With that deafening roar, kaelvren through himself into the horde. There was no time to think—no hesitation, just pure insanity.
His dagger glimmered like thunder in the dark sky, slicing through the first foe in his way—a Shadow Wolf lunging straight for his throat. In the final movement, he twisted, feeling the monster's hot breath brush against his skin before he plunged his blade deep into its mouth. Blood splattered across his face, warm and heavy, as the wolf collapsed, twitching violently while its life drained away.
>Ding!
[You have slain a Shadow Wolf.]
[You have obtained a defence-type Artifact.]
The system's voice echoed in his mind.
A sudden sensation coursed through his body—his wounds were closing, slowly but surely. His right arm, which had been numbed from pain, pulsed with renewed strength. Every kill sent a strange surge of energy through him, making him faster, sharper. But at the same time, his stamina plummeted. His breathing grew heavier, muscles screaming from overuse. With that he recalled the effect of his dagger
Soul Devour: Absorbs the life force of slain enemies, temporarily enhancing the wielder's strength, speed, and regeneration.
But this was not the time of reasoning but of insanity.
kael yanked his dagger out and turned—only to find another predator that was right in front of him.
A Plague Hound, its rotting flesh barely clinging to its bones, lunged directly at kael.
He hardly had a moment to respond—hopelessness seized him. He swung his leg, his boot colliding with the hound's jaw with a sickening snap. However, the monster hardly flinched. Instead, it spun in the mid-air, jaws snapping, and clamped its fangs deep into his calf.
Agony erupted throughout his body.
kael screamed as he felt the monster's teeth grind against his bone. His vision blurred, his muscles trembled, but he forced himself to move—he had to. Raising his dagger with shaking hands, he plunged it down, over and over, into the hound's skull. Each strike sent tremors through his arm, but he didn't stop—not until the monster twitched one last time and went still.
>Ding!
[You have slain a Plague Hound.]
His breath was ragged. His leg felt like it was on fire, his endurance fading, stamina draining with every passing second. But there was no time to stop.
More were coming.
A diminutive monster lunged at him, its tiny body moving like a streak. Kael responded immediately—his dagger flashed, cutting through the atmosphere. The monster's body split apart while jumping, its motionless fragments dispersing over the earth.
But before his recovery, a new threat emerged.
A Bone Vulture swooped down from the sky, skeletal wings slicing through the air. Its razor-sharp talons raked into Kael 's back, shredding through flesh and a leaving deep crimson lines. He tripped and fell forward, barely keeping his balance.
Focus. Kael. Focus.
Don't fall. Keep moving, he said to himself.
The vulture hovered back around to get ready for another attack. Kael's muscles tensed up like a spring as he gritted his teeth. He held his dagger tighter and waited. The timing was everything.
He hit the creature the moment it dove.
The blade hit the flesh.
The vulture shrieked, its body flailing wildly as Kael 's dagger tore through its throat. Blood gushed from the wound as the monster crashed into the ground, twitching before falling still.
>Ding!
[You have slain a Bone Vulture.]
[You have obtained a Utility-type Artifact.]
Kael had a chilling thought while the battle was going on.
This is it. This is the place where I die.
But he wasn't afraid of it.
That's fine. But if I die, I will die as a warrior.
I fight to the death.
His grip tightened around his dagger, sliping from his fingers , bracing himself for the next wave of assault. But before he could react, a new monster charged toward him it was a Gorefiend.
A hulking monstrosity of twisted muscle and insatiable hunger.
The ground trembled under its charge. But before Kael could even react— that monstrosity slammed into him with a bone-crushing force and that impact sent him flying.
His body slammed against the ground with brutal force. Manny ribs broke. For a second, all he could do was lie there, dazed—choking on the pain.
But there was no time lying because
The Gorefiend was already upon him.
Its massive claw wrapped around his throat, yanked him off the ground like a ragdoll. The pressure crushed his windpipe the pain massive claw was unbearable—his vision darkened, his lungs begging for air. His dagger hand lashed out, stabbing, slashing but nothing happened it was uselessly, barely leaving any scratch on the monster's thick hide.
The strength of the creature was beyond anything he had assumed.
Am I going to die?
After everything... was this really the end?
No. Not like this.
Not like this!
Summoning whatever little strength he had left, Kael brought his knee up and—with a deafening roar, slamming it into the Gorefiend's ribs.
The monster barely flinched.
Desperation took over. He clawed at its face, his fingers jamming into its eyes.
The Gorefiend howled, its grip loosening just slightly.
