Amidst the chaos and confusion, the monsters seethed with rage, infuriated by the blow their leader had suffered. Like a relentless tidal wave, they surged forward, charging at the quartet of defenders stationed on each side of the hill.


    "Let us not fall behind our capable leader!" Whisker dered, his fur bristling, and his beastly eyes aze in the moonlit night. His form morphed, elongating like a snake as his tail swayed menacingly. "Ancient Art, Evening Shadow!"


    In a blur of motion, the feline darted forward, leaving a trail of fallen monsters in its wake. The others followed suit, unleashing their most potent attacks upon the encroaching horde.


    "Blood Art, Death Scythe!"


    "Frozen Sword, Thousand Snowkes."


    "Answer my summon, Lucent!"


    The battle erupted into a furious spectacle as a relentless onught of monsters charged toward the defenders. From the hilltop, Arthur observed the chaos below with a smile, his faith in his team strengthened by their seamless cooperation. Though they had met under peculiar circumstances, they hade together as a formidable unit.


    Amidst the fray, doubts lingered about Lian, but Arthur saw beyond the surface. He knew the man possessed a keen logic and wouldn''t risk his life without reason. Arthur believed Lian''s true intentionsy in bing stronger, his past shrouded in mystery—an enigma he hoped to unravel in the future.


    A thunderous roar echoed from the depths of the forest, drawing Arthur''s attention back to the fight. The giant panther re-emerged, tearing through the dust cloud, and engaging once more. Its speed seemed amplified as the darkness of the night enshrouded it.


    "The night won''t be your ally," Arthur remarked, a smile ying on his lips as Nightmare disappeared. "I may know only two moves, but I''ll defeat you with something else."


    Golden mana surged from his fingers, and a sense of certainty washed over him—the power of his creational abilities grounding him to the world. While he hadn''t mastered all the runes, Arthur had harnessed the basics, tapping into the elemental forces.


    Fire danced on his fingertips, illuminating the surroundings. It was the first offensive rune he had acquired, and using it brought a rush of nostalgia—a potent blend of warmth and destruction. Stepping back, Arthur gathered the mes, conjuring their power between his hands.


    The panther leaped over the approaching monsters with astounding speed, blending seamlessly into the night sky. As itnded on the hill, Arthur sensed its presence through the earth''s tremor. With ferocity, the creature charged toward him.


    Unfazed, Arthur continued gathering the fire, his senses honed to feel the panther''s approach. Cloaked in its shadow, he held steady until thest moment, then unleashed his fiery strike, meeting the creature''s iing w head-on.


    The air crackled with tension as a zing inferno grew, fueling itself with reckless abandon. A deafening roar echoed through the surroundings as the fire''s appetite consumed everything in its path. mes danced wildly, painting the darkness with a searing palette of reds, oranges, and yellows, while billowing smoke veiled the scene in an ominous shroud.


    In the aftermath of the fiery storm, a destendscape emerged, bearing the scars of the devastating explosion. The acrid scent of burnt material hung heavily in the air, a somber reminder of the raw power unleashed. As the embers slowly cooled and the smoke dissipated, all that remained was a haunting silence, tinged with awe and dread, marking the memory of the fire explosion that once ravaged the world in its fervent grasp.


    Once more, the battlefield fell silent as everyone sought to escape the engulfing inferno. Arthur stood atop the hill, encircled by the ze, realizing that his powers of creation had not been weakened but rather restricted. Yet, something puzzled him—the sheer magnitude of the fire''s power. Back in his world, a simr attack would have resulted in, at most, a small explosion. Here, however, it unleashed a raging inferno. It reminded him of how his ck armor came easier within this tower.


    [Night Panther has been defeated. You have cleared the first floor and ended the attack on Sith Town. Rewards will be as follows:


    - Floor Ascension.


    - Doubled reward points.


    - A skill.


    Furthermore, for defeating the boss without any deaths, special rewards await in the second floor.]


    The notification appeared before them, shocking the party. Although everyone knew that the first floor was too easy for them, it has been almost effortless. Arthur stood in ce, the most shocked that the night panther has been defeated by his attack.<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    The monsters began to fade away, leaving behind an empty and deste forest. Arthur and hispanions stood amidst the fading red lights, still trying to process the events that had unfolded.


