Surviving These Unfair Scenarios [LITRPG - DIMENSION HOPPING]

The aftermath of the last clash still echoed through the battlefield. Adam and Drake stood at opposite ends of the shattered plaza, the distance between them carved out by sheer force. Dust swirled through the air in lazy trails, slowly settling over broken stone and scorched earth.

The possessed Adam still wore that maddening smile, his posture relaxed as if nothing had happened. In contrast, Drake remained completely still, his massive blade lowered but ready, and his eyes never leaving his opponent. The sea of ghosts had withdrawn, dispersing outward in all directions, leaving the square nearly empty again.

In the nearby areas, Solène's body had not remained in the same place where she had initially collapsed. The massive shockwaves that had torn through the plaza during the battle had thrown her around repeatedly, dragging her across cracked stone and shattered debris. Her limbs had struck against uneven ground, and the force of the impacts had left her clothes torn and scorched. Yet, despite the violence she had endured, her body remained remarkably intact. She now lay sprawled near the edge of the plaza, partially covered by broken slabs of stone and scattered remnants of nearby buildings.

Her dragonkin resilience had shielded her from fatal damage, well, more than the damage she already had, with blood seeping slowly from the wound on her shoulder and the long cut trailing down the side of her chest. Miraculously still alive.

On the other hand, Konrad was a wreck. His robes were torn, the hem burned and smeared with dirt and blood. His face was pale and drenched in sweat, his hands trembling uncontrollably. He had been thrown into a section of the plaza where a collapsed column had partially shielded him from the worst of the destruction, but not enough to keep him unharmed. His knees buckled as he tried to stand, only to drop back down with a grunt of pain. His left arm hung limply by his side, likely dislocated or fractured, and his right hand clutched his staff like a lifeline.

His breathing was ragged, and his expression had lost all arrogance. His eyes were locked onto the center of the square, and the terror reflected in them made it clear that he had realized how far things had escalated beyond his control.

Katya had landed with more precision than most, but even her agility had been tested by the chaos. After being thrown by the explosions, she had managed to redirect her fall and crash onto the sloped rooftop of a nearby building. She slid several meters across the tiles before catching herself on the edge with both hands. Now she crouched there, her left leg bent and her right arm resting on her knee. Her breathing was steady, but her chest rose and fell with visible strain. Her long white hair was disheveled, and her glasses were slightly cracked on one lens. She had transformed the new Tulpa into a scythe again, holding it close to her side to use as an anchor. Her expression was unreadable, her eyes fixed directly on Adam with intensity, as she calculated her options and assessed the situation in real-time with sharp focus. She had not spoken a word since the last wave had struck, but her posture made it clear that she was not about to retreat even if she wanted to and search for Kazue.

Finally, Angela's situation was better than the rest; she had remained airborne, though barely. The girl had survived by chaining several platforms of hardened ink beneath her feet in quick succession. Each one had taken the brunt of a shockwave or caught her between gusts of cursed wind and flying debris. Her control had been precise, but the effort had left her drained. She now floated just above the ground on a flickering platform, her legs stiff and arms heavy.

She gripped her brush like a blade, its tip glowing faintly with residual energy. Her eyes darted from the summoned horrors to the possessed form of Adam, trying to determine what would happen next. Her body trembled slightly, not out of fear, but from the limits of her endurance. She was covered in bruises and cuts, but none were life-threatening. Still, the exhaustion was evident in her movements.

The battlefield had momentarily settled, but Drake moved again. In an instant, he vanished from his position and reappeared directly in front of Adam, his sword already in motion. The blade came down in a wide arc, glowing with divine and Ki-infused energy. Adam managed to react at the last second, raising the violet, spiked spear to intercept. The resulting collision exploded outward, sending another shockwave across the ruins, rattling every remaining structure and scattering debris.

Adam slid back several meters, his boots skidding across stone. He laughed, brushing dust from his sleeve and twirling the spear once in his hand.

"Woah!"

He said in that distorted voice, the empress's echo layered beneath his own.

"I'm flattered. You're so eager to get close. Aren't you being a little too pushy for our first real encounter?"

Drake didn't answer. His body blurred again, moving at blinding speed toward Adam once more. But this time, the possessed body didn't stay to receive the strike. The boy vanished just as Drake's blade sliced through the space he had occupied. The blond turned on reflex, eyes locking onto his target as Adam reappeared far to the side, floating just above the ground, one hand lazily holding the spear, the other raised and fingers poised to snap.

