[Destiny Points: 12/150]
Alex knew that time was no longer on his side.
The [Orb of the Mountain] had done its job, trapping the Hatred Demon beneath the earth, but that imprisonment wouldn’t last forever.
The battle wasn’t over.
He wasn’t foolish enough to believe that just because the demon had been buried, it had been defeated.
No, this thing was far beyond something as simple as that.
But there was one undeniable truth—he had struck its heart again.
Only one more hit.
Just one more, and this nightmare would end.
Yet, Alex couldn’t afford to forget what had happened last time.
The moment he landed that second strike, the crimson tendrils had emerged from the demon’s heart, moving faster than he could react.
Before he even realized what had happened, they had snapped his neck.
He had died instantly.
And now, with the Hatred Demon nearing its final transformation, Alex knew that if it came back, this battle would no longer be in his favor.
He had nothing left—no more [Blood Domain], no more [Universal Orbs], and even if he tried to use them, they wouldn’t do anything.
[Flames of Oblivion] wouldn’t be enough either, likely doing little more than irritating the demon.
The celestial judgment holy blades? Completely worthless against its aura.
The undead army? The fox summons? They wouldn’t even last a second.
He was out of options.
All except one.
[World Cleaver.]
Alex clenched his fists.
If there was anything that could kill the Hatred Demon, it was that.
He had no doubt that the demon had its own [Forbidden Skills], maybe even more than one.
And now that it had seen what he was capable of, it wouldn’t be careless anymore.
The moment it emerged from the abyss, it would activate everything it had.
The final showdown was coming.
But unlike the demon, Alex never underestimated his opponent.
He always assumed the worst.
And right now, if he fought the demon head-on, he knew he would lose.
He had struggled enough against its second form, and now that most of his tricks had been revealed, he had no chance of landing that final hit.
The Hatred Demon’s true, ultimate form would be beyond anything he had faced before.
His entire body tensed at the thought of what was coming.
[The Crown of Calamity will help too.]
Fwish! Fwish!
Dark tendrils slithered out from the black crown hovering above Alex’s head, twisting violently in the air as if eager for battle.
This time, they weren’t waiting.
They were ready.
“Good,” Alex murmured, though his face remained grim.
A deep, familiar voice cut through his thoughts.
“That was insane, human, but don’t let your guard down.”
Alphox.
Alex turned his gaze to the primordial shadow dragon, who was watching him with a serious expression.
“I won’t help,” Alphox admitted.
“This battle is too much for me.”
Alex nodded.
“No need to risk your life.”
Another voice suddenly echoed in his mind, ancient and familiar.
“I will not be fighting either.”
Alex’s eyes widened slightly.
“Astolf?”
It had been a while since he’d heard the Undead King’s voice.
“I was damaged significantly,” Astolf explained, “Even after being revived, I required complete meditation to recover.”
“But now, I am fine.”
“I am aware of what has happened to Undead Land, and why you are here.”
“I wish you luck, human.”
Alex smirked slightly.
“Took you long enough.”
But even with their support, nothing had changed—he still had the same problem.
He needed Destiny Points.
[World Cleaver] cost far more than what he had, and the only way to gather enough was to attack something.
Anything.
At least fifty times.
“Can’t you just use us?” Alphox suggested.
“Seems smarter to me than running around looking for something to hit.”
Alex hesitated, but it was a good idea.
It was worth a try.
With a flash of light, Alphox emerged partially from his [Shadow Pet Space], his massive torso appearing before Alex.
Without wasting a second, Alex raised his fist and lightly struck Alphox’s side.
Ding!
[You cannot gain Destiny Points from your pets, as it is considered cheating.]
Alex groaned.
“So you’re telling me I can hit a random enemy seventy-five times to fully replenish my Destiny Points, but because Alphox is my pet, I can’t?”
In retrospect, it made sense.
But it was still annoying.
Before he could think of another option—
[WARNING!WARNING!]
Crimson panels erupted in front of his eyes, flashing violently.
[An overwhelming surge of energy has been detected beneath the earth.]
[The Hatred Demon’s final form is nearing completion.]
[The power level is too great.You will not win.You will die instantly upon facing it.]
[Even I cannot save you.]
Alex’s stomach dropped.
“…Shit.”
Even without the warning, he could feel it.
The pressure beneath him was growing heavier, darker, more violent with every second.
He was running out of time.
He had to move—now.
With a single motion, Alex unfurled all four of his wings, his dragon wings flaring outward alongside his two angelic ones.
Boom!
The air shattered as he propelled himself upward, flying above the ruins of [Dragon City].
And as he looked down—
Destruction.
Chaos.
The entire city had been devastated by his battle with the Hatred Demon.
Massive craters, shattered buildings, burning ruins—it was all his doing.
Not alone, of course.
But even still, the destruction was undeniable.
Dragons had died in this battle.
He hadn’t planned on killing anyone aside from the [Primordial Dragons], yet the collateral damage was impossible to ignore.
Alex clenched his fists.
How many lives had been lost?
He had no idea.
But he didn’t have time to think about that now.
Slapping his cheeks, he forced himself to focus.
He needed to move.
A single dragon.
That was all he needed.
Just one dragon to strike repeatedly, and he could end this battle for good.
His golden eyes, enhanced by his [Cursed Eyes of Truth], scanned the ruined city below.
But no matter how hard he looked—
Nothing.
The dragons were gone.
None of them had remained in the city.
They had seen the battle, seen the destruction, and realized they stood no chance.
And no matter how prideful they were, they weren’t stupid.
They had fled.
Alex’s expression tightened.
“…Oh no.”
Panic crawled up his spine.
His pupils trembled.
The pressure beneath the earth had grown even stronger.
And then, he saw it.
The ground where the Hatred Demon had been buried—
A crimson glow.
A ritual-like circle had formed, pulsating with pure, raw hatred.
It was growing brighter. Stronger.
The abyss was breaking.
This was it.
The end was near.