Ethan’s breath came in ragged gasps as he faced down Malakai. The hybrid’s form was now tattered and singed, revealing glimpses of pallid flesh beneath. Its human face was full of hatred.

Ethan, for his part, looked a little better. His armor was dented and scorched, blood seeping from a nasty gash on his stomach. The necromancer’s skin began to ripple and sizzle. It was as if its body had become a boiling cauldron, and from the fissures that opened, a horrifying swarm of spiders erupted.

“[Arachnid Swarm] will be the end of you!” Malakai snarled.

Ethan didn’t have time to be disgusted by the disturbing sight of spiders pouring from Malakai’s flesh. His hands ignited with flame. He swept one of his arms in an arc, and sent a wave of fire crashing into the oncoming swarm. The air filled with the acrid smell of burning chitin as dozens of spiders were incinerated instantly.

But for every spider that fell, two more seemed to take its place.

Fuck, man.

The swarm surged forward, threatening to overwhelm Ethan through sheer numbers. He gritted his teeth, and created a swirling vortex around himself again, then dove in. The miniature tornado caught up hundreds of spiders, flinging them against the cavern walls with bone-crushing force.

Opie, meanwhile, darted among the remaining spiders. The obsidian snake’s [Severing Bite] proved devastatingly effective, each strike severing the necrotic magic connecting the swarm to Malakai. The abomination let out a roar of pain and fury as its minions fell.

Ethan’s mind was full of thoughts, searching for a way to turn the tide. The cavern was humid, water dripping from stalactites overhead. An idea struck him.

“Opie!” he called out. “Keep him distracted!”

The snake needed no further prompting. Its [Chaotic Aura] flared to life, disrupting the surrounding magic and causing Malakai to howl in frustration as its spells fizzled and misfired.

Ethan took advantage of the momentary reprieve. Pulling the water from all around him with all he had, Ethan growled and shaped it into a thin, pressurized jet. With his other hand, he conjured a small, intensely hot flame.

“Let’s see how you like this,” Ethan muttered.

He directed the jet of water through the flame, instantly heating it. He kept the temperature just below the water’s boiling point, and slammed the jet of water and steam into Malakai. The scalding water and vapor seared the necromancer’s flesh and caused its remaining spiders to shrivel and die on contact.

Malakai screamed in agony, its human face contorting in a rictus of pain. But Ethan wasn’t finished. He manipulated the air currents in the cavern, creating a rapid cycle of heating and cooling. The water vapor in the air began to condense, forming a thick fog that filled the chamber.

“What trickery is this?” Malakai snarled, its many eyes darting about in confusion.

Ethan smirked, though the expression was hidden by the fog. “Just a little lesson in thermodynamics.”

Using his control over air, Ethan silently glided through the mist, circling his disoriented opponent. Malakai lashed out blindly with its legs, but Ethan easily evaded the clumsy attacks. Each time he passed close to the necromancer, Ethan’s sword flashed out, leaving shallow but painful cuts across Malakai’s body.

“Fight me like a man, you coward!” Malakai roared.

“Oh, I think I prefer fighting like a coward.”

He focused his power once more, using his control over air to rapidly cool a section of the fog. The sudden temperature change caused water droplets to form and fall as a localized downpour directly onto Malakai followed by the jet of water under Ethan’s control. The necromancer spluttered and cursed, momentarily blinded by the deluge.

Seizing the opportunity, Ethan charged forward. His sword, wreathed in flames, plunged deep into Malakai’s abdomen. The necromancer’s shriek of pain was cut short as Ethan followed up with a blast of superheated steam directly into its face.

Malakai staggered backward, its legs buckling beneath him. The last of its summoned spiders fell lifeless to the ground as its concentration shattered. But the necromancer wasn’t defeated yet.

A sickly green aura surrounded Malakai as it began to draw upon the life force of everything around. The few plants that had managed to eke out an existence in the cavern withered and died. Ethan felt a chill run through his body as his own vitality began to drain away.

But Opie wasn’t done. The snake’s [Chaotic Aura] continued to disrupt the surrounding magic. Suddenly, Malakai’s siphon backfired spectacularly. The creature howled in agony as its own life force began to drain away, feeding back into the very spell it had cast.

Overwhelmed by the unexpected turn of events, Malakai staggered backward. Its many eyes flashed with a mixture of pain and rage. The necromancer’s form began to waver, the magic holding its monstrous body together unraveling before Ethan’s eyes and its heart began to emanate a purplish glow, illuminating its chest from within.

“You!” Malakai’s human face contorted in fury. “This is all your fault! I had the perfect plan!”

Ethan held his stance, keeping his guard up. He was tempted to press the attack, but he needed a moment to catch his breath and let his mana reserves replenish. Besides, intel was always valuable. Let’s see what he has to say, Ethan thought to himself. Only in times like this do they spout things they shouldn’t and end up revealing more than they should.

“What do you mean?”

