The air was thick with tension as I darted behind another broken wall, breath ragged and heart hammering in my chest. My legs screamed with exhaustion, muscles burning, but I couldn’t stop. I wouldn’t stop. I had to keep moving—keep Varak guessing—if I was going to survive this.

"Mana: 75/411"

It wasn’t enough. Not nearly enough. I needed more time, but Varak wasn’t giving me any. His footsteps thundered behind me, closing in, relentless. I could feel the ground tremble beneath his weight, the sound of his massive axe dragging along the ground as if he was savoring the chase.

“I can smell your fear,” Varak’s voice echoed in the dark, dripping with malice. “Running won’t save you, little human.”

I bit down on the panic rising in my throat, trying to suppress the overwhelming urge to scream. My body wanted to collapse, to give up, but I couldn’t afford to stop now. Not with him this close. Not with everything on the line. I kept weaving through the ruins of the battlefield, using the debris as cover, trying to create as much distance as possible between us. Every second was precious.

"Mana: 88/411"

Almost there. Just a little more.

Varak’s heavy breathing grew louder, closer, but I felt the familiar pulse of mana returning to me. I could feel it filling me, ever so slowly, but it was something. Enough to fight back—enough to strike.

I whipped around a corner, my back pressed against the crumbling wall of a ruined house. My lungs ached from the exertion, each breath sharp and painful. I peeked around the edge, catching a glimpse of Varak’s hulking figure moving through the smoke and dust, his red eyes scanning the area like a predator hunting its prey.

"Mana: 100/411"

That’s it. It was time.

I pushed off the wall, charging toward him with renewed determination. My mind raced as I calculated the best approach. Hit and run. Get in close, strike hard, and then retreat before he could counter. It was my only shot, and now that I had some mana to spare, it was worth the risk.

I conjured Shadow’s Sword, the dark energy swirling in my hand as it took shape. The familiar weight of the blade settled in my grip, and I felt a surge of adrenaline rush through me. This was it. Time to fight.

I sprinted toward Varak, my feet barely touching the ground as I moved. The demon commander turned just in time to see me closing the gap, a sneer curling on his lips.

“You’re persistent,” he growled, swinging his axe in a wide arc. But I was faster, slipping under the massive blade and driving my sword into his side.

Varak roared in pain, stumbling back as the shadow-infused blade bit into his flesh. Black blood oozed from the wound, staining the ground beneath him. I didn’t wait for him to recover—I couldn’t. I pulled back, dodging another wild swing, and dashed toward cover again.

"Mana: 82/411"

It worked. I could do this. I just had to keep moving, keep hitting him from unexpected angles, and I might actually stand a chance.

I repeated the pattern. Hit, retreat, hit again. Each time I struck, Varak’s frustration grew, his movements becoming more erratic, more desperate. But I could feel it too—the toll this fight was taking on me. Every strike, every dodge drained more of my stamina, and I wasn’t sure how much longer I could keep this up.

"Health: 215/343"

"Mana: 71/411"

But then… something changed. As I dashed forward for another strike, Varak didn’t move to defend himself. Instead, he stood still, his red eyes locked onto me with a strange, unsettling calm. Too late, I realized what was happening.

He had been studying me. Learning my movements. My predictability.

And then, with horrifying precision, Varak swung his axe—faster than I could have ever anticipated. Before I could react, before I could even think, the blade sliced clean through my left arm.

The world slowed to a crawl as the pain hit me like a tidal wave.

I screamed—a blood-curdling, gut-wrenching scream that tore through my throat. The severed limb fell to the ground with a sickening thud, and blood spurted from the open wound like a fountain, soaking the earth beneath me. My knees buckled, and I collapsed, clutching the stump where my arm used to be.

“No… no, no, no!” My voice was broken, raw with pain and disbelief. How could this happen? How could I let this happen?

The agony was unbearable—far worse than anything I’d ever felt before. Worse than when I’d been shot to death in my past life. Worse than any wound I’d taken in this cursed world. It was like my entire body was on fire, every nerve screaming in protest. Tears streamed down my face as I writhed on the ground, choking on sobs.

