The [Fated Cataclysm] orb exploded right in Alex’s face, shaking the battlefield with golden flames and sealing the match.
Kaelios, the God of Destiny, lowered his weapons and let out a small chuckle.
“That was better than usual,” he admitted, “You actually caught me off guard for a moment.”
“A little more, and you might’ve forced me to use my Forbidden Skill.”
Silence followed.
Kaelios frowned.
It was strange: normally, Alex would respond, make a snarky remark, or at least groan in frustration after yet another loss.
But right now, there was nothing.
He tilted his head.
“Human?”
Still no answer.
Kaelios took a step forward, his curiosity growing.
The explosion should have killed Alex, but in this domain, he couldn’t truly die.
He’d always come back, over and over again.
So why was there no reaction this time?
Kaelios sighed and turned away, deciding to head back to his structure to rest.
“Well, regardless, your score is 70% of my power,” he said casually, “You’re getting closer.”
But just as he was about to take another step—
“Not so fast,” Kaelios’ body tensed, ‘That voice…!’
He whirled around just in time to see golden mist swirling in the air, remnants of the explosion dispersing.
And from within that mist, Alex emerged.
Dashing forward at high speed.
“What the…?!” Kaelios’ eyes widened in genuine shock.
Alex’s claws gleamed as they slashed toward him.
Instinctively, Kaelios raised his [Destiny Swords], blocking the attack.
Sparks flew as the two weapons clashed, the force of their collision sending small shockwaves through the battlefield.
“Didn’t you die?!” Kaelios demanded.
“Nope~” Alex laughed, grinning, “You can even check for yourself, can’t you?”
Kaelios narrowed his eyes, immediately summoning a [Golden Panel] in his vision.
[Deaths: 0]
His grin widened.
“Interesting…”
Alex had not died.
Even though the [Fated Cataclysm] should have erased him completely at that range, he was still here, standing, fighting, and smiling like usual.
“How?” Kaelios asked, his interest now fully piqued.
Alex chuckled, “Well…”
…
A Moment Before the Explosion
Alex’s eyes locked onto the golden orb Kaelios had thrown.
It pulsed violently, growing larger as it approached, charged with immense power.
This was it.
The end of his final attempt, again.
No matter how hard he fought, how many strategies he tried, Kaelios always outmaneuvered him.
This time, though, Alex had done better, his reactions had been sharper, his counters more precise.
He had even forced Kaelios to get serious.
But in the end, one mistake was all it took.
Kaelios had tricked him.
He had baited Alex into using the [Orb of the Unbreakable] at the wrong moment, leaving him defenseless now.
Alex clenched his fists, frustrated but determined.
He didn’t want to lose again.
Then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw it: his remaining orbs floating nearby.
[Orb of Cataclysm, Orb of Thunder, Orb of Annihilation, Orb of the Storm, Orb of Divinity, Orb of Purity, Orb of Balance]
His mind raced.
Most of these were offensive, designed to deal damage or disrupt the enemy.
But one of them stood out.
[Orb of Purity]
[Crushing this orb releases a wave of holy energy that not only heals but also grants temporary invulnerability to yourself and allies.]
Alex’s eyes widened.
“Healing and invulnerability…” he whispered.
Then, realization struck.
‘Maybe…’ but she shook his head, ‘No.’
There was no time to hesitate.
The green orb was inches away.
And so, without another thought, Alex grabbed the [Orb of Purity] and crushed it in his hand.
A wave of green light burst from his body, washing over him like a divine blessing.
A warm glow enveloped him, and for a split second—
BOOM!
The [Fated Cataclysm] detonated, engulfing him in golden destruction.
Alex instinctively closed his eyes, expecting pain, expecting to die like always.
But… nothing happened.
When the light faded, he was still standing.
His body was unharmed.
His energy was fully restored.
He was… alive.
“What the…?” Alex muttered.
Then it clicked.
The [Orb of the Unbreakable] and the [Orb of Purity] seemed similar at first, but they functioned completely differently.
The [Orb of the Unbreakable] created a powerful barrier, true, but that barrier was fixed in place.
Once activated, Alex couldn’t move freely.
It was also reflective, meaning any damage it absorbed was sent back to the attacker.
Against most enemies, that would be deadly.
But Kaelios wasn’t ‘most enemies.’
He knew how to counter it.
The [Orb of Purity], however, was different.
It didn’t create a barrier, it made Alex himself invincible for three seconds.
He could still move, still attack.
And on top of that, it fully healed his body and restored his stamina.
That changed everything.
‘Underestimating an orb is a mistake…’ Alex thought to himself, ‘They’re more versatile than I realized.’
‘When I get back, I need to start experimenting, see what combinations I can pull off.’
His lips curled into a smirk.
Kaelios probably thought he won.
Which meant… this was his chance.
…
Back to the Present
Alex had closed the distance in an instant, his attack catching even the God of Destiny off guard.
Their weapons clashed, and Kaelios instinctively focused on their struggle.
But Alex wasn’t just attacking, he had already prepared his next move.
Fwish!
He suddenly leaped back, creating a small gap between them.
“Huh?” Kaelios’ eyes flickered with confusion.
And that’s when Alex threw it: the [Orb of Divinity], which he had prepared beforehand.
It struck Kaelios dead center.
A golden glow surrounded him as the orb’s effect activated.
[When thrown, this orb marks a target, causing a celestial blade to descend from the heavens and cleave through them with divine judgment.]
Kaelios’ instincts screamed at him, but it was already too late.
High above, the sky split open.
A brilliant, radiant sword emerged, descending with unstoppable force.
A moment later—
SPLASH!
Kaelios’ body was cleaved in half.
Golden blood splattered across the battlefield as the God of Destiny was split down the middle, just like the first time they had tested the orb.
And just like that, Alex had won.
Or at least, that’s what it looked like.
A faint shimmer of light flickered over Kaelios’ corpse.
[Destiny Shift!]
[Undoing death…]
Kaelios’ body began stitching itself back together, reversing the fatal strike.
But before the process could finish—
[Destiny Shift!]
[Undoing revive…]
Alex smirked.
“Not this time.”
Kaelios’ face paled.
He quickly glanced at their Destiny Points.
[Kaelios’ Destiny Points: 126/300]
[Alex’s Destiny Points: 127/150]
Alex had one more destiny point.
It was an actual miracle.
Kaelios let out a defeated sigh.
He had made a mistake.
A critical one.
[Undoing death…]
This time, Alex didn’t interrupt.
He had already won.
Kaelios groaned as he reformed, rubbing his forehead.
“Damn…” he muttered, “You tricked me.”
Alex grinned, “You underestimated me, huh?”
“Yeah,” Kaelios admitted, laughing.
“I’ll give you a score of 90%.”
The sole reason it wasn’t 100 was because if it wasn’t for the fact Kaelios didn’t expect Alex to survive, then he would have been ready to respond.
“Good to know,” Alex nodded, smiling, “Meaning I have 1 month and 10 days to get the remaining 10%.”
“Yeah, but be careful, because if it was an actual battle…” Kaelios’ expression darkened, “I would have simply used [World Cleaver] at the start.”
“I know that,” Alex felt a chill go down his spine.
And so with that, the training was done for now.
It was time to head to the [Mage Tower] to join the [Grand Mage Order Meeting].