“You little…”
Varyn coughed, his breath ragged, blackened blood spilling from his lips.
The corruption of the Abyss tainted every part of him now, turning his very essence into darkness.
“…You won’t win…”
His voice was weak, but the defiance in his eyes burned on.
Varyn tried to move, to summon even an ounce of his power.
His fingers twitched as he willed his abilities to activate, but nothing happened.
He tried again, attempting to call forth his [Scythe of the Damned], his greatest weapon, the one that had claimed countless lives in his name.
But nothing appeared.
He struggled even to stand.
Every ounce of strength he once had, all the power that made him a god among men, was gone.
It was over.
His power system was much like [Destiny Points], but instead of relying on fate, he used [Corrupted Souls].
It made him nearly unstoppable inside the Abyss, where an endless supply of souls fed his strength.
But now, the connection was severed.
His infinite power was reduced to nothing, and without the Abyss to sustain him, he was no more than a crippled husk of what he once was.
But Alex wasn’t the type to take chances.
He had fought too many enemies, survived too many near-deaths, to allow arrogance to cloud his judgment.
Varyn was helpless now, yes, but there was another threat still lurking, one that wasn’t so powerless.
Without hesitation, Alex summoned his [Bleeding Dragon Claws] in his left hand.
These weren’t meant for Varyn, though.
Instead…
Alex’s senses flared as he felt movement behind him.
A split second later, he turned, just in time to meet Lorien’s attack.
The man was rushing toward him at full speed, his sword gleaming in the dim light.
Since he didn’t have the power of the abyss anymore, he couldn’t use his [Abyss Scythe] anymore, meaning that he was forced to use his sword.
Varyn was done.
His strength had been entirely dependent on the Abyss, leaving him defenseless now that it was gone.
But Lorien?
He was different.
Even without his title as a Chosen One, he was still powerful.
He had once been deemed worthy by a god, after all.
His body was still strong, his mind sharp.
He was weakened, yes.
The loss of his Abyssal powers had taken a toll on him, and he felt the weight of his newfound limitations.
But none of that mattered.
He only needed to kill Alex.
Clash!
Alex’s claws met Lorien’s sword, the force of the impact sending vibrations through the air.
And in that moment, just a fraction of a second, Alex realized something.
Lorien was weak.
Way too weak.
Was it because he had spent centuries relying entirely on the Abyss?
Had he become soft, dulled by the comfort of absolute power?
Probably.
But against someone like Alex, someone who had been forced to hone his skills, sharpen his instincts, and refine his combat experience through over a decade of relentless battles, it wasn’t even close.
Alex pushed Lorien back with ease.
Then, without hesitation, he slashed his chest twice.
-567,054,800! -567,054,800!
Over a billion health gone in an instant.
Experience tales at My Virtual Library Empire
But even then, Lorien still had 50 billion HP.
“You… think… you… won… huh…?”
Lorien groaned, staggering backward.
Blood dripped from his mouth and wounds, thick and dark, just like Varyn’s.
Alex smiled.
“Yes.”
“And the worst part of all?”
“You didn’t even underestimate me.”
“You simply lost because… you were weaker.”
Slash! Slash! Slash!
-567,054,800! -567,054,800! -567,054,800!
Lorien’s movements grew more desperate.
He tried everything, any technique, any strategy, to gain an advantage.
But it was useless.
Years of relying on godly power had made him sloppy.
He had lost the sharpness, the experience he once had before becoming a Chosen One.
“YOU FUCKING—!”
Slash!
-567,054,800!
Lorien activated a skill.
Super Dash!
His body flickered, dashing across the crumbling Abyss Arena at blinding speeds.
But…
Destiny Shift!
[Undoing Lorien’s actions…]
“Huh?”
Lorien’s body reset, returning to his original position from five seconds ago.
And just like before, Alex was already there, waiting.
This was the same strategy he had used against the Demon Archer in the Dragon Bloodline Trial.
Why change something that worked?
Slash! Slash! Slash!
-567,054,800! -567,054,800! -567,054,800!
No matter how many times Lorien tried to escape or fight back, he was trapped in an endless cycle.
Every skill he activated, every movement he attempted, Alex was already ahead of him.
Then…
[Bleed caused, dealing 50% of health…]
A system notification flashed.
-25,000,000,000!
Lorien’s health bar instantly dropped by 25 billion HP.
His body convulsed, blood spilling freely from his wounds.
His limbs no longer responded to his commands.
He tried to use another skill, anything that could turn the fight around, but his injuries were too severe.
He couldn’t move.
Slash! Slash! Slash!
Alex didn’t stop.
He kept going, over and over, cutting away at the last remnants of Lorien’s strength.
There was no hesitation, no mercy.
Then, something changed.
Alex noticed Lorien’s HP had dropped below 3 billion, so he stopped using his claws.
Instead…
He used his bare fists and spells.
Weak, unimpressive attacks that didn’t carry any of his enhancements or skills.
Each hit only dealt 3,170,548 damage, his exact attribute value.
But he did it anyway.
Punch! Punch! Demonic Spear! Punch!
Alex laughed as he continued, throwing spell after spell, his fists slamming into Lorien’s face and body.
Even when Lorien tried to fight back, swinging his sword in desperation, Alex simply avoided it or used [Destiny Shift] to erase the attempt since he had more than enough points now.
Varyn watched in horror.
His wide eyes trembled as he took in the sight before him.
Through his vision, all he could see was a crimson and golden aura surrounding Alex’s body.
His eyes glowed, monstrous and otherworldly, filled with nothing but unshakable confidence.
To Varyn, this human was the true monster.
Minutes passed.
Minutes of absolute humiliation.
Eventually, Alex grew tired of the game.
With a final move, he raised his claws and slashed Lorien’s neck.
Ding!
[You have killed “Lorien, Chosen One of the Abyss” and gained 250 billion experience points.]
It was more than what Morgathis had given him.
But Alex didn’t even glance at the system panels that appeared around him.
He didn’t care about the notifications, the level-ups, the extraction options.
None of it mattered.
He simply turned to face Varyn.
A wide smile stretched across his lips as he walked toward the kneeling god.
“So what now?”
Alex asked, his voice calm, almost amused.
“I guess it’s over, huh?”
Varyn didn’t answer.
He simply stared, silent.
“…Alright then.”
Fated Cataclysm!
A small golden orb formed in Alex’s palm.
He took a step forward, closing the distance, and placed it directly in front of Varyn.
[30 seconds before Fated Cataclysm explosion…]
Even a god couldn’t survive at this range.
And to make matters worse…
[You have slain a God’s Chosen One. The god has lost half of their power for the next two weeks.]
Alex knew this was over.
This method of execution was unnecessary, he could have finished it instantly.
But that wasn’t the point.
This wasn’t just a battle.
This was revenge.
The god who had taken so much from him in his past life would now experience true despair.
But even in these final 30 seconds, Alex wanted to talk.
“Let’s chat before you die,” he said, sitting on the ground.
“It doesn’t matter to me if you don’t.”
“The result is the same.”