[Curse of Slowness]
Dyren leapt backward. He raised his sword and slashed forward. The projectile fired by Alzahkar was split into two. The blast exploded behind Dyren. He advanced, more confident. As Alzahkar began chanting another spell, his mouth moved slower.
Dyren was already very close. Alzahkar raised his fist to punch Dyren with his massive hand. Dyren saw it. Just as Alzahkar's fist was about to hit him—something blocked the punch. Something extremely hard stopped Alzahkar's blow.
"Reflect."
Alzahkar's hand bounced off. His body was nearly pushed back. He regained his balance. He saw Dyren now right next to his feet. He opened his mouth and started chanting again. Unfortunately, it was too late, as the Curse of Slowness skill reduced his casting speed by 10%.
He fired a powerful beam of dark magic, like a laser. The attack was incredibly fast, but at the same time, Dyren had already slashed at Alzahkar's leg. The slash was strong—one of Alzahkar's legs was severed. However, at that same moment, the dark beam almost hit Dyren.
[Absolute Shield]
A transparent shield blocked Alzahkar's attack. It even deflected it elsewhere. At the same time, Alzahkar's body fell to the altar floor. Two pillars at the side of the altar toppled, crushed by Alzahkar's body. Blood dripped from his severed leg.
"Aaaaarrrghh!" Alzahkar screamed in pain. "I'll kill you, human!" he roared.
A powerful aura burst from Alzahkar's body, creating a violent gust of wind. Dyren was pushed back—even while using the Absolute Shield, he was still flung back and slammed into the room's wall.
Alzahkar stood again. His leg regenerated, but now his form had changed. His body turned red, with crimson-black eyes and two large wings on his back. His size was also now much smaller—he stood at only two meters tall.
He glared at Dyren, eyes full of killing intent. "I will never forgive you, bastard!" Alzahkar shouted.
With one stomp, Alzahkar vanished. Dyren's eyes couldn't keep up with the demon's movement. In an instant, he appeared behind Dyren. His fist was already swinging. The pressure of the punch could be felt even before it landed. Dyren's body was forced downward.
"Damn it."
Dyren tried to turn around. But it was too late. He activated Absolute Shield once again. The shield blocked Alzahkar's punch, but Dyren's body was still thrown. He tumbled from the blow. Quickly, he stood back up and took a battle stance.
Clang!
The shield shattered. Dyren was shocked that his defense had been broken. This wasn't good for him.
"Got you!" Alzahkar said.
Before Dyren could react, Alzahkar had already appeared in front of him. A punch infused with thick dark energy flew toward Dyren. He tried to block, but didn't make it in time. His Absolute Shield was on cooldown.
BAM!
The punch hit Dyren's face. He was thrown back hard and slammed into the wall, leaving a Dyren-shaped hole. His facial bones shifted. The pain was immense.
Dyren stood up and took a deep breath. "So this is my limit."
He wasn't disappointed by the result. It was already more than satisfying. A Necromancer wasn't a one-on-one fighter. He had limited movement, his attacks weren't that strong, and his body was more fragile.
"Alright then." Dyren stretched a little. His gaze turned more serious. "Rise, my servants!" he commanded.
Two glowing magic circles lit up in front of Dyren. The altar floor trembled, and the surrounding air grew heavier. An overwhelming pressure filled the room. Alzahkar's face turned grim.
Not long after, two massive creatures appeared before Dyren. They were Cerberus and... the Headless King.
[Debuff: Aura of Dread – All Attributes -25%]
The Headless King's passive skill activated immediately. This time, the debuff didn't affect Dyren, Cerberus, or any of the summoned skeletons. They were considered allies.
"Why is that monster here?" Alzahkar muttered. His hands trembled slightly. He knew who the Headless King was. That's why he knew this was bad. "Damn. I woke up before my full power had been restored."
He stared at Dyren with sharp eyes. This was all Dyren's doing. If there hadn't been interference—after absorbing Ereon's soul or the Hero's—his power would've been complete. He would've become strong enough to defeat the Headless King.
"In this case, I must retreat."
Alzahkar glanced behind him. He intended to escape. But Dyren wouldn't allow it. Cerberus leapt and attacked.
[Dark Fang!]
A powerful claw strike from Cerberus aimed at Alzahkar. He blocked it but was pushed back.
At the same time, the Headless King teleported. He was already behind Alzahkar, sword swinging down.
"Damn it."
BAAAM!
Alzahkar blocked the slash, but his body was heavily knocked back. The ground beneath him cracked. His left arm was broken.
It didn't stop there. Cerberus attacked again. Alzahkar was given no chance to respond. One strike after another came from the Headless King and Cerberus.
Meanwhile, Dyren stood at a safe distance. "You're finished."
He launched long-range attacks and continuously summoned dozens of skeletons. Soon, the entire place was flooded with undead. A battle that was once balanced had now tilted entirely in Dyren's favor.
He had an overwhelming advantage. Alzahkar couldn't even reach him.
***
Unlike Dyren's overwhelming victory, Saria, Mireille, and the others were in serious trouble. The only one who could still fight there was Kael.
Without magic, Saria and Mireille were just ordinary girls. Their bodies were covered in wounds as they protected Ereon, who still hadn't woken up.
"I'm sorry," Saria said.
She felt guilty toward Kael, who was the only one still fighting. Blood continued dripping from Kael's body. He stood with his spear, still protecting the others.
The villagers who had transformed into demon-like beings continued marching forward, trying to reclaim Ereon. Some were defeated, but there were still many more.
"Give up!" said the leader of the possessed villagers. "You'll die if you keep resisting. If you surrender, we'll let you go."
He tried to persuade Kael. But Kael wasn't the type to abandon his friends for himself. He even laughed at the offer.
"Come at me, bastards! I'll kill you all!" he shouted fiercely.