During that time, he had also considered re-entering the grotto to search for any trace of the female.

However, for some unknown reason, the grotto was enveloped by an invisible force. Neither Beastmen nor Wild Beasts—no living creature at all—could pass through its entrance. Such a drastic change could only mean one thing: something major was happening inside.

And under such circumstances, the fate of the female trapped inside was unlikely to be a good one.

’Besides, she was a pregnant female, enduring the toxic mist day after day with no food or water. Her chances of survival are minuscule. Yet this foolish male refuses to leave, blocking the grotto entrance like a stone statue.’

Julian turned a deaf ear to Rask’s words.

"Tch. If you hadn’t treated my wounds, I wouldn’t even be bothering with you!" Rask was incredibly frustrated by this unresponsive man. He snorted and muttered, "There are plenty of other females on the Beastman Continent. You should be glad you didn’t form a Contract with this one. Otherwise, your flesh would have been gnawed clean by Wild Beasts by now."

Though Julian was haggard, his senses were clearly still sharp. Hearing those words, he whipped his head around. His golden eyes turned bloodshot, and his thin lips barely moved as he spoke, his voice chillingly fierce. "Say that again!"

Rask’s brow furrowed, and he sneered. "Was I wrong? A male needs a female to carry on his bloodline, not to show off how deep his feelings are. You have a tribe, don’t you? Aren’t you better off than me? Making a scene like this... have you forgotten about your people? You never formed a Contract, so you have plenty of other options, don’t you?"

Veins bulged on Julian’s temples, and his golden eyes were a terrifying sea of red.

His gaze was sinister and ruthless as his Feather Wings unfurled. The Seven-star Pattern on his forehead began to glow, and a new line slowly extended from it, gradually solidifying to form an Eight-Star Pattern.

The sight made Rask’s brow twitch. He stared at Julian in disbelief.

He had only become an Eight-Marked Beastman thanks to some of the rare and exotic herbs inside The Venom Pit.

Back then, he was just a wandering Beastman on the Beastman Continent, despised and bullied by all. Toad Beastmen were born of low status with limited talent; logically, he should never have become an Eight-Marked Beastman. But because of his Poison Attribute, he had stumbled into The Venom Pit. By a strange twist of fate, he ate a few peculiar herbs, and his power skyrocketed, allowing him to reach eight stars in a very short time.

For that very reason, he had driven the Wild Beasts from this territory and claimed it as his own.

’My power all came from The Venom Pit, but this young Beastman before me... his is pure, innate talent.’

At that moment, an indescribably complex feeling washed over Rask. His gaze on Julian was a mixture of jealousy and awe.

Just as Julian looked ready to strike, Rask tensed, his eyes locked on him warily. But then, Rask’s expression shifted. He looked past Julian toward the grotto in utter shock. That simple movement was enough to snap Julian out of his rage, and he whipped his head around as well.

From within the grotto, black mist billowed and surged toward the entrance. A shimmering golden membrane of light trembled there. Though it looked fragile enough to be pierced with a single touch, it was exceptionally resilient and actually managed to hold back the black mist.

Julian’s pupils constricted. As he stared at the sudden disturbance in the grotto, his body trembled, and he suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood.

Rask looked away from the grotto and back at Julian. He knew what had happened: Julian’s power was still unstable from his recent advancement, and the emotional turmoil combined with his blinding rage had caused a backlash. For once, Rask couldn’t bring himself to say anything sarcastic.

The toxic mist in the grotto was growing even more violent, which only confirmed his suspicions.

’That female is already dead in there.’

He shook his head, paid Julian no more mind, and leaped into the deep pool of a nearby stream. ’That golden membrane is strange, and who knows if it can truly hold back the toxic mist. I can’t afford to be unprepared. It’s time to leave.’

As someone who had lived in close proximity to the toxic mist, no one knew better than Rask what devastation it would wreak upon the Beastman Continent if it escaped the grotto. ’Perhaps... the only safe place will be beyond the Triangle Sea?’

「Meanwhile, inside the grotto.」

Evangeline sat cross-legged on the altar, her expression solemn. Fine beads of cold sweat dripped from her brow. Her normally vibrant features were now pale—a clear sign of excessive Spiritual Energy consumption.

However, what truly weighed on her wasn’t the drain on her Spiritual Energy, but the roiling toxic mist surrounding her.

The toxic gas had already begun to clear as the Array took shape. But now, she could clearly sense the mist intensifying at an alarming rate. This was not a good sign. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

The only explanation was that the source of the poison had "awakened."

’That’s right. "Awakened."’

She had figured it out over the past few days. There were two reasons she might not be able to find the source of the mist: either it was hiding, or it was dead, allowing the poison to linger indefinitely. After so much time, she had assumed it was the latter.

But today, the long-dormant mist had suddenly begun to churn. There was only one possibility.

For some unknown reason, the source of the poison trapped here had fallen dormant.

Now, perhaps sensing the pressure from her Array, it had suddenly reawakened.

Even someone as mentally resilient as Evangeline wanted to curse.

’Of all the times to show up, you had to wait until the Array was nearly complete!’

This was a critical moment. If the Spirit Stones she had laid were destroyed, all her efforts would be shattered in an instant. At that point, forget the new Purification Array—even the original seal on this place wouldn’t be able to contain the toxic mist!

The protective barrier around Evangeline shuddered from the pressure of the dense mist. She had to split her focus, accelerating the hand seals to complete the Array while simultaneously scanning her surroundings, terrified the source of the poison would leap out and destroy all her hard work.

Within the cloying black mist, a pair of eyes seemed to be watching her silently.

Evangeline’s eyes narrowed. A wisp of power gathered at her fingertips as she readied herself.

However, though she remained on guard for two full days, the source of the poison in the thick mist did nothing more than watch her.

Evangeline was still a little surprised when the Array finally took shape, bathing the area in a golden light.

Under the power of the Purification Array, the dense black mist scattered as if it had met its natural predator, and some clarity returned to the gloomy space.

Evangeline rose to her feet, her gaze sweeping the area. She clutched a few Spirit Stones in her palm, restoring the turbulent Spiritual Energy within her. After a moment, she slowly approached the remaining black mist, curious to see what the source of the poison actually was.

As Evangeline drew closer, the surrounding black mist seemed to come alive, parting to form a path before her.

She raised a delicate eyebrow but didn’t slow her pace. Soon, her eyes landed on the sight before her.

Seeing the thing curled up on the ground, Evangeline furrowed her brow. ’This is the source of the poison?’

On the cleared ground, a snow-white furball lay quietly, its jet-black eyes staring at her, empty and emotionless.

Evangeline glanced around. There was nothing here but this white furball.

She paused, took two steps forward, and crouched down. Her slender fingertip poked the white furball. It was already quite small and thin, and the poke sent it rolling across the ground, revealing a long, scarf-like body.

It was snow-white and long, with round ears unlike the pointed ones of a fox. When it looked up at her, it was actually rather cute.

Evangeline propped her chin on her hand and poked one of its white ears. "A marten?"