    "I knew the first boss would be a walk in the park for you, but... Seika, you''re simply abnormal," Sarohan muttered, his eyes filled with admiration as he looked at Arthur.


    "It''s only natural. We could have defeated it much earlier, but Seika waited and trained," Whisker chimed in, though he was still in his beastly form. As he spoke, his body shrank back to its original size, and a smile graced his face. "We''re going to conquer this tower with ease."


    Arthur remained level-headed, extinguishing thest remnants of his fire. "Let''s not allow arrogance to cloud our judgment. We''ve ovee merely the first trial this ce had to offer. The next floor will undoubtedly house stronger monsters and humans, as will the ones that follow."


    "That''s precisely why I returned from the second floor," Lian interjected. "On the next floor, monsters won''t be the primary adversaries. It''ll be cities pitted against each other, and the only way to grow stronger is by participating inrge-scale wars. I had no choice but toe back to the first floor and amass a collection of monsters."


    "Sounds intriguing," Arthur replied, a smile dancing on his lips. "If that''s the case, we shouldn''t waste any more time. Let''s enter the pathway and head to the second floor."


    With unanimous agreement, the group set forth toward the distant giant red pir. However, Seraphine remained rooted in ce, her gaze fixed on Arthur. The others noticed her hesitance and turned to see what was amiss. Sensing the unspoken words she wished to convey, Arthur turned and approached the demoness.


    "Have I increased your doubts?" he asked the demon.


    "That fire you used," she continued, "I saw a god use it before. It is the purest form of mes, those used in the beginning of creation. How can this be exined by anything other than being rted to Devaheim?"


    "I cannot exin it," Arthur admitted honestly. "However, does it matter? Are all demons bad? Are all gods bad? Should we be judged by who we are, rather than what we choose to be?" He lowered his gaze to his hand, enveloped in golden mana. "I don''t understand it myself, but I am who I am. I will not change. But make no mistake," he warned, "if the gods use a power simr to mine, they are the ones who borrowed it."


    "That sounds arrogant," Seraphine scoffed. "Are you saying that you came before the gods and imed Origin as yours?"


    "Arrogance? imed it?" Arthur''s brow furrowed before a smile emerged on his face. "Why would I need to im something I already am? I know very little about things, but I can tell you one thing: I am... origin."


    The words resonated with a sense of authority, leaving the four almost breathless. It wasn''t arrogance or delusion; it was conviction. While he might not have all the answers or be without faults, the unwavering belief in himself was captivating. Mesmerized, the four found themselves unable to vocalize their awe before a group suddenly rushed into the forest.


    "Lord Seika!" a voice called out from the darkness, and countless figures emerged carrying mes in their hands. "Are you the ones who defeated the Night Panther?"


    As the group approached, Arthur and hispanions realized it was the entire poption of Sith Town. Men, women, and children emerged from the forest, visibly exhausted. The voice belonged to none other than Roderick, his face pale and covered in blood.


    "Do you see anyone else here?" Sarohan chimed in with a grin as he yfully patted Arthur''s back. "Our Seika here defeated their leader with a single attack! It was a hell of an inferno here seconds ago, Roderick!"


    "...a single attack?" Roderick and the other residents seemed incredulous, but as reality sunk in, the forest echoed with their cheers. Tears of joy streamed down their faces as they hugged and celebrated.


    "Seika! Seika! Seika! Seika!"


    Overwhelmed by the crowd''s enthusiasm, the residents rushed toward Arthur, catching him off guard. They hoisted him into the air and cheered, their excitement contagious. Laughter bubbled forth from Arthur as he asked them to put him down, but they continued their celebration, their appreciation for him evident in every gesture.


    The orphans swarmed around Seraphine, eager to hear about the battle. Sarohan and Whisker found themselves bombarded with cheers and praise, while Lian slipped away using his jellyfish form.


    Before anyone knew it, preparations were underway for a feast. The bonfire zed, and food was taken out of storage bags. The joyous atmosphere quickly transformed into a lively party, with Arthur and hispanions joining in, unable to resist the warmth and camaraderie of Sith Town.