Lord Of The Lost

William was too difficult to take down in a short time.

With his base stats boosted by [Desperate Situation], his physical ability was pushing 28 points—far beyond what a normal Sequence 9 should have.

Even though dragon-type creatures also had high physical stats, it was clear—

> There was no quick victory against William.

And when two warriors of similar strength clashed—

> Even if one lost, they wouldn't lose easily.

Which meant—

> It was better to take out the weaker target first.

---

The wyvern tensed, its muscles coiling like a spring.

Then—

> It lunged at Sophia.

Its massive form moved with terrifying speed, like a dragon emerging from water—

A blur of scales, claws, and teeth, surging toward the wounded witch.

> WHOOSH!

Just then—

> A spinning battle axe tore through the air.

> BAM!

The Whirlwind Axe slammed into the wyvern's abdomen, cutting half a meter deep into its flesh.

> The wyvern roared in pain!

The force knocked it sideways, its upper body twisting from the impact, momentarily disrupting its charge.

But the wyvern wasn't done.

Even as it reeled, it whipped its massive tail around, aiming to smash Sophia into the ground—

> Like crushing an insect underfoot.

William sprinted, blurring forward at demon wolf speed.

> Too fast.

Too late.

He wasn't going to make it—

> Damn it!

He had originally planned to block the attack, but when he saw the sheer force behind it—

He realized something horrifying.

> Even at full strength, he couldn't stop it.

> It would be like trying to hold back a chariot with his bare hands.

Even if their strength stats were equal, the wyvern was still a massive, multi-ton beast.

> Size mattered.

So instead—

> He threw himself at Sophia.

William grabbed Sophia, shielding her with his entire body—

And then—

> BOOM!

The wyvern's tail slammed into them, sending them flying like a cannonball.

They crashed through dozens of walls, tearing through stone, wood, and metal—

Until finally—

> They nearly tumbled out of the ruins entirely.

> William coughed up blood.

> Sophia barely moved.

But before they could even catch their breath—

> The wyvern charged after them.

It had lost its ability to fly—

Its left wing was punctured, leaving a gaping hole that let air leak out.

> If it tried to fly, it would be slow, unstable, and defenseless.

So instead—

> It rushed forward like a massive, scaled lizard.

Crushing debris beneath its feet, moving with deadly intent.

And then—

> A streak of black light shot out from the rubble.

William wasn't finished yet.

The Final Clash

William lunged—

> [Piercing Attack]!

But this time—

It was weaker.

The speed wasn't as sharp, the impact wasn't as deadly, his body felt drained, his momentum fading.

The wyvern dodged, narrowly avoiding the spear tip.

> It was massive, yet disturbingly agile.

But William wasn't trying to land a fatal blow—

> He was forcing it to stop.

And he succeeded.

The wyvern's charge toward Sophia halted, its eyes snapping toward William instead.

William landed, then firmly planted his feet, gripping the Dragon-Slaying Spear with both hands.

> His stance shifted, into a classic spearman's guard.

He wouldn't waste more energy on skills he couldn't afford.

> He needed to recover.

He would fight with pure technique.

The wyvern, sensing this shift, lowered its head, its front claws flexed, its tail swaying rhythmically.

> It was preparing to strike.

A crushing wave of draconic energy flooded the air, as if the wyvern itself were a force of nature, an unstoppable tide.

But William stood still—like a lone rock in the middle of a raging storm.

> One man. One dragon. A final duel.

---

William's skill with the spear was exceptional.

Even using only basic techniques, his movements were sharp and precise.

But against a wyvern, that wasn't enough.

If this had been a lesser foe, William would have already won.

But this wasn't some Sequence 9 beast—

> This was a Sequence 8 dragon.

Its scales were too thick.

Its defense was too strong.

> A normal knight's lance, a demon's blade, nothing would even scratch it.

The difference in levels was too vast.

Even with his best technique, William knew—

> If he didn't use [Piercing Attack], his blows wouldn't penetrate.

Only rare weapons could truly threaten a Sequence 8 wyvern.

Even then—

> The damage was limited.

The Dragon Path granted a terrifying [Immunity] ability—

It could naturally reduce incoming damage, making even a devastating attack feel like a glancing blow.

