The chamber was silent except for the echo of Iskar's heavy breathing. Sir Galen's body suddenly began to shake violently, his damaged armor rattling.
Then, as if snapping out of a trance, he stopped and looked up. His helmet was askew, revealing a face that made Iskar's stomach turn.
The knight's face was a patchwork of scars and burns, the skin twisted and melted in places. One eye was milky and blind, while the other burned with a manic, golden light. He spoke, his voice ragged and broken.
"No… no… Nonono… I must destroy you. No one will harm the Priestess!"
Galen's hands moved to his chestplate, gripping the edges of the ornate sun-and-moon armor. With a roar of effort, he tore it apart, sending pieces clattering to the ground. His torso was just as horrifying as his face, covered in overlapping burns, as if he'd been repeatedly scorched alive.
Iskar thought. 'He's a burned-out husk.'
Sir Galen's cracking voice snapped him out of his thoughts. "You… will die here."
Iskar didn't wait. He summoned another [Annihilation Sphere] and hurled it at the knight. Galen moved with shocking speed, dodging to the side as the black orb flew past.
'He's faster than before,' Iskar realized.
The knight didn't pause. He grabbed his greatsword and dragged it across the ground, carving a molten trench into the stone floor. With a powerful swing, he launched a massive golden energy slash toward Iskar.
[Sand Constructs]!
Ikar raised a sand wall, but the slash tore through it like paper. He dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding the attack. The energy wave crashed into the wall behind him, leaving a glowing scar in the stone.
Galen charged, his glowing greatsword raised high. Iskar swung his hammer to meet the attack, the steel head clashing against the white-hot blade.
CLANG!
The impact sent vibrations through Iskar's arms. For a split second, it seemed like the hammer would hold, until Galen's sword cut through it like butter. The hammer split in two, the pieces clattering to the ground.
'Damn!' Iskar barely had time to react as Galen swung again.
[Sand Constructs]!
He formed a large sand sword and instantly infused it with [Fire Attacks], coating the blade in roaring flames.
[-20 Energy]
[-10 Energy]
He knew fire wouldn't hurt Galen directly, but it made the sand blade harder and more dangerous. He swung the fiery construct, meeting Galen's greatsword mid-air.
CLASH!
The two blades locked, sparks flying from the collision. The sand sword cracked under the pressure, but Iskar poured more energy into it, repairing the damage faster than it could break. They stood face to face, muscles straining, neither willing to give ground.
"Your… struggle… is USELESS!" Galen roared, his cracked skin glowing brighter.
"We'll… see!" Iskar gritted his teeth, pouring everything he had into the standoff.
But Galen's raw strength was overwhelming. With a final, crushing push, he sent Iskar flying backward. The sand sword shattered into embers as Iskar slammed into the wall, the impact knocking the wind out of him. His vision blurred, his body screaming in protest.
Galen approached slowly, his greatsword dragging molten lines in the stone floor. His body was glowing intensely, cracks spreading wider, light bleeding from every fissure.
"The sin of intrusion…" Galen's voice was a guttural death rattle. "…is punishable by eradication. Your soul will fuel the Sun's eternal flame."
Iskar struggled to his feet, blood dripping from wounds under his bandages. He was battered, nearly broken, but his mind was sharp.
'I can't beat him head-on,' he thought. 'I need something else.'
As Galen raised his sword for the final blow, Iskar's eyes narrowed beneath his bandages.
Physically, Iskar was no match for the towering knight. His strength, speed, and endurance were all dwarfed by Galen's overwhelming power. But as the giant raised his greatsword high, ready to deliver a devastating stab, Iskar's mind raced. 'Physically, I can't win… but how else can I—? Yes. That.'
"DIIEEE!!!" Galen roared, his voice shaking the chamber. He gripped the sword with both hands, ready to plunge it into Iskar's chest.
But before he could strike, shadowy tendrils surged from the ground, wrapping around his wrists and yanking him backward.
[Shadow Tendrils]
[-10 Energy]
The sudden pull threw Galen off balance. He staggered, then fell backward with a thunderous crash. The knight rolled quickly, regaining his footing and putting distance between them. But that was exactly what Iskar wanted.
As Galen struggled against the tendrils, Iskar noticed his wounds closing under the bandages. His body was healing, slowly but steadily. He glanced at his energy reserves.
Energy: 200/430
It was enough. Barely.
The shadow tendrils continued to churn around Galen, sapping his movements and draining Iskar's energy.
[-5 Energy/second]
But Iskar didn't waste time. While the knight was restrained, he unleashed another ability.
[-100 Energy]
[Spectral Chains]
Purple chains, glowing with an eerie light, shot from Iskar's hands. They passed through Galen's body as if it wasn't there, latching onto something deeper, his soul.
The moment the chains connected, Iskar felt it. A tug, a bond, a connection that was both alien and familiar. He remembered the phantoms in the earlier chamber, how they had tried to pull his soul out. Now, he was doing the same to Galen.
'Let's see how you like it,' Iskar thought, gritting his teeth as he began to pull.
The chains tightened, and Galen's body jerked violently. The knight roared in defiance, but the shadow tendrils held him in place.
"No! What is this?!" Galen bellowed, his voice filled with rage and desperation. "No, no, no! You wretched creature, let me go! You must die for your transgressions!"
Iskar ignored him. He focused all his energy on pulling, feeling the strain on his mind and body. His spirit energy was depleting fast, but he had one more trick.
[Absorb]
The moment he activated the ability, a surge of energy flowed from Galen's soul into Iskar's body. It was raw, chaotic, and overwhelming, but Iskar welcomed it.
+10 Spirit Energy
+5 Physical Power
+5 Magical Power
The moment those messages appeared, Iskar felt it, a sudden, explosive surge in his strength. His body felt lighter, his senses sharper, and his energy reserves swelled.
'I've broken through,' he realized, a grin spreading beneath his bandages.
[Congratulations on your breakthrough!]
[You have reached Tier 2, Rank E!]
But he didn't have time to celebrate.
[You have leveled...]
[You have leveled...]
[You have leveled...]
More energy continued to flood into his body, but he couldn't keep up. He stopped absorbing and focused on pulling Galen's soul out entirely.
The knight's face twisted in fear as his soul began to separate from his body. His voice, now filled with sorrow, cried out, "Priestess… please forgive my failure…"
But something was wrong. Iskar noticed Galen's body was glowing brighter, the cracks in his skin widening. A sickening realization hit him.
'He's going to blow himself up. Suicide. F***!'
Iskar didn't hesitate. He let go of the soul and sprinted toward the far corner of the chamber. As he ran, he summoned walls of sand, spamming them one after the other.
[Sand Constructs]
[-10 Energy]
[-10 Energy]
[-10 Energy]
He didn't know if they'd be enough, but he didn't have time to think. The glow from Galen's body intensified, filling the chamber with blinding light.
And then—
BOOOOM!