"Besides, that's not how I fight. I don't see any point in dirtying my own hands."

Adam said calmly, still smiling. With a sharp snap, three enormous circles of cursed energy manifested in the air before him. Black and violet glyphs twisted in unnatural patterns, and an oppressive pressure descended on the battlefield.

The first figure to emerge was massive—taller than any of the buildings still standing.

The summoned entity stepped through with a mechanical grace, its twin-crowned heads scanning the area independently. Its golden scythe arms gleamed with malicious light, and the flickering blue flame in its chest pulsed with unholy rhythm. A system window flashed in front of Drake's eyes, displaying the name:

The being took its place beside Adam, radiating a perfect balance of offensive and defensive might. The second figure stepped forth immediately after.

Slender and translucent, its body resembled a humanoid silhouette made from coalesced cursed energy. It had no face—only a sphere of swirling ectoplasm where its head should be. The Ancient Ethernomicon floated slightly above the ground, its presence chilling and incomprehensible. Another system window appeared for Drake:

The air grew heavier. Even without attacking, these creatures were rewriting the rules of the battlefield with their presence alone. And finally, the third summoning circle cracked open like glass shattering.

A figure stepped out slowly, one foot in front of the other. It was a woman, or what once had been. Her body was a grotesque blend of corrupted elegance and insectoid horror. Her skin was a mix of sickly green and raw pink, her limbs armored in biological plates, her posture regal but twisted. Four jagged appendages arched over her shoulders like bladed wings, twitching subtly with each movement. Drake's system flashed one final notification:

Drake's eyes narrowed. He recognized that name. But the creature standing before him bore little resemblance to the once-elegant Abbess he knew.

Adam floated above his new minions, spear resting across his shoulders, looking completely at ease.

"Now this."

He said with delight.

"This is how I like to fight."

Drake said nothing, but his body lowered slightly, shifting into a new stance. He could feel it. This was not a confrontation he could treat lightly. Each of these summoned beings held power on a scale most users would never witness in their lifetime. And Adam—no, the thing inside Adam—was wielding them as casually as toys. Yet even with that pressure surrounding him, Drake's grip on his blade didn't falter… He was not afraid.

Suddenly, the blond's wings pulsed with divine energy, the feathers multiplying and expanding until four colossal wings arched from his back. Each one radiated power, not just for flight but brimming with destructive potential and protective force. The aura they exuded pushed the air back, warping the edges of the plaza as light bent unnaturally around him. In his hands, his massive blade shimmered, pulsing with a deep golden hue. It responded to his will, resonating with his Ki and divine energy, ready to cut through anything that stood in his way.

Opposite him, the spectral tide had reorganized. Adam still floated slightly above the broken plaza, the Empress's grin stretched across his face. His expression did not falter. Instead, it grew, lips curling upward as his summons aligned in formation around him. They were not just ghosts; each of the three summoned figures possessed power that distorted the ground beneath them. Abbess's new form radiated corrupted energy that withered even the nearby stone. Her robes, once sacred, now twisted and corrupted, pulsed with disease and blight. Her wings, blackened and spined, moved unnaturally as if alive. The Cursed Emperor of Envy stood to her left, its twin crowned heads motionless, gazes set on both the battlefield and its future. Its four golden scythes gleamed, unmoving for now. To the right, the Ancient Ethernomicon hovered silently, its featureless body composed of translucent cursed energy, the swirling sphere where its head should be glowing with eerie ectoplasmic light.

Drake moved first. The plaza cracked beneath his feet as he lunged forward. With a single beat of his four divine wings, he shot forward like a thunderbolt. In an instant, he was in front of the Emperor of Envy, blade raised high. The scythes moved to intercept. Steel clashed with cursed gold, sparks of divine energy spraying into the sky as both forces collided. The Emperor's foresight let it block every slash, countering before Drake's muscles could fully contract, yet the boy's strength forced it back with every blow.

He did not hesitate. As the scythes pushed against his weapon, he spun, wings folding inward and releasing a burst of energy that knocked the Emperor several meters back. The sound of the impact echoed for kilometers. Before the Emperor could reorient itself, Abbess was already in motion, her wings unfolding wide as she unleashed a swarm of infectious mist that surged toward Drake.