The only reason William had managed to injure it at all—

> Was the Dragon-Slaying Spear.

It was one of the few weapons that could bypass a dragon's natural defenses—

> But even then…

The wyvern was too large.

Even if he stabbed straight through, even if he tore open holes in its body—

> It would take dozens of direct hits before it fell.

> And that would take seconds.

Seconds he didn't have.

This wasn't some helpless beast waiting to die.

> The wyvern was still fighting.

And right now—

It was injured, but furious.

---

Both Sides Were Running on Empty

William's energy was nearly spent.

Sophia was heavily wounded.

The wyvern was burned, battered, and bleeding.

If it had a health bar, William estimated—

> It had about 30% HP left.

But this was a battle of attrition, and neither side was willing to back down.

The wyvern had lost access to most of its abilities:

[Immunity] had tanked the Pyroblast, but it was still scorched from head to tail.

[Dragon Breath] was exhausted. It would take too long to recharge.

[Pressure] was active, but William and Sophia had long since adapted to it.

At best, it slightly weakened their strength, but not enough to turn the tide.

Now, the battle had reached its final stage—

> One last exchange.

A duel to the death.

William and the wyvern moved at the same time—

> And the true final battle began.

With a thunderous roar, the battle raged on, shaking the ancient elven ruins to their core.

Buildings that had stood for thousands of years began to crumble like brittle stone, their ancient defenses long shattered.

The battlefield was shifting rapidly, forcing both William and the wyvern to adapt mid-fight.

> There was no time to think. No time to hesitate. Only survival.

The wyvern, despite its injuries, moved with the instinct of a seasoned predator.

It had grown up in this maze, where only the strongest survived.

> Every move it made was calculated. Precise. Deadly.

Even as rage burned in its blood, it refused to blindly lash out.

This was not arrogance.

> A true predator never underestimates its prey.

Instead, it fought as if William were an equal.

It recognized a simple truth—

> This human would not fall easily.

And if it did not take him seriously—

It might be the one to die first.

The maze had no laws.

No justice, no morality, no honor.

> Only survival.

It didn't matter who William was.

It didn't matter why they fought.

> The only thing that mattered was who would still be standing in the end.

And right now—

The wyvern realized something alarming:

> Even though it was stronger… it couldn't finish the fight quickly.

This wasn't a hunt—

> It was a war of endurance.

A tug-of-war where the loser would be the first to collapse.

William could feel it too.

The pressure was suffocating.

His demon wolf instincts were screaming—pushing his body to its absolute limits.

And yet—

Even with his explosive power, even with his survival instincts,

> Against a dragon, he still felt powerless.

But there was no backing down.

Strike First, Strike Hard

> Whoosh!

William swung the Dragon-Slaying Spear—

> A streak of darkness sliced through the air.

> SLASH!

The wyvern howled in pain.

> Another deep wound, this time on its hind leg.

Bone visible. Blood gushing.

Yet—

> The beast did not falter.

Instead—

> It struck back.

A massive claw descended, smashing William into the ground with a thunderous impact!

The earth cracked, a two-meter-deep crater forming beneath him.

William felt like his bones had shattered.

Yet—

> Even trapped under the dragon's claws, he did not panic.

Counterattack from Below

> BOOM!

Dark energy erupted from beneath the wyvern's claws.

> A shockwave blasted through the battlefield!

The wyvern stumbled, momentarily losing its balance.

William seized the chance.

Through the cracks between the dragon's claws—

> He thrust the Dragon-Slaying Spear upward!

> PHEW!

The spear pierced straight through the wyvern's foot!

> Blood sprayed into the air like a fountain.

The wyvern let out a deep, guttural snarl, its pain turning into pure fury.

With a vicious roar, the wyvern ripped its claw away, then swung its massive tail—

> CRACK!

William dodged at the last second, flipping backward as the ground where he once stood was obliterated.

> He didn't retreat.

Instead—

> He lunged forward.

> A single step. A flash of black light.

Like an arrow shot from a bow, William charged at the wyvern once more!

> No tricks. No wasted movement. No hesitation.

> Only raw, brutal, relentless combat.

> The final showdown had begun.

> An eye for an eye. A wound for a wound.

The wyvern's vertical pupils narrowed to razor-thin slits.

> Its fury boiled over.