Floor ??? - Labyrinth Of The Deathly Embrace
Adonis charged forward, his boots kicking up dirt as he rushed straight at the Knight. But in the blink of an eye, the Knight was already there, right in front of him, moving so fast it was unnatural.
"Die," the Knight said, grinning like a devil as he threw a brutal punch straight at Adonis's chest.
Adonis barely had time to react. He crossed both arms in front of him, forming a desperate X-shaped guard.
The moment the Knight's fist connected,
BOOM!
A massive shockwave exploded outward, ripping through the air and shaking the ground. The force sent Adonis flying like a ragdoll. He shot backward for thirty-five full miles, smashing through dozens of thick trees, splintering trunks and snapping branches as he went. Finally, he slammed into the earth and skidded to a stop.
Adonis lay there on the torn-up ground, gasping in agony. Both of his arms were completely shattered—bones bent backward at sickening angles, sharp white fragments poking out through torn skin and dripping blood. His ribs were crushed, jagged pieces stabbing into his lungs. Every tiny breath felt like fire. Blood filled his mouth, and he coughed weakly, wheezing as he stared up at the sky.
"This guy… he's a monster," Adonis thought. "I did it again, I was too angry, rushed in without thinking, and this is what happened. If I didn't have the Regeneration skill, I'd already be dead."
He clenched his teeth, fighting through the pain.
I still have the "Shard of Symmetry"… but it only has three uses. I already wasted one on that bat bastard. I was supposed to save the next one for the guy who has the other half of the halo. And now I'm about to burn another charge on this Knight?
Everything's going wrong. My stats got lowered, Dennis is dead… it feels like something—or someone—is fucking with me on purpose. That fucker who lowered my stats… it has to be him or her.
But I can't think about that right now. First, I have to survive this.
Adonis's bones started to crack back into place. Torn flesh closed. The stabbing pain in his chest eased as his ribs reformed and his lungs healed. Within minutes, Adonis was whole again. He pushed himself to his feet, wiped the blood from his mouth and pulled the "Shard of Symmetry" from his inventory. He gripped it tightly in his fist and waited for the Knight.
From the distance, heavy footsteps approached—slow, deliberate, confident. The Knight strolled toward the crater where Adonis had landed, that same evil smile plastered across his face, like a hunter who had already won and was just enjoying the walk to his trapped prey. When he arrived and saw Adonis standing there perfectly fine, his eyes widened for a split second before he hid his surprise behind another evil grin.
"Huh. Still alive?" he said, his voice dripping with mockery. "Most people die instantly from a punch like that. Their bones turn to powder, and they just lie there in a puddle of their own blood, crying and begging me to spare them. Your friend Dennis did exactly that, you know. He was on his knees, tears running down his face, pleading for his pathetic little life. The look in his eyes when he realized it was over… delicious."
Adonis didn't flinch. He kept his face blank, his eyes cold. He knew the Knight was lying—or at least twisting the truth—just to make him lose control and attack blindly.
"Tch. Smarter than your dead friend, at least," the Knight clicked his tongue when he saw his words had no effect.
What's with this kid? the Knight thought, narrowing his eyes as he concealed his suspicion behind his smile. I hit him hard enough to kill anyone. He should be a corpse. And yet here he is, standing like nothing happened. No visible wounds… He must have used some kind of healing artifact. Doesn't matter. I'll beat him half to death, then take my time tearing him apart piece by piece. I want to see how long that poker face lasts, I can't wait to see what expression he'll make when I slowly tear limb from limb." The Knight licked his lips, already imagining the screams adonis will make.
Adonis finally spoke, his voice calm. "Aren't you going to come at me?"
The Knight raised an eyebrow, interrupted from his sick fantasies.
"If you won't come to me…" Adonis said, flames flaring brighter around his feet, "…then I'll come to you."
He shot forward like a comet, leaving a trail of fire behind him. He needed to get close—close enough for the "Shard of Symmetry" to activate.
The Knight's gauntlet glowed with red aura. He pulled back his fist and threw another earth-shattering punch the moment Adonis was in range.
BOOM!
The punch hit Adonis dead center in the chest. Trees behind him were uprooted and blasted away. A huge cloud of smoke and dirt filled the air.
The Knight laughed—then stopped.
When the smoke cleared, Adonis was still standing in the same spot. Not a single scratch.
The Knight's eyes went wide. "What…?"
Before he could finish the thought, Adonis threw his own punch.
WHAM!
The Knight was sent flying backward, but he dug his heels into the ground, carving two long trenches before he stopped himself.
Adonis felt power surging through his body—raw, explosive strength that now matched the Knight's own. The "Shard of Symmetry" had worked perfectly.
He had ten minutes.
Ten minutes to end this fight for good.