He countered with a swing of his blade, divine energy cutting through the plague mist like a blade through cloth. But it wasn't just the mist—Abbess herself shot through the cloud like a spear, her corrupted claws raised. Drake blocked the strike mid-air, but the force sent him sliding back, his heels carving deep trenches in the shattered plaza floor.

Adam watched with delight as his creations executed perfectly synchronized attacks, and still Drake stood his ground. His wings folded forward, forming a radiant shield that absorbed the next strike. His blade cleaved the next round of airborne projectiles, cutting through the decaying energy like light through shadow. The summons pressed in, but the blond responded with precision, every movement a masterclass of martial discipline and transcendent force.

The Emperor of Envy struck again, spinning its body unnaturally as all four scythes came down at once. Drake blocked two, sidestepped the third, and parried the fourth with the flat of his blade, using the force to pivot and crash his shoulder into the Emperor's armored torso. The impact knocked the creature back, yet it didn't fall to the ground. It adjusted instantly, predicting Drake's next motion and preparing to retaliate, only for the boy to interrupt the pattern by shifting angles entirely, slashing low then high, never repeating the same move twice.

Abbess returned to the fray. Her claws split open at the top, releasing a cascade of plague worms that dove toward Drake. He struck the ground with his sword, divine light erupting in a circle around him, disintegrating the worms in a flash. When she approached, her wings raised for another strike, the blond's own wings moved to counter. Divine and plague clashed mid-air, feathers made of light against tendrils of rot. The explosion blew both of them away, but Drake recovered first.

The ground around him was already half-destroyed, but his breath remained steady. His expression hadn't changed. Not even a flicker of emotion passed through his eyes. His wings flared again, and his fine clothes burned with layered Ki. Light bled from every inch of his frame. He was wounded, but not fatigued. Outnumbered, but not overwhelmed.

The Ancient Ethernomicon did not join the direct battle. It remained behind, drifting across the ruined square in complete silence, its ethereal frame untouched by the chaos. The being floated with weightless grace, arms lifted as it summoned its technique. Slowly, a concentrated mass of spirits began to swirl between its hands.

The skill [Soul Weave Sphere] activated without effort. A sphere of energy formed, spinning and stretching as it condensed a storm of ghosts into a single swirling mass. The apparitions flowed directly from Adam's body. He hovered in the background, reclined midair, laughing softly while thousands of spirits surged from his chest and poured into the growing sphere. The Ancient Ethernomicon welcomed them with open arms. It absorbed them, structured them, and gave them form. It crafted the sphere not as a weapon but as a ritual device.

Meanwhile, Drake was fully occupied. His movements never slowed, his breathing never faltered, and his strikes remained unrelenting. Against Abbess and the Cursed Emperor of Envy, he had shown no hesitation, even as both enemies attacked him in tandem, he adapted. His four divine wings moved like limbs of their own, shielding his sides and striking down counters whenever an opening appeared.

The Cursed Emperor of Envy moved with inhuman grace, its golden scythes cutting through the air with perfect trajectories. Its insectoid legs struck the ground, then rebounded without delay. It launched itself forward, reading the future with one head while calculating probabilities with the other. Simultaneously, Abbess struck with unrelenting intensity. Her plague wings expanded and collapsed with rhythmic power, each flap releasing bursts of corrupted miasma.

She danced around Drake with a wild rhythm, striking from multiple angles, claws and corrupted energy pushing at every blind spot. Her speed was devastating, but the blond turned with each attempt, catching her wrist, redirecting her strikes, countering with his elbow or shoulder before twisting away to meet the Emperor's next strike. It was a fight with no pause. Each second carried a hundred movements. Dust never had time to settle beneath them.

However, the Ancient Ethernomicon finally moved. The sphere was ready. It tilted its featureless head as it selected a soul from within the spinning mass. With care, it reached in and plucked it out. The ghost twisted in its grasp, flickering violently. The Ethernomicon's hand closed. A soundless crunch followed. The soul was crushed and vanished, while the skill [Let's Make a Death Wish] was activated.

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A pulse of dark force crossed the plaza and pierced Drake's chest. He stopped moving. His blade froze mid-swing, his mouth opened slightly, and a sharp exhale escaped before blood surged from between his lips. He stumbled back, gritting his teeth. The damage had not struck his flesh, it had bypassed his defenses. His soul trembled, and a jolt of agony spread through him, deeper than pain. For a second, he could not breathe, his arms slackened, and he fell to one knee.

But that brief moment was enough… Abbess lunged forward, her plague wings twisting like blades. The Cursed Emperor moved in from the opposite side, four golden scythes swinging with perfect coordination. Both reached him. Plague and curse rained down. Drake's wings formed a barrier in the last instant, absorbing part of the impact, but the blows still connected. His shoulder cracked, and his ki armor buckled. Blood splattered, and his body was thrown back.

And still, he did not fall. As he crashed against a chunk of broken wall, he pushed off it and forced himself upright again. His breath was ragged as his hands shook. He wiped blood from his lips while his eyes burned with silver fire. Across the plaza, Adam continued to float, still laughing, relaxed and amused. The Ancient Ethernomicon reached for another soul.

Drake didn't wait. He pushed off the ground, leaping high. The glow of his wings flared. He shot into the air to create distance. He needed time to think, even if only for a breath. His legs buckled when he landed, but he stood again. His enemies pursued immediately. Abbess spread her wings. The Emperor of Envy darted forward, blades ready.

Once again, the Ethernomicon reached into the sphere. Another soul was selected and destroyed. The attack hit Drake again. His legs gave out. He clenched his jaw. Blood spilled from his mouth as the pain surged again—unseen, unhealable. The same part of him trembled, the part that wasn't protected by muscle or energy. He couldn't shield his soul from this.

Yet he did not collapse. He forced his body upright just as Abbess reached him, her claws clashing against his sword in a fierce exchange. This time, however, his defense was smoother, his stance anchored with precision, and his arms no longer trembling. He adjusted the angle of his blade to redirect her strikes rather than absorbing them.

The Emperor of Envy closed the distance right behind her, bringing all four of its golden scythes to bear, two descending from above and two sweeping low toward his legs. Drake shifted his weight and rotated, allowing one of his radiant wings to deflect the upper strikes while his blade arced downward to meet the others. Sparks scattered from the impact as his sword slid across one of the Emperor's arms, slicing through its plating and releasing a thin spray of cursed ichor. The two invocations fell back, forced to regroup under the weight of his renewed resistance.

From across the square, Adam tilted his head and gave a long, amused whistle, his expression unreadable.

"Well, that sure was impressive."

He murmured as if speaking to himself, though his voice carried clearly in the silent air. Drake stood still, his chest rising and falling in deep, controlled breaths. Blood still leaked from the corner of his mouth, and his Ki armor was cracked across multiple sections, but his footing had stabilized, and his vision remained sharp.

Slowly, his eyes turned toward the Ancient Ethernomicon, which remained hovering in place without any sign of urgency. The spectral construct was already reaching once again toward the sphere of swirling souls it had created, preparing to repeat the same devastating technique.

Drake took a deep breath. His fingers tightened around the hilt of his sword as his stance lowered slightly, drawing his energy inward. The battered remains of his Ki armor continued to flicker with golden light, the divine essence within him refusing to dissipate. The pressure in the air shifted, and the ghostly laughter faded. Even the Ethernomicon seemed to pause momentarily. The boy's eyes closed for only a moment, and when they opened again, the irises had transformed—two perfect Yin-Yang symbols rotated in place, glowing faintly. The surrounding Divine Ki responded immediately, stabilizing as if recognizing the change. He had invoked it now—one of his unsealed specializations, his peak mental state [Heavenly Daoist].

The atmosphere changed instantly. Even the cursed energy surrounding the plaza felt a moment of tension, a sharp silence that fell like the drawing of a blade. From his vantage point in the sky, Adam tilted his head slightly. His smile had not disappeared, but it no longer reached his eyes. The Ethernomicon resumed its motion, fingers curling once more toward the trembling souls within its floating sphere.

As it crushed the next soul, the skill triggered again, and Abbess and the Emperor of Envy moved without hesitation. It was the same sequence. The soul died, the cursed pain would seize Drake, and then the summons would strike. It had worked twice… But this time, it didn't.

The instant the soul crumbled in the Ethernomicon's grip, nothing happened. No internal rupture. No soul burn. No blood.

Drake stood exactly as he had a moment before. His body did not react, his expression remained cold, calm, and unwavering. Abbess was already mid-dash, her claws extended forward. She didn't notice the difference as her wings spread open, preparing to strike from both sides. The Emperor of Envy, however, had seen it.

Its twin heads tilted slightly. The one gazing into the future paused, and its movements stuttered for the first time. It hesitated just as its bladed arms began to swing. It took a half-step back, retreating with unnatural speed, just barely stopping its attack.

