"Roar!!!!" The beast roared as it got closer to Muku. A black dome arose and consumed them as soon as it roared.

It has cast its barrier. And being weaker than it in terms of rank, Muku couldn't counter it. He could only accept his fate and try to fight from within.

The domain actually reminded him of Layla's Shadow Domain. And the beast reminded him of a beast his group had encountered long back... That beast was a Shadow Panther. The beast terrorised the residents of a whole base for a while before Layla killed it.

And now Muku seemed to be facing an even deadlier version of it. It was bigger, faster, stronger, smarter and had a domain. All the odds were against him. The possibility of death was actually high.

But that didn't scare him. He had had quite a few close calls in the short time he had lived on the outskirts of the Beast World. So, his current situation wasn't unusual. His blood was already pumping strongly, his body full of adrenaline.

Even though he lost his sight the moment the Shadow Panther deployed its barrier... He couldn't even sense it. However, he didn't fear. A smile appeared on his helmet-covered face. He simply closed his eyes and... A new world appeared in front of him.

The panther which seemed to have completely vanished was once again visible to him. Not through his eyes, but through something else... That's right, he had tapped into the abilities which had allowed him to fight Scar the Cynocephalus King.

It was then that the panther which thought it had him locked down made its move. It punched at him from the back with eyes glowing with confidence from another easy kill.

In its eyes, Muku who just stood in place doing nothing was completely defenceless. He was practically a sitting duck. It wasn't like he could do anything when its domain locked away his elements anyway.

That's when...

Whoosh! Bang!

"Roar!"

Boom!

Just when it was about to bite into his neck with its large mouth which came with being a seven-metre-tall beast... Muku moved.

He sidestepped and before it could react, he punched it in the gut. Considering the size difference, his attack should have been easily shrugged off. But things didn't go as one would expect. His punch actually sent it flying away with a loud pained roar.

Muku didn't give it time to rest. He immediately followed after it with a boom as he ran forward.

He wasn't using mana. His mana had been completely locked away. Even he couldn't do anything inside the perfected barrier in terms of using his mana. However, he didn't only have mana to fall back on.

Not after the trials, gifts and rewards Mrs C gave him. The current him was physically no different from the weaker PR3 beasts. So, even if he couldn't use mana or his bloodline power. He wasn't defenceless. Something the panther learned the hard way.

The lesson was even more painful for it which was weaker than normal PR3s physically. So, in actual fact, Muku was stronger than it physically.

Bang!

A punch landed on its face before it could adjust to the unexpected development. Its brain was rocked and it felt dizzy. The punch hurt so much that it couldn't even cry in pain.

Fortunately for it, despite being on the weaker side of PR4s, its skin and bones were just as sturdy as any standard PR4. If not its head might have been blown away by the punch. At the very least, its jaw would have been dislocated or broken.

But the pain did make it wish it could turn back time and avoid this disaster. It should have left this weird metal-skinned creature alone.

Boom!

Bang!

Just because it regretted starting a fight with him didn't mean it had no way of fighting him. It had just been caught off guard.

The moment it got a split second of reprieve, it made its move. And with a boom, Muku who was midair, jumping after it smashed hard into the ground.

He had been hit by a sudden gravitational force which didn't give him time to adjust before it smashed him to the ground. The Shadow Panther had reminded him that they were still in its domain and not his.

To think that its domain was different from Layla's despite them having the same element. Sure, the base abilities like depriving their target of their senses were the same. But it seemed not to have Layla's "Omnipresence" instead it had "Gravity control". As for how much it could control the gravity. Muku didn't know yet.

But just what it did was enough to make his expression grave. The beast had taken away his mana. And now it was messing with his physical capabilities. It was really not giving him a way out.

To think what he thought was going to be a normal everyday fight, even factoring in the life-threatening danger was even worse than he expected.

What was he supposed to do when it took away his two best cards? Was he left with no other option but to use his bloodline ability?... But that might be more problematic. Mrs C said that if he used it, he would be practically telling all the Monarchs where he was and they would instantly appear and kill him off on the spot... So, yeah, using his bloodline ability was out of the question...

It was better to take his changes with the R3. He might lose an arm and a leg if he's unlucky, but there was still a chance of survival. Which wasn't there when faced with Monarchs in their true forms...

Fortunately, he had one more option. It would guarantee his safety, but it would wound his pride. But it was the only option left. But before that, he had to try and do everything he could. He refused to give you until the very moment.

With such resolute thoughts in his mind. Muku struggled to get up under the strong gravity which was pushing him down...

The panther actually looked on from the shadows and let him do his thing. Its eyes flashed with disdain. It wanted to show him that he was nothing in front of it. He had only beaten it up before due to luck and catching it off guard.

Muku soon adjusted to the gravity under its watchful gaze. It was actually surprised that he could do it. But that didn't scare it off. Everything was still under control...

Bang! Boom!

Just as Muku took his first step. It disappeared from where it stood. The next thing Muku saw was a large paw hitting his side and tossing him into the distance.

He coughed up blood mid-air and coughed up even more upon landing. However, he didn't let the pain control him. It was the chance he needed. He was freed from the beast's gravity control.

He ignored the pain and rushed toward it at his highest speed. He focused all his strength on his punch. There was a little something else mixed into it too. If the attack landed. It would definitely cause real damage to the panther...

Whoosh!

Soon he was upon it...

Whoosh!

And shot past it from above...

Bang!

Boom!

The panther followed behind him and smashed him to the ground from above. Muku coughed up even more blood.

This time he didn't get up. He couldn't get up for the time being even if he wanted to. The panther had won. It had completely beaten him up.

To think he'd lose his first battle against a PR3 despite making MR3s look like babies. It was only then that he realised the difference between those with a mastered domain and those without. He was certain that the panther hadn't even used all its strength.

As for the move it defeated him with...

"Cough. Cough! This vasters can actually increase or decrease the gravitational pressure, huh? What an ability, I'm kinda jealous... Though I guess I could do that with my Telekinesis. Unfortunately, that's not strong enough to do anything significant to this even if I can use it a little. Sigh, losing sucks" Muku spoke to himself while lying broken on the ground.

His body would recover after enough rest since he was a high-level Evolver and his bloodline also played a part. But the current him was done.

He could only look on as the panther which had mockingly given him his vision back by cancelling its domain approach.

Its approach was slow and arrogant. The walk of a real winner who couldn't be disputed.

It soon stood less than a metre away from Muku and looked down on him win disdain in its eyes.

Muku looked back with a neutral expression under the helmet. Then he softly spoke...

"Do it..."

"Rooooar!"

A roar accompanied but a large dragonic mouth appeared. Soon the panther's neck was clamped down on by the large mouth...

The development was way too sudden. The panther which had won suddenly found itself getting choked to death with an unknown creature's teeth sunk deep into its neck.

It struggled intensely wondering what went wrong then...

Ka!

A sound of a neck getting broken was heard and the undisputed winner slumped to the ground...