I heard Varak chuckling, his deep voice rumbling like thunder. “Impressive,” he said, his tone mocking. “This is a human arm when chopped off. It looks delicious.”

I barely had the strength to lift my head, but when I did, I saw him. Saw Varak holding my severed arm, turning it over in his massive hand as if examining some sort of prize.

And then… he bit into it.

I gagged, bile rising in my throat as I watched in horror. Varak tore into the flesh, chewing slowly, savoring the taste. His eyes gleamed with twisted pleasure as he devoured the limb, licking the blood from his lips.

“You… bastard…” I croaked, my voice barely a whisper.

Varak grinned, blood dripping from his chin. “Tastes even better than I thought it would,” he said, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. “Human meat… It’s been a while since I’ve had such a fine snack.”

I tried to move, tried to do anything, but my body refused to obey. The blood loss was too much, the pain too overwhelming. My vision blurred as darkness crept in at the edges, my strength fading fast.

Varak stood over me, his health fully restored, the wounds I had inflicted on him earlier completely healed. He looked down at me with disdain, his grin never faltering. “Is this all you’ve got, boy?” he taunted. “After all that fighting, all that running… this is how you end?”

I wanted to scream, to fight back, but I couldn’t. I was powerless. Helpless.

"Health: 1/343"

"Mana: 0/411"

I could barely think. The pain was all-consuming, drowning out every other thought, every other feeling. I was going to die here. I was really going to die.

Varak knelt down beside me, his massive hand gripping my throat, lifting me off the ground effortlessly. “I’ll admit, you were fun to play with,” he said, his voice dripping with amusement. “But I’m bored now. Time to end this.”

I couldn’t respond. I could barely breathe. All I could do was hang limply in his grip, the last flicker of life fading from my body.

But then… something shifted.

A strange warmth spread through me—a soft, tingling sensation that began in my chest and radiated outward. The pain dulled, just slightly, and I felt a flicker of mana return to me.

"All-Time Mana Recovery activated: 1 mana restored."

It wasn’t much, but it was something.

Wasn’t enough to save me. Not yet. But it was something. I wasn’t dead yet.

I didn’t have any. Not yet. But I wasn’t done fighting.

Not yet.

As Varak’s grip tightened around my throat, my thoughts raced through the haze of pain. I could feel the life draining from my body, but then—something clicked. A surge of energy, faint at first, but undeniable, coursed through me. It was as though my body refused to give up.

A sudden notification flashed in my mind:

"Weak Health Regeneration has evolved into 10% Health Recovery."

"Effect: Restores 10% of max health every hour."

I gasped, feeling the energy flood into my veins, rejuvenating me. The pain was still there, a constant reminder of the missing limb, but I was recovering. Slowly, steadily.

Varak’s mocking grin faltered as he saw the renewed strength in my eyes. His grip on my throat loosened ever so slightly, confusion flashing across his face. “What is this?” he snarled, his tone no longer amused but tinged with uncertainty.

I coughed, managing to breathe again as my health began to tick upward.

"Health: 34/343"

It wasn’t much, but it was enough to make Varak notice. His eyes narrowed, suspicion creeping in. He had no idea how I was still alive, but I could feel the tide turning—however slowly.

“You should’ve finished me when you had the chance,” I rasped, my voice barely above a whisper, but enough to make him hesitate. His grip faltered again, and I felt the mana trickle back into me as well.

"Mana: 3/411"

I wasn’t done yet.

Varak bared his teeth in frustration, gripping me harder, but something in him had shifted. He was no longer savoring the moment—he was beginning to feel the threat. A small one, sure, but I could see it in his eyes.

Stolen story; please report.

Varak's hand squeezed tighter around my throat, his eyes glinting with amusement as I gasped for breath. The agony of my severed left arm burned through me, sending shockwaves of pain up and down my body, but I could feel something else—something deeper. My mana… it was regenerating. Fast.

