Meanwhile, while his father burned with rage and bloodthirst over saving his wife, their son, Rayden, was stuck in an entirely different kind of trouble.

Not danger.

Not yet.

But something worse.

Indecision.

He stood there, small body wrapped in the Ethereal Shroud, staring at the monster before him.

And the system spoke.

System Alert.

New side quest triggered.

Wake the Slumbering Lion and escape its rage.

Quest Reward: One-time limitless soul energy power-up.

Ten-time power boost to all skill cards.

System Remark: You are a warlord. A human boy in appearance, but still a notorious reaper. Since when did taking the easy way out become your norm? Face risk as you always do and reap the reward. Well… if you survive.

Rayden’s jaw tightened.

This was insane.

But the reward…

It was amazing.

One-time limitless soul energy.

Ten times power boost to all skill cards.

With that, he could storm the scavenger base and wipe it clean. The boss would still be trouble. No one had seen his face. No one knew his true stage. Rayden guessed seventh. Maybe eighth at most.

Still manageable.

With those two trump cards? He could crush them.

But waking the Slumbering Lion?

That was suicide.

He didn’t need the system to calculate the odds.

Ninety-nine point nine nine percent chance of death.

He was super stealthy. Invisible under the Ethereal Shroud. But he was not stupid. The only reason the lion hadn’t noticed him yet was because its aura was completely withdrawn. Senses dulled. Body in deep slumber.

Even without getting close, Rayden could feel it.

Power.

Raw.

Ancient.

Terrifying.

He didn’t want this quest.

He really didn’t.

A translucent panel appeared before him.

Accept quest?

Yes

No

He stared at Yes.

For a long time.

Then at No.

Even longer.

His small hand trembled.

Time stretched.

Breathing slowed.

Then—

His hand moved.

He meant to press No.

He was sure of it.

But his finger tapped Yes.

Quest accepted.

Time limit: 1 hour.

Rayden’s face dropped.

He stared at his own hand like it had personally betrayed him.

“You little traitor…”

He exhaled slowly, shaking his head.

Why was he so scared?

It was just a sleeping beast.

Make noise.

Wake it up.

Grab Grah.

Run.

Simple.

Easy.

Right?

“Enough loud noise and it wakes up. I jump on Grah’s back and we bolt. Easy peasy,” Rayden muttered, trying to calm his racing heart.

He moved.

Silent.

Careful.

Each step calculated.

He reached the cave entrance and cupped his hands around his mouth.

“You damn overgrown cat! Come get me!” he shouted.

What came out?

Baby babble.

High-pitched nonsense.

Rayden blinked.

Of course.

The curse of being in a child’s body.

The armored lion didn’t move.

Not even a twitch.

Rayden frowned.

He shouted again.

Still baby sounds.

The lion slept on.

He grabbed a long metallic pole nearby and slammed it against the stone wall with all his strength.

Clang.

The sound exploded through the cave. Echoed again and again.

Still nothing.

Rayden’s heart started beating faster.

He struck again.

Clang.

Again.

Clang.

The cave roared with sound.

Dust fell from the ceiling.

Rayden was ready to bolt at full speed.

But nothing happened.

The lion was still sleeping like it was in paradise.

Rayden blinked.

Was this beast playing with him? Luring him closer before devouring him whole? Or what kind of cursed sleep was this that it did not wake up from that much noise?

He let out a frustrated sigh.

“If I was stronger, I would just kill you and be done with it.”

Shaking his head, he slipped out.

The next time he entered the cave, Grah was with him.

The moment Grah stepped inside, his entire body stiffened.

Danger.

His instincts screamed.

He felt it instantly. Suppression. Absolute suppression. A greater being. One that surpassed him in bloodline and power by an outrageous margin.

Just standing before the beast made his knees feel weak.

More than anything, he wanted to turn tail and flee.

His body was already angling to run when Rayden’s voice echoed in his mind.

Come on, Grah. You are more than this. Don’t buckle under another beast’s might. That is ridiculous.

To show you are worthy of being a beast yourself.

To show you are worthy of becoming a supreme ruler one day.

You cannot let this overgrown cat force you to run.

You must fight against it. Only then will you break your limits and reach your absolute potential.

Rayden kept pouring it on.

Half of what he said made no sense.

He did not even know what he was saying anymore.

But it worked.

Grah’s trembling stopped.

His face turned serious.

The Lord was right.

His dream was to grow stronger. Stronger still. He was the overlord of this forest. If he retreated now just because of one oversized cat, how would he ever reach his goal?

A spark ignited in his eyes.

He took a step forward.

Then another.

And another.

Until he stood eight meters away from the armored lion.

He threw his head back and howled at the top of his lungs.

That was all he needed to do anyway. Wake the lion and run.

The howl tore through the cave.

The lion did not move.

Not even a twitch.

Rayden jumped off Grah’s back and spoke through their mind link.

Go closer. Howl again. This lion thinks you fear him. He has no idea who you truly are. Show him your courage.

Grah nodded, too fired up to question why Rayden had slipped behind him.

He closed the distance.

Three meters.

He howled again.

The sound shook the cave walls.

Rayden was already preparing to run.

But the lion remained still.

Like a corpse.

Wait.

Something is wrong.

Rayden frowned.

Could it be dead?

No.

The quest clearly said wake the Slumbering Lion.

One hundred percent alive.

Grah stepped even closer.

Half a meter away now.

Staring directly at the lion’s massive armored face.

Up close, the pressure was suffocating.

His pride wavered.

His legs trembled.

Then Rayden’s voice rang out again.

This is the hardest point, Grah. Break these shackles and you reach your truest potential. Become a true beast.

Grah forced his shaking body to calm down.

He was destined to be overlord of this forest.

Why should he cower here?

Steel filled his spine.

He threw his head back and unleashed a full, savage howl.

The cave shook.

Dust rained from above.

Silence.

A second passed.

Then the air changed.

It thickened.

Heavy.

Suffocating.

One armored eyelid snapped open.

An icy blue slit stared out.

Warning alerts flooded Rayden’s vision.

He ignored all of them.

Because something far worse was happening.

Infernal Instinct exploded inside him.

Dread.

Pure, overwhelming dread.

“Oh crap,” he managed to mutter.

A thunderous boom resounded.

Grah’s body vanished from where he stood.

The next second, he slammed violently into the cave wall.

Stone cracked.

Blood splattered.

His body slid down slowly.

Head hanging.

Still.

Dead.

To be continued.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep