The air crackled with tension as the demon commander and I stood ten meters apart. My heart pounded against my chest, and sweat trickled down my brow. This was my last chance. One strike, one move to end it all before I collapsed from exhaustion. The odds weren’t in my favor, but they never had been. I wasn’t about to quit now.

“You’ve been a thorn in my side for too long, boy,” the demon commander growled, his crimson eyes burning with hatred. His massive axe glinted in the pale moonlight, casting ominous shadows over the battlefield.

I gripped Shadow’s Sword, my knuckles white with strain. My body screamed at me to stop, to rest, but I had to push through. I had one last trick, one final move.

“Let’s finish this,” I muttered, feeling the last vestiges of my mana gather in my body.

"Mana: 43/411"

I sprinted forward, pouring everything I had left into my legs. Varak watched me, his lips curling into a snarl, but I could see it in his eyes—he wasn’t expecting me to go all out. Not like this. I channeled what little mana I had into Shadow Blink, vanishing in an instant, only to reappear behind him, my sword aimed at the back of his neck.

This was it. The killing blow.

But Varak was faster than I thought. His massive hand swung backward, catching me square in the chest. I barely registered what had happened before the world blurred around me. My body lifted off the ground as his fist sent me flying through the air, my breath leaving me in a painful gasp.

The world tumbled in a whirlwind of chaos. I slammed into the first wall, pain exploding in my ribs as the impact shattered stone. Another wall followed, and another, each crash rattling my bones and sending shockwaves of agony through my body.

"Health: 43/343"

I finally hit something hard—a hill, maybe. The impact was so violent it left a crater in the side of the rock, the ground trembling beneath me as dust and debris rained down.

The pain was unbearable. Every nerve screamed in protest, my vision swimming with darkness. I tried to move, to breathe, but it felt like my body was broken beyond repair.

"Health: 1/343"

One health. I couldn’t believe I was still alive, but just barely. I lay there, staring up at the night sky, unable to do anything but wheeze as blood pooled in my mouth. My limbs were like lead, my mana completely drained.

"Mana: 0/411"

Everything hurt. I could barely move. My skills were gone, locked away by the sheer damage I’d taken. I tried to summon Shadow’s Sword, to activate Void Step, but nothing happened. I was powerless.

Except for one thing.

"Rapid Mana Recovery has evolved into All-Time Mana Recovery."

"New Skill Unlocked: Weak Health Regeneration – Restores 20 health per day."

I felt a faint, soothing pulse in my chest as my mana began to trickle back, slowly but surely. It wasn’t much, but it was something.

"Mana: 1/411"

As if sensing my feeble recovery, Varak approached, his footsteps heavy and deliberate. The sound of his armored boots crunching against the dirt grew louder with each passing second. I couldn’t even lift my head to look at him. All I could do was lie there, my body a broken, pathetic shell.

“Well, well, well,” Varak’s voice was laced with cruel amusement. “Look at the mighty warrior now.”

His shadow loomed over me as he stepped into view, his towering form casting a dark silhouette against the moonlit sky. He knelt down beside me, his monstrous face twisted into a mocking grin. “You really thought you could defeat me? You? With those pitiful stats and pathetic little tricks?”

I coughed, blood splattering onto the ground beside me. My vision blurred, but I could still see the smug satisfaction in his eyes. He was enjoying this, savoring every moment of my defeat.

“You fought well, I’ll give you that,” Varak continued, his voice dripping with condescension. “But in the end, you were just another insect beneath my boot. A little entertainment before I crush you for good.”

He reached down, grabbing me by the front of my torn armor and lifting me off the ground effortlessly. My body dangled limply in his grip, like a broken puppet. I couldn’t even muster the strength to fight back.

“You know, I expected more from you,” Varak said, his tone almost disappointed. “You had potential. But in the end, you were just like all the others—weak. Worthless.”

He threw me to the ground like a ragdoll, and I rolled onto my back, gasping for air. The pain was unbearable, but I bit down on it, refusing to scream. I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.

“You should feel honored, boy,” Varak said, stepping closer. “You’ve given me quite the show. I haven’t had this much fun in centuries.”

His foot came down on my chest, pinning me to the ground. The pressure was immense, like a mountain pressing down on me. I could feel my ribs creaking, on the verge of snapping. My lungs burned as I struggled to breathe.

“But now… it’s time to end this.”

Varak raised his massive axe above his head, the blade glinting in the pale light. My heart pounded in my ears, my mind racing. Was this it? Was this how it ended?

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"Mana: 7/411"

I could feel the faintest trickle of mana returning to me, but it wasn’t enough. Not for any real attack, not for anything that could stop him.

Varak’s laughter echoed in the night as he prepared to deliver the final blow. His eyes gleamed with excitement, his grin widening as he savored the moment. “Any last words, boy?”

I forced myself to meet his gaze, blood dripping from my mouth. “Screw you.”

His grin faltered for a second, just long enough for me to see the flicker of annoyance in his eyes. But then he laughed again, louder this time. “Defiant to the end. I like that.”

He swung the axe down, and I braced myself for the end.

But just before the blade could reach me, something inside me stirred. A spark. A faint, almost imperceptible pulse of energy.

"New Skill Unlocked: Unyielding Spirit – Grants the user a chance to survive a fatal blow, restoring 1% health and 5 mana upon activation."

The system’s voice rang in my head just as the axe descended, but I couldn’t focus on it. The world around me blurred as the demon commander’s laughter filled my ears.

In my broken state, I realized one thing: this wasn’t over. Not yet.

Varak’s axe came closer, and I could feel death’s cold breath on my neck. But I wouldn’t give up. I couldn’t. Not now, not like this.

