Lex groaned as the floor underneath him cracked, pulling half of his leg in. Vyrax raised the great sword again, attempting to land another hit.
Lex's mind went wild, he was going to die if that attack landed.
---
Lex's mind raced as the massive sword descended toward him. His legs were pinned, and his body screamed in pain from the earlier impact.
Think, Lex, think! he urged himself. He couldn't die here—not now, not before proving himself. The staff in his hands trembled under the weight of his desperation.
In the split second before Vyrax's blade struck, Lex slammed the base of the staff into the ground. A burst of blue flames erupted around him, forming a shield of crackling heat and light. The dark sword clashed against it with a deafening roar, the force of the collision sending shockwaves through the valley.
Vyrax stumbled back slightly, his laughter echoing once more. "Interesting! You're resourceful, mortal, but that will only delay the inevitable."
Lex scrambled to free himself from the fractured ground. The fire shield flickered, threatening to collapse under Vyrax's relentless energy. He could feel the staff resisting him, refusing to lend him its full power. It was as if it was watching him, testing him.
"Why won't you work?" Lex muttered under his breath, gripping the staff tighter. "You're supposed to help me survive!"
Vyrax advanced again, his presence a suffocating force. "The staff rejects you, boy, because it knows you're unworthy. You're just a pitiful replacement—a weakling who doesn't belong here."
Lex gritted his teeth. "You talk a lot for someone who fell from grace. Aren't you just as unworthy?"
That struck a nerve. Vyrax's face twisted with rage, and he charged, swinging his massive sword in a flurry of dark strikes. Lex could barely keep up, parrying desperately with the staff. Sparks flew with every clash, each blow driving him further into the ground.
"You dare mock me?!" Vyrax roared. "You, a mere human, who cowers behind flames and borrowed power?"
Lex spat out a mouthful of blood, his arms shaking under the strain. "Maybe I'm human, but at least I'm not stuck in the past, whining about what I lost."
Vyrax howled in fury, his attacks becoming wilder, more erratic. Lex saw his chance. Channeling every ounce of his strength, he launched himself upward, narrowly dodging a downward strike that split the ground open. He landed a few feet away, panting but still alive.
"Okay, Lex," he muttered to himself, wiping the sweat from his brow. "Think outside the box. If the staff won't cooperate, I'll have to do this my way."
He extended his hand, summoning more blue flames. The fire danced around him, forming a blazing barrier. Vyrax lunged, but Lex was ready. He redirected the flames into concentrated blasts, hurling them like missiles. Each strike chipped away at Vyrax's dark aura, though it wasn't enough to stop him entirely.
"You think your pitiful tricks can defeat me?" Vyrax sneered, absorbing the fire blasts into his blade. The dark energy around him grew thicker, more menacing.
Lex clenched his jaw. He needed a plan, and fast. His eyes darted around the battlefield, searching for anything he could use to his advantage. That's when he noticed the faint glow emanating from a distant pedestal—a fragment of divine energy pulsing faintly in the shadows.
The staff… it's connected to that, Lex realized. If he could reach the pedestal, maybe he could unlock the staff's true potential. But Vyrax stood in his way, a towering wall of darkness.
"Alright," Lex whispered, "time to gamble."
He darted toward the pedestal, dodging Vyrax's attacks with nimble footwork. The corrupted deity roared, his massive sword carving through the air in relentless pursuit. Each swing came closer to cleaving Lex in two, but he didn't stop. His goal was within reach.
As he neared the pedestal, Vyrax suddenly appeared in front of him, his blackened mouth twisting into a grin. "Going somewhere, little mortal?"
Lex skidded to a halt, his heart pounding. He had no choice. Gripping the staff tightly, he plunged it into the ground, unleashing a shockwave of blue flames. The force temporarily blinded Vyrax, giving Lex the opening he needed to dive past him and grab the glowing fragment.
The moment his hand touched it, a surge of energy coursed through him. The staff pulsed in his grip, its resistance melting away. For the first time, Lex felt a connection—a bond forming between him and the ancient artifact.
Vyrax howled in anger. "No! That power is not yours to wield!"
But it was too late. The staff ignited with radiant light, and Lex's body was enveloped in divine energy. He rose into the air, his wounds healing, his strength renewed. The valley trembled as the power of the Supreme Divine Staff finally awakened in his hands.
Lex looked down at Vyrax, his expression calm yet resolute. "You're right, Vyrax. I was afraid. But not anymore."
He raised the staff, its energy crackling with raw power. This time, he was ready.