Africa Leveling

The warriors stood in silence, staring into the endless darkness before them. The Abyssal Ravine was behind them, but ahead lay something far worse. The Demon King's domain.

Jajwok exhaled slowly, steadying himself. The air was thick with an oppressive energy, making every breath feel like swallowing tar.

Brakzul, the chieftain, turned to his warriors. "We move as one. Stay together. No one falls behind."

Urgak cracked his knuckles. "I hope whatever's ahead puts up a better fight than those wraiths."

Kragzul shot him a sharp look. "Do not invite worse enemies upon us."

Jajwok remained silent, his mind replaying the voice that had echoed inside his head. "You have come far." That presence had been watching him, measuring him. He had no doubt they would meet soon.

Without another word, they pressed forward.

The Demon King's Domain

The landscape shifted as they moved deeper into the heart of the abyss. The ground was no longer rock but something else—something pulsing, almost alive. Dark, jagged structures jutted out from the ground, twisting like ribs from a dead god's skeleton.

The deeper they ventured, the more they saw shadows flickering at the edges of their vision. Whispers slithered through the air, voices speaking in an ancient, guttural tongue.

Jajwok tightened his grip on his sword. "Stay sharp."

Brakzul nodded. "We are not alone."

As if responding to his words, the shadows ahead twisted and coiled, taking shape.

Then, the creatures emerged.

They were unlike the demons they had fought before. These were larger, more grotesque—four-legged beasts with elongated, eyeless faces and gaping maws lined with jagged teeth. Their bodies pulsed with a dark, crimson glow.

Urgak grinned, raising his warhammer. "Now that's more like it."

The first beast lunged.

Jajwok dodged, slashing upward, his golden energy igniting in an arc. The creature shrieked as the blade cut through its flesh, but instead of blood, a thick, black mist spilled from its wound.

More came, rushing at them like a tidal wave.

The battle erupted.

Brakzul roared, cleaving through two creatures at once. Urgak swung his hammer with bone-shattering force, sending one beast crashing into a twisted pillar.

Jajwok fought like a whirlwind, dodging, striking, his golden energy flaring brighter with each kill. But no matter how many they cut down, more emerged from the darkness.

"They're endless!" one orc warrior shouted.

Jajwok gritted his teeth. No. They're stalling us.

Then, the ground trembled.

A new presence filled the air—one that sent a chill through even the fiercest warriors.

A deep, echoing laugh rumbled through the battlefield.

Jajwok turned.

A figure stood at the far end of the battlefield, tall and imposing, draped in dark robes that seemed to shift like smoke. His face was obscured beneath a jagged, black helm, but his burning crimson eyes pierced through the darkness.

The Demon King.

The First Confrontation

The battlefield fell silent as the Demon King took a single step forward. The monstrous creatures that had been attacking the orcs immediately fell back, retreating into the shadows.

Brakzul's grip on his axe tightened. Urgak stopped grinning. Kragzul's expression was unreadable.

Jajwok stepped forward, meeting the Demon King's gaze.

The dark ruler chuckled. "You are persistent." His voice was smooth, almost amused. "I expected you to break long before reaching my domain."

Jajwok remained silent, his muscles coiled like a predator ready to strike.

The Demon King tilted his head. "Tell me, what is it you hope to achieve? To kill me? To end this war?" He chuckled. "You understand nothing of the forces you are meddling with."

Brakzul stepped beside Jajwok, raising his axe. "Enough talking. You die here."

The Demon King sighed. "I could kill you all now. Easily. But where is the fun in that?" His gaze shifted back to Jajwok. "You, however… You are different. I wonder—do you even understand what you are becoming?"

Jajwok clenched his fists, golden energy crackling around him.

The Demon King smirked. "No, I suppose you don't." He lifted his hand, and the air around him darkened. "Shall I show you?"

A wave of black fire exploded outward.

Jajwok barely had time to react. He raised his sword, golden energy clashing against the darkness. The impact sent him skidding backward, his feet digging into the strange, living ground beneath him.

The orcs behind him braced themselves as the shockwave sent dust and debris flying.

The Demon King lowered his hand, observing him. "You resisted. Interesting."

Jajwok steadied himself, breathing heavily. The sheer force of that attack had nearly overwhelmed him.

Brakzul growled, stepping forward. "We fight together."

The Demon King laughed. "You will do nothing." He raised a hand, and the shadows surged.

Black tendrils lashed out, wrapping around Brakzul, Urgak, and the other orcs. They struggled, but the darkness constricted, pulling them to their knees.

Jajwok's eyes widened. "Let them go!"

The Demon King ignored him. "You have a choice, anomaly. Surrender, and I will spare them. Resist, and they will suffer."

Jajwok's grip on his sword tightened. His golden energy flared, but doubt flickered in his mind.

Could he win?

The Demon King smiled. "Decide."

The Breaking Point

Jajwok's mind raced. His instincts screamed at him to attack, to fight until his last breath.

But the others…

He looked at Brakzul, Urgak, Kragzul—warriors who had fought beside him, who had trusted him. They were bound, unable to defend themselves. If he attacked recklessly, they would die.

His power crackled around him, unstable, surging with conflicting emotions.

The Demon King watched him with amusement. "You hesitate. Good."

Jajwok exhaled sharply, forcing himself to think. He needed a plan. Now.

Then, Kragzul spoke. "Jajwok. Do not give him what he wants."

The orc mage's voice was firm, despite the pain. "He is testing you. If you bow now, he will never stop."

Jajwok met his gaze. Kragzul's eyes were unwavering.

Something inside him steadied.

Jajwok turned back to the Demon King. His grip on his sword loosened—then tightened with renewed resolve.

"No."

The Demon King raised an eyebrow. "No?"

Jajwok took a step forward. His golden energy surged, brighter than before. "I don't surrender."

The Demon King sighed. "A pity."

He snapped his fingers.

The tendrils constricting the orcs tightened, and the air was filled with the sound of bones cracking—

Jajwok moved.

Faster than before, his golden energy igniting like a second sun. He didn't think—he acted.

One slash.

The golden blade sliced through the tendrils like they were nothing. The orcs fell free, gasping for air.

The Demon King's eyes narrowed. "So be it."

Darkness erupted from him, swallowing the battlefield.

Jajwok met it head-on.