As his laughter continued to echo, I waited. Waited for that one moment, for the system to come through.

Because I wasn’t done fighting yet.

The axe sliced through the air, its descent slow and inevitable. My body, broken and battered, refused to move, but my mind raced as I clung to that last shred of hope. I knew the skill Unyielding Spirit was my only shot, but it was a gamble—a flicker of a chance that could go either way.

My vision blurred as Varak’s grin stretched wider, his crimson eyes gleaming with bloodlust. The sound of the axe cutting through the air filled my ears, a haunting symphony of my impending death. Just as the blade was inches from my neck, the system’s notification pinged.

“Unyielding Spirit activated: 1% health and 5 mana restored.”

A jolt surged through my body, and the pain lessened just enough for me to act. With a burst of newfound energy, I rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding the blade’s edge by a fraction of an inch.

"Health: 3/343"

"Mana: 12/411"

Varak’s axe slammed into the ground where my head had been, the impact sending a shockwave through the earth. His laughter cut off abruptly, replaced by a growl of irritation as he swung his gaze to where I lay, barely breathing but still alive.

“You… How?” Varak’s voice trembled with a mixture of disbelief and fury. His face twisted into a snarl as he yanked his axe from the ground, the sound of metal scraping against stone ringing through the air.

I couldn’t answer him. My chest heaved, and my limbs felt like lead. I needed time—time I didn’t have. I glanced at my status screen, the flickering numbers reminding me just how dire the situation was.

"Health: 3/343"

"Mana: 12/411"

But it wasn’t over yet.

“System…” I whispered through cracked lips, every word a struggle. “What… what are my options?”

The system’s familiar voice responded almost immediately. "You are critically low on health and mana. Recommend evasive actions or use of defensive abilities."

Evasive actions? I thought bitterly. What could I possibly evade at this point?

But then the system continued, giving me a glimmer of hope. "New ability unlocked: Phantom Step. Allows the user to phase through solid objects for a brief moment. Mana cost: 3 per use. Cooldown: 5 seconds."

Phasing through objects? It wasn’t much, but it might just be enough. I forced myself onto one knee, clutching Shadow’s Sword tightly as I activated the new skill.

“Phantom Step”

The world seemed to flicker for a brief second as my body dissolved into shadow. Varak’s snarl of rage filled my ears as he swung his axe down again, but this time, I slipped through the strike as if I wasn’t even there. My form reappeared on the other side of the battlefield, leaving Varak blinking in confusion.

“Mana: 9/411”

He turned slowly, his eyes narrowing in frustration. “You slippery little rat… How much longer can you keep this up?”

I gritted my teeth, panting as the strain of using the skill set in. My mana was trickling away too quickly, and the system’s recovery was too slow to make a difference. But I couldn’t let Varak know that. Not yet.

He stalked toward me, his steps slow and deliberate. “You think this is some kind of game, don’t you? That you can just slip away every time things get tough?”

I didn’t answer. My mind was racing, trying to think of any way out of this. The only option I had left was to keep him talking, buy myself more time for the system to regenerate what little mana it could.

Varak stopped a few feet away from me, his massive axe resting casually on his shoulder. “I’ll admit, you’ve lasted longer than most. But I’ve grown tired of this little game.” He raised his hand, and a surge of dark energy gathered around it. “It’s time I end this.”

"Mana: 15/411"

I had seconds—maybe less—before he unleashed whatever devastating attack he was preparing. The air crackled with malevolent energy, the ground trembling beneath his power. I had no choice but to use every skill I had left, no matter how little mana I could scrape together.

“Shadow Ball.”

I used the last remnants of my mana to conjure a small, flickering ball of shadow magic. It wasn’t much, barely enough to even damage him, but it would have to do. I hurled it at Varak, aiming for his chest, hoping for even a momentary distraction.

But he didn’t even flinch. The shadow ball dissipated against his armor like smoke against steel. Varak smirked, his hand glowing brighter with the dark energy he was preparing to unleash.

"Mana: 0/411"

And then… nothing.

The energy in Varak’s hand vanished as his smirk faltered, confusion flashing across his face. He looked down at his hand, as if something had gone wrong, and I couldn’t help but let out a weak, breathless laugh.

Varak’s confusion quickly turned to fury. “What did you do?!”

I hadn’t done anything—at least, not intentionally. But the system had. The skill that had just evolved, All-Time Mana Recovery, was now trickling mana back into me, and Varak’s own magic seemed to falter for just a second. It was the opening I needed.

As Varak’s rage built, I activated Phantom Step again, just barely phasing through his grasp as he lunged for me. I reappeared behind him, stumbling as my legs gave out. I couldn’t keep this up much longer. But the distance I’d gained gave me just enough time to catch my breath.

"Mana: 6/411"

The system’s recovery was slow, painfully slow, but it was something. And now I had another opening, albeit a small one.

“System,” I muttered. “Analyze Varak.”

The system’s response was immediate. “Analyzing target…”

Varak’s stats appeared before me, and my heart sank.

Varak, Demon Commander

Health: 2,559/3,000

Mana: 875/1,400

Strength: 350

Agility: 270

Sense: 180

Reaction Speed: 300

Reaction Time: 295

Intellect: 160

Perception: 210

Stamina: 300

His stats were off the charts—ten times higher than mine. No wonder he had been toying with me this whole time. I was nothing compared to him.

But that didn’t mean I was done fighting.

Varak turned toward me, his eyes blazing with fury. “I’ve had enough of your tricks, boy. It’s time I crush you once and for all.”

I tightened my grip on Shadow’s Sword, my body trembling from the strain. I wasn’t done yet. Not by a long shot.

The battle wasn’t over.

Not until one of us was left stand.