“I heard you wanted to get to [Dragon City] while underground,” The [Hatred Demon] mused, its voice dripping with mockery, “Let me help you, shall I?”
Alex braced himself, his body tense and ready for whatever came next.
But even as he stood on full alert, the [Hatred Demon] closed the distance between them in an instant.
Its speed was unreal, forcing Alex to dodge not once, not twice, but three times in rapid succession.
Each movement was a last-second escape, a desperate attempt to avoid the creature’s deadly strikes.
A single hit from those claws would likely kill him, and Alex knew he couldn’t afford to make a single mistake.
As he dodged, his eyes flared with golden light, activating the status panel to assess his enemy.
What he saw made his blood run cold.
[Hatred Demon (Universal)]
[Health: ???]
[Level: ???]
[Skills: ???]
“…What?” Alex muttered under his breath.
There was, no information, no health bar, no level, no skills.
Nothing.
The [Hatred Demon] was a complete mystery, and Alex would have to fight blind, without any idea of what he was up against.
Fwish! Fwish! Fwish!
The [Hatred Demon] extended its claws, its crimson and dark arms elongating as it slashed at Alex with terrifying speed.
Each strike was precise, each movement calculated.
Alex dodged and weaved, his body moving on instinct as he tried to keep up with the creature’s relentless assault.
But he couldn’t keep this up forever, he needed a plan.
‘Go, holy blades,’ Alex ordered silently, his mind commanding the twelve holy blades that hovered around him.
They moved in perfect synchronization, darting toward the [Hatred Demon] in an attempt to land a hit.
If he could damage its body enough to reveal its heart again, he might have a chance.
[The Heart of Calamity informs you that the heart is extremely fragile, meaning it will break in three attacks, but it will defend itself.]
But the [Hatred Demon] would defend it fiercely.
‘Hm.’ Alex thought, his mind racing.
He glanced at his [Destiny Points], which were slowly increasing as he avoided and deflected the [Hatred Demon]’s attacks.
He had 56 points now, and if he could keep this up, he might have enough to turn the tide.
But the [Hatred Demon] was so overwhelmingly strong that it was clear it wasn’t even trying yet.
It was toying with him.
“Alright, fun’s over,” The [Hatred Demon] said, its voice cold and mocking.
One of the holy blades had managed to graze its cheek, leaving a faint mark.
The creature’s grin widened as it raised its hand.
Hatred Explosion!
BOOM!
A massive explosion of crimson aura erupted from the [Hatred Demon], the force of it disintegrating every single holy blade that had been surrounding it.
The shockwave sent Alex stumbling backward, his body slamming into the ground as he struggled to catch his breath.
‘Shit…’ Alex gritted his teeth, his mind racing.
He needed to act fast.
He quickly considered using one of his [Universal Orbs], but the battle was moving too quickly.
And before he could even make a decision, the [Hatred Demon] slashed again, its claws moving faster than before.
Fwish!
Alex barely managed to dodge, his body moving on pure instinct.
‘Maybe I should use [Threads of Fate]?’
He thought, but before he could act, the [Hatred Demon]’s voice cut through the chaos.
“You should really pay attention to your surroundings.” It said, its tone dripping with mockery, “I’m not even trying yet~”
Alex’s eyes widened as he felt an undeniable aura behind him.
He turned, his heart pounding, and there he saw it—a clone of the [Hatred Demon], its form made of pure hatred.
Hatred’s Clone!
[Effect: Set a point wherever you want, and after ten seconds, a clone made out of pure hatred will appear to do one action.]
Alex hadn’t even noticed the clone forming.
His eyes, which were supposed to see through anything, had failed him.
The clone didn’t attack.
Instead, it grabbed Alex’s arm, holding him in place.
Fwish! Grip!
The [Hatred Demon]’s claws closed around Alex’s neck, lifting him off the ground once more.
“This is the second time.” The creature laughed, its voice filled with malice, “But as I said, you did want to go to [Dragon City], didn’t you?”
“W-What the hell… are you… talking about?” Alex groaned, his golden and crimson aura flaring as he struggled against the creature’s grip.
His determination fueled his power, the aura around him exploding outward with such force that even the [Hatred Demon] shuddered slightly.
“Have a nice travel.” The [Hatred Demon] replied, its grin widening.
It began spinning in place, its grip on Alex’s neck tightening as it gained momentum.
Alex was spun at an insane speed, 100 turns per second, his vision blurring as dizziness overtook him.
And then, with a final laugh, the [Hatred Demon] let go.
Alex was thrown upward with such force that the wind itself threatened to tear him apart.
His body shot into the sky, traveling hundreds of miles in mere seconds.
He tried to activate his wings—two dragon wings and two angel wings—to slow his momentum, but it was useless.
The wind was too strong, and the [Hatred Demon]’s strength was no joke.
After a few seconds of futile effort, Alex gave up, his body soaring through the air as the world blurred around him.
He saw cities, dungeons, and unfamiliar landscapes flash by in an instant.
And then, he began to descend.
‘…Where the fuck am I going?’
He wondered, his mind racing.
And then it hit him.
The [Hatred Demon] had mentioned [Dragon City].
There was no way… right?
The ground rushed up to meet him, and Alex braced for impact.
BOOOOM!
He crashed into the ground with enough force to create a small crater, his body bloodied and battered but somehow still alive.
He coughed, blood splattering onto the ground as he struggled to his feet.
“What the hell?”
“Holy shit?!”
Voices surrounded him, but his head was spinning, his vision blurred.
He held his head, trying to steady himself as his surroundings came into focus.
And then he saw it—the familiar buildings, the humanoid dragons, the unmistakable aura of [Dragon City].
The [Hatred Demon] had thrown him here perfectly.
“Well, this is so far it’s gonna take it a while to come back.” Alex thought, groaning as he tried to gather his bearings, “It should give me enough time to be ready.”
He knew [Dragon City] was filled with enemies he needed to deal with, but now wasn’t the time.
He needed to regroup, to prepare for the inevitable fight.
But as he turned to leave, he remembered the [Hatred Demon]’s final words.
“I’ll be waiting for you on the other side.”
Before he could process what that meant, another explosion rocked the city.
Buildings crumbled, debris flying in every direction as a massive shockwave tore through the area.
And from the chaos emerged the [Hatred Demon], its crimson form towering over the ruins.
“New battlefield?” It smiled, stretching its arms, “Let’s do this.”
“Holy hell,” Alex muttered, backing away as the [Hatred Demon] advanced.
The fight wasn’t over, in fact, it had only just begun.
…
A/N
I never did this before, but this fight will be the most intense and longest one in the entire novel.
Just a warning, enjoy!