I could feel the trickle of energy swirling back into me. The skill—All-Time Mana Regeneration—was working faster than I expected, filling my core at a pace that surprised even me. Within seconds, I had enough mana to move. Within a minute, I could do more than that. I could fight.

As my vision blurred and Varak’s laughter grew louder in my ears, I focused on the skill that could save my life: Void Step. I visualized it, felt the mana coalesce in my chest, and with a surge of desperation, I activated it.

In an instant, I slipped out of Varak's grasp and reappeared several meters away, gasping for air. The demon commander’s laughter cut short, replaced by a snarl of frustration as he realized I had escaped again.

"Does that make it two or three times I’ve nearly died?" I panted, dragging my good arm across my brow to wipe away the blood and sweat. "Who cares? I’m gonna win."

I said it with more confidence than I felt. My body was battered, my arm gone, and the pain still echoed in every fiber of my being. But my mana was recovering faster, and I still had fight left in me.

Varak's face twisted with a mixture of annoyance and something else I couldn’t quite place. He seemed… distracted, almost as if something was on his mind. I tried to take advantage of it, launching a quick strike with Shadow’s Sword, but even distracted, Varak’s reflexes were sharp. He parried my attack effortlessly, his massive demonic form moving with an agility that defied his size.

“Why don’t you use any skills?” I spat out between breaths, stepping back to reassess the situation. “You’ve got all that power, but you’re just toying with me.”

Varak grinned, showing rows of jagged teeth. "Skills? Yes, I have many. I just haven’t felt the need to use them yet."

My grip tightened on my shadow-formed sword. That was both infuriating and terrifying. He wasn’t even going all out, and I could barely keep up. “You think you can still win this fight? Even though I’m giving it my all?”

Varak’s grin widened. "Impressed, human, but I can still win. You've already lost an arm, and you're struggling to breathe. Why continue this when you know it’s hopeless?"

I glanced at the stump where my arm used to be, blood still dripping onto the ground. Every nerve ending screamed in agony, but my eyes locked back onto Varak’s, burning with determination. "I may have lost an arm, and my confidence may be wavering, but I have something you don’t."

"Oh?" Varak’s voice dripped with sarcasm, but I didn’t care.

"The spirit and willpower to keep pushing forward, even when things look hopeless. I could lose my other arm, or even both of my legs, but I will never give up."

Varak let out a low chuckle, but I could see the faintest flicker of respect in his gaze. "Stubborn. I’ll give you that."

As the battle raged on, I activated Analyse, desperate to find some kind of weakness. His stats were monstrous, far beyond my own. But then something caught my eye—one of his skills. Something that made my blood run cold and my heart race at the same time:

Ability and Skill Stealer: Allows the user to steal one ability or three skills from any opponent they kill.

My eyes widened in shock. Varak could steal my powers if he managed to kill me. I could only imagine the devastation he would unleash if he had access to my shadow magic—or worse, my mana regeneration. That realization sparked something deep within me, a surge of resolve that pushed me to my limit.

I couldn’t let that happen.

"You’re eyeing my skills now, aren’t you?" Varak said with a grin, noticing the look on my face. "Afraid I’ll take something from you if I win?"

"Not afraid," I shot back, feeling my mana climb higher with each passing second. "Just more determined."

I had to beat him. Not just to survive, but to prevent him from becoming an even greater threat. The thought of him stealing my abilities and using them to wreak havoc on the world was too much to bear.

With newfound energy, I launched myself forward, using every ounce of mana to fuel my movements. My body felt lighter, faster. I ducked under one of Varak’s sweeping strikes and slashed upward with Shadow’s Sword, but he blocked it again. The impact sent a shockwave through my arm, but I held firm.

"You’re still too slow," Varak sneered, but I didn’t stop. I couldn’t. Each time I attacked, I could feel my body reaching its limits, but my mana kept flowing, keeping me on my feet.

Varak’s movements became more aggressive, more erratic, and I realized something—he was getting frustrated. His attacks were faster, yes, but less precise. He was annoyed, distracted, and for the first time, I saw the cracks in his facade.

