Roy slowly turned his gaze towards the commander, his eyes cool as ice and just as piercing. With a wry smile on his lips, he said, "You don't need to understand. I mean, what use would this knowledge be to a corpse?"
The words echoed in the stunned silence that had enveloped the surroundings, striking a chord of fear in the commander's undead heart. He hadn't known fear since he was blessed with immortality, but this... this time, it was different. It felt as though his long lost human heart had been revived, thumping madly in the cage of his chest, pulsating with raw terror, a terror that seemed to root itself deep in his very soul, all because of Roy.
Snap! The serene silence was shattered as an acrid noise filled the air.
The commander's wrist had been snapped clean as if it were a twig under Roy's merciless grip.
"Yowch!"
His squeal of pain resounded through the air, bearing an eerie resemblance to the squeal of a pig led to slaughter.
His squeal of pain resounded through the air, bearing an eerie resemblance to the squeal of a pig led to slaughter.
Whoosh!
Keeping the momentum, Roy followed through with a ruthless punch that crackled with an intimidating black aura of lightning.
It was too swift and too unexpected! Because the commander dared to go after his wife, Roy was really angered. No one mess with his woman and gets away with it alive!
The shocking speed of the incoming punch distorted the commander's face in pure horror. In a desperate, futile attempt, he twisted his body, hoping to avoid the brutal blow. He did escape the trajectory of the punch in time, but even that wasn't enough this time as a lightning bolt erupted from Roy's punch and connected directly with the commander's chest, catapulting him back a hundred feet.
Boom!
His body made violent contact with a large boulder, fracturing it on impact. The crumbling pieces of the rock fell around him, blanketing the commander under a pile of rubble.
"Damn, that hurts like hell!" the commander grunted, emerging from his stony confines. A grimace of pain spread across his face as he gingerly touched the gory hole in his chest, exposing a half-destroyed ribcage and the life core nestled within.
The next moment, his gaze landed on Roy, carrying a gloomy undertone.
In return, Roy's calