Sighing sympathetically, Ink Ash immediately explained, "In short, humans are just parrots... well, you wouldn't understand that term anyway."

Sphinx’s entire body trembled violently, his face shifting from pale to flushed. The creature who prided himself as wisdom’s symbol teetered on the edge of collapse.

"One last... one more question! I won’t be led by the nose anymore—"

Refusing to yield, the pale-faced Sphinx rallied his spirit like a gambler who’d lost everything, one step from the abyss.

Ink Ash’s smile brightened. From the start, he’d set the stage for a single question. Tilting his head innocently, he asked, "Oh, might I inquire how you were crossbred?"

"That’s simple. I was created by... you, you—*snort*!"

Hearing this straightforward question, Sphinx’s pupils contracted sharply. Enraged, he spat a mouthful of blood.

Uh-oh—his composure shattered completely.

Watching blood spray into the air, Ink Ash leapt back several meters. "Don’t stay silent! What’s this blood-spitting about? I didn’t touch you—don’t try to frame me!"

"You... mon—"

Trembling, he pointed at that vile face. Before finishing, the sphinx tumbled off the cliff.

"Tch. Such weak mental resilience?"

Sighing in disappointment, Ink Ash listened to the wind’s sudden howl. Narrowing his eyes, he mused, "But I’m far more curious—those wings... they’re not just for show, are they?"

No sooner had he spoken than a murderous, icy gleam shot up from the cliff’s depths.

*Boom!* Debris flew like thunderclaps.

"Oh? So rage has you silencing witnesses now?" Ink Ash stood atop claws embedded in the cliff wall, smiling at the transformed Sphinx.

Ignoring him, Sphinx spread jet-black wings and hovered. He droned mechanically, "Beep... identity re-scanning... target confirmed: Third-Class Anomaly."

"Warning! This zone is forbidden. Leave now—or die!" Crimson light flared from his eyes as killing intent radiated from his body.

"Die? Are you—threatening me?!"

Grinning fiercely, the Great Demon King—who loathed threats above all—chose the clearest lesson: fists.

Silence broke with another *boom*. The raging Sphinx was now pitifully embedded in the rock.

"Target refuses to leave... persuasion failed. Danger level: extreme! Activating maximum combat form—"

As the voice faded, his mangled upper body flickered. In a blink, Sphinx burst free from rubble, his form swelling massively. The wise human face now bore two new heads: a grotesque ram’s and a savage eagle’s.

Gazing up at the towering three-headed beast, Ink Ash shouted eagerly, "There we go! Brain games are dull. Only fist against fist makes blood truly boil!"