But even with that distraction, I couldn’t land a fatal blow.

"Why keep going?" Varak snarled, his voice tinged with something that almost sounded like desperation. "You’ve lost so much already."

"Because I have to," I replied, dodging another strike and leaping back to create some distance. My mana surged again, and I used Void Step to avoid a follow-up blow, reappearing a few meters away. "I don’t care if you’re stronger, or if you think I’m a lost cause. I’ll keep fighting until the very end."

I activated Analyse once more, my gaze narrowing in on Varak’s stats. He had over twenty different skills, most of them terrifying in their potential. But it was that Ability and Skill Stealer that gnawed at me. If he used that, everything would be over.

Varak lunged at me again, but I was ready this time. I ducked, rolled, and slashed upward with Shadow’s Sword. My blade met resistance, cutting into Varak’s side, but it wasn’t enough. He grunted in pain, but his counterattack was swift.

In a blur of motion, Varak struck my left arm with a devastating blow.

I barely registered the sensation at first—it was too fast, too surreal. But then the pain hit me like a tidal wave. My left arm… it was gone. Blood sprayed into the air, and I stumbled back, clutching at the empty space where my arm had been.

Searing agony coursed through me, and I let out a scream I couldn’t suppress. Tears blurred my vision as I fell to my knees, the pain worse than anything I’d ever felt before. Worse than dying, worse than anything.

With a sickening grin, Varak bent down, picked up my severed arm, and bit into it.

I watched in horror as he savored the taste, licking the blood from his lips with a satisfied expression. "Not bad," he said, his voice dark and amused. "Not bad at all."

My health was plummeting, and my mana was nearly gone. I was losing this fight, and fast. But I wasn’t finished yet. I couldn’t be.

Varak's health and mana had fully recovered, and I could feel my own dwindling. I was out of options, out of strength. But as I lay there, clutching at the stump of my arm, I made a promise to myself.

I wasn’t going to give up.

As I knelt there, the pain of my severed left arm still echoing through my body, a strange thought flickered across my mind. For a brief moment, it felt like I was experiencing the loss of my arm for a second time. The memory of the initial shock, the disbelief, and the sheer agony intertwined with the horrific reality of my situation. It was surreal, like a cruel joke being played by fate.

But this wasn't the time to dwell on that. I needed to focus, to assess my enemy. I activated Analyse once more, desperation fueling my actions. A holographic screen shimmered to life before me, revealing Varak’s stats and skills in vivid detail. The first thing that struck me was his insane health and mana pool.

Demon Commander Varak

Health: 2,981/3,000

Mana: 1,400/1,400

Strength: 350

Agility: 270

Sense: 180

Reaction Speed: 300

Reaction Time: 295

Intellect: 160

Perception: 210

Stamina: 300

Each number glowed ominously, a constant reminder of how hopeless my situation had become. I was a shadow of what I had been moments ago, but I still had my wits and my skills, so I needed to understand what I was up against.

The screen began to scroll, revealing Varak’s skills, each one more terrifying than the last:

