“Stay sharp!” Alex shouted as the colossal Sand Reaver lunged forward, its serrated jaws snapping shut inches from his face.
The sheer force of the movement sent waves of sand spraying into the air, blinding him momentarily.
Without hesitation, he activated [Bleeding Claws], his hands glowing a deep crimson as razor-sharp energy claws extended from his fingers.
-68,367,000!
With a swift slash, Alex carved into the creature’s armored side.
Deep gashes appeared, oozing thick black ichor that hissed as it hit the sand.
“Let’s end this quickly,” he groaned. “It’s not even worth the time.”
He was done dragging out battles with monsters like this.
If he could dominate, he’d do it decisively, his strongest attacks first, no hesitation.
Unfortunately, the Sand Reaver had other plans.
The massive centipede-like creature let out a bone-rattling screech and began thrashing violently.
Its body slammed into the ground repeatedly, sending tremors through the desert and kicking up massive plumes of sand.
Alex tried to dodge, but the Reaver’s tail whipped into him with terrifying speed.
The impact sent him flying backward, his body hitting the ground hard.
[You have died.]
[The Blessing of the Fox Spirit has saved you though.]
He staggered to his feet, coughing as the system notifications filled his vision.
“Damn it… it actually killed me in one hit.”
Above him, the Reaver coiled its body and released a guttural roar.
[Sand Reaver has gone “Berserk.”]
The glowing system panel shifted.
[Level 990 Sand Reaver – Floor 9 Boss]
[HP: 800,000,000]
[Skills: Earthquake Slam, Venom Spray, Burrowing Frenzy, Tail Whip, Sandstorm Cloak, Regeneration Surge, Berserk Mode.]
Alex frowned. “Ah, shit. Back away!” he shouted to Alice and Aurelia.
The girls nodded, retreating just as the Reaver’s movements grew faster and more erratic.
Its exoskeleton glowed faintly, shimmering with a defensive sheen that made it clear brute force wouldn’t be enough.
Alex planted himself a safe distance away, unwilling to take any further risks.
Dying once was already bad enough, another death would guarantee an F-rating in his advancement task.
He raised his staff, channeling mana into its glowing core.
“If close-range doesn’t work, let’s see how you handle this.”
With a flick of his wrist, he activated [Zeus’ Storm].
Above the battlefield, dark storm clouds gathered instantly.
Bolts of golden lightning erupted from the sky, striking the Sand Reaver repeatedly.
Each bolt carried enough power to obliterate smaller enemies, but the Reaver’s thick exoskeleton endured, leaving only scorched marks on its surface.
-30,000,000! -30,000,000! -30,000,000!
The creature screeched in frustration, its thrashing intensifying as it began to burrow into the sand. Experience tales at empire
“Tch. Not enough…” Alex muttered, already casting his next spell.
He raised his staff high.
One hundred golden chains materialized around him, shimmering with divine energy.
[Heaven’s Chains] surged forward, attempting to ensnare the Reaver.
The chains shot toward the creature, but as soon as they made contact with its body, they cracked and shattered, unable to withstand the sheer force of the Reaver’s berserk movements.
“Damn it.” Alex grumbled. “Guess I’ll try this.”
He stepped back, gathering his mana again.
With a roar of his own, he launched [Arc of Divinity].
A massive wave of glowing energy surged forward, slamming into the Reaver’s side.
The force of the impact sent a shockwave through the sand.
-8,009,916!
But the damage wasn’t nearly enough to make it budge.
The Reaver hissed but quickly shook off the attack.
Its regeneration ability kicked in, rapidly mending the damage.
“Okay, time for the big guns.” Alex channeled his energy into [Demonic Spear].
A molten, fiery lance appeared *above him, radiating an intense heat that distorted the air around it.
With a grunt, he hurled the spear at the Reaver.
The spear struck its target, exploding in a massive blast that lit up the desert like a second sun.
-16,699,720!
This was much better.
But as the smoke cleared, Alex’s face darkened.
The Reaver still stood, its armor cracked but intact.
Its exoskeleton seemed nearly indestructible, shielding it from the brunt of his attacks.
“Damn it, this thing’s a tank!”
Alice, watching from the sidelines, drew her bow.
Her eyes narrowed as she infused an arrow with spatial energy.
“Alice?” Alex called, noticing the faint glow emanating from her weapon.
“Give me a moment,” she replied.
She released the arrow, and as it flew through the air, it transformed.
[Unique Skill: Arrow Black Hole]
Space itself warped around the projectile, and when it struck the ground beneath the Reaver, a swirling black hole formed.
The gravitational pull of the black hole was immense, dragging everything within a 50-meter radius toward its center.
Sand, debris, and even Alex’s summoned foxes were sucked in, vanishing into the void.
“Hey! My summons!” Alex shouted in disbelief.
“Sorry!” Alice yelled back. “It’s the only thing I could think of!”
The Reaver let out a screech as the black hole began tearing at its massive body.
Chunks of its exoskeleton were ripped away, revealing the soft, vulnerable flesh beneath.
Alex saw his chance.
He sprinted forward, leaping onto the Reaver’s back.
His claws dug into its exposed flesh, anchoring him in place as he began a brutal assault.
Each strike from his [Bleeding Claws] tore deep into the creature’s body, black ichor spraying everywhere.
-68,365,500! -68,365,500! -68,365,500!
The Reaver writhed and thrashed, but the gravitational force of the black hole kept it pinned.
Alex held on tightly, driving his claws into it over and over again.
Every strike did 60,000,000+ damage, so it took only 12 of them to end it completely.
“Just die already!” he roared, delivering one final, devastating blow.
-68,365,500!
With a final screech, the Sand Reaver’s head was pulled into the black hole, cutting it off of its body.
The massive creature’s body went limp, its lifeless form collapsing into the sand as the gravitational force subsided.
The black hole faded moments later, leaving only silence in its wake.
Alex dropped to the ground, landing with a thud.
He wiped the blood from his face, breathing heavily.
“Phew. That was slightly more difficult than I thought. But once I got close, it became easy.”
A system notification appeared before him.
Ding!
[You have slain the “Sand Reaver” Floor 9 Boss and gained 8 billion experience points!]
Ding!
[Only one floor boss remain.]
[Defeat the floor ten boss, and you’ll be able to unlock your reward.]
“Nice.”
He didn’t know what that reward was, but as said before, he theorized that it would probably be the token of the tower.
He glanced at Alice, who was lowering her bow, and Aurelia, who had been watching the battle with a mixture of awe and amusement.
“Nice work,” he said, giving Alice a thumbs-up. “That skill of yours is ridiculous.”
“Thanks,” she replied with a smirk. “But maybe warn me next time before you jump this close to a black hole.”
Alex chuckled. “Fair point.”
The group turned their attention forward, where a massive golden door stood at the far end of the battlefield.
Its surface gleamed in the sunlight, intricate carvings of stars and constellations decorating its frame.
“That’s the exit,” Alex said, his voice steady.
They walked toward it, the weight of the battle slowly fading as anticipation took its place.
Alex placed a hand on the door, feeling its cool surface beneath his palm.
“This is it,” he said quietly. Without hesitation, he pushed it open.
Ding!
[You have entered the 10th floor.]
[Good luck, you will die.]