Threads of Fate
As Alex activated his skill, the golden threads of destiny did not wrap around the Hatred Demon this time but instead targeted the writhing mass of horror that was the [Hell Abomination].
He had chosen his target well, this was the perfect chance to regain Destiny Points and turn the tides of battle in his favor.
The Hatred Demon, though immeasurably dangerous, was still a mystery to him.
He had no idea why it had raised its arms skyward, why energy was amassing around it, or what purpose the spinning ritual circle on its chest served.
But then again, it didn’t know everything about him either.
At least, it thought it knew.
Perhaps it believed that Alex could only use his destiny-based abilities when directly attacked.
Maybe it assumed his powers were limited, unable to reach beyond its own influence but it was wrong.
Because [Destiny Powers] didn’t work like that. It worked on anything, against anyone.
And now, as Alex watched the thousands upon thousands of golden threads materializing around the [Hell Abomination], he knew this was his chance.
He needed to buy time until the [Angel of the Blade of Destiny] appeared.
Until then, he would fight.
Fwish! Fwish!
The golden threads wove themselves into the very essence of the monstrosity before him.
And because every writhing tendril of its body counted as a limb, the number of fate threads surrounding it was staggering.
An amount so immense that even the threads from his battle against the Hatred Demon seemed small in comparison.
[The Crown of Calamity thinks that trying to use this against something with so many limbs, and that looks this… disgusting, is not a good idea.]
“Well,” Alex groaned, his expression strained as he focused on the threads, “we don’t have a choice. I need to at least get some of them back.”
Even as he spoke, his eyes flared with concentration.
“Try to only watch the threads of the tendrils that you predict will move,” Alphox advised, his voice steady. “It has many limbs, but its movements aren’t as complicated as the Hatred Demon’s.”
‘Right,’ Alex nodded internally.
The true challenge wasn’t avoiding the attacks, it was predicting which ones would come first.
The [Hell Abomination] was enormous, but its speed was on par with Alex’s own, meaning any miscalculation would be fatal.
And to make matters worse, he could still feel the oppressive presence of the Hatred Demon behind him, charging something massive.
There was no time to hesitate.
“Don’t help me, Crown,” Alex muttered under his breath. “Keep charging for that attack of yours or whatever.”
[We will.]
Fwish!
Alex launched himself forward, a blur of motion against the battlefield as he closed the distance between him and the fifty-meter-tall abomination.
The closer he got, the worse the nausea in his stomach became.
Because now that he was near, he could see it even more clearly.
Human bodies were embedded into its mass, their faces twisted in agony.
They had hollow eyes, their mouths stretched open in silent screams, and their arms dangled lifelessly, protruding from the pulsating, grotesque surface of the creature’s form.
It was as if this thing had been forged from suffering itself.
‘Disgusting,’ Alex thought, but he forced his stomach down. He had a goal.
And that goal was destiny points.
SWASH!
A mass of writhing tendrils lashed out toward him, each one the size of a tree trunk.
They slammed downward with crushing force, aiming to crush him before he could even react.
But Alex was already moving.
SMASH! SMASH!
The tendrils obliterated the ground where he had been standing a second ago, shaking the battlefield.
Deep fissures ran across the blackened grass, the earth itself breaking apart under the raw force of impact.
Then—
[+1 Destiny Point]
Alex grinned.
It was working.
The Hatred Demon had to be aware of his ability by now.
It had seen him use it in their last battle. And yet, he was still gaining destiny points.
That meant one of two things:
One, the Hatred Demon had no idea how it actually worked.
[Or it is tricking you into thinking that, for the attack(s) it is currently charging will be enough to wipe you.]
Alex’s expression darkened at that thought, ‘That’s a possibility. But for now, I focus on what’s in front of me.’
Smash! Smash!
Dozens of tendrils slammed toward him from every angle.
But Alex, his mind solely locked onto the golden threads of fate, dodged them all.
He weaved through the attacks effortlessly, using his incredible agility to slip past every lethal strike.
His instincts and battle sense, honed through countless fights, allowed him to predict and counter each attack before it landed.
And then, he struck back.
SLASH!
His [Bleeding Dragon Claws] carved through the [Hell Abomination], four deep crimson lines splitting open its grotesque flesh.
SLASH! SLASH! SLASH!
He kept attacking, each swing of his claws precise and merciless.
Even as he struck, his eyes caught glimpses of the faces he was cutting into, their hollow stares, their open mouths, the cries of agony that echoed through the air.
But he didn’t hesitate.
These things weren’t human anymore.
They were part of the abomination now.
Either it died, or he did.
‘I’ll end their suffering by killing this thing,’ Alex thought, his jaw tightening as the screams grew louder.
The [Hell Abomination] shrieked, its distorted voice filling the battlefield.
Yet despite all the wounds, despite all the blood spilling from its writhing form, it wasn’t going down.
It was too massive. Too sturdy.
Even with his relentless attacks, it remained standing, its body regenerating faster than he could carve into it.
Fwish! Swash!
But eventually, a golden notification flashed in his mind.
[Destiny Points: 150/150]
His points were completely restored.
Alex smirked. He had what he needed now. He could use [World Cleaver] again if it came down to it, though unlikely.
But that wasn’t what mattered now.
He needed to kill this thing.
“Now,” Alex muttered as he dodged another wave of tendrils.
He grabbed onto one mid-air, using the momentum to launch himself upward.
He flapped his four wings, propelling himself even higher, until he reached the top of the abomination’s form.
And then he saw it, and his eyes widened.
At the very top of the [Hell Abomination], in the center of its grotesque mass, was a massive, gaping mouth.
A circle of jagged teeth, spiraling downward into an abyss.
And inside its throat were more human bodies.
They emerged from the abyss, their limbs grasping at the air, their faces frozen in eternal despair.
Alex’s stomach twisted. This thing truly was an abomination from hell.
“We can help.” Alphox’s voice snapped him from his thoughts, “I’m not backing away because I’m scared,” the dragon said, his tone unwavering. “We need to fight, partner.”
“I agree,” Astolf, the Undead King, added, his eyes glowing beneath his skeletal helm. “I fought a god’s chosen before. I can manage this.”
[The Crown of Calamity reserves its attack for the Hatred Demon.]
And then…
Fwish! Fwish!
Alphox, in his full primordial dragon form, emerged from a shadow portal beside Alex.
While Astolf also materialized beside them, his undead aura burning fiercely.
Alex’s lips curled into a grin.
“Let’s kill this thing.”