With the arrival of Alphox, the [Primordial Shadow Dragon], and Astolf, the [Undead King], a flicker of confidence surged through Alex’s chest.
They weren’t as strong as he was, and he knew for a fact that if either of them faced the Hatred Demon head-on, they wouldn’t last long.
But right now, their presence alone made him feel just a little more secure.
That security, however, didn’t last long.
SWASH! SLAP!
The [Hell Abomination] lashed out with its massive flesh tendrils, whipping them toward the three warriors who had gathered atop its grotesque form.
The attacks were relentless, thick masses of muscle and flesh slamming into themselves in an attempt to crush them.
But none of them were slow enough to be caught.
Alex had already predicted the attack, so he moved before it even arrived, twisting his body to the side and dashing across the air with the power of his wings.
Alphox, being far too large to dodge conventionally, flapped his wings with immense force, propelling himself higher into the air to avoid the strike.
Meanwhile, Astolf simply lifted a skeletal hand and snapped his fingers—immediately, dozens of skeletal arms erupted from the [Hell Abomination]’s own flesh, intercepting the tendrils and taking the impact for him.
The bones shattered instantly, but they had served their purpose.
“You have companions too?”
The Hatred Demon’s abyssal maw twisted into a sinister grin.
Its many mouths moved in unison, sharp teeth shifting unnaturally, some speaking while others simply grinned.
“Interesting. But they will die too.”
Its arms were still raised, dark energy pouring from its hands.
The ritual circle embedded into its chest was spinning faster than ever, its glowing sigils pulsing in rapid succession.
The sheer power gathering in that technique was nothing short of catastrophic.
It was only a matter of time before it was unleashed, and Alex knew they wouldn’t survive if they were caught in the blast.
But he wasn’t going to wait for that to happen.
“I’m getting rid of it!”
Alphox roared, the deep, rumbling sound shaking the very air.
As he spoke, flames crackled from between his sharp fangs, black fire leaking from his throat like searing smoke.
“HERE GOES!”
Alphox had been holding back until now, but not anymore.
From his recent battles and level-ups, he had gained two powerful new abilities:
[Predator’s Gaze] and [Shadow Comet].
The first was a different skill, but pretty much an evolved version of his previous [Eclipsing Roar], capable of not only terrifying enemies but also directly enhancing Alphox himself if they met his gaze.
If the conditions were right, it could even push him into a higher state of power.
But the second ability… that was his strongest yet.
[Shadow Comet]
[A devastating technique that calls down a massive, abyssal meteor from the sky, a force of destruction greater than any previous skills.]
Alphox’s wings spread wide as he let out another roar, his voice like an earthquake splitting the air apart.
Shadows swirled around his body, forming chaotic tendrils of dark energy that spread into the sky, gathering above them.
The crimson clouds overhead twisted and churned as if the entire sky was responding to his call.
Astolf, meanwhile, tapped his skeletal fingers together thoughtfully before suddenly thrusting a hand forward.
The skeletal arms he had summoned earlier shattered into pieces, reforming into long, jagged lances made entirely of bone.
Unlike before, he didn’t aim for the creature’s flesh.
Instead, he hurled them straight toward its gaping mouth.
“The weak point is probably inside,” the Undead King stated calmly.
But for the first time, the [Hell Abomination] reacted differently.
It didn’t simply take the attack, it actually moved.
FWISH!
The abomination’s massive circular maw clamped shut instantly, its rows of jagged teeth clicking together with a sickening snap.
The skeletal lances shattered uselessly against its closed mouth, failing to pierce inside.
Alex’s eyes widened.
Not because of the mouth itself, he had already seen that horror before, but because of what it meant.
‘It just blocked an attack for the first time.’
That reaction was confirmation enough.
It had barely responded to any of their previous attacks, no matter how much it bled or how much its twisted, human-like faces cried out in agony.
It had simply suffered through the pain, refusing to defend itself.
But the fact that it protected its mouth meant that whatever was inside was important.
It wasn’t just pain—it was its true weakness.
“ROOOOARRR!”
Alphox’s roar reached its peak, and suddenly, something shifted in the sky above them.
A massive shadow loomed over the battlefield, and in the next instant, a black meteor burst through the crimson clouds.
It was enormous, easily over a hundred meters wide, and it moved at an impossible speed.
The entire sky darkened further as the [Shadow Comet] descended, its trailing energy crackling like pure destruction.
Even the [Hell Abomination] seemed to sense the danger.
It flailed wildly, thrashing its tendrils and rolling its massive body in an attempt to move out of the way.
But it was far too slow.
Alex felt a powerful force suddenly grip the back of his collar.
“We should move,” Alphox grunted, flapping his massive wings and dragging Alex with him, while Astolf casually stepped back, vanishing into a swirl of undead energy to retreat from the blast radius.
The [Shadow Comet] crashed down.
BOOOOOOOOOOM!
The impact was catastrophic.
The explosion swallowed the battlefield, an overwhelming shockwave tearing through the [Hatred Domain].
A massive crater formed beneath them, black flames and crackling shadow energy erupting outward like a natural disaster.
The Hatred Demon remained where it stood, watching impassively.
Its many eyes flickered, reflecting the destruction before it, but it made no move to interfere.
And then… as the dust and flames settled, the [Hell Abomination] was still there.
Barely.
Its massive, grotesque body was now at the very bottom of the crater, mangled beyond recognition.
It was bleeding from countless wounds, dark liquid spilling from every inch of its flesh.
Its tendrils twitched weakly, struggling to move, but its regeneration was slow.
Alex narrowed his eyes.
‘It’s still alive, but that attack definitely hurt it. It’s probably trying to heal itself now…’
And most importantly—its mouth was open.
It had been forced open by the sheer force of the impact, and now they could see directly inside.
The dark pit of its throat was lined with countless human-like bodies, their hollow eyes and twisted mouths forming an endless abyss of writhing flesh.
It was disturbing beyond words, but at the very bottom of that darkness… there was something else.
Something hidden deeper within.
Alex immediately understood.
‘I have to finish this.’
But they had to act fast.
Even now, small debris and falling rocks from the explosion were tumbling toward its open mouth—and every single time, the creature’s body twitched violently, its muscles straining to snap its mouth shut again.
It refused to let anything inside.
“My turn then,” Alex muttered.
Astolf nodded silently, then raised a skeletal hand.
A massive construct of bones began forming beside him, countless skeletal limbs assembling together into a colossal hand, larger than anything he had summoned before.
The plan was set.
Alex tightened his grip on the [Orb of Cataclysm], crimson energy radiating from its surface.
If he could just get it inside… if he could detonate it from within the creature’s body…
Then this abomination would be nothing more than a bad memory.
The final blow was coming.
And after that…
The Hatred Demon was next.