However, Abbess did not. She came in fast, both claws forward, her body encased in plague energy. But the moment she reached Drake, he moved.

His sword came up, glowing with the full force of stabilized divine energy and Imperial Ki. His wing swept out behind her, cutting off her escape route. His blade flashed forward in a straight arc that left no room for evasion. It struck her side cleanly. The force sent her spiraling across the plaza. Her body skidded violently through the stone until she slammed into a broken pillar and fell to the ground. Dust and debris exploded outward from the impact.

The Emperor of Envy did not pursue. It stayed still for a moment, evaluating what had changed. Its crowned heads stared intently at Drake. The divine aura now encircling him did not flicker like before. It was perfectly controlled, compressed around his form like a second skin. His movements had become even more precise, almost too perfect, as if he could now sense the flow of combat before it even unfolded. His breathing was even when his wounds remained; it seemed as if the damage had stabilized.

The Ancient Ethernomicon stood still again, watching. The failure was evident, but it didn't stop. It reached for another soul. Adam, still floating in the air some distance away, grinned again. The expression had twisted into something cruel, something unstable. He clapped lazily, pretending to be entertained, but his fingers twitched with annoyance.

Drake advanced while the Emperor of Envy launched in again, its movements more cautious this time, attempting to flank. The blond met its scythes directly, his wings shielding one direction, his blade meeting the next. The scythes struck, but they failed to land cleanly. Even when one grazed his side, it didn't break through fully. His control over both Divine Energy and Imperial Ki had reached perfect balance, granting him not just resilience but clarity.

Abbess joined again after recovering, sending a barrage of plague projectiles toward him. Drake raised his hand, summoning a circular shield of pure Imperial Ki, reinforced with Divine patterning. The plague blasts hit it and dispersed. He countered immediately by slamming his foot into the ground and launching forward again, his wings pushing him like a burst of divine propulsion.

The blond collided with Abbess in the air, forcing her to block with her claws. Their struggle turned mid-air as they clashed above the broken plaza, spinning through it, wings crossing as sparks of divine light and plaguefire scattered around. The Emperor tried to catch up, but Drake kicked off Abbess, spun mid-air, and slashed downward at the incoming scythes. The impact drove the monstrous creation back several meters, forcing it to land awkwardly.

The Ancient Ethernomicon activated the skill again, its sphere pulsing stronger now. But when the soul shattered, Drake didn't react at all. His body didn't even slow… It had become ineffective.

It was now obvious that the ability no longer worked on him. Adam's smile dropped for the first time, his hand pausing mid-clap. His eyes followed the clash unfolding before him. For someone who had been playing with everyone like toys, this was not the direction he wanted.

Drake moved to land again, standing in the middle of the battlefield. He raised one arm slowly toward the sky, and a shift occurred.

Above him, space twisted as a massive circular structure began to form above his head. A wooden, ornate door, clearly inspired by ancient eastern architecture, rotated slowly as it descended. Carved patterns of dragons and constellations danced along its frame, and from within its center, a blinding light began to emerge.

Then it opened, and from the center of the gate, something massive began to emerge. Scales shimmered like molten rubies, and a mane of dark crimson flowed across its body like living flame. It had no wings, but its serpentine form stretched endlessly, twisting out from the gate as if it connected to another dimension entirely. The air bent under the pressure of its arrival. A deep guttural sound echoed across the battlefield, not a roar, but the weight of authority.

The Northern Emperor of Murim had arrived.

The Eclipse-Crowned Vermillion Dragon hovered over the plaza, its body large enough to wrap around entire buildings. It was so large that its presence alone dimmed the sunlight. Its glowing eyes fixed on Drake, and after a moment of silence, it spoke.

"There is deep darkness in your heart."

It said, its voice ancient and layered, filled with power that didn't need to shout to be heard.

"But within you... I sense the echo of the Immortal Emperor once more. You have called me not with words, but with truth. So I shall answer."

The Vermillion Dragon loomed above the plaza, its colossal form coiling through the air with a presence that shattered the battle's rhythm. Its crimson scales shimmered under the lingering energy of the last exchange, and each movement of its serpentine body dragged violent gusts across the field. The summoning gate above Drake had vanished, replaced by the full manifestation of a being that dwarfed everything else present. Even Abbess and the Emperor of Envy, as powerful as they were, found their footing compromised by the sheer pressure it emitted.

