CHAPTER 251: EXPLODING THE MONARCH, NOTHING WORKS EXCEPT... FIRE?!

Eclypse Slash!

Sam focused every ounce of his power, his aura compressing tighter and tighter until his sword began to glow with blinding brilliance.

Then, with a single swing, he released it.

The air split apart, and a colossal crescent slash, so dark it seemed to absorb light itself, soared toward the [Darkness Monarch]’s head.

It was his strongest [True Primordial Sword Technique] ability, the pinnacle of his blade mastery.

The same ability that had obliterated both the [Pale Monarch] and the three judges who fused into the [Judge Monarch].

If even they had fallen to this strike, then surely it could deal some real damage to this one.

But Sam didn’t stop there.

Primordial Barrage: Aura Ray!

Above his head, a massive beam structure materialized out of raw aura.

It hummed with violent instability, its surface rippling like molten metal.

A sphere of darkness began to condense at its tip, pulsing with destructive energy.

He could feel it, the weight of the attack, the sheer power packed within it.

This was one of his most difficult skills to use.

It took fifteen full seconds to charge, and any interruption, any hit at all, would cancel the entire attack.

Fifteen seconds. He just needed to survive that long.

The crimson progress bar floating beside the ray began to fill slowly, marking the countdown in his vision.

"Futile," the [Darkness Monarch] laughed, the sound echoing like a thousand distorted voices.

He raised one colossal arm before his head, tendrils writhing like snakes beneath his skin.

Hundreds of eyes embedded in the arm trembled in unison, as if aware of what was coming.

And then—

FWASH! BOOM!

The [Eclypse Slash] struck first.

It ripped through the monarch’s raised arm, severing it cleanly in half. But it didn’t stop there.

The slash continued upward, slicing straight through the monarch’s head as well.

Both the arm and head tumbled down like mountains crashing into the earth, shaking the entire zone.

Sam didn’t relax. He knew better.

Monarchs didn’t die that easily.

Just to be sure, his primordial clone mirrored him and launched another [Eclypse Slash], this one aimed for the monarch’s legs.

Slash!

Both legs were cut clean through.

The giant’s body lost balance and collapsed, crashing to the ground with a thunderous impact.

For a moment, it looked like victory.

The body didn’t move. The tendrils didn’t writhe.

Silence filled the air.

But then—

Fwish!

A vision struck him.

In the vision, Sam saw the fallen limbs melt into the ground, dissolving into black sludge before reappearing beneath him.

A massive hand erupted from below, tendrils twisting and spiraling.

It grabbed him instantly, crushing through his [Primordial Barrier] and slamming him into the dirt, holding him in place.

His vision ended, and Sam’s eyes snapped open.

’Knew it,’ he thought coldly.

That bastard wasn’t dead.

He could feel it, the faint vibrations through the ground as the monarch’s limbs began to seep into the earth again, just as the vision had shown.

He glanced at his [Aura Ray].

The charging bar was only halfway full.

Seven, maybe eight seconds left.

’Come on...’ he thought grimly. ’If my predictions end before this thing finishes charging, I’m dead.’

Each vision was a lifeline.

Without them, he’d already have been swallowed whole.

Just a single mistake, just one, and those tendrils would drag him into the abyss.

Death would be absolute. And right on cue, the rumbling grew louder.

The ground split apart, and a monstrous arm burst upward, swinging toward him.

Sam sidestepped with precision, his wings flaring as he slashed the arm in half.

But the damage was pointless.

The monarch’s body simply regenerated, its tendrils merging and reforming seamlessly.

’This won’t work,’ Sam thought, tightening his grip on his sword.

He was cutting endlessly, yet the creature wouldn’t stay dead.

It wasn’t enough to slice.

He needed something permanent—something that would burn it out of existence.

’Maybe it’s time for [Supernova],’ he thought, his expression darkening.

’If I don’t figure this thing out now, I’ll never win.’

He glanced again at the charging [Aura Ray].

Still a few seconds left. So he switched focus.

He summoned the full force of his fire, letting flames burst to life around him.

Primordial Hellscape!

