CHAPTER 84: THE LION MONARCH MEETS THE MONSTER!

As it ran Bodies began to appear. One lioness. Then another! Then another!

All thrown carelessly aside, discarded like dead prey.

Each one it passed, it slowed. Sniffed. Recognized the scent, mothers, mates, lionesses it had bred with, fought for, protected.

Every corpse had the same wound. Stomach split open. Clean, brutal, efficient.

Not a struggle. Not a hunt. A slaughter.

Something, or someone, had walked through its pride like a blade through soft flesh. No hesitation. No effort. No mercy.

The lion’s breath grew heavier. Not from running. From something far worse.

Rage. Fear. Helplessness.

The emotions it had mocked in weaker beasts, now sank fangs into its own heart.

It paused beside one of the few lionesses it had favored more than the rest, lowered its head, and inhaled her fading scent.

Gone.

All of them gone.

Lionesses of his pride, his harem, his lineage, every one of them cut open, emptied, discarded.

A single thought pulsed through its beast mind, primal and absolute:

’Something stronger than me was here.’ Not exactly this, but this was what it was feeling...

It shook, muscles quivering, not from weakness, but from the unbearable combination of instinct and awareness.

This wasn’t a fight. This was execution.

It lifted its head. Eyes burned. Teeth bared.

Every corpse proved the same truth:

It was as though they had all been killed by similar killing attacks!

The Lion didn’t know who the killer was, but one thing was certain, whoever wiped out his pride was in serious trouble.

It kept running, not stopping for even a heartbeat. Somewhere in the back of its mind, it still hoped that unlike the rival hyena pack, at least a few members of its own pride had survived. If it had known something like this would happen, it would never have left. But what was done was done.

As it ran, the full outline of its body became clear. Its muscles were nothing like the beasts Bruce had fought so far, dense, defined, and packed with explosive strength. It wasn’t just huge. It was built for domination.

Its jaw alone was over twice as strong as an average mutant’s, saliva dripping from its fangs as it snarled, rage vibrating through its chest. Its large golden eyes glinted under the moon, burning with hostility and grief.

Each paw was armed with long, thick, metallic claws.

And the speed at which it moved, it was easily fast enough to contend with an S-Ranked Awakened.

As the Golden-Maned Lion got closer and closer to the cave, the truth became unavoidable, a fight between it and the killer was inevitable.

After sprinting at full force for almost an hour, it finally arrived.

There was fire lit at the mouth of the cave, meant to deter beasts, but in its fury, the Lion didn’t even flinch. The flames were ignored, stepped through like nothing. They couldn’t hurt it anyway.

It exhaled sharply through its nostrils, forcing down the madness in its chest as it stared into the cave.

Even without entering, it already understood, the cave was empty.

That place, the deepest part, was where he slept. The king. The apex. The only one allowed to rest in the innermost den.

Still holding on to the faint chance that someone might be alive, it called out.

ROAR!!!!

The sound tore through the night, a thick, deep, fearsome roar that shook the ground.

If any lioness was alive, if any cub still breathed, if anyone in its pride could still move, they would already be running toward this cave.

But nothing came.

No sound.

No footsteps.

No answering roar call.

After a few seconds of silence, the Lion understood.

There was no one left.

But instead of stopping, it roared again, this time not calling, but raging, and walked into the cave.

Meanwhile, Bruce was immediately woken up by the first lion roar.

The moment his eyes snapped open, his hand was already moving. He grabbed the dagger beside him and pushed himself off the fur-covered floor in one smooth motion.

’Why the fuck can’t I get one good night of sleep in this place?’ he thought, expression darkening in irritation.

His eyes adjusted quickly. Even with the bright moon outside, the cave was still mostly in shadow, only a few thin beams of light slipped in through cracks in the walls. It wasn’t enough to see clearly for a normal human, but Bruce wasn’t normal, and also drill didn’t rely on sight alone. His instincts were already awake, sharp and alert.

He had no intention of fighting inside this cramped cave.

Yes, the cave was large, but large for him wasn’t the same as large for a giant mutant beast. One misstep, one bad angle, and he could be forced into a corner. Worse, the cave walls were already unstable from Ozai’s explosion earlier. A fight inside could bring the whole place down.

Bruce wasn’t interested in getting buried under rock just because some beast wanted revenge.

So instead of rushing forward, he moved slowly, silent, controlled, ready to strike or dodge at any moment. His steps carried him toward the cave entrance, away from the worst blind spots.

Night combat wasn’t new to him. Fighting in confined spaces wasn’t new either. What annoyed him wasn’t danger, it was wasted effort.

If the lion wanted a fight, fine.

But it would happen outside, on Bruce’s terms.

The closer he got to the exit, the clearer the silhouette became, a massive golden body standing just a few meters away, blocking most of the opening. Moonlight outlined its fur. Muscles. Mane.

Bruce’s lips lifted slightly.

"Oh, so it’s you. Was starting to wonder if you even existed."

The lion did not share the sentiment.

It growled, deep and furious, before immediately charging inside the cave.

Bruce clicked his tongue, frowning.

"Not here, please."

And without hesitation, he met the beast head-on.

He didn’t slash.

He didn’t dodge.

He simply punched.

His fist shot forward, connecting cleanly with the lion’s neck, and the impact detonated like a cannon blast.

The three-meter-tall, five-ton Golden-Maned Lion was launched out of the cave, skidding across the ground with a thunderous crash that tore earth and stone apart.

Silence followed.

Dust hung in the air.

Bruce stepped out of the cave slowly, eyes locked onto the beast as it rose again in the moonlight.

One man. One monster. Face to face. No words. Just pressure between them.

The punch worked. And Bruce felt excitement stir again.

The thrill of the fight to come, it made him forget that he had been woken so abruptly...

’This should be fun...’ he smiled...