The dragon did not speak again, but its intent was clear. Its eyes glowed with an ancient light, and it began to descend, wrapping its body through the battlefield. The temperature surged as its breath ignited, casting flames that didn't simply burn but devoured space itself. Abbess leapt back immediately, wings spreading in defense as she formed a wall of corrupted mist to block the incoming fire. The Emperor of Envy raised his four scythes and spun rapidly, creating a barrier of golden arcs to slice through the flames. It worked, but only partially. The fire carved deep trenches into the stone, melted remnants of the previous fight now indistinguishable.

Drake moved forward without hesitation, his body surging with renewed energy. With the dragon at his side, the tempo shifted entirely. His wings beat once, and he vanished, appearing in front of Abbess. His blade swung in a controlled arc, heavy but precise. The undead woman caught the strike with her claws, but her feet skidded back on impact. The boy didn't give her time to recover. A second swing came from below, forcing her to block again. Behind her, the dragon's tail whipped forward, sweeping at the Emperor of Envy and forcing him to leap into the air to avoid being crushed.

The battlefield became chaotic. Fire, steel, cursed energy, and divine pressure collided with no pause. The summoned enemies were no longer dominating. Abbess struggled to keep pace. Her movements were fast, but Drake had adjusted, his counters too sharp and well-timed. The Emperor of Envy remained a threat, but even with his predictive abilities, the size and raw power of the Vermillion Dragon made his future-seeing unreliable. Each attack from the dragon forced the Emperor to defend rather than predict. Every swing of its body was like an earthquake, and its claws tore through any other cursed projectile like paper.

Drake continued pressing forward, no longer defending or reacting. He and the dragon fought in complete harmony, weaving through each other's movements without hesitation. When the dragon breathed fire, Drake attacked the blind spots it created. When Drake forced one of the enemies to dodge, the dragon struck from the flanks. They moved like two parts of a single mind.

Adam, watching from above, noticed the change. His smile had already faded. He clicked his tongue once, displeased.

"Annoying."

He muttered, his voice no longer playful.

Below, Abbess was pushed back again. One of her plague wings had been scorched by the fire, and though her regeneration had already begun, she wasn't recovering fast enough to regain control of the rhythm. The Emperor of Envy darted forward with a spinning barrage of scythe strikes, forcing Drake to guard, but the dragon countered immediately, striking down from above and driving the Emperor back.

The summoned invocations were not designed to lose. Their power was immense, their synergy deliberate. But this was no longer their battlefield. The arrival of the Vermillion Dragon had unbalanced everything. Even the Ancient Ethernomicon, which had previously remained calmly at the rear, was no longer casting. Its glowing sphere of souls floated above its hands, but it hadn't moved since the dragon appeared. Its headless form tilted slightly, as if curious, but even it was now calculating. Whatever arrogance it had displayed before had been replaced by caution.

Drake kept moving. His blade was relentless, and each clash carved new marks into Abbess's form. Her corrupted robes were torn. The Emperor of Envy still defended her, but he was not pushing forward anymore. That distinction marked the turning point.

The firestorm escalated. The Vermillion Dragon coiled tighter around the plaza, leaving no space untouched. Its breath created a ring of searing heat that contained the battle and forced the enemies inward. Each time it struck, the ground shook. Each time it roared, the curse energy surrounding Adam wavered slightly.

The boy's gaze remained fixed on the battlefield. The amusement that had lit his face earlier was gone.

The tide had turned. He could see it clearly. The Vermillion Dragon's dominance had tipped the balance, and Drake, even wounded, was fighting with the kind of fury that didn't belong to someone ready to fall. Adam raised a hand to his chin and clicked his tongue once more. It wasn't frustration. It was disappointment. This was not the outcome he had anticipated.

Then something changed… From deep within Adam's body, a voice echoed. It didn't come from his mouth, and it didn't belong to the Empress either. It reverberated through his very core, a slow and casual voice that carried the weight of ancient mockery.

"Little girl, you're making quite a mess."

It said. Adam blinked. His eyes sharpened, and for the first time since the fight began, a real expression of confusion crossed his face. He looked down at his chest, not at anything in particular, just downward.

"Who are you?"

He asked. His tone lacked the bravado he'd shown earlier. It was cautious, but curious. The voice answered immediately, as though it had been waiting.

"Me? I'm just a lingering agreement. An unbreakable deal that the young lich made long before you showed up."

