(Moku POV)

Mount Kilimanjaro known as the tallest peak with its summit piercing the stratosphere. It towered high above the clouds, where the temperature plummeted to such extremes that no ice ever melted. This harsh environment created a realm where life was nearly impossible—nearly.

Yep, there were exceptions.

Amidst the small fungi clinging to the ice as their lifeline, there reigned the true sovereign of this mountain: Cryonix, an Adamantite-Grade Mutated Animal Ice Dragon. It embodied the ultimate power of cold, a creature of elegance and majesty.

But this time, it was not alone atop the world.

BOOM!!

A massive explosion shook Kilimanjaro’s peak, triggering a thundering avalanche that cascaded down like a colossal wave.

A sudden snowstorm erupted, roaring and engulfing everything in its path.

Amid the chaos, a small black figure against the storm’s white fury shot outward. The figure slammed into a cliffside with immense force, shattering it into dust and chunks of ice.

Though it seemed small amidst the raging blizzard, the figure was, in truth, a towering man over two meters tall.

His muscular frame strained against his own skin, forming an intimidating silhouette. His chiseled face bore a sharp intensity, and his crimson eyes focused unflinchingly, as though piercing through the storm itself.

In each hand, he held claw-shaped daggers, razor-sharp and deadly.

Despite the mountain’s extreme temperatures, enough to freeze ordinary beings in seconds, he stood firm, unfazed by the biting cold.

Steam rose from his skin, interspersed with flashes of golden light that shimmered like molten metal.

This was Ku Moku, the king of all monsters.

Yet, Moku knew he could no longer take the situation lightly. The forceful blow he’d just received was a clear warning: the opponent before him was no ordinary creature.

Letting gravity guide him, Moku allowed his body to slide down the cliff, landing solidly on the ground.

Instantly, he adopted a combat stance, bracing for the next assault. But what came wasn’t an attack—it was the sound of heavy footsteps, reverberating like a giant hammer striking ice.

From within the dissipating snowstorm emerged a majestic figure that made the mountain peak feel insignificant in comparison.

With a body towering twenty meters tall and wings spanning fifty meters, the creature approached with movements that seemed relaxed yet exuded undeniable authority.

Its slender form belied the extraordinary power coiled within, ready to unleash explosive speed rivaling Moku’s own Padakacarma: Shadow.

Its blue scales glistened like ice reflecting sunlight, a breathtaking beauty intertwined with an aura of destruction.

Each scale, sharp and as durable as frozen diamonds, bore no scratches even after withstanding Moku’s Giant Brajadenta—an attack that normally obliterated anything it touched.

The creature seemed cloaked in an eternal frost, its chilling presence piercing the very soul.

Its proud head was crowned with transparent crystal-like horns that refracted moonlight.

These horns radiated an immense Mana aura, and Moku was certain they were among Cryonix’s many Mana organs.

Its eyes, cold as the frozen core of a glacier and glowing from within, locked onto Moku’s. Their gaze carried the arrogance of an eternal ruler—a monarch who had endured since the mountain’s very formation from the Earth’s depths.

Without hesitation, Moku activated Vivid Dream, causing the world around him to shudder as if slipping into a dreamlike dimension.

The Pandava’s Orb Intent materialized before him, and with a swift motion, he struck the orb against his chest. In an instant, his signature armor formed, enveloping his body in an aura of majesty.

But Moku knew it wasn’t enough. The enemy he faced now was in a league far above him. Power alone wouldn’t suffice. He needed more than destructive force; he needed strategy.

"The strong dominate; the weak strategize."

The words echoed in his mind. Accepting the reality that he was weaker than his opponent, Moku began formulating a plan.

Without wasting time, he summoned Jamus Kalimasada and Vivid Dream: Shadow Soldiers.

"Buy me time!" he commanded, and the hundreds of shadow soldiers charged at Cryonix without hesitation.

This was a tactic he’d used before against Foras—a formidable foe with reality-manipulation abilities. The strategy was simple: let the Shadow Soldiers distract the enemy while he studied their weaknesses and unraveled the secrets of their power.

But Cryonix was not Foras. While it was uncertain who would prevail in a duel between Cryonix and Foras, one thing was clear: Cryonix possessed a distinct advantage—deadly AoE attacks.

Cryonix opened its maw, lined with teeth resembling icy stalactites. From deep within its throat, cold mist began to billow, carrying the chilling promise of annihilation.

Then, it roared.

The roar echoed like the sound of glaciers cracking, shattering the silence and shaking the air around it. Simultaneously, a massive shockwave surged outward, racing at the speed of sound.

