Resurgence: eternal evolution

Kael's boots echoed through the desolate halls of the 99th floor, a space unlike any he had encountered before. The air here was thick with an oppressive energy, suffocating and ancient, as if the floor itself was alive and aware of his presence. The walls shimmered like a starry void, infinite yet confined, a stark reminder that he was nearing the tower's pinnacle.

Each step was heavier than the last, not from fatigue but from the overwhelming sense of dread clawing at him. His battles to this point had been grueling—unfair fights where the odds were always stacked against him. Legions of monsters, traps designed to kill, and enemies whose strength dwarfed his own had littered his path. Yet, Kael had survived. Bruised, battered, and scarred, but alive.

Now, as he stood before the towering gates at the heart of the floor, he felt a presence that made his blood run cold. The doors groaned open as if compelled by an unseen force, revealing a cavernous chamber bathed in eerie golden light. At its center stood a figure so massive it seemed to dwarf the very space around it a dragon unlike any Kael had ever seen.

Its scales glowed with a celestial radiance, shimmering between gold and black as if reflecting the cosmos itself. Its wings stretched wide, their span seemingly infinite, and each beat of them warped the air with sheer force. Its eyes burned with an aura of immeasurable power, piercing through Kael like twin suns. This was no ordinary dragon—this was an Elder Dragon King, a being so ancient and powerful that it emanated the energy of countless galaxies.

The dragon spoke, its voice rumbling like the birth of a star.

"Mortal... how far you've climbed, defying the natural order. But this is where your journey ends."

"why do i always get to fight dragons'' Kael gripped the hilt of his sword tighter, his knuckles white. Every instinct screamed at him to run, but there was nowhere to go. His gaze hardened. He didn't make it this far to cower now.

"Maybe," Kael said, his voice steady despite the fear clawing at him. "But I've faced demons, monsters, and even valstrax . You're just another obstacle in my way."

The Elder Dragon King moved, and in an instant, the world seemed to bend. One moment it was standing before him, the next it was gone. A deafening boom followed as the dragon reappeared behind Kael, its tail sweeping toward him faster than he could process. The air cracked under the force of the attack, the sheer speed tearing through space itself.

Kael barely managed to dodge, throwing himself into a roll as the tail slammed into the ground, creating a crater that seemed bottomless. He scrambled to his feet, his heart pounding.This is beyond anything he had ever faced.

The dragon didn't stop. It opened its jaws, and an orb of energy began to form. Kael's eyes widened as the orb grew, pulsating with destructive energy that made his very soul tremble.

A beam of energy surged toward Kael, obliterating everything in its path. Entire sections of the chamber disintegrated as the attack carved through the space, the edges of the beam glowing with the heat of a thousand suns. Kael threw up his sword, pouring all his mana into a defensive barrier. The impact was cataclysmic, sending him flying backward as his barrier shattered like glass.

Kael hit the ground hard, coughing up blood as he struggled to stand. His regeneration kicked in, mending his broken ribs, but he couldn't afford to take another hit like that. The dragon advanced, each step causing tremors that made the ground buckle.

Kael gritted his teeth and charged, his speed now nearly matching the dragon's thanks to the endless battles that had honed his reflexes. He darted between the dragon's claws and tail, slashing at its legs and wings. His sword found its mark, cutting into the dragon's scales, but the wounds were shallow, almost insignificant.

The Elder Dragon King roared, its draconic breath unleashed in a torrent of flames. The fire consumed everything, the heat so intense that the very air ignited. Kael dashed through the inferno as he relied on his regeneration to keep him alive. He appeared behind the dragon, driving his sword into its side with all his might.

The dragon snarled in pain, its tail whipping around to swat him away. Kael slammed into the wall, the impact leaving a spiderweb of cracks behind him. His vision blurred, but he forced himself to stand. He couldn't give up. Not here. Not now.

The dragon loomed over him, its eyes filled with contempt. "You fight well for a mortal," it said, "but this is the end."

Kael called out to inventory , where the Draconic Heartstone pulsed with a faint light. He had been saving it, knowing it was his last resort. Now, he had no choice.

As the dragon prepared to finish him with another blast of its draconic breath, Kael crushed the Heartstone in his hand. A surge of energy shot through him, his body enveloped in a fiery golden aura. His wounds healed instantly, his strength doubling, no tripling. The Elder Dragon King paused, its eyes narrowing.

Kael lunged, his speed now rivaling the dragon's own. He appeared above its head, slamming his sword down with enough force to crack its skull. The dragon roared in pain, its movements becoming erratic as it tried to shake him off.

"Not this time!" Kael yelled, driving his sword deeper. The dragon reared back, its focus slipping as it thrashed wildly.

Kael saw his opening. The dragon's breath attack had left scorch marks across its chest where its scales were weakest. He poured every ounce of his remaining strength into his sword, plunging it into the exposed flesh. The Elder Dragon King howled, its body convulsing as golden light erupted from within.

The dragon collapsed, its massive body shaking the ground one final time. Kael stood atop it, his chest heaving as he pulled his sword free. The golden light faded, and the room fell silent. The Elder Dragon King, a being of incomprehensible power, was dead.

Kael staggered back, falling as exhaustion overtook him. The dragon's body began to disintegrate, leaving behind a shimmering crystal the Dragon King's Core.

He reached out, gripping the core tightly. A faint smile crossed his lips. "For Riven... for everyone your people has taken."

stats:

Strength: 850

Endurance: 820

Agility: 900

Mana: 950

Weapon Mastery (Sword): 100%

Regeneration: 100

Intelligence: 810

rewards

Dragon King's Core (SSS-Rank): Unlocks unparalleled draconic abilities.

Elder Dragon Scale Armor: Grants immunity to fire and massive durability.

Skill Tome: Draconic Wrath: Temporarily unleash the fury of an Elder Dragon.

Kael rose to his feet, his body battered but victorious. He gazed up ''what's the final boss''