“The human body is weak!” Malakai spat, its voice dripping with disgust and contempt. “It’s a flawed, imperfect vessel. Do you have any idea how fragile it is? How easily it breaks down? The human skeleton can’t even support our weight properly—that’s why our spines compress over time. We can’t regenerate lost limbs. We can’t breathe underwater. We can’t fly. We can’t even see the full spectrum of light! Not without magic!”

Malakai’s ranting grew more frantic. “I sought perfection. I turned to Necromancy for answers. It led me to a ritual that would finally let me shed this pitiful human shell and be reborn. I found the book—the key to everything. But those fools at the Necromancer Guild... they put a bounty on my head! They feared what they couldn’t understand!”

Ethan’s eyes narrowed. “What book?” he asked, but the abomination was too caught up in its tirade to answer.

Ethan saw it right away: Malakai craved acknowledgment. Its rant was a desperate bid for understanding. A subconscious attempt to connect with another human being before it fully succumbed. A twisted plea for empathy before it completely lost itself. Maybe it wanted someone to validate its madness. Or perhaps it just needed a captive audience for its deranged monologue, getting off on sharing its misery and pointing fingers. Either way, its words gave Ethan a clear view into a its mind.

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“I escaped to this village. Everything was going according to plan. But then you showed up!” Malakai’s voice rose to a shriek. “I had to rush the ritual. It wasn’t perfect. You took away my perfect body! YOU TOOK IT!”

The abomination’s form seemed to pulse and shift, growing larger. A purple sheen began to spread across its many eyes.

“I will let go of myself completely,” Malakai snarled. “Even if I lose my mind killing you, it will be enough. For I will melt into the perfect form I’ve managed a glimpse at!”

Ethan had plenty of time to react as Malakai’s spider mouth opened wide, spewing forth thick strands of webbing. These weren’t ordinary webs—they seemed to pulse with a sickly purple energy.

Ethan dove to the side, feeling the drain of life force as a strand grazed his arm. Wherever the webs touched the cavern floor, the stone itself seemed to wither and crack.

Ethan countered with bursts of fire and wind, hurling them with precision. Malakai swatted them aside, its growing strength making him nearly impervious. Ethan rolled to avoid a crushing blow from Malakai’s clawed appendage, feeling the wind of its passage ruffle his hair.

Ethan unleashed a swirling tornado of fire in hopes of stopping Malakai, but Malakai charged through it, shrugging off the attack. Ethan ducked under a swinging limb, slashing at Malakai’s legs with his sword. Sparks flew as the blade met hardened chitin, but the wound closed almost instantly.

Ethan’s armor dented and scorched as he took a hit to the chest, the force of the blow sending him sprawling. He barely had time to raise the wind barrier before another web shot toward him. Fortunately, the wind barrio knocked off the web. Gasping for breath, Ethan noticed a slight hesitation in Malakai’s movements—no, not weakness, Malakai’s body is... falling apart? He sprang to his feet, and shouted, leaping toward Malakai, aiming for the pulsating spot in the creature’s chest.

The blade pierced Malakai’s flesh, sinking deep. The abomination let out an ear-splitting shriek, convulsing violently. Ethan gritted his teeth, pushing the blade further, hoping to end it.

But Malakai’s human face twisted into a grotesque grin. “Fool,” it hissed. “Did you think it would be that easy? I have more than one heart.”

Malakai’s body pulsed, and Ethan jumped back. The sword remained embedded in its chest, but the wound around it was already beginning to close. In fact, it swallowed his sword into itself and as Ethan moved back.

Growling, Ethan cursed. Fuck, how will I kill him?

Ethan’s mind was full of all the ways he thought of killing it as he assessed the situation. Malakai was growing stronger by the second, its form shifting and pulsing with some kind of unholy energy. The loss of his sword was a significant setback, but Ethan knew he couldn’t give up. He had to find a way to end this, and fast.

“Alright,” Ethan muttered, his eyes scanning Malakai’s monstrous form. “Let’s see what makes you tick.”

Ethan created a swirling vortex of air around himself, again. He used it to propel himself forward, dodging Malakai’s strikes. As he circled the creature, he looked for any signs of weakness.

Malakai roared in frustration, its limbs flailing wildly as it tried to catch the elusive Ethan. “Stand still and die, you miserable insect!”

“Not a chance,” Ethan retorted, ducking under a sweeping appendage. As he moved, he caught a glimpse of something pulsing beneath Malakai’s carapace, and it was glowing purple, slightly. “Bingo.”

Ethan changed tactics.

He charged forward, feinting to the right before abruptly changing direction.

Caught off guard, Malakai couldn’t react in time due to its massive boy.

Ethan propelled his fist using win—so fast that he felt pain in his arm. Then, he slammed his fist into the spot he’d identified. Followed by his fist, fire erupted from his hand, searing it in the process, but also fucking up the monster. The impact was like hitting a brick wall, but Ethan felt something give beneath his knuckles. Malakai let out a shriek of pain, staggering backward. Black goo oozed from the wound, sizzling where it touched the ground.

“One down,” Ethan panted, shaking out his hand. The blow had hurt him almost as much as it had hurt Malakai, but he couldn’t afford to show weakness now.