The Shadow Soldiers surrounding Cryonix couldn’t evade in time. Within seconds, their forms froze solid before shattering into countless fragments, merging with the raging snowstorm.

Moku, positioned farther away, managed to leap backward, narrowly avoiding the shockwave’s reach. However, the sudden movement caused him to lose focus, and Jamus Kalimasada vanished from his grasp.

He gritted his teeth and immediately summoned the Dawnshadow Blade, clutching it tightly.

"This strategy won’t work again," he muttered in frustration.

Cryonix’s superiority was becoming evident. As an Adamantite-Grade Mutated Animal, its intelligence was said to rival that of humans, but Moku now realized the creature was far more cunning.

Cryonix knew precisely when and how to deploy its AoE attacks to disrupt Moku’s strategies, obliterating the Shadow Soldiers with lethal efficiency.

Its calculated responses revealed its experience against mages skilled in deception and tactics. Cryonix wasn’t just powerful—it was methodical.

Moku now faced a dilemma.

If Cryonix could repeatedly unleash its AoE attacks without pause, the only logical option was to retreat and find another target.

While Moku fought with a heart prepared to face death, he wasn’t a fool. If there was another path, he would take it.

Using Padakacarma: Shadow Form, Moku darted forward at extraordinary speed, closing in on Cryonix with the Dawnshadow Blade poised to strike. The dragon’s icy blue eyes followed his every move, as if Moku, shrouded in shadows, now moved illuminated by light itself.

But the dragon did not rely solely on its vision. With movements so swift they were almost imperceptible, Cryonix lashed out with its elongated, razor-sharp claws. The tips of its claws glowed an icy blue-white, slicing through the air like blades tearing reality apart.

Fortunately, Moku had more than his sight to depend on. With Inner Eyes, his 360-degree vision allowed him to anticipate Cryonix’s attack before it landed. He leapt aside, closing the gap toward the dragon’s snout with incredible agility, his Dawnshadow Blade ready to strike.

Yet, the closer he got to Cryonix, the cold emanating from the dragon’s body pierced him to the bone.

A thought flickered in Moku’s mind: Could the eternal frost atop Mount Kilimanjaro exist not because of the mountain’s altitude, but because of this dragon’s very presence?

Despite the biting cold that nearly froze him, the dragon prana coursing through Moku’s veins stabilized his body, allowing him to push forward. As he neared Cryonix’s maw, the dragon’s mouth opened wide, emitting a dazzling blue glow.

The danger was palpable.

Moku, guided by sharp instincts, immediately halted his attack and kicked off the air to leap backward.

In that instant, a blue laser shot forth, piercing through the space he had occupied mere fractions of a second earlier. The thunderous rumble of the attack reverberated as the icy blast struck the ground behind him, obliterating everything in its path.

Cryonix, however, gave no quarter. A barrage of blue lasers erupted from its mouth, forcing Moku to keep retreating. He knew that even a single hit would leave him shattered into icy fragments, just like the Shadow Soldiers before him—a fate he refused to accept.

When there was no more ground left to retreat, Moku clenched his fist. He struck the air with tremendous force, generating friction so intense it ignited the oxygen around him. Thousands of blazing Kala heads materialized, radiating heat so fierce it began melting ice that had been frozen for millennia.

"GIANT BRAJADENTA RAIN!!"

The swarm of fiery Kala heads surged toward Cryonix, engulfing the mountaintop in a storm of searing heat. Cryonix, initially standing in regal defiance, now moved.

It flapped its massive wings, evading the fiery rain as best it could. Yet, the sheer volume of the attack made it impossible for the dragon to escape unscathed.

With a bellowing roar, Cryonix unleashed the same cold shockwave as before. The freezing blast collided with the flaming Kala heads, creating a dense mist that enveloped the entire summit of Mount Kilimanjaro.

Though the Giant Brajadenta Rain failed to injure Cryonix, it bought Moku precious time to reposition himself in a safer location. From within the mist, Cryonix’s icy blue eyes glared at him, burning with a fury that rivaled the cold.

Moku narrowed his eyes, his mind racing. From their exchange, he deduced that Cryonix needed approximately three seconds to ready its cold shockwave again. This brief window could be the key to turning the tide.

The problem, however, was that Cryonix was no longer on the defensive. This time, the dragon seemed provoked, goaded by the challenge Moku had presented. As the ruler of Kilimanjaro’s peak, Cryonix would not let a challenger escape so easily.

With a single powerful beat of its wings, Cryonix ascended into the air, its massive form vanishing into the ceaseless snowstorm.

Moku tried to track its movements, but the swirling blizzard rendered the dragon invisible, as though it had dissolved into the storm itself.

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Words Count: 1611