Going back to a few minutes ago, Novus and Medea are still observing from the top of a tree branch, the lady looking over their targets while the young man expands his senses, trying to locate the biggest problems within this group of beasts.

"...Mn, it makes sense; no matter how much those beasts improved their intelligence, they won’t be able to deal with a hit-and-run that easily..." Hearing Novus’ suggestion, Medea can only nod, as it seems to be the most plausible choice for them right now, the clearing around the stream preventing them from taking advantage of terrain to fight the beasts.

"Then, let me move first..." Medea was already planning to leap off their hiding spot when Novus stopped her on her tracks, extending one of his arms in front of her to prevent her from moving forward, making her wonder what it is that he is planning to do.

"We can’t risk you getting injured, Senior Medea, let me go first," he declared, not suggesting, the clear tone of stubbornness in his voice making her wonder whether it is truly that same junior that she got to know during these past few days.

Without even having the chance to reply, she felt the arms stopping her from leaping down now gone, beneath the tree they are hiding in, Novus is already walking towards the clear water stream, seemingly intent on pulling the attention of the beasts towards him.

’Let’s try something...’ he thought to himself as he closed his eyes. Along with the pure mana being detected by his Sensory Expansion, he tried to feel around for something that was introduced to him when he first consumed a Liquid Shadow that he acquired from the Evolution Domain.

His shadow trembles a bit, and his presence appears to become just a little bit closer to the empty air around him.

Even Medea, despite the distance between the two of them, also notices it as well; his figure is still there, visible for everyone to see; however, she instinctively knows it.

’It would be difficult to pick his presence up if I am not looking at him...’ she thought to herself, wondering what it was that he just did, intense light of fascination glowing underneath her gaze, as this is the first time she had ever encountered something like that.

Twelve meters, then ten, then eight, and then five.

As if his being is gradually turning undetectable the closer he approaches, he continues to walk straight towards the den of his enemies, some of the sharper beasts only noticing it when he’s already just a couple of meters away from attacking distance.

Loud howling resounded as multiple Silver Direwolves noticed a creature, a bipedal walking towards their groups, one among them immediately making a move as they deemed this creature, who just appeared out of nowhere, to be a threat that they must eliminate.

Mana swirled around, alarming the rest of the nearby beasts as massive energy surged towards Novus’ being, wrapping the power around his fist, reinforcing his flesh, skin, and bones to an extreme degree.

Meanwhile, his sight is altered as he sees multiple paths of attack intersecting with each other, all targeting the location where he currently is.

The sight is like a great net that won’t allow anyone who was caught inside to have any form of escape at all, hence why if there’s anyone else but Novus who saw such a sight of how the beast all around will attack, they won’t even find it within themselves to resist such indiscriminate destruction.

’This...’

As for Novus, a person who encountered a great entrapping attack coordinated by multiple stealthy Shadow Slimes and tanky Amber Slimes, not to mention being paired with lethal, body-melting attacks from Toxic Slimes, this attack appears completely different to the normal eyes.

’Slow... weak...’

He thought to himself, not doubting the power behind the attack, as some of the assailants behind this entrapping attack are existences who stand at a higher tier than him, meaning that if anything, being hit by the attacks he is seeing through with Sensory Expansion will send him to a far worse state than being damaged by Shadow Slimes and Amber Slimes within the domain.

The remark came from the structure behind the attack, as despite knowing that it is well coordinated in that every single one of the attacks has a certain target, in this case, himself, there is no such thing as using each sequence of attack to lead the enemy into an inescapable finishing move that he experienced during his battle against the Slime Beast Wave.

All attacks aim for him where he currently is, allowing him the variety of choice on how to respond to the threat aiming for his life.

’This feels like such a good chance to use mana blade but...’ thinking to himself, his senses reveal Medea, who is still watching him with an obvious trace of worry in her eyes, her index finger still continuously tapping on the hilt of her blade as if she’s growing a bit more anxious watching him act.

Initially, there is this intent to hide such good cards that he can use to take monstrous opponents by surprise from the lady watching him; however, seeing no, feeling that clear sign of concern, he couldn’t help but release a sigh of defeat and surrender as another thought appears in his mind.

’Forget about it; at worst, she’s going to pester me to teach it to her...’ deciding to trust Medea just a little bit more, Novus thought to himself as the mana around his arms, around his hand, started moving once more, from the fixed, wall-like external reinforcement, mana began moving around, revolving around his attacking arms.

A corporeal blade made of mana had taken its form.

Then, the paths of attack turned into reality as both physical attacks in the form of claws or horns charging at him, as well as ranged magic attacks in the form of elemental spells, began converging on his location.

Wind and fire mixed, reinforcing each other’s properties, making it dangerous for even himself to tank the elemental spells hurled towards him.

If it worked extremely well, that is.

Along with wind and fire, water, earth, and wood elemental spells were directed towards him as well, causing the reinforced synergy between the fire and wind elements to collapse under the dousing of the water, while the earth and wood elements clashed against each other as well, cancelling both their effects.

That gave the young man the chance to swing his mana blade-enforced arm, the faint glow of mana leaving behind a trail of faint crescent light as the corporeal blade travels unhindered along its intended path.

Like the beauty of sunset, ever-so-entrancing yet always ephemeral, the crescent trail left behind by that blade of mana gradually fades into nothing.

But in its wake, multiple beasts’ lives were claimed as if they were sacrifices meant to be offered in the first place.

"..."

Dead beasts fall with a loud thud, yet as loud as that thud can get, the observer nearby couldn’t hear any of it, as her entire attention is grabbed by that crescent trail that the young man’s attack left behind.