The night air was still heavy with the scent of blood and smoke. The remains of the Shadow Dragon lay scattered across the clearing, its once-mighty body reduced to torn flesh and shattered bones. Eryx stood over the carnage, his breath coming in ragged gasps, his chest heaving with the sheer force of the power he had unleashed.
But it wasn't enough.
The surge of energy still pulsed inside him, stronger than ever, coursing through his veins like molten fire. His body felt on the edge of something—something far greater than what he had known before. The hunger for more gnawed at him, an insatiable craving that threatened to consume his mind. He couldn't stop now. There were more enemies, more monsters to kill, and he needed to feel their blood on his hands.
The old man watched him carefully from a distance, his face shadowed, unreadable. "You're standing at the precipice of something you don't yet understand, boy."
Eryx didn't respond, his eyes fixed on the horizon where shadows still moved in the darkness. More creatures, lurking just beyond sight, waiting to be hunted. He could feel them, their presence tugging at the edges of his awareness. His muscles tensed, his fingers twitching as he prepared to strike.
"You're chasing power blindly," the old man continued, stepping closer. "And that path will break you."
Eryx's gaze snapped to the old man, his eyes blazing with a dangerous light. "Break me?" His voice was low, cold. "This is just the beginning. I'll break them. All of them."
The old man's lips tightened, but before he could say anything more, the ground beneath them trembled. The distant shadows moved, and then, from the forest, emerged a horde of creatures—new, twisted forms unlike the shadows Eryx had fought before. Their bodies were massive, their skin glistening with dark, oily scales. Claws like jagged steel glinted in the moonlight, and their glowing red eyes were filled with unholy hunger.
The largest of them, a towering, grotesque beast with four muscular arms, let out a thunderous roar that shook the trees, sending birds scattering into the night sky.
Eryx grinned, the familiar thrill of battle rushing through him. He could feel the power surging in his blood, stronger than ever, its pull irresistible.
Without a word, he charged.
The first creature lunged at him, its claws slashing through the air with terrifying speed. But Eryx was faster. His body moved like a blur, ducking beneath the strike and driving his fist into the creature's ribcage. There was a sickening crunch as bones shattered under the force of the blow, and the beast staggered back, howling in pain.
Before it could recover, Eryx was on it again, his fists glowing with dark energy. He slammed into the creature with a flurry of brutal strikes, each one stronger than the last. With a final, explosive punch, the beast's chest caved in, and it collapsed to the ground, blood spilling from its gaping wounds.
But Eryx didn't stop. His body moved on instinct, faster, deadlier, as more creatures rushed him. His hands were coated in blood as he tore through their ranks, each kill feeding the power inside him, making him stronger, faster. His movements became a blur of violence, a dance of death as he dispatched creature after creature, their bodies littering the ground around him.
The largest beast bellowed, charging forward with terrifying speed, its four massive arms swinging in a whirlwind of destruction. Eryx met its attack head-on, his hands glowing with dark energy. Their clash shook the forest, the impact sending shockwaves through the air.
For a moment, the beast seemed to overpower him, its sheer size and strength forcing Eryx to his knees. But the power within him surged again, more intense than before. With a roar of fury, he pushed back, his body exploding with energy. The beast's arms were ripped from its body in a spray of blood, and with a final, earth-shattering strike, Eryx crushed its skull into the ground.
The clearing was silent.
The old man stood at the edge of the carnage, watching as Eryx stood over the bodies of the fallen creatures, his chest heaving, blood dripping from his fists. There was something different about the boy now. His power had grown—far beyond what it had been before. But there was something darker in him, something more dangerous.
Eryx's eyes gleamed in the moonlight, his face twisted with a mix of satisfaction and hunger. "I told you," he said, his voice low and cold. "I'm just getting started."
The old man's gaze was grim. "And where will this path lead you?"
Eryx looked at him, his eyes blazing with power. "Wherever it takes me. I'll kill them all. No one will stand in my way."
But even as he spoke, something stirred in the distance, a presence far more powerful than anything Eryx had felt before. The air around them grew heavy, the ground trembling with an unseen force.
From the darkness, a new creature emerged—massive, hulking, its body rippling with dark energy. Its eyes were pools of black, and its maw was filled with rows of jagged teeth. The very air seemed to warp around it, distorting reality with its mere presence.
A Shadow Dragon. Larger than the one before, its power far beyond anything Eryx had ever faced.
The old man's hand tightened around the hilt of his sword. "You're not ready."
Eryx smirked, his body trembling with anticipation. "Watch me."
The dragon roared, and the ground shattered beneath its feet as it lunged at Eryx. He braced himself, power surging through him once more, but this time, it felt different. Stronger. Darker.
With a roar of his own, Eryx met the beast's attack head-on, his fists glowing with dark energy. The impact sent a shockwave through the forest, but Eryx held his ground, his power pushing back against the dragon's immense strength.
As the fight raged on, Eryx could feel his power evolving, shifting, becoming something more. Each strike sent waves of energy coursing through his body, breaking the limits he had known before. His hate, his rage, fueled the power, making him faster, deadlier.
But the dragon was relentless, its claws raking across Eryx's chest, drawing blood with every strike. Pain seared through him, but he ignored it, pushing himself harder, faster. His fists moved like lightning, each punch shattering the dragon's scales, sending dark blood splattering across the ground.
The battle reached its climax as Eryx summoned every ounce of power he had, his body glowing with a dark, pulsating energy. With a final, earth-shattering blow, he drove his fist into the dragon's chest, piercing through its flesh and ripping out its heart.
The beast let out a final, echoing roar before collapsing to the ground, its massive body shaking the earth as it fell.
Eryx stood over the corpse, panting, his body drenched in blood—both his and the dragon's. He had done it. He had killed it.
But as he looked down at his hands, trembling with power, he realized something terrifying.
This was only the beginning.