Cale closed his eyes and breathed in and out.

Ding!

[Conditions have been fulfilled]

[Ability: Serene Mind has been activated]

Cale opened his eyes and smiled as he thought, 'Finally.'

The Poison King quickly formed five balls of poison around himself and then waved at Cale with both hands. The balls of poison dashed in Cale's direction at high speed, exploding loudly as smoke began to rise.

The Poison King showed no emotion as he stared at the place of impact. Another explosion erupted on the third floor of the building where Cale had been standing.

The Poison King formed more balls of green poison around him, ready to strike. From the smoke, Cale dashed out quickly. The Poison King hurled the poison balls at him again.

Cale dodged them instantly, reaching behind the Poison King in a flash. The Poison King quickly turned to counterattack, but Cale made a shallow cut on his chest.

The Poison King floated back, grabbing his chest wound as poison seeped into it, starting to heal. He stared at Cale's dark scythe and shouted, "You know... I always wondered how terrifying it would be to fight that dark scythe of yours!"

"..." Cale raised his brows, staring at the Poison King for a moment. "Is that so...?" he said and, in an instant, swung his scythe with his right hand. A blood-red aura arc charged at the Poison King.

The Poison King barely managed to dodge, but his right cheek was cut, and the poisonous mist behind him dispersed under the power of the slash.

The Poison King slashed forward with his poisonous hands, sending green poison arcs toward Cale. Cale quickly cut them apart with his scythe.

"I will give you one last chance... Poison King!" Cale said, extending his left arm toward the Poison King, keeping his scythe in his right hand but slightly behind him.

The Poison King wiped the blood dripping from his cheek and raised his brows. "What chance are we talking about, Cale?"

"...To stop this pointless fighting and accept the truth, Poison King," Cale said, extending his hand further forward. His determined expression furrowed as he awaited the Poison King's response.

The Poison King remained silent, looking down for a moment, his face hidden by his hair. "Pointless?..." he muttered. "Are you saying... that what I am doing is pointless?" he muttered a little louder this time.

Cale maintained his stance, his gaze steady.

"Are you saying that her death is pointless?!!!" the Poison King shouted angrily, a massive mist of poison surging from his body and spreading through the surroundings.

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Cale’s grip tightened on his scythe as he watched the swirling green mist spread like a storm, poisoning everything in its wake. The Poison King's anguish and fury were palpable, each word laced with venom.

"...So, her death drives you to this extend of madness?" Cale said calmly, his voice cutting through the growing chaos. His eyes locked onto the Poison King, unflinching.

The Poison King raised his head, his face contorted with pain and rage. "You wouldn’t understand!" he roared, the poisonous mist intensifying. Buildings around them began to corrode, the very air thick with toxicity. "She was everything to me, and you call this pointless?! I’ll show you just how meaningless your words are when you could not even protect her when I was..." The Poison King stopped talking.

Opening his eyes, Cale’s expression turned sharp, his focus unshakable. "I didn’t come here to preach, Poison King. But if you think drowning in your poison will bring her back... I’ll put an end to your suffering myself."

Cale’s eyes gleamed with determination as the dark blood-red energy enveloping his hands pulsated, radiating an ominous yet mesmerizing glow. The two rings of energy circled his hands, their crimson hue reflecting the destruction around them. In his right hand, the energy extended into a sharp, menacing sword, while his left hand radiated raw, unshaped power.

The Poison King sneered as the poison mist swirled tighter around him, coiling like a serpent. “You think changing weapons will make a difference?” he taunted, his voice thick with venom and despair. “You’ll rot the same as everything else in my world!”

Cale didn’t respond, his expression unreadable. With a burst of speed, he charged forward, the blood-red sword in his right hand slicing through the air with deadly precision.

The Poison King countered, his hands radiating green arcs of poison energy. Their clash sent shockwaves rippling across the battlefield, leveling buildings and reducing the surrounding area to nothing but flat, poisoned land.

For every attack the Poison King launched, Cale met it with precision and ferocity. Poisonous tendrils lashed out, but his blood-red energy cut through them effortlessly. The Poison King floated higher into the air, summoning a torrent of green energy that rained down like meteors.

Cale dodged and countered, leaping through the chaos with fluid grace. With a powerful swing, he sent an arc of crimson energy toward the Poison King, forcing him to dodge. Cale followed up immediately, closing the distance and slashing at his opponent with speed and strength that left the Poison King no room to breathe.

But as the fight dragged on, Cale’s breathing grew heavier. He felt the poison creeping through his veins, numbing his senses and weakening his body. The rings of blood-red energy around his hands flickered, their light dimming slightly. The ground beneath them was levelled completely.

The Poison King grinned despite his wounds, his voice triumphant. “You can’t kill me, Cale. My poison will eat you alive before you even land the final blow!”

Cale staggered slightly, his vision blurring for a moment. The realization struck him: while he could overpower the Poison King, killing him felt... wrong. The grief, the anger, the pain in the Poison King’s eyes—it wasn’t born from pure malice but a twisted love and loss.

Cale gritted his teeth and surged forward again, his attacks precise yet restrained. Each blow weakened the Poison King further, inflicting wounds that would incapacitate him without ending his life. The Poison King’s movements slowed as Cale struck with calculated precision, shattering his defenses.

Finally, with a powerful strike, Cale sent the Poison King crashing to the ground. The Poison King coughed, blood mixing with his poisonous aura as he knelt, his body trembling. His green mist dissipated, leaving the air clearer than it had been in ages.

"End it... you BASTARD!" the Poison King shouted, his voice hoarse yet defiant. “If you’re so righteous, then finish what you started!”

Cale stood over him, the blood-red sword in his hand glowing faintly. He looked down at the broken figure before him, his expression softening. “No,” Cale said firmly, his voice carrying both strength and compassion.

The Poison King’s eyes widened. “What?!”

“I’m not here to kill you,” Cale said, lowering his weapon. “You’ve already lost everything, haven’t you? Killing you won’t bring her back. It won’t fix anything.”

The Poison King trembled, his fists clenching. "You think this is mercy?! You think leaving me like this will change anything?" His voice cracked with anguish as he glared at Cale, his body trembling with both rage and sorrow.

"You couldn't save my wife... When I was weak!" he shouted, his voice rising, each word like a dagger aimed at Cale. Tears began to streak down his face as his emotions surged uncontrollably. "And when you were strong... You had power. You were there! You could have saved her... You bastard!"

Cale stepped closer, kneeling to meet the Poison King’s gaze. “It’s not mercy,” he said softly. “It’s a chance—for you to find a different path. One where you can honor her memory instead of destroying yourself in it." Then he added, "Stop blaming me... When you saw I had injuries on my body at that time, without my left hand, I could not do anything besides, I was depleted of power."

The Poison King’s defiance faltered, his shoulders slumping as tears welled in his eyes. He looked away, unable to meet Cale’s steady gaze.

Cale rose to his feet. Extending his hand towards the Poison King “Live, Poison King. Make her proud... if that’s what you truly want.”

The Poison King grabbed Cale's Hand and said "Yes. You are right"