Daeho was a cunning beast, with intelligence exceeding that of most humans. For that reason, I needed a plan that was both thorough and brutal, which is why I went to the trouble of crafting grenades. If the sniper shot failed, I had to be prepared for its sudden, stealthy assault…0

… And now, the sensation of the wind brushing against my skin, the air thick and stagnant, and a world where the concept of time stretches endlessly, like taffy pulled too thin.0

Grrrrrr...0

The beast's amber eyes locked onto mine, but I didn’t look away. It was likely the first time it had ever encountered a human bold enough to shove their arm right into its jaws.0

Craaaaaack—!0

Daeho tried to tear through my muscles, nerves, and bones, but Iron Bone and Iron Man proved more than enough to resist. It was a plan that would have been impossible to attempt without my attributes in the first place.0

I held its tongue in my grip, and the grenade I had lodged in its maw detonated. The searing heat of mana coursed through my arm, and shards of Black Iron burst violently from the beast's body.0

That wasn’t all—I used Telekinesis to control the metal shards, amplifying their speed and spinning them at blistering velocity. Nineteen blades of Wood Steel followed, piercing deep into its flesh.0

Whoooosh—!0

Daeho swept its massive paw, and with a single motion, a thunderous sonic boom shattered the air. The sound struck my eardrums like a hammer, and I braced myself for the blow that was sure to follow.0

The damage would undoubtedly be catastrophic—0

"Hooah!"0

But a small figure suddenly darted toward me like a moth to a flame,...3