed back into the ground hard enough to fracture the frozen earth beneath him.
Pain surged through his body.
His internal organs had taken damage.
Saliva foamed at the corner of his mouth.
“Ah… what the hell…”
The boy gritted his teeth.
He forced strength into his legs.
Then he disappeared.
He dashed across the battlefield, grabbed his axe, and immediately accelerated back toward the ape.
He became a blur.
The boy swung.
The blade carved across the ape’s chest.
The creature barely reacted.
Its fist slammed into the boy’s face.
BOOM!
The boy went flying.
He tore through the air before crashing into the ground.
For several moments, he remained there.
Then he slowly pushed himself upright.
He groaned.
“All right…”
He wiped the blood from his mouth and grinned.
“It was good while it lasted.”
His eyes sharpened.
“But I think it’s time to end this.”
The ape suddenly blitzed across the ground.
Its fist came crashing toward him.
The boy raised his defense.
BOOM!
His eyes widened.
The punch was far stronger than he expected.
His defense shattered.
His body was launched backward, slamming into the frozen ground once again.
He slowly rose.
Blood dripped from his mouth.
Then he smiled.
A dangerous, mischievous grin.
“Oh…”
He chuckled.
“You’ve done it now.”
The ape grabbed a nearby boulder.
It hurled the massive stone toward him.
The boulder struck the boy—
BOOM!
—and shattered into countless pieces.
The ape appeared through the cloud of debris.
The boy jumped backward.
His hand tightened around his axe.
He swung with everything he had.
The blade tore through the air.
The vacuum slash screamed across the battlefield.
The boy laughed.
“You can see it, can’t you?”
His grin widened.
“You see how I move.”
Another step.
“How I fight.”
His grip tightened around the axe.
“How I swing this thing.”
The vacuum slash closed in.
“You’ve adapted…”
The attack struck.
SHING!
The ape’s arm was severed.
The boy’s grin became almost feral.
“You crazy son of a bitch!”
The severed arm flew through the air.
But suddenly—
It changed direction.
The arm shot toward the boy at terrifying speed.
The boy reacted instantly.
He slapped it away.
The severed limb disappeared into the distance.
The ape stared at him.
Then—
A new arm began growing from its shoulder.
The boy’s expression became serious.
The ape roared defiantly.
The sound shook the snowy plains.
For several seconds, neither moved.
They simply stared at one another.
Then—
Everything exploded into violence.
The ape charged.
The boy charged.
A storm of fists, kicks, blades, and shattered snow erupted across the battlefield.
The ape suddenly swung a devastating punch downward.
The boy jumped aside.
BOOM!
The ape’s fist buried itself deep within the frozen ground.
It tried to pull its arm free.
It couldn’t.
The boy’s eyes widened.
An opening.
His killing intent erupted.
He sprinted forward.
His feet slammed against the ape’s arm as he ran directly up its enormous limb.
Then—
BOOM!
The boy slammed his shoulder into the ape’s head.
The creature staggered.
The boy landed behind it.
He twisted his body.
His fist pulled backward.
Then he unleashed every ounce of strength he had.
BOOOOOOM!
His punch smashed into the back of the ape’s head.
The creature cried out in pain.
The boy immediately wrapped both arms around its massive head.
He tightened his grip.
The ape struggled.
The boy gritted his teeth.
Then he exerted every ounce of strength in his body.
CRACK.
The ape’s neck snapped.
Its body went limp.
The enormous creature collapsed onto the snowy ground.
Silence returned to the battlefield.
The boy stood over it, breathing heavily as snow slowly drifted down around him.