"Bang—!"
Deep in the forest, a tremendous explosion shook a massive tree, scattering countless leaves and startling the birds perched in its branches into flight.
Before a colossal trunk so thick that several adults would need to link arms to encircle it, a demi-human boy threw punch after punch.
"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!"
With every punch the demi-human boy threw, the trunk boomed as though struck by lightning before the air itself could burst, sending wood chips flying and leaving deep fist marks in the bark.
Ignoring the shower of leaves from above and the splinters spraying from the trunk, Garfiel kept punching the tree as though venting everything inside him.
"Thud—!"
With the final blow, he smashed a crater into the trunk, the resulting gust stripping away the surrounding bark.
"Ha... ha... ha..."
Garfiel's breathing was slightly ragged, but his eyes remained ferocious, carrying a faint air of desperation.
Yet Garfiel still let out a low growl.
"Not enough!"
As though he intended to squeeze every last bit of potential from himself, Garfiel began punching again.
Amid the swirling wood chips and falling leaves, two scenes flashed through Garfiel's mind.
One was the scene from when Fang Li had first entered the "Sanctuary."
The other was from before Fang Li entered the tomb to undergo the trial.
On both occasions, Garfiel had fought Fang Li, only to suffer crushing defeats.
To Garfiel, that was an immense blow.
Of course, others might have thought Garfiel simply could not accept losing because of his fierce competitive streak and pride.
But in truth, Garfiel regretted it so deeply for a different reason.
Those who knew Garfiel might have considered him shallow and crude, like some street punk with a simple mind and well-developed limbs.
And that impression was not wrong.
Garfiel truly