The bone serpent’s roar shattered the air, a primal scream that reverberated through the highlands, shaking loose ash and stone from the jagged peaks. Its massive skull loomed over John, a cavernous maw lined with sword-length fangs, glowing with an eerie green light that pulsed like a heartbeat. Its ribs arched into the red sky, each one as thick as a tree trunk, forming a skeletal cage that seemed to writhe with unnatural life. The creature’s eyes burned with an ancient hunger, twin voids of emerald fire that locked onto John, promising obliteration. The ground quaked beneath its coils, fissures splitting the obsidian plateau, spewing molten lava that hissed and bubbled, turning the air into a furnace.John stood his ground, blood dripping from his wounds—his thigh, arm, and ribs screaming with every movement. The dull sword in his hand felt like a cruel joke, its notched blade smeared with ichor and blood, but the ruby ring blazed on his finger, its crimson light a steady beacon. T

John’s grip tightened until his knuckles whitened, the demonic sword thrumming in his hand, its pulse syncing with the furious hammering of his heart. The air around him shook with raw energy, red sparks crawling up the steel like living fire.Vladrik moved first. His wings snapped open with a deafening crack, shadows rippling off them like liquid tar. The gust blasted across the cavern, sending shards of bone clattering and almost throwing John off his feet. The vampire came down in a blur, claws extended, striking at John’s chest like twin blades.Steel screamed as John twisted and met the blow, his sword flaring crimson. Sparks and black fire erupted on impact, the shock rattling through his bones, numbing his arm. He ground his teeth, pivoted on his heel, and carved upward. The blade howled, slashing a streak of blood-red light across the air. Cloth shredded. Vladrik’s robe split open, sleeve tearing apart.Vladrik’s snarl shook the walls. He pulled back mid-flight, then slammed d

John hit the ground in the middle of the slaughter he had carved, his chest heaving, sweat and blood clinging to his skin. His sword dripped thick, blackened gore, every droplet hissing as it struck the scorched earth. All around him lay the remains of Argon’s servants—mangled corpses sprawled like discarded carcasses, their flesh hacked apart, their armor split open as though butchered on an abattoir floor. The air reeked of iron and burning meat, smoke clinging to his throat, and beneath it all was the unmistakable stench of rot.John raised his blade, the edge catching the dull glow of firelight. He pointed it at Argon, lips curving into a cruel smirk. His voice carried sharp, defiant steel. “That was pathetic. If this is your army, dragon, then you’re already dead.”The dragon’s answer was a growl that rolled over the battlefield like thunder from a collapsing sky. Argon shifted, wings stretching wide, their span blotting out the distant stars. The beast’s colossal body sat enthro

John’s eyes opened slowly, blinking against a blinding light that stabbed through the haze of his mind. The first thing he saw was a clear blue sky. It stretched endlessly above him, calm and beautiful, the complete opposite of the crimson nightmare of the Overworld. The air was cool and salty, carrying the distant cries of seabirds wheeling high above. He groaned, his body aching as if his bones had been shattered and painfully pieced back together. His first thought came sharp and strange: Is this heaven? Am I dead?The question lingered only a moment before he pushed it away with a bitter scoff. No, heaven wasn’t for him. Not after the deal he had made. He had given his soul to Azimuth, an entity he barely understood, and in return, he was marked forever. Nine lives. Strength beyond a normal man. The cursed title of Azimuthan. It was a bargain made in desperation, a sacrifice to save Hannah. But heaven was never going to be his reward. Whatever this place was, it had nothing to do

“You… you’re not Azimuth,” Lavantis rasped. His voice was a broken wheeze, each word dragged from a throat raw with ash and blood. He clawed at the cracked earth, fingers trembling as he reached forward. From the smoldering rubble, his demonic sword wrenched itself free with a piercing shriek, as though answering the call of his very heartbeat. It flew into his grip, alive with hunger. Crimson runes lit up along its black steel, molten veins writhing like serpents, casting a red glow that painted the battlefield in hellfire.Lavantis bared his teeth in a snarl, his eyes burning with fury. “You don’t deserve Father’s power, you abomination. I’ll tear it from your bones myself!”With a roar that shook the wasteland, he charged. Despite his massive frame, he moved with terrifying speed, the ground splintering under his steps. The blade burst into flame, its edge spitting fire that hissed and clawed at the air. Each swing ripped the atmosphere apart, leaving trails of burning light that b