1. Infernal Blaze: Unleashes a torrent of fire, engulfing a target in flames.

2. Demon’s Resilience: Grants increased resistance to physical attacks for a short duration.

3. Shadow Flame: Conjures flames that burn even in darkness, dealing additional damage over time.

4. Fiery Howl: A shout that instills fear, lowering enemies' morale and their ability to fight effectively.

5. Wind Slash: Sends razor-sharp gusts of wind at opponents, capable of cutting through armor.

6. Demonic Flight: Allows Varak to fly for a short duration, evading attacks or gaining a strategic position.

7. Hellfire Pillar: Summons a pillar of fire from the ground, causing area damage.

8. Fiendish Leap: A powerful leap that can close the gap between him and an opponent instantly.

9. Abyssal Grasp: Conjures demonic hands from the ground to restrain opponents.

10. Wind Barrier: Creates a barrier of swirling wind that deflects incoming projectiles.

11. Hellish Infusion: Temporarily increases his fire magic's potency at the cost of mana.

12. Cursed Flame: Engulfs a target in cursed fire, causing lingering pain and damage.

13. Demon’s Fury: Increases attack speed for a short duration.

14. Terror Wave: Sends a shockwave that knocks back enemies and instills fear.

15. Infernal Strike: A powerful melee attack that channels fire energy, exploding on impact.

16. Demon's Eyes: Enhances perception, allowing Varak to see through illusions and cloaking.

17. Heat Wave: Generates an intense heat around him, causing exhaustion in nearby enemies.

18. Limb Regeneration: Instantly regenerates any missing limb, rendering him nearly immortal.

19. Wind Step: Allows for rapid movement, increasing his agility for a short time.

20. Devil's Pact: Temporarily grants increased power by sacrificing a portion of his health.

21. Fiery Rebirth: Upon death, has a chance to resurrect with a portion of health restored.

22. Demon's Whisper: Increases his intellect, allowing for smarter strategies during battle.

23. Resist Flames: Significantly reduces fire damage taken.

24. Blood Sacrifice: Increases mana regeneration by sacrificing health.

As I read through Varak’s skills, I felt a wave of dread wash over me. The sheer variety of abilities at his disposal was overwhelming. But one skill stood out more than the others: Limb Regeneration. It was a cruel twist that made my own loss feel all the more pointless. He could simply grow back any limb he lost, rendering my struggle against him even more futile.

My heart raced as I processed this new information. I was battling a monster who had the power to regenerate instantly, and I was barely hanging on by a thread. I needed to think strategically. I couldn’t allow myself to be overwhelmed by despair; I had to find a way to use what I had left.

The pain of my arm's absence felt like a phantom sensation, a lingering ache that made me dizzy. But I focused through it. I needed a plan, something that could exploit the one advantage I still had—my own skills and a surprising amount of mana recovery that seemed to flow through me like a river now.

I glanced at Varak, who was watching me with a mixture of bemusement and irritation, as if my determination amused him. But beneath that amusement was a flicker of respect, perhaps? I had to capitalize on that.

“Is this the best you can do?” Varak taunted, a smirk on his face. “I expected more from a human. You’re falling apart. Maybe it’s time to accept your fate.”

“Maybe,” I replied, forcing strength into my voice despite the pain. “But I’m not done yet.”

I would need to use every ounce of my willpower, every shred of ingenuity I had left. I couldn’t let him toy with me any longer. With the speed of my mana recovery, I would unleash my skills one last time. I began to formulate a plan, a hit-and-run strategy that could keep him off balance while allowing me to recover my mana.

“Let’s see how you handle this!” I called, my voice steady despite the fatigue gnawing at my edges.

I charged forward, using the last reserves of my strength to close the distance. Shadow’s Sword crackled to life in my hand, shadows swirling around the blade, infusing it with power. Varak’s expression shifted as he prepared to counter, but I wouldn’t give him the chance.

With a burst of speed, I activated Void Step, teleporting behind him. I swung with all my might, aiming for the small opening in his defenses. The blade connected, but the impact felt like striking stone. He grunted, momentarily surprised, but it wasn’t enough to inflict serious damage.

Varak pivoted sharply, a smirk returning as he retaliated with a fierce kick that sent me flying back into a wall. Pain exploded through my body, but I forced myself to roll back up to my feet, gritting my teeth against the agony.

“Is that all you have?” Varak taunted, his voice mocking as he moved in to strike again. “I’ve barely broken a sweat!”

I could feel the pressure mounting. I had to outsmart him, to find a way to exploit his arrogance. My mind raced with possibilities. He thought he had me cornered, but I would turn that perception on its head.

Using All-Time Mana Recovery, I focused on gathering my mana again, sensing the familiar warmth flowing back into me. It was my only lifeline, and I had to make the most of it.

“Enough games!” I shouted, determination flooding my voice. “You might be strong, but I’m not finished yet!”

Varak paused, narrowing his eyes as if weighing my words. I could feel the tension in the air, the anticipation of the next move, and I knew this battle was far from over.