Nocteron’s [Life Drain] had done more than just ravage the battlefield, it had bought Lich enough time.
Time he needed to finish summoning something none of them were prepared for.
And then, it began.
From the fractured, jagged ground of the Shattered Peaks, something stirred, no, someone.
A presence began to rise slowly from the rocky terrain, ancient and heavy, filled with a darkness that seemed to gnaw at the very air itself.
But it wasn’t what Elyssara or Seren had expected.
Lich had perfect mastery over the undead, and they both knew he had the power to summon hordes of deathless warriors if he chose to.
A flood of skeletal soldiers, a tidal wave of bone and rot, yet none of that came.
Instead, only one being emerged.
“Come forth, Undead Lord,” Lich commanded with a cold smile pulling at his pale face.
His hollow eyes glinted with anticipation.
“And don’t betray my trust, or you shall return to the abyss from which you crawled.”
The earth cracked wider as the summoned figure completed its rise.
Clad in a flowing robe of torn black silk, stained with age and magic, the [Undead Lord] of the [Undead Lands] stood tall.
His skeletal frame radiated power, each motion precise and silent.
Hollow sockets glowed with a dim blue fire as his gaze locked directly onto the Primordial Goddess and her Chosen One.
There was no mistaking it. This was no mere summon.
This was one of Lich’s most powerful undead, an entity that had once ruled a kingdom of bones.
Its aura carried the weight of countless souls, echoing with ancient death.
Lich, of course, had a unique talent.
He could absorb undead creatures into his domain and rebind them as his own.
That was how his undead army had grown so massive over time.
His [Undead Summoning] wasn’t just strong, it was surgical, precise, perfected.
Elyssara had no idea how the system worked, no clear understanding of the mechanics behind it.
All she knew was that the more powerful the summon, the more time it took to prepare.
That was likely why Lich had delayed so long, because summoning the [Undead Lord] wasn’t a simple act.
It was a commitment. Now that it was here, the battlefield trembled under the pressure.
The dark aura surrounding the [Undead Lord] pulsed like a heartbeat, dark and steady.
Shadows curled around his limbs like whispers, eager to lash out.
“Be grateful,” Lich chuckled, his voice filled with arrogant amusement.
“You’re among the few who get to witness my second strongest summon, most don’t live long enough to see it.”
“Fuck off,” Elyssara muttered coldly, not even glancing in his direction.
Her eyes were still closed as she charged up her energy, her hands trembling faintly under the immense pressure of what she was preparing.
Seren, meanwhile, had shifted position.
She no longer stood in a stance of battle, but rather a supportive pose.
Her body began to glow with golden lines that formed ancient runes along her arms and collarbone.
She was using [Primordial Transfer].
It was one of the few skills Primordial Chosen could use in dire moments like these, sacrificing their own energy reserves to enhance their Goddess’ power.
And now, Seren was giving everything she had.
She poured her strength into Elyssara, hoping, praying, that it would be enough to end this battle before it was too late.
Fwish! Fwish!
The mountain peaks shuddered violently as energy clashed.
Bursts of black and golden light collided in the air above, scattering fragments of stone and flame in every direction.
The once-stable terrain had become a war zone of aura and chaos.
Then, it began.
“Go,” Lich ordered sharply, and the [Undead Lord] moved.
With a motion that blurred the eye, the undead entity summoned a massive blade of dark steel, a cursed [Undead Sword] that pulsed with corruption, and dashed forward, closing the distance in a breath.
With his free hand, he summoned skeletal limbs from beneath the battlefield.
Dozens of bony arms erupted from the ground, clawing toward Elyssara and Seren, aiming to disrupt their charge-up at any cost.
But the two didn’t budge.
Elyssara floated higher, her aura intensifying, golden-white energy swirling violently around her.
Seren danced between the skeletal arms, her focus unshakable, feeding her Goddess every drop of power she could muster.
Ten seconds passed, ten long, violent, explosive seconds, and then…
“If this is how it must be,” Elyssara said through clenched teeth, her voice shaking from the strain, “then I’ll use everything I have, and end you right here.”
