Chapter 16: Duke
Two friends sat under the shade of a tree, chatting about what games to play next. As evening fell, they returned to their village, only to find it under attack by monsters. Many houses lay in ruins. The boys panicked and ran to their own homes, which were also destroyed. With monsters still prowling nearby, the village head quickly gathered the boys and fled.
The survivors sought refuge in a nearby kingdom, having lost their village, homes, and families. Determined never to experience such loss again, the two friends vowed to become stronger. They embarked on countless adventures together, evolving from humans to heroes and eventually to champions.
One boy ascended to the rank of Chaos Lord, leaving his friend behind as a champion. The champion, now Duke, felt abandoned and saddened. He began attacking monsters to collect souls, aided by his Chaos Lord friend's army of mages. He targeted monster settlements, amassing enough souls for a powerful ritual, hoping to reunite with his friend.
Back in the present, VK and the Champion-level Duke faced each other, their auras clashing and releasing waves of energy that shook the ground beneath them. The monsters watched anxiously as VK and Duke began their epic showdown.
During the battle with VK, massive swords of pure darkness shot towards VK and the monsters. VK could dodge the attacks, but the monsters would be slaughtered. Realizing Duke needed souls for an unknown purpose, VK cast a full-scale barrier, trapping himself and Duke inside to protect the monsters.
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Inside the barrier, VK and Duke clashed, exchanging blows and regenerating wounds. VK used his analysis skill to counter every attack, quickly adapting and gaining the upper hand.
VK started with a flurry of elemental magic: fireballs and lightning bolts. Duke countered with dark binding, sending tendrils of darkness to absorb the attacks. VK leaped forward, summoning a blade of light with his elemental mastery: light, clashing with Duke's dark sword. Sparks flew as light and dark magic collided, illuminating the barrier in flashes of intense energy.
Duke's dark aura intensified, enhancing his strength and speed. He launched a rapid series of strikes, pushing VK back. VK, using thought acceleration, analyzed each move, dodging and parrying with precision. "You're strong, but I won't let you win," VK said, his voice steady.
Duke smirked, "You underestimate the power of darkness!" He unleashed dark binding again, this time wrapping VK in chains of shadow. VK struggled briefly before using shadow nexus, merging with the shadows to slip free and counterattack with a barrage of shadow blades.
The battle continued evenly, both combatants showing incredible skill and resilience. As the clash grew more intense, VK decided to unleash his ultimate skill: Nature’s Blessing. Mana surged around him, and his power skyrocketed. Duke responded with his own ultimate skill: Dark Manipulation, gaining absolute control over the surrounding darkness.
VK used shadow nexus to summon blades of shadow from the moonlight, countering Duke's dark blades. The two forces collided, shattering the darkness and sending shockwaves through the barrier. With a final push, VK cast a concentrated spell of elementary magic: holy light, aiming directly at Duke.
The spell penetrated Duke's chaos protection. Duke's eyes widened in shock as the attack struck him. As he fell, memories of his friend and their promise flooded his mind.
Flashback:
"Duke, I'll be going out, so take care of the kingdom we've built," his friend said.
"You have to be careful because I won't be there beside you. Here, I cast a protection spell on you. As a Chaos Lord, my protection is chaos protection."
Back in the present, Duke saw VK's attack penetrate his protection. As his vision faded, he fell. The monsters celebrated their victory, but Duke released the collected souls to gain power. Remembering the promise he made to his friend, he awakened, unleashing the power of the souls.
Duke's system displayed:
NEW ULTIMATE SKILL: DARK ABYSS