Deep within the Corpse Swamp lay a forbidden zone known as the "White Bone Forest."

  The trees here were not plants, but layers of calcified ribs from colossal beasts, stacked over millennia. A white mist of bone powder hung in the air, reducing visibility to near zero. It was a dead zone; even the lesser demons of the Abyss dared not approach, for a true apex predator made its lair here.

  But for the Slayer, the scenery was secondary. What drew his attention was the suffocating, pure aura of slaughter. It felt like a solid blade, scraping against his armor with a faint, metallic rasp.

  *"ROAAAAR——————!!!"*

  A roar that shook the soul erupted from the depths of the forest. The soundwave carried a physical force of killing intent, instantly shattering the surrounding brittle bone trees into dust.

  Singularity's holographic projection (the drone) hid behind the Slayer, its voice trembling as the tablet's readings went from red to purple.

  "Slayer, radar shows... the target is just ahead. Energy readings are off the charts."

  "This is a remnant soul of the 'Western White Tiger'. Back in the day, it was one of the Four Sacred Beasts governing war and slaughter. It fell into darkness and was banished to the Abyss. Though only a remnant remains, it has devoured countless demons over thousands of years, evolving into a true 'Demon Tiger'. Its power can tear through space itself!"

  The Slayer didn't slow down. He casually swatted aside the blocking bone branches as if they were weeds.

  The clearing opened up.

  On a massive throne made of piled demon skulls, a beast the size of a semi-truck lay in wait.

  It had no physical body. Its form was composed of swirling black and white killing aura, surrounded by arcs of visible red lightning. Its eyes were two pale, burning flames. Every breath it took left a trail of frost in the air, freezing the swamp around it.

  The Demonized White Tiger.

  It sensed the intruder.

  It rose slowly, its presence descending like a crushing mountain. It looked at the Slayer not with fear, but with the rage of being offended. In all its years in the Abyss, no living thing had dared to look it in the eye like this.

  *ROAR!*

  The White Tiger lunged.

  Its speed was terrifying—a streak of black lightning. Its massive claws swiped down, tearing the air itself, aiming to flatten the Slayer into a pancake with a force that could crush a heavy tank.

  The Slayer didn't use a gun.

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  He sidestepped, barely dodging the strike. The claw slammed into the ground, pulverizing the hard rock into powder and kicking up a cloud of dust.

  In that split second of dust and chaos, the Slayer seized the White Tiger's rear leg.

  The touch was biting cold, like grabbing onto glacial ice.

  The muscles in the Slayer's arm bulged. The Praetor Suit's output maxed out, servos shrieking.

  He forcefully lifted the massive spectral beast off the ground!

  *Whoosh—SLAM!*

  The White Tiger was smashed into the ground, creating a massive crater.

  But as a spirit, physical attacks dealt limited damage. Shaking its head, the impact only stoked its ferocity. It opened its blood-red maw, attempting to snap the Slayer's neck in one bite.

  The Slayer didn't retreat. He advanced.

  He did something that made Singularity scream in shock.

  He jammed his left hand—the one encased in the heavy iron gauntlet—straight into the White Tiger's mouth.

  *CRUNCH!*

  The Tiger bit down hard. A bite force capable of crushing a tank applied itself to the Slayer's arm, creating a teeth-grinding sound of metal under stress. Shield values plummeted, and [WARNING: EXTERNAL PRESSURE OVERLOAD] flashed wildly on the HUD.

  But the Praetor Suit, a Sentinel artifact forged by the Maykrs, was indestructible. Even under such terrifying pressure, it didn't deform in the slightest.

  The Slayer's hand didn't pull back. Instead, he pushed deeper, expanding his grip to jam the Tiger's upper and lower jaws open, locking it in place.

  "Slayer! Now! Hold it down!"

  Singularity shouted, piloting the drone directly above the Tiger. The prepped array core began to charge.

  "Roots of Qi, Blood as Medium, Iron as Bone! SEAL!"

  Singularity fired a beam of golden runic light. It wasn't an attack, but a "Sealing Array," casting a net over the White Tiger.

  Simultaneously, the Slayer pulled out the pile of junk with his right hand—the remains of the chainsaw, consisting only of a core engine and half a blade.

  He shoved this scrap metal right into the White Tiger's face.

  No words were spoken.

  Only a will more ferocious, more domineering than the Tiger itself was transmitted through the contact. It was the absolute pressure of the Hellwalker, a tyrant's decree of "Submit or Perish."

  The White Tiger froze.

  It peered into the depths of the man's soul. Inside, it saw mountains of corpses and oceans of blood—a godhood of destruction forged from the slaughter of billions of demons. This existence was more terrifying than any Demon Lord it had ever encountered.

  Faced with this absolute suppression of status, the White Tiger's ferocity withered like a kitten before a predator.

  It felt fear.

  It wanted to run, but pinned by the Slayer's iron grip and Singularity's array, it couldn't move an inch.

  *HUMMMMM—!!!*

  The golden array began to contract like a vortex.

  The White Tiger let out a final, unwilling roar. Its body began to twist and warp, turning into streams of black and white light, forcibly sucked into the broken chainsaw engine.

  *Zzzzt—*

  As the last wisp of killing aura was absorbed...

  The originally scrapped chainsaw began to vibrate violently.

  Its casing reconstructed itself. Black and white patterns, resembling tiger stripes, emerged on the rusted metal surface. The teeth regrew automatically, becoming more jagged and menacing.

  The burnt-out coil lit up again. It didn't emit the sound of electricity, but a low, powerful growl of a beast.

  *Purr... Purr...*

  The Slayer released his hand.

  The chainsaw didn't fall to the ground.

  It hovered in mid-air. The teeth spun automatically, too fast to see, surrounded by a faint ring of blood-colored lightning.

  It was alive.

  [Taming vs. Sealing]

  The Slayer reached out and gripped the handle.

  A sensation of connected bloodlines traveled up his arm. This was no longer a cold tool; it was a partner that craved blood and slaughter.

  The Slayer gently squeezed the throttle.

  *"ROAAAAR——————!!!"*

  The chainsaw let out a tiger's roar that pierced the sky.

  The sound was sharper, hungrier than ever before.

  *Next Chapter: The Chainsaw Awakens. The spirit-infused chainsaw gains self-awareness, automatically targeting enemy necks, and even growls: "Hungry!"*