CHAPTER 283: DESTROY THE CURSED (99)

Chapter 283: The last dark emmisary

"Wait. Is it just me... or does anyone else feel chills looking at that thing?" Little One’s face tightened, voice low.

No one answered. They didn’t have to. Every single one of them felt it, that dreadful weight pressing down like death itself was standing before them.

Han’s fists clenched. His icy blue eyes glowed as lightning crackled around him, flames erupting from his back. His gut told him the truth. This wasn’t just some lackey. For someone to emit this kind of pressure... it could only mean one thing.

Drake’s Ace.

Han braced himself. If he wanted to survive, if he wanted to win, he couldn’t hold back. Not now.

"Ramila. Handle them. Spare no one," Drake’s voice cut through, cold and amused. He lifted a glass, poured himself wine, and leaned back in his chair. His crimson eyes gleamed as Ramila stepped forward. He smirked darkly. This should be fun.

The Dark Emissary advanced, one slow step at a time. Her cloak rippled like it was caught in a storm, though the vast chamber was dead still. No air. No sound. Only her.

Han’s danger sense screamed. His instincts forced his head aside just as a fist blurred past, tearing through the space his skull had occupied. The sheer force rattled his body, slamming him into the ground several meters away.

[-30 HP]

Han groaned, twitching, then staggered back to his feet. His chest heaved. That... that was only the aftershock?

[-390 HP]

His jaw tightened. If that much damage came just from brushing the edge of her strike, what would happen if she landed clean? He didn’t need to guess. It would be catastrophic.

Lightning and fire surged together, wrapping around him, armor forged from pure elemental fury. Stone crawled up his skin, layering a third shield. Three elements, three armors, fused as one.

But the doubt refused to leave. Why does it still feel like this won’t be enough?

The Emissary tilted her head, her gaze locking straight into his soul.

Han’s instincts detonated again. He crossed his arms in front of him. A split-second later her fist smashed into him.

His earth armor shattered instantly. Flames and lightning extinguished like fragile candles. Agony ripped through his body.

[-120 HP]

Han screamed, dropping to his knees as the system blared in red.

[Danger. Danger. Host body is being destroyed by an unknown force. Will host neutralize the energy?]

Han didn’t hesitate. "Accept."

For a split second his eyes flared white, then dimmed back to their icy blue. The system chimed.

[Unknown energy removed.]

No relief followed. His body twitched violently, blood dripping down his chin. Another [-30 HP] gone before the purge was complete.

He lifted his head. His heart seized.

The hood slipped just enough.

A face. A human face. A woman.

But wrong. Twisted. Something so far from human it made his skin crawl. Her features didn’t belong to this world, like reality itself was rejecting her existence.

Han’s instincts screamed. He teleported instantly.

The ground where he had stood erupted under her fist, the floor trembling like an earthquake. No cracks, no rubble, but the tremors shook through the entire chamber.

Han exhaled sharply. "...Oh." His face darkened. "So that’s it. I think I get what kind of skill you’ve got."

But realization didn’t help. If anything, it made things worse. Because if he was right, then every single strike she threw was draining life itself. A solid hit wasn’t just damage... it was death.

Han’s chest tightened as the memory of that agony flashed again. His body still remembered the torment of her touch.

Her head tilted.

Han teleported.

But she was already there, waiting for him. Her fist blurred toward his face. His eyes widened. Every ounce of strength went into twisting his neck aside. The blow shredded past him, missing by a hair, and he vanished again.

[-20 HP]

The system’s cold voice stabbed his ears.

Han snarled, face twitching. "Damn it. She’s getting faster."

His gaze locked on her, and in the next heartbeat, her eyes were already on him.

"Shit!" He cursed, lightning flaring violently across his entire body before he blinked out of existence.

A violent explosion swallowed the space he left behind. The shockwave rippled with dark, eerie energy. No rubble. No destruction. Just the suffocating pressure that threatened to tear him apart.

Han kept moving, teleport after teleport, as fast as his body allowed. But the Dark Emissary was there every time, her speed and perception near limitless.