The thing barely twitched.
Kael pulled his dagger and stabbed it into the right eye socket of the monster with a single quick, precise blow.
A shriek tore through the stormy night as the monster staggered, clutching at its ruined face.
Kael didn't wait.
The monster staggered, its massive hands clawing at its ruined face. Because he didn't give want to give that monstrosity any chance to regain he senses.
He launched himself forward.
Yanking his dagger into its throat—deep.
He twisted.
The dagger cut through muscle and bone until— it struck the bone.
Crak
The Gorefiend's body spasmed, blood bubbling from its mouth.
Then—it dropped, hitting the earth like a falling mountain.
>Ding!
[You have slain a Gorefiend.]
[You have obtained a Weapon-Type Artifact.]
Kael drop to his knees, gasping for air.
His body was destroyed. His vision becoming hazy due to the blood loss. Each of his body was screaming in agony. injuries were too profound—too critical.
He wasn't going to survive for much longer..
Yet, the manny monsters kept coming.
His power was diminishing.
But still, he picked up his dagger. Its weight had increased.
The environment surrounding him moved.
From the shadows, a Harbinger Abomination emerged—a grotesque, towering mass of writhing tendrils and hollow, soulless eyes.
It focused on him, hunger oozing from its wide-open jaws.
Kaelvren attempted to rise.
His legs wouldn't comply.
The Abomination surged forward.
Pain surged through his torso.
Talons punctured his stomach, raising him off the ground.
His breathing faltered.
His fingers trembled.
Blood gathered in his mouth.
The monster kept him in mid-air, relishing the experience. Its jaws gaped wide, repugnant air sweeping across his face, smelling of rot.
He was dying.
His body was deteriorating.
His thoughts were fading.
But then—a spark ignited in his vision.
…
A notification flashed before his eyes.
>Ding!
[You have partially unlocked your bloodline.]
A soft blue light shimmered around Kael's body—like a bolt of thunder enclosed inside his flesh. It was short, nearly unnoticed, but in that moment, everything change.
The Abomination's claws, embedded deep in his torso, hesitated.
But only for a fraction of a second, the monster flinched.
The sensation—it wasn't pain. It was something else. Something that made the abomination wary.
But Kael lacked the opportunity to reflect on it.
Instincts took charge.
Using every bit of his strength, he yanked his arm loose and plunged his dagger into the Abomination's neck.
The Abomination flinched, emitting a cry of pain. Its grip loosened. Kael plummeted, hitting the ground hard.
Pain surged through his ruined body.
His ribs were shattered. His lungs were on fire. His sight blurred.
Move. Move you shit body.
But his limbs refused to obey his order. His body had reached its limit.
The battle wasn't over, but his strength was diminished.
The monsters around him sensed it.
The growls intensified in volume.
The growls encircled him.
More creatures lunged forward.
But before they could reach him—
The ground beneath him disappeared.
Kael's body plummeted in the mid air.
The battlefield vanished below him, replaced by a dark abyss.
He was falling.
The cliff had crumbled beneath him.
And now—there was nothing but the void below.
The wind wailing in his ears.
It was wild—merciless battle let have peace now.
That was also not available because screaming of past was awaking him..
As he plummeted through the abyss. His body tumbled, weightless, broken in ripples of agony. His consciousness wavered, slipping further with every second.
Yet, even as the darkness swallowed him, even as the monsters above watched from the cliff's edge, Kalvren grinned.
Weak. Defiant.
Blood trickled from his lips as he let out a gasping, rasping breath.
"Come and get me, you damn dogs…"
His voice was barely more than a whisper, drowned by the wind.
"I'm not dying in your mouths hahaha ."
And then—his vision blurred.
A haze settled over his mind.
A single thought flickered in the dying embers of his awareness—
If word ever reached in the real world…
That a half-dead boy had stood alone, with one arm, and brought down Rank 9 monsters—hell, even Rank 7s—they'd probably call me a genius. A monster. A once-in-a-generation prodigy.
A legend.
And yet, as i am drifting deep into the dark…
None of it mattered.
Not the glory. Not the titles.
Not the strength.
Because I am dying.
And in the end, I had failed the only promise that mattered to me.
The vow that he wouldn't end up like them.
I vow not to fall the same way i my parents
did. Not to die alone having a misery full death.
But here I am.
Falling.
Just like them.
The wind wailed around him, cold as death.
His eyelids sagged.
His heartbeat slowed.
And in that final, quiet moment, as the void opened wide to claim him—
Kaelvren closed his eyes.