The battlefield stretched before me, filled with the groans of the wounded and the shrieks of demons. But all that faded into the background. My vision tunneled on the demon commander standing in the distance. The air around him shimmered with an oppressive dark aura, making it hard to breathe. His jagged horns curled up like twisted spikes of bone, and his eyes gleamed with a bloodthirsty hunger.
This was it. The real battle. Everything else had just been a warm-up.
I felt the thrill of battle course through my veins, mixing with the exhaustion that clung to my body like a weight. My hands tightened around Shadow’s Sword, the familiar darkness humming at the edge of my consciousness.
"New Skills Available!"
The system’s voice chimed in at the back of my mind, distracting me just long enough to throw me off balance. I stumbled, catching myself, but I couldn’t help but scowl. Really? Now of all times?
I shook it off, focusing on the enemy before me. The demon commander grinned at me with a mouthful of jagged teeth, clearly enjoying the challenge. He stomped forward, each step sending tremors through the ground.
"Skill Unlocked: Shadow Chain – Conjures a chain made of shadows to bind enemies. Mana Consumption: 35."
"Skill Unlocked: Shadow Manipulation – Allows the user to alter and shape surrounding shadows. Mana Consumption: 10 per second."
"Skill Unlocked: Dark Vision – Grants the ability to see clearly in complete darkness."
I paused. Dark Vision? That’s...not exactly going to help me when it’s broad daylight. Useless.
The demon commander let out a booming laugh, snapping me out of my brief distraction. His deep voice echoed across the battlefield, dripping with malice.
“Is that all you’ve got, boy? I’ve seen children wield more power!”
I felt my frustration rising. I clenched my fists, feeling the magic swirl around me, the shadows responding to my anger. This guy had no idea who he was dealing with.
"New Skill Unlocked: Shadow Burst – An explosion of concentrated shadows. Mana Consumption: 50."
Now we were talking. I grinned. These skills were exactly what I needed.
The demon commander charged at me, his massive axe swinging in a wide arc. I barely had time to react, jumping back just as the blade sliced through the air, kicking up a gust of wind. The force behind it was immense, enough to shatter the ground where I’d just been standing.
I felt the rush of mana leave me as I activated Shadow Manipulation. Dark tendrils whipped out from the ground, wrapping around the commander’s legs, pulling him down just as he raised his axe again. The shadows tightened, slowing him, but I could tell he was strong enough to break out of them if I didn’t act fast.
With a flick of my wrist, I cast Shadow Chain, binding his arms together. The shadows twisted and coiled around his body like snakes, locking him in place. For a moment, I thought it was enough. His struggle made the chains creak under the strain, but they held—for now.
"Let’s see how you like this," I muttered, raising my hand. The mana surged through me, pooling in my palm as I summoned Shadow Burst. The sphere of darkness pulsed, growing in size before I launched it toward him. It slammed into his chest, exploding on impact. The shockwave sent me stumbling back, but I could feel the power behind it.
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The commander roared, the sound vibrating through my chest. He tore through the chains like they were nothing, his dark aura swelling as his body shook off the damage.
"You think your shadows can bind me?" His voice was low, rumbling like distant thunder. He raised his hand, and with a sickening crack, the shadows I’d conjured were torn apart, disintegrating into the air.
I cursed under my breath. Okay, not as effective as I’d hoped.
The commander charged again, closing the distance in an instant. I barely had time to raise my sword before his axe came down, the blade smashing into my weapon with the force of a landslide. My arms shook, and the impact sent a jolt of pain through my bones. I skidded back, my feet barely keeping me upright.
“Not bad,” I muttered, gasping for breath. “But I’ve faced worse.”
His laugh was loud, booming like an earthquake. “You? Survive worse? You’re just a boy playing with shadows!”
I gritted my teeth, pushing back the fatigue. He wasn’t wrong. I was close to my limit, but I wasn’t about to let him know that.
"Mana: 76/411."
Another attack like that and I’d be out of mana. My body was already feeling the strain. Sweat dripped down my brow, and my vision blurred at the edges. Every muscle screamed at me to stop, but I couldn’t. Not yet.
I needed to stall him, just long enough for my next move. “System,” I whispered under my breath. “Show me everything I’ve got.”
"Displaying all available skills and abilities..."
The list appeared before my eyes, and I skimmed through it quickly. There had to be something—anything—that could turn the tide.
Shadow Strike. Too weak.
Shadow Ball. Not enough range.
Divine Crystal. Still locked.
Wait...Scale A Pult. I hadn’t used that in a while, and if I could find the right opening...but no. There were no scaly creatures nearby. Useless again. Damn it.
Another tremor shook the ground, and I realized I was out of time. The demon commander loomed over me, his shadow casting a dark blanket over the ground. He grinned, raising his axe for the final blow.
I threw up a shield of shadows, pouring the last of my mana into the defense, but I knew it wouldn’t hold for long. The axe came down, and the impact shattered the shield, sending shards of darkness flying in every direction. I stumbled back, barely staying on my feet.
"Warning: Mana critically low."
Yeah, thanks, system. I got it.
Before I could recover, the commander grabbed me by the throat, lifting me off the ground as if I weighed nothing. His fingers dug into my skin, cutting off my air supply. I kicked, struggling against his grip, but his strength was overwhelming.
He sneered, his eyes glowing with malice. “This is the end for you, boy.”
I gasped, my vision darkening as I felt the life being squeezed out of me. But somewhere, deep within, I felt a spark—a flicker of something. Something new.
"New Skill Unlocked: Void Step – Allows instantaneous teleportation through shadows. Mana Consumption: 30."
Perfect.
With the last bit of my strength, I activated Void Step, vanishing into the shadows just as the commander’s grip tightened. I reappeared a few feet away, stumbling as I caught my breath. My throat burned, but I was alive. For now.
The demon commander’s eyes narrowed, his lips curling in a snarl. “You’re starting to annoy me.”
“Good,” I spat, wiping the blood from my mouth. “That means I’m doing something right.”
But I knew I couldn’t keep this up much longer. My mana was drained, my body was on the verge of collapse, and this guy wasn’t even close to being finished. I had to end this soon, or I wouldn’t be able to walk away.
I lunged forward, summoning Shadow’s Sword once more. My movements were sluggish, but I pushed through the pain. I aimed for his chest, hoping to land a blow that would slow him down.
He blocked it effortlessly, his axe clashing against my sword. The force sent another shockwave through my body, but I didn’t back down. I slashed again, aiming for his legs this time. He jumped back, just out of reach.
But I wasn’t done yet.
I raised my hand, summoning the last of my strength for one final attack. “Shadow Burst!”
The sphere of darkness exploded out of my hand, slamming into the commander with a deafening roar. He staggered back, caught off guard by the sudden assault.
But before I could press the advantage, he roared in fury, his massive hand reaching out and grabbing me by the chest. With a sickening crunch, he hurled me into the air, sending me flying higher and higher.
My stomach lurched as the ground disappeared beneath me, the sky growing closer. I looked down, and my heart stopped.
The commander stood below, his horns glinting in the fading light, directly in my path.
I was going to land right on them.