He avoided her fists, but only barely. The shockwaves still ate at him.

[-20 HP]

[-39 HP]

[-16 HP]

His health bar ticked down with every passing second. That endless reservoir he once relied on, now bleeding dry.

Han’s breath came ragged, his chest burning. A cold truth slithered into his mind.

If this keeps up... I won’t last minutes. Forget winning. I’ll be lucky to crawl out alive.

Bam. Bam. Bam. Bam.

Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom.

Each exchange thundered through the chamber. Lightning. Shadows. Explosions.

But calling it a fight was a lie.

This wasn’t a fight.

It was a hunt. A cat toying with a mouse.

Han knew it. He knew he couldn’t keep running forever. Sooner or later, he would have to face her head-on. But the thought twisted his gut.

She was stronger. Faster. Deadlier. Her every strike drained him more. His HP had already dropped terrifyingly low, and that was just from aftershocks.

One clean hit... and it was over.

Han gritted his teeth, mind racing with plans, discarding them as fast as they came. His health dwindled. His body screamed. His instincts wailed.

But the Dark Emissary kept coming.

Step by step. Blow by blow.

If Han wanted to engage her, he had to do it in a way that wouldn’t get him killed. One hit, just one and he was certain it’d be over. That was the kind of danger the Dark Emissary carried.

No matter what plan he came up with, he couldn’t execute it perfectly. She was just too powerful. Her strength, speed, defense... everything was leagues above his. It felt less like a battle and more like suicide.

Her attacks never stopped, relentless and sharp. Han kept planning on the run, ideas forming and dying at insane speed. Each strategy he dismissed faster than the last, knowing they wouldn’t work. His HP counter dropped lower and lower, every single second dragging him closer to zero.

And still, nothing. No plan to take her down.

Then.... something clicked. A spark in his head. He tested it in his mind, plotted it, considered it. His eyes lit up. This... this should work.

Lightning still crackled violently around him as he moved. The Dark Emissary moved too, like a shadow in sync. But this time, Han didn’t run.

He charged straight at her.

Her eyes narrowed in confusion. Always before, he’d dodged, fled, evaded. But not now. This time, he ran right into her, and when he was close enough, he brought both hands together.

Lightning raged between his palms, so dense and violent it warped the very air.

Han’s voice tore out, raw and wild.

"Lightning Force: Thunderclap!"

His hands slammed together in a deafening boom. Lightning exploded outward, but he didn’t let it scatter... he forced it, crushed it, compressed it until the storm wrapped around the Dark Emissary alone.

Every ounce of concentration in his body screamed with the effort. He knew how destructive Thunderclap already was. But compressed like this? The devastation would multiply tenfold.

The answer was simple: catastrophic.

For the first time, Han felt hope. Even if this didn’t kill her, surely it would weaken her, drag her down to a fair fight. His breathing slowed, his face steadied. Yes. This has to work.

But reality was cruel.

As the lightning faded, the Dark Emissary stood there. Perfectly fine. Unscathed.

Han’s face froze, his lips parting in disbelief.

"Impos..."

Her fist tore into his stomach before he could finish.

Han’s eyes bulged. His mouth dropped wide and blood spilled out in a crimson arc.

The system flared to life in his ear, frantic.

[Danger! Danger! A devastating energy is wreaking havoc in your body. Would host like to neutral...]

"Yes," Han hissed through gritted teeth.

The energy burned through him like acid, before finally being neutralized. But the damage was already done.

[-150 HP. Remaining: 30/500 HP.]

The voice echoed coldly.

Han groaned, forcing himself upright. The pain was unlike anything he’d ever felt, tearing through him mercilessly. His body screamed with every twitch.

The Dark Emissary’s eyes locked onto him again, unblinking. Cold. Certain.

And Han felt it... chills racing down his spine.

Because he knew what was coming next.

And in his current state, he wasn’t sure he would survive it.

To Be Continued....

AUTHOR’S NOTE

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– Ultra