With a furious roar, Chromaggus bared his fangs, revealing his intent to devour his prey.
Xu Que tilted his head slightly, casting a sidelong glance at Chromaggus' tail. Like a whip, it scraped along the ground, its tip adorned with a flame that swayed menacingly.
As Xu Que pinpointed Chromaggus' vulnerabilities, the creature's eye on the right head roved incessantly, as if seeking Xu Que's own weak points.
In an instant, the left head lifted, gathering a torrent of blue energy.
"Damn it!" Xu Que cursed, springing into motion without hesitation. There was no longer any need to conserve spiritual energy; with no other beings around to interfere, he could unleash his full strength.
Chromaggus fixed his gaze, and with a burst of frost magic, hurled a massive attack directly at Xu Que. He leaped just in time, ready to dodge and engage in a tactical battle. But the beast surged forward, intent on exploiting its natural gifts to crush him and expose any openings in his defenses.
The searing heat grew nearer, and Xu Que, feeling its intensity, wasted no time. He deftly launched himself off his long sword, escaping Chromaggus' reach.
In that moment, the center head bared its maw, firing a stream of venomous green fluid.
"Not this time!"
Xu Que severed his mental connection with his sword, letting himself drop as he narrowly avoided the poisonous spray. Chromaggus, undeterred, launched himself at Xu Que with claws extended.
Xu Que's eyes widened. He activated his boot enchantment, executing a double jump just in time to dodge Chromaggus' crushing blow. Yet barely a second passed before Chromaggus rebounded, hurtling forward once more. Xu Que realized that he'd have to confront this relentless force head-on.
Sliding beneath Chromaggus, he narrowly evaded the creature's claws. The beast's second strike fractured the stone slabs lining the hall.
Chromaggus landed with a snarl, his right head fixated on Xu Que, launching a stream of fire at him. Xu Que, already burned once, wasn't about to be scorched again. He rolled to the side, dodging the flaming assault.
Furious that his magic had failed, Chromaggus bellowed. Both side heads lifted, preparing a simultaneous attack.
"So, it begins…"
Xu Que narrowed his eyes, his feet poised to launch him forward. His original plan had been to keep distance, catching Chromaggus off guard with sword control, but the beast had already forced him into close quarters.
With a thunderous blast, frost and fire streaked toward him. Xu Que braced himself, launching his long sword toward Chromaggus' center head.
"Slash!"
*Clang! Clang! Clang!*
The sword didn't find its mark as anticipated. To Xu Que's shock, Chromaggus willingly sacrificed three fangs to block the strike, thwarting his attack.
"Damn, this creature's smarter than I thought!"
Seeing the cooldown timer on his sword technique, Xu Que regretted wasting it earlier. Chromaggus had prepared himself now, making the battle significantly harder.
As Xu Que moved in, a dark shadow whipped across his vision.
*Thud!*
He halted, as Chromaggus' massive tail slammed down before him. Xu Que barely had time to process the strike before realization dawned.
"Damn it, he's trying to wear me down with this burn effect!"
The searing heat was slowly corroding his skin. Without a quick end to this fight, his life was forfeit.
Glancing at the fire-resistant potion in his inventory, he resisted the urge to use it. With only one use available every thirty minutes, he had to save it for an absolute emergency.
Resolving to press on, Xu Que gritted his teeth and charged at Chromaggus once more. The beast, seeing its prey approaching, opened its maw wide to strike.
Chromaggus' center head lunged in a vicious attempt to swallow him. Xu Que sidestepped instinctively, and in that brief moment, Chromaggus lunged again, his right head sinking fangs into Xu Que's left shoulder.
"Ahhh…!"
Enduring the excruciating pain, Xu Que mustered all his strength, driving his sword deep into Chromaggus' right head.
"Slash to the heavens!"
With a surge of spiritual energy, the sword cleaved upward.
*Squelch!*
A deafening roar echoed as Chromaggus reeled, his right head severed, lifeblood spraying onto the stone floor.
Xu Que smirked grimly, although his left shoulder hung mangled. The beast's sheer bite force had been terrifying—if not for his armor, he'd likely have lost an arm.
With his left arm rendered useless, Xu Que had no time to waste. Chromaggus' wounds began to seal as its magic swelled, the blood from its right head slowing to a stop.
Chromaggus stared him down, now with only two heads. With a feral snarl, the beast seemed poised to summon aid. Xu Que's grin turned wicked.
"Game over for you."
Xu Que planted his sword, springing toward Chromaggus. The creature, sensing danger, tried summoning its usual prey, expecting rodents and toads to answer the call.
But Xu Que wasted no time. Slipping into Chromaggus' blind spot, he unleashed a blinding strike at the center head.
*Thwack!*
A golden blade sliced through the remaining head, severing it completely.
Chromaggus howled, thrashing violently as Xu Que watched from a safe distance. Its final attempts at magical resilience failed, and the great beast's remaining head collapsed, lifeless.
"Congratulations, Human Xu Que! You have successfully conquered the A-Level [Gate of Hell] and earned dominion over this territory. You have acquired 29 Iron Spirit Ores, 55 Spirit Crystals, and 8 Spirit Stones. To access your daily income from this domain, please visit the Trading Hall."
"Congratulations, Human Xu Que. Based on data analysis, you now possess an advanced territory. Would you like to integrate [Shadow Forest] into [Gate of Hell] as a subdomain?"
"Yes…"
Drained, Xu Que downed a [Fire Resistance Potion], quickly followed by a [Healing Elixir] to staunch his wounds.