It wasn't just the Bangboo.
Even the minions of the Lion Tooth Gang were glancing around uneasily, startled by the roar.
"What the hell was that? Where did that roar come from? Sounded like a wild beast…"
"Scared the crap out of me. Come out, whoever you are!"
"That roar just now—don't tell me that was the Azhdaha King those Bangboo were talking about? Come on out! If you've got the guts to scare me, I'll cut you down right here!"
...
Before the Lion Tooth Gang could make another move—
Suddenly, a rumble echoed from underground.
The ground shook violently, knocking several gang members off their feet.
Then—
A creature less than a meter tall, fully encased in rock and about the same size as a Bangboo, burst out from the ground.
It let out a furious roar.
That roar from earlier—it had come from Azhdaha.
In an instant, several Bangboo rushed over, surrounding Azhdaha and shouting his name.
Seeing this, the Lion Tooth Gang boss couldn't help but burst into laughter, and the others followed suit.
"Ahahahaha! I was expecting a beast—and it turns out to be a baby! What is this, not even a month old? Don't tell me this is the 'Azhdaha King' those cardboard Bangboo were talking about?"
"Boss, take a breather. I'll handle this one."
"No matter how you look at it, this guy doesn't even look like a Bangboo… More like a monster straight out of a movie. Which Bangboo designer came up with this thing?"
"Leave it to me—one swing and it's done!"
...
With that, several gang members eagerly grabbed machetes and spiked clubs, striding toward Azhdaha.
They raised their weapons and swung.
The next moment—
Their blades and clubs struck Azhdaha's body with heavy metallic clangs.
And then—
The sharp machetes snapped clean in half...
The solid clubs cracked straight down the middle...
But Azhdaha stood there, unmoved, unscathed. He hadn't even flinched.
Instantly, the gang members recoiled in fear, stumbling back a few steps.
What the hell?
Was this really a Bangboo?
Most Bangboo only had a bit of rock shielding them. But this Azhdaha King—he was completely encased from head to toe in solid stone. They couldn't even scratch him.
The gang boss gripped his massive machete and strode forward.
"Interesting. Haven't been to the city in years, and Bangboo tech's gotten this advanced, huh?"
Then—
He advanced toward Azhdaha.
And Azhdaha finally spoke.
"Wretched humans… even after a thousand years, you still haven't learned. It's time to settle the score."
A thousand years ago, it was humans who destroyed Azhdaha's home.
A thousand years later, before he could even seek revenge, they came knocking again—trying to destroy what he had rebuilt.
Azhdaha was enraged.
He raised his head and let out a furious roar. Geo energy surged around him.
The rocky armor that had once shielded the other Bangboo dissolved into elemental energy and flowed back into Azhdaha's body.
As the Geo energy gathered—
Azhdaha's small frame began to grow rapidly.
By the time the gang boss's machete came down on him, Azhdaha had already transformed into a towering rock beast nearly two meters tall.
With a single swipe of his claw—
He shattered the boss's weapon and sent the man flying.
That one blow—
Left the boss stunned.
He didn't understand. Why had Azhdaha transformed? How could a Bangboo possess such power?
Still unwilling to accept it, the boss climbed back to his feet—only to freeze.
Azhdaha was growing again.
Now over seven or eight meters tall, he loomed like a monstrous giant—on par with the abandoned buildings lining the streets...
As terrifying as a high-tier Ethereal from the Hollows...
Panic gripped the boss. He didn't even shout an order—he simply turned and ran for his life.
The other elemental users followed without hesitation.
Only the regular gang members remained, trembling as they watched Azhdaha grow larger and larger.
Five meters... ten... fifteen...
In the blink of an eye, he had become a colossal beast.
They wanted to run—but under the sheer pressure radiating from Azhdaha, their legs could barely move.
Then—
Azhdaha roared again, eyes fixed on the gang members.
The roar snapped them out of their daze, and screams filled the air.
"That's no Bangboo—it's a monster! It's an Ethereal!"
"An Ethereal escaped the Hollows—it evolved! Run!"
"Who the hell said it was a Bangboo?!"
"The boss already ran—retreat, retreat!"
...
They didn't need orders now.
Panic took over. All that mattered was escape.
Some tripped, scrambling back to their feet to flee again.
But—
How could they possibly outrun Azhdaha?
In the next moment—
Now over twenty meters tall, Azhdaha charged.
With just a single step—
He crushed several gang members beneath his feet and sent many more flying through the air.
...
While Azhdaha gathered massive amounts of Geo energy, reshaping his colossal form...
On the other side of the Outer Ring—
Zhu Yuan, Qingyi, Seth, and Jane had arrived at the outskirts of the town.
The moment they stepped in—
They noticed the traces of battle.
"Look, there's an injured Bangboo over there!"
"Just like the townspeople said—the Lion Tooth Gang's main force came to attack the Bangboo Gang..."
"This one's still alive. Anyone here know machines? Help check it out!"
"I've got it."
Qingyi approached, gently placed a hand on the Bangboo's chest, and quickly diagnosed the issue.
In just a moment—
The damaged Bangboo was up and running again.
It stood, wobbling slightly. "Mm-nuh, mm-nuh-nuh! (Thank you for saving me. The Lion Tooth Gang is invading. You need to leave—now!)"
Before Zhu Yuan or Qingyi could respond—
The Bangboo turned and dashed toward the center of town.
Qingyi tried to stop him.
"Your parts are still malfunctioning—they're not fully fixed yet! Where are you going?!"
The Bangboo didn't even look back.
"Mm-nuh-nuh! (To protect the Bangboo Gang!)"