Adam's brows furrowed. The Empress, who had been in full control of the body, remained silent for a second. Then she took a breath and regained composure.

"A contract? With who?"

The voice chuckled.

"With me, of course. You can call me Malzaphir. The one your little undead pet swore himself to. And while he's... unavailable... you'll do."

Adam narrowed his eyes. His voice dropped.

"So I'm bound to the same terms just because I'm in his body?"

"That's right, possession comes with responsibility. Especially when you step into shoes that weren't yours to fill."

Malzaphir replied, with no concern. Adam tilted his head and muttered something under his breath, more annoyed than worried. Then she spoke again, her tone sharp.

"What were the terms of the contract?"

Malzaphir didn't answer immediately. Instead, there was another soft laugh. It echoed like it didn't care about time or urgency.

"Oh, not much. Just that you keep me entertained. That's all. Show me interesting things, or I'll abandon this boring shell and tear the soul inside apart."

Adam frowned deeper. There was no sign of panic, but her tone turned colder.

"That's it?"

"You're perceptive."

Malzaphir said.

"Yes. That's all. Just keep me amused. That was the price for a bit of help now and then. I give power, and you make sure I don't fall asleep. Simple, isn't it?"

Adam looked back at the battlefield. The Dragon Emperor had just unleashed another wave of flame. Abbess was evading, and the Emperor of Envy was recoiling from a counterstrike by Drake. The situation was slipping further out of control.

Adam's voice returned, lower this time.

"How about now?"

The pause that followed was brief, but deliberate. Malzaphir didn't answer with words at first. A soft rumble vibrated in the air around Adam's body. Then the laughter returned, louder now, more delighted.

"Now?"

He said with a chuckle.

"Now is perfect. This is far more entertaining than before. Let's make things... interesting."

Adam closed his eyes for a second. When he opened them, there was a faint red gleam beginning to spread through the whites of his eyes. It wasn't divine, and it wasn't cursed either. It was something else. Malzaphir's energy had begun to rise. From within Adam's chest, power started to stir.

The devilish energy exploded upward in an instant.

It tore through the air like a vertical storm, ripping a pillar of void straight into the sky. No color remained inside it. It consumed light, space, and sound. The ground beneath Adam's feet cracked and withered. The stone blackened, and everything around him seemed to pull away. Katya, Angela, and Konrad, though far enough to avoid direct impact, instinctively braced themselves as the oppressive energy hit them like a tidal force. Even the ghosts that still hovered at the edge of the square were eradicated instantly, consumed without resistance by the sheer dominance of Malzaphir's emergence.

Above the square, Adam's body now hovered with his arms outstretched. His back arched slightly, fingers twitching. The pillar of energy continued to roar upward behind him, twisting the clouds, shaking the buildings, and dimming the sky.

Drake, still recovering beside the Vermillion Dragon, turned his gaze toward the source. His breath caught in his throat, and the dragon beside him narrowed its eyes.

"That is not the same cursed power as before."

The dragon said. Drake didn't answer. His hands tightened around his blade.

Adam's laughter intensified as the energy within him surged. His body had become the conduit of something far greater, and the entity in control did not need to explain itself.

The Empress inside Adam was no longer just manifesting her own power. She had been empowered by Malzaphir, and the result was overwhelming. The devilish energy he had granted her pulsed through every fiber of the body she inhabited. It was raw, malevolent, and deeply compatible with her nature. She embraced it fully, allowing it to spread without restraint. It made her feel alive in a way she hadn't since forever. She felt limitless.

Malzaphir had said nothing further; his presence was evident in the distortion of the sky, in the sudden pressure that fell across the ruined square, in the tremors that spread with each heartbeat of cursed power. Stones cracked without being touched.

At the center of it all, Adam's body remained aloft. His arms were extended outward as if welcoming the surge of energy now coursing through him. His head tilted back slowly, and his eyes shone with a fierce light, a mixture of red and black that pulsed like an infernal flame. The laughter that echoed from him was not just loud—it was vibrant, triumphant, and uncontained. The energy surrounding him climbed higher into the sky, its pillar widening as it grew. The heavens themselves appeared to react, with the clouds spiraling around the column, pulled inward like a draining vortex.

The scene did not end with a statement or a final blow. It ended with a vision burned into the minds of everyone present—Adam's body suspended in the heart of a spiraling vortex, radiating devilish power, his laughter rising endlessly into the corrupted sky.