Among those of the same rank, Magic Beasts are generally stronger than humans due to inherent racial advantages.

  Take the case of a Gold Three-Star Unicorn Bison—its strength is at least five to six times that of Melbourne, whom Caius had taken down with a single hammer strike. Its defense is even more formidable, and its sheer size provides a natural advantage.

  In other words, not even ten Melbournes would be a match for a single Unicorn Bison.

  However, that’s not how things work in reality.

  Magic Beasts possess innate magic, but the number of spells they can use is often limited. Low-ranking Magic Beasts typically have only one or two innate spells, with some having none at all.

  Humans, on the other hand, have more versatility—Warriors can learn Combat Techniques, mages can learn Magic, and even the common universal spells that all professions can study number in the hundreds or thousands.

  By leveraging skills and intelligence, humans—despite their physical disadvantages—can crush Magic Beasts of the same rank or even higher.

  Of course, Melbourne truly couldn't defeat a Unicorn Bison.

  And Caius? He didn’t even know a single universal spell.

  All of this is just to emphasize that humans have a hard time defeating Magic Beasts in a head-on clash, and—

  Caius is a complete monster!

  Because when he laid eyes on that Unicorn Bison, his very first thought was—

  I want to go head-to-head with this big guy!

  The number of markings on a Unicorn Bison’s horn indicates its star level. The one Caius had found had three stripes, marking it as a Gold Three-Star.

  As a Gold-rank Magic Beast, the Unicorn Bison had virtually no natural predators in this forest. That’s why it stood there so casually in an open field, chewing grass at a leisurely pace, as if it had no fear of being attacked.

  And under normal circumstances, it wouldn’t have to be.

  There were hardly any Platinum-rank Magic Beasts in this forest, so other creatures wisely avoided provoking a four-meter-tall, five-to-six-meter-long behemoth.

  But Caius was different. He confidently strode into the Unicorn Bison’s field of vision, tossed his warhammer aside, and beckoned with his hand.

  "Come on, let’s have a showdown!"

  The Unicorn Bison didn’t understand Caius’s words, but it knew full well that he was provoking it.

  And more importantly, it sensed a threat from him.

  For a two-legged creature trespassing into its territory, there was only one response—a charge with its mighty horn!

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  Swallowing its mouthful of grass, the Unicorn Bison turned, its massive half-meter-thick horn aimed straight at Caius. Wide nostrils flared as it exhaled streams of hot air, and its front hooves scraped at the ground.

  From her perch in a tree, Kiki watched nervously.

  When she first heard Caius say he wanted to test his strength against the Unicorn Bison, her reaction was the same as any rational person’s—

  "Are you serious, Meow?"

  That beast wasn’t called "Bison" just because of its temper—it was a powerhouse of raw, brute strength!

  Among Gold-rank Magic Beasts, the Unicorn Bison was known for being one of the strongest. And yet, here was Caius, a human, challenging it to a test of strength? It was downright absurd!

  But Caius was confident.

  Giants weren’t just about size!

  "Moooo!" A deep, thunderous bellow rang out as the Unicorn Bison charged.

  Its colossal frame surged forward like a tank, shaking the ground with every step. Even from her vantage point, Kiki could feel the vibrations.

  Yet Caius made no move to dodge. Instead, he lowered his stance, arms spread wide, prepared to receive the impact. His face lit up with excitement.

  The Unicorn Bison closed the distance, its razor-sharp horn gleaming coldly. Kiki had no doubt that even a city wall would be pierced by that charge.

  And Caius… well, he wasn’t stupid enough to take that horn to the chest. That wasn’t a test of strength—that was suicide.

  Just as the Unicorn Bison’s horn was about to impale him, Caius suddenly tilted his head and ducked. The horn grazed past his shoulder, narrowly missing him.

  Instead of retreating, he pressed forward, wedging his shoulder between the Unicorn Bison’s head and horn. His muscles tensed, veins bulging as he clamped his hands down on the beast’s massive skull.

  The full force of the Unicorn Bison’s charge became evident. Caius was pushed back, sliding across the ground.

  Yet his stance was perfect—one knee bent, the other leg braced behind, his entire body forming a near-straight line from heel to waist to shoulder, maximizing his resistance.

  He was pushed back for fifteen to sixteen meters before the Unicorn Bison’s momentum began to wane.

  Slower… and slower… until finally, after being dragged back nearly thirty meters, the beast came to a stop.

  Two deep trenches were carved into the ground where Caius had dug in his heels, his feet now buried ankle-deep in the earth.

  The Unicorn Bison’s eyes were filled with disbelief.

  It had failed to overpower this two-legged creature, despite being many times his size!

  Had it not been for the initial momentum of its charge, it might not have even budged him at all.

  His perfect stance had absorbed and neutralized most of the impact, effectively stopping the charge of a Gold Three-Star Magic Beast.

  Standing at nearly two meters, Caius looked minuscule before the four-meter-tall Unicorn Bison.

  But to the bison, it was as if it had rammed into an iron fortress.

  "My turn now?" Caius pressed his forehead against the Unicorn Bison’s skull, grinning.

  Then, with a fierce glare and a guttural roar, his muscles flexed, veins bulging as his blood surged, every fiber of his body coiling like a drawn bowstring. His pants tightened as his leg muscles expanded, even producing the sound of fabric straining.

  With a forceful push from his bent leg, he drove forward.

  The Unicorn Bison was stunned—it wasn’t moving forward, but backward!

  "Huff! Huff!" Heavy breaths escaped as it desperately tried to plant its hooves, refusing to be overpowered.

  But reality was cruel—it was still being pushed back.

  Kiki, watching from the tree, felt like she wasn’t witnessing a battle between a human and a beast.

  It was a clash between two Magic Beasts!

  From the moment Caius took his first step forward, he had already won. His strength only grew, shoving the Unicorn Bison backward, retracing its path until they were back where they started.

  Then, with another fierce roar, veins of vital energy spiraled around Caius, further amplifying his power.

  And it didn’t stop there—

  Magic surged!

  Even with less than five percent of his free magic power available, it was enough.

  Magic energy coursed through Caius’s body, granting him an even greater burst of strength.

  "Now, up you go!!!"

  With an earth-shattering bellow, the Unicorn Bison’s front hooves lifted off the ground, its body tilting uncontrollably.

  With one final surge of power, Caius flipped the enormous beast over!

  "Boom!"

  The giant body crashed onto the ground, sending tremors through the earth.

  Caius, drenched in sweat, grinned.

  "You lost. And losers leave something behind."