Chapter 271: Angst (1/2)

Arthur opened his eyes as the dust began to settle down. He coughed and stood up while grabbing his corroded arm. His mana started expelling the Enders powers from his arms but it was extremely slow.

A figure was standing across the settling dust cloud with an arm torn away and black matter bleeding out of it. Even though the unique quality of existence gave it more impact on the world, it made it vulnerable to physical attacks.

”The law of equivalent exchange, to draw out such power you need to make the necessary sacrifices.” Arthur smiled from behind his armor. ”It's time that you fall here.” His body started turning ethereal as he disappeared.

The creature looked around to find him, but Arthur wasn't there anymore. Whatever traces he left as a person were negated by Lilo's ethereal ability. Befitting of the Elusive Dragon, Lilo could stay hidden for years if no one stumbled upon its lair after being pursued by an Astra-ranker.

As Arthur was planning his next attack and recovering, he felt the place starting to shake as a hissing sound resounded in the dungeon's first floor. The creature looked back toward the door of the first layer as a presence appeared behind it.

The shaking grew stronger until Arthur could see the two giant eyes he knew so well. A large slash was on its eyes, done by Fey months ago before he awakened, confirmed Arthur's fears.

The Dungeon's Boss was finally coming out into the world. The city was still in a state of chaos as the Temple tried to fight against the draconic lizards, Cerberuses, golems, and zombies. If the Boss reveals itself, the city would be obliterated.

'Lilo, let's soar!' Arthur turned and flapped his wings, carrying him away from the Boss. As if it had sensed his presence, the serpent hissed and lunged forward, destroying what was left of the dungeon.

No as lucky as Arthur, the injured creature tried blocking the monster's charge using a pool of black matter. The serpent hissed as its scales started corroding rapidly but the creature was left in a much sorrier state.

Receiving the charge of the boss, the creature soared upward and left the dungeon the same way he entered it, crashing through the ceiling and into the world.

The creature's mask had many cracks in it, threatening to fall apart at any second. Urgent and desperate, it tried to accelerate the fissure further even though it was still soaring through the skies.

However, Arthur appeared above. With an ax kick, Arthur struck the creature in the abdomen making it cough black matter that seeped through its mask.

The creature was sent shooting downward toward the Avarice Serpent. At the last second, the creature raised its hands and clenched his fist. A giant sphere appeared above his hand.

The ball sank into space and a vacuum was created. Everything began shifting as the ground began to shake. A strong gravitational force was created around the sphere of incredible mass. This included Arthur's body, and he began shifting downward toward the creature.

The creature's body remained unaffected, suspended midair. Arthur's body started descending against his will. Seeing no escape and the serpent's head destroying the foyer and emerging into the world, Arthur gathered the remaining of his mana into his fist and waited for the perfect timing.

The two figures approached each other. The creature's remaining arm turned from a fist into a palm. The dark matter gathered in his hand like a blade that waited for Arthur's descent.

Once again, the powers of nothingness and creation were at each other's throats. However, Arthur didn't wait for them to collide. He punched a second before the two powers collided, causing a mana explosion to engulf the creature.

There was a high-pitch scream from the creature as Arthur grabbed through the mana explosion. His arms were lacerated heavily as he grabbed the creature's shoulders and pulled it closer. Arthur's punch landed on its face, breaking apart its mask fully.

As he got to see what lied underneath the mask, Arthur's senses screamed in danger as he felt the serpent gather chaotic energy in its mouth, prepared to launch it in their direction.

The pieces of the mask fell apart to reveal half a face. Pale skin that looked almost transparent, large black eyes, and the familiar doll-like features. Arthur's mouth gaped slightly as the first syllabus left his mouth before the sonic attack arrived.

”El...”

A high-pitched sound rang in his head as his ears began to bleed. The force started pushing him away as the sound shook his entire body. His grasp on her shoulder loosened as the two of them flew away.

In his dazed vision, Arthur tried to reach out to her but her body kept getting further away. Before he lost consciousness, a single question kept repeating itself in his mind.

'How are you still alive, Ellen?'

***