Just as Lucian was processing the sight of the three bear cubs, several blue flames suddenly flickered into existence inside the pantry. More Will-o’-the-Wisps appeared, dancing playfully in the air before floating toward the door leading outside.

The triplets’ eyes lit up with fascination. They immediately dropped their stolen food and scampered after the wisps on all fours, moving surprisingly fast.

"Hey! Wait!" Lucian tried to stop them, but the cubs were too quick.

He chased after them through the corridors and out of the castle. By the time he caught up, the three brothers had already dashed past the castle walls, still eagerly following the glowing blue lights deeper into the forest.

Lucian sighed. "This is going to be troublesome..."

Seeing the wisps still guiding them and the cubs pointing excitedly, he decided to follow. He put two fingers to his lips and let out a sharp whistle.

A large shadow passed overhead. Nyx descended gracefully from the sky and landed beside him. The three bear cubs yelped in fear and quickly hid behind Lucian’s back.

"Don’t worry," Lucian said calmly, patting the nearest cub. "He’s with us."

Nyx lowered his head and nuzzled Lucian affectionately. The triplets slowly peeked out, curious despite their fear.

Lucian climbed onto Nyx’s back and stretched out his hand toward the three cubs. After a moment of hesitation, they climbed up one by one, clinging tightly to his clothes.

"Hold on," Lucian told them.

Nyx took off into the sky, following the trail of wisps. The triplets gasped in awe as they soared above the forest, marveling at the world below them.

After some time, the wisps finally gathered and descended toward an ancient ruin hidden deep in the woods. Nyx landed in a clearing near the collapsed structures.

Lucian’s expression turned serious as he looked at the decaying stone. "This is..."

ROAR!!

A deep, earth-shaking roar suddenly erupted from the underground ruins of the old castle.

Lucian’s eyes widened. He immediately knew who it was.

He quickly helped the triplets back onto Nyx’s back. "Go! Take them somewhere safe!"

Nyx let out a low growl of understanding and took off into the sky with the cubs.

Lucian turned back toward the ruins just as a monstrous figure emerged.

Mor’du.

The Demon Bear was terrifying. Standing twelve feet tall, covered in pitch-black fur, his body was a battlefield of scars, broken arrows, spears, and axes still embedded in his back. His face was horribly disfigured, a misaligned jaw, a broken fang, a bald patch on his head, and one blind, milky eye. His remaining brown eye burned with primal rage.

The bear roared at him.

Lucian muttered, "Oh, how good it is to be played by fate..."

[Ding! You have encountered a Special Character: Mor’du.]

[You have received: Rare Blind Box.]

Mor’du charged.

Lucian didn’t draw any weapon. Instead, his skin rapidly transformed into tough, black dragon scales as he activated his Dragonic Scale ability. His nails lengthened into sharp claws.

BOOM!

Mor’du’s massive paw slammed down. Lucian crossed his arms and blocked it directly. The force was immense, but his scales held firm. Sparks flew as claws scraped against hardened scales with no damage.

"Not bad," Lucian muttered.

He countered instantly, electricity crackling around his right fist as he drove it into Mor’du’s ribs. The bear roared in pain as high-voltage surged through its body.

Lucian didn’t stop. He exhaled a powerful burst of green dragon fire directly into the bear’s face, forcing Mor’du to stagger back. He followed up with another electrified strike, then another burst of flame, testing the limits of his new organs.

Mor’du shook off the attacks and swung wildly. Lucian dodged, but one grazing blow still sent him skidding across the ground. He rolled to his feet, breathing heavily.

Lucian inhaled deeply, then breathed out a stream of fire while channeling electricity through his throat. The result was a crackling, electrified fire blast that slammed into Mor’du’s shoulder, causing the bear to howl in agony.

Lucian grinned. "That works."

He kept testing. He used short, controlled bursts of fire for distraction while closing in with electrified claws. He discovered he could release low-voltage pulses through the ground to disrupt Mor’du’s balance. His Dragon Respiratory System allowed him to keep fighting without tiring as quickly.

Mor’du was powerful and relentless, but Lucian was faster and more versatile. For the first time in centuries, the Demon Bear was being pushed back by a single opponent.

Lucian coated both arms with crackling electricity and dragon scales, then unleashed a rapid barrage of empowered strikes. Each hit landed with thunderous force. Mor’du’s roars grew more frustrated as wounds began to accumulate.

Lucian saw his opening. He gathered his power, ready to deliver the final strike that would end the battle once and for all. His hand glowed bright with gathered energy, his muscles tensed to strike.

"Help... please..."

The voice was faint, trembling, and desperate. It cut through the roar of battle and the hum of power instantly.

Lucian froze. His hand halted in mid-air, his energy fading away as confusion washed over him. He lowered his arm, his eyes scanning the area around him.

’Who said that? Where did it come from?’

There was no one else here, only him and the demon bear.

He looked straight at Mordu, at the massive, snarling beast with eyes burning red with feral rage and madness. The voice came again, weak and filled with centuries of pain.

"Help... me..."

Suddenly, the old witch’s words echoed sharp and clear in his mind: "...help me restore someone’s sanity that has long been lost."

In that split second of realization and distraction, his guard slipped completely.

Mordu, sensing the sudden opening and driven by wild, desperate instinct, let out a thunderous, final roar. It gathered every last ounce of its remaining strength, every bit of its demonic power, and lunged forward with terrifying speed and force far faster and harder than anything it had done before.

Lucian had no time to block or dodge. The bear’s massive shoulder crashed straight into his chest like a falling mountain, the impact knocking the breath from his lungs instantly. He was thrown backward as if he weighed nothing, flying through the air before slamming violently against a large, jagged stone formation with a heavy, bone-rattling CRACK, then sliding down to land hard on the ground.

The blow had been devastating. Lucian lay still for a moment, dazed and aching.

And Mordu? The attack had taken everything it had left. It stood shakily for just a second, its massive form trembling, before its legs gave way entirely. With a heavy, exhausted thud that shook the earth, the great demon bear collapsed to the floor, heaving for breath, completely drained of energy and strength.

Lucian pushed himself up from the rubble, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth. His dragon scales had saved him from fatal damage.