He threw his hand forward, sending torrents of fire spiraling toward the massive tendril-hand reaching for him.

But the hand immediately retracted into the ground, retreating before the flames could do more than burn one finger.

Sam clicked his tongue.

’Damn it. It’s hiding again.’

And then—

The ground erupted once more.

The monarch’s enormous body rose back into view, reconstructed and towering, more furious than ever.

Its hundreds of eyes glared in all directions, focusing on Sam.

’Perfect,’ Sam muttered.

Because right then, the [Aura Ray] reached its peak.

The crimson bar hit maximum, and the black orb pulsed violently with energy.

The entire world froze for a fraction of a second. Then it fired.

BOOM!

A pillar of pure annihilation shot forward, carving through the void and striking the monarch square in the chest.

"Huh?" the monarch managed to mutter, looking down—

Then came the explosion.

BOOOOOOM!

The blast consumed everything.

The explosion was so massive that the entire [Sixth Zone] trembled.

The shockwave traveled outward, shaking the ground even in the [Fifth], [Fourth], and even [Third Zone].

Awakeners across the other zones stopped mid-fight, terrified, and even the monsters there were confused.

"What was that?!"

"Be careful!"

"It came from further, probably another zone."

They had no idea what was happening.

But in the center of it all, Sam hovered, watching as the beam slowly faded.

Not even ashes remained.

The [Darkness Monarch] had been erased completely.

’Did I... win?’

The silence that followed was absolute.

He waited for the faint chime of a system notification, for a new spirit to appear.

But nothing came. The air felt wrong.

He looked at his clone. But it slowly shook its head.

"Huh?"

It pointed downward, then toward the location where the monarch had been standing.

"What the hell do you mean—"

The ground rumbled again.

And before Sam could even finish his sentence, the darkness surged upward.

The monarch’s figure rose once more, whole again.

Its laughter filled the world.

"Did you truly believe this would be enough?" it roared, "I am invincible! You cannot destroy me, no matter how you try, slashing, exploding, it’s all the same!"

Sam had another vision.

He moved instantly, dodging a tendril that came from below.

And then—

Ding!

["Primordial Predictions" have all been used.]

Sam froze for half a second.

’No more...’

From this point on, every move he made was blind.

His expression hardened, cold and sharp.

The monarch’s voice thundered.

"Do you see it now?" it laughed, the ground shaking beneath its voice, "Then stay where you are... and DIE!"

The giant creature leaned forward, its hand forming a massive claw as it swung downward toward Sam.

The pressure alone split the air apart.

Sam steadied himself, ready to counterattack, but then he saw movement.

The primordial clone beside him was pointing at something.

"...?"

He followed its direction, his eyes narrowing.

The clone was pointing, not at the face or chest of the monarch, but at its other hand.

At first, Sam didn’t understand.

He squinted, scanning the tendrils and eyes that covered its body.

Then he saw it. A missing finger. His heart skipped a beat.

’Wait... that’s the one I burned earlier.’

Smoke was still faintly rising from the stump.

And even now, the monarch’s body struggled to regenerate it.

The finger wouldn’t reform. It simply refused to heal.

Sam’s pupils dilated.

’So that’s it...’

Fire. Its weakness was fire.

And the moment the realization hit him—

[Knowing that your opponent can be killed... fills you with DETERMINATION!]

Sam’s eyes flared crimson, glowing brighter than before.

A grin spread across his face, wild and fearless. The monarch saw it and laughed.

"Did you go insane?!" it howled, "Good! It makes this even more fun!"

The colossal hand swung downward, fast enough to crush mountains.

The wind pressure alone shredded the ground beneath it.

But Sam didn’t move to dodge. He didn’t even flinch.

He simply whispered under his breath—

’I win.’

Because while training, he had unlocked one other ability tied to [Primordial Hellscape].

One he had never used until now. The perfect ability for this moment.

He raised his sword, fire surging through his veins, the air around him bursting into sparks.

The heat distorted the space itself. His flames turned white-hot.

And then—

With his eyes burning brighter than ever, Sam activated it.

Soul of Fire!