Malakai’s eyes blazed with fury. “You’ll pay for that,” it snarled, its voice distorting into something inhuman. The creature’s form began to shift again, growing larger and more monstrous.

Ethan gritted his teeth, preparing for the next assault. Malakai charged forward, its speed belying its massive size. Ethan barely had time to throw up a wind barrier before Malakai crashed into him, sending him flying across the cavern.

He slammed into the wall, the impact knocking the wind out of him. Stars danced in his vision as he struggled to his feet. Malakai was already upon him, its claws raking across his armor. Ethan cried out in pain as one claw found a gap in his defenses, leaving a deep gash across his ribs. He stumbled backward, desperately trying to put some distance between himself and the raging monstrosity.

“Come on, where is it,” Ethan muttered to himself, his eyes darting around.

That’s when he saw it—another faint pulsing on Malakai’s lower back, almost hidden by its writhing limbs. Another heart.

Ethan knew he couldn’t approach it head-on. He needed a distraction. “Opie!” he called out. “A little help here!”

The obsidian snake sprang into action. It darted forward, its [Chaotic Aura] flaring to life. The disruptive energy washed over Malakai, causing its limbs to spasm and twitch uncontrollably. Seizing the opportunity, Ethan dashed forward. He ducked under Malakai’s flailing limbs, ignoring the pain from his wounds. With a roar, he slammed both fists into the pulsing spot on Malakai’s back followed by loud explosion of compressed air and fire jutting through flesh.

The creature’s shriek of agony was deafening. It thrashed wildly, one of its limbs catching Ethan in the chest and sending him sprawling. But the damage was done. Another stream of black goo poured from the wound, and Malakai’s movements became noticeably slower.

“Another down,” Ethan gasped, struggling to his feet. His entire body ached, and he could feel blood seeping from multiple wounds. But he couldn’t stop now. He was close, so close to ending this nightmare.

Malakai glared at Ethan with murderous intent. “You think you’ve won?” it hissed. “I’ll drag you down to hell with me!”

The creature’s body began to convulse, its flesh bubbling and shifting. Ethan watched in horror as Malakai’s form started to melt, turning into a writhing mass of appendages and mouths.

“Oh, that’s just gross,” Ethan muttered, fighting down a wave of nausea.

The transformed Malakai lunged forward, its tentacles-like appendages lashing out like whips. Ethan dodged and weaved, but he was slowing down. Exhaustion and blood loss were taking their toll.

A tentacle wrapped around his ankle, yanking him off his feet. Ethan hit the ground hard, the impact sending a fresh wave of pain through his battered body. He rolled desperately, barely avoiding being crushed by Malakai’s writhing mass.

As he scrambled to his feet, Ethan caught a glimpse of something glowing deep within Malakai’s amorphous form. The final heart.

Ethan knew he had one shot at this. The air around him began to crackle. Tentacles lashed at him, tearing at his armor and flesh, but he pushed through the pain. He plunged his arms deep into Malakai’s gelatinous form, his hands closing around the pulsing heart.

“This ends now!”

The cavern was illuminated by a blinding flash as fire, wind, and goo exploded outward. Malakai’s form bulged and distorted.

With an ear-splitting shriek, Malakai exploded. Chunks of flesh and goo rained down across the cavern as the abomination’s form disintegrated.

The sudden silence was deafening. Ethan stood there for a moment, his arms still outstretched, his mind struggling to process what had just happened. Then, as the adrenaline began to fade, the full extent of his injuries hit him like a tsunami.

Ethan crumpled to the ground, his breath coming in ragged gasps. Every inch of his body screamed in pain. He was covered in cuts, bruises, and burns, and he was pretty sure at least a couple of ribs were broken.

But as he lay there, staring up at the cavern ceiling, a small smile crossed his face. He’d done it. Against all odds, he’d defeated Malakai and saved the village.

“Not bad for a day’s work,” Ethan muttered to himself, wincing as he tried to sit up.

Opie slithered over, coiling protectively around Ethan’s arm. The obsidian viper’s presence was oddly comforting.

“Thanks for the assist, buddy,” Ethan said, patting Opie’s smooth scales. “Couldn’t have done it without you.”

Lying there on the floor, Ethan finally looked at all the notifications he’d ignored throughout the fight.

Your class, [Mage], has leveled up — Lvl 4 -> Lvl 10!

Your race, [Human], has leveled up — Lvl 6 -> Lvl 12!

[Swordsmanship] has reached level 05!

[Arcane Awareness] has reached level 02!

[Psionic Resistance] — Lvl 2 -> Lvl 3!

[Opie] has leveled up! Lvl 1 -> Lvl 15!

Ethan grinned seeing all the level ups. Especially Opie. His boy had gained lots of levels from a single fight! And Ethan had a clue so as to why he gained so many levels. It was because the monster was far too higher leveled than Opie. Regardless, Ethan’s surprises didn’t end there, as he noticed he had more notifications. When he read them, his eyes widened slightly.