Lightning surged wildly around its body as it sensed the shift. Sparks exploded from its fur, and arcs of electricity began to gather into a concentrated blast in front of its mouth.

Both moved at the same time.

BOOOOOOM!

The wolf released a massive lightning blast, tearing through the air with destructive force.

Nyxara stepped forward instead of retreating.

She swung the greatsword.

The blade cut through the lightning.

A sharp, cracking sound echoed as ice met electricity, and for a brief moment the two forces clashed violently. Then the sword split the attack apart, scattering the lightning into fragments that exploded around her.

Her swing did not stop.

As the blade moved forward, a massive surge of snow erupted outward from it.

A wide-area blast spread across the battlefield, swallowing everything in its path. The ground froze instantly, and layers of ice surged forward like a tidal wave.

The Tundra Wolf tried to move.

Its muscles tensed, and lightning flared as it attempted to escape.

But it was too late.

Frost climbed up its legs in an instant, locking it in place. Ice spread across its body rapidly, freezing its movements while its lightning flickered and weakened under the overwhelming cold.

Its body trembled as it struggled.

But it could not break free.

Nyxara was already above it.

She leaped high into the air and her body twister slightly as she raised the greatsword with both hands. Snow spiraled around her as gravity seemed to pause for a fraction of a second.

Then she brought the sword down with all her strength.

BOOOOOOOOOOM!

The blade slammed into the Tundra Wolf.

The impact shattered the frozen ground beneath it as cracks spread outward in every direction. The ice encasing the wolf burst apart violently, and the force crushed straight through its body.

A deafening explosion followed.

Fragments of ice and pieces of the wolf were blasted outward, scattering across the battlefield as the ground collapsed under the sheer power of the strike.

The shockwave swept through the area, clearing the snow and dust in a wide radius.

For a moment everything went silent.

Nyxara stood at the center of the destruction, her greatsword still embedded into the shattered ground while cold mist rose around her. Blood dripped slowly from her body, but her posture remained steady, and her expression held that same chilling calm.

For a few moments after the final explosion, the entire battlefield fell into a heavy silence as snow drifted slowly through the air, and the shattered remains of ice and debris lay scattered everywhere. The place that had once been filled with chaos now looked completely destroyed, as if a storm had passed through and erased everything in its path.

The awakeners stood frozen, and their eyes were locked on Nyxara.

At first, the fight had looked like a struggle, and many of them had thought that even she might not be able to handle the evolved Tundra Wolf alone. But the moment she brought out that greatsword, everything had changed, and it no longer looked like a fight but instead looked like a one-sided beating.

A deep silence spread among them, and no one dared to speak loudly because some swallowed hard while others took a step back unconsciously, and their bodies reacted to the overwhelming pressure she gave off even after the battle had ended.

Meanwhile, Reigns stood still inside the broken ice prison, and his body felt stiff while his throat had gone dry. He swallowed his saliva slowly as his eyes remained fixed on her figure, and then he noticed something.

A faint flicker appeared above Nyxara’s head, and Reigns narrowed his eyes slightly as he tried to focus through his blurry vision.

Lv9.

It changed to Lv10.

The moment it changed, his heart skipped a beat, and in the very next instant the ground began to tremble as a low rumble spread across the land and quickly grew stronger. The earth shook beneath their feet while cracks began to form and dust rose into the air.

Panic broke out instantly, and voices overlapped with each other as fear spread through the crowd while some looked around in confusion and others tried to steady themselves as the shaking grew more violent.

"What’s going on?"

"The world is trembling!"

"What’s going on?!"

"Damn!!"

"Are we in trouble?"

Amidst the chaos, a bright light suddenly flashed across the sky, and it spread outward rapidly while covering the entire area as if the heavens themselves had opened. The light condensed and formed a large stele in the sky, and it glowed with an otherworldly presence as words began to appear on it.

[Congratulations to Nyxara Val Veydrin for becoming the first awakened in the zone to reach Lv10.]

[Since the first requirement has been met and until now no one was able to find the dungeon, it will now surface to the top.]

The announcement echoed in a deep and resonant tone that seemed to vibrate through the air itself, and just as it faded slightly, the ground shook again with a loud creak while the trembling intensified.

Before anyone could react, a massive explosion erupted in the distance.

BOOOOOOOOM!

A powerful shockwave spread across the land and swept through everything in its path, and it made everyone stagger while some were thrown off balance and others dropped to their knees as the force passed through them.

Then everyone saw it.

In the middle of the parched forest, at some distance away, the ground began to rise, and at first it was just a slight elevation but it did not stop as the earth pushed upward violently while breaking apart and forming a highland. Rocks cracked and shifted while dust and debris fell from its sides, and it kept rising higher and higher until it finally formed a small hill that stood prominently in the distance.

A dangerous aura emanated from it, and even from kilometers away the pressure it released could be felt clearly while it pressed down on everyone’s chest and made it hard to breathe. One simple look at it was enough to understand that this was dangerous.

Another set of words appeared in the sky.

[The first one to take down the boss monster will receive special rewards.]

As the series of announcements slowly faded, the trembling of the ground began to settle, but the tension in the air remained heavy and suffocating.

Then a faint distortion appeared near Reigns, and like a ghost a figure flickered into existence before he could even react. A body rushed forward and grabbed him tightly, and warmth pressed against him as she nestled her face against his cheek while her breath felt soft and uneven.

Her voice came out low and gentle.

"Darling, I missed you so much."