They had both realized something important by now.
No matter how much damage they did to Nocteron, it wouldn’t stick.
He had drained far too much life from others.
His immortality wasn’t absolute, but it was close.
As long as he had Lich, his Chosen One, he could keep coming back.
But if they killed Lich, then Nocteron would lose half of his strength.
And possibly, the ability to revive at all.
That was the key.
That was the target.
And finally, Elyssara’s power reached its peak.
The air behind her split open, and the [Primordial Figure], her divine manifestation, materialized, floating just behind her.
A towering woman of radiant light and divine fury, with wings that shimmered with starlight and eyes like twin suns.
The figure raised its sword high.
[Who shall receive judgment?] the entity asked, her voice resonating across the mountains.
“My enemies,” Elyssara growled, sweat pouring down her brow, her body shaking under the weight of divine magic.
Even then, she didn’t stop.
[Then they shall know who the true Primordials are,] the figure whispered, and swung her blade.
The world went silent.
Then,
SLASH! SLASH! SLASH!
A triple arc of devastating light swept across the battlefield, targeting all three, Nocteron, Lich, and the Undead Lord.
The [Undead Lord] was the first to fall.
His skeletal form cracked, his head lopped clean off as it rolled into the dirt.
The skeletal limbs vanished instantly.
Nocteron was hit as well.
His body split cleanly down the middle, but then…
He reformed.
“Too bad,” he said, brushing dust from his shoulders, his body already regenerated thanks to his [Life Drain].
And Lich?
His head had been severed, too.
It hit the ground with a sickening thud, rolled forward, and stopped.
“YES!” Elyssara and Seren cried out in unison, finally regaining their confidence.
They repositioned immediately.
This was their moment.
Nocteron had lost his Chosen One.
He wouldn’t be able to cheat death again.
Or so they thought.
“Did you really think it would be that easy?”
The voice came from behind.
Before either could react, Nocteron vanished, then reappeared in an instant, right behind Elyssara.
His hand clamped tightly onto the back of her head, his claws digging in slightly.
“You lost,” he said simply, almost softly.
Seren made a move to save her, but froze as something impossible occurred.
A black thread, thin, sharp, unholy, emerged from Lich’s headless body.
It connected with the fallen head.
Snap.
In seconds, his head reattached.
Lich groaned and sat up.
“That hurt…”
“What the—” Seren whispered.
“How?” Elyssara’s eyes widened in horror.
Nocteron leaned in close and whispered coldly into her ear.
“My Chosen One shares my [Life Drain], idiot.”
And then…
He activated his final, most terrifying skill.
“DEATH.”
It wasn’t just a threat.
It was a skill feared even among gods.
[Effect: Instantly kills target with no chance of revival. Can be used once per hour.]
A dark mist swirled into Elyssara’s body.
Her glow vanished.
Her eyes went glassy, lifeless.
And she collapsed.
“NO!” Seren screamed, stumbling backward.
But before she could even process what had just happened, a panel appeared before her eyes.
[The “Primordial Goddess” has been killed. Due to your bond, you will now face annihilation.]
“NO—!”
Her body convulsed once.
Then she fell, dead. Her soul had been destroyed.
Not just killed, erased.
DING! DING! DING!
A notification echoed through the [Creators’ Realm].
[The “Primordial Goddess” and “Primordial Chosen One” have been eliminated. Four pairs remain.]
“It’s done,” Nocteron said calmly, letting Elyssara’s body fall to the ground like a discarded shell.
“Let’s go.”
Lich nodded, and the two turned away, leaving the broken battlefield behind.
There was still more to witness in this trial, and now, fewer competitors to worry about.
…
Elsewhere, far from the chaos, Alex and Kaelios both received the notification.
Their eyes met immediately, the gravity of the moment setting in.
Another pair, gone.
Only four remained.
Two more eliminations, and the [Final Fight] would begin.
There was no more time to waste. They had to survive.
They had to be one of the final pairs, because if they weren’t, everything they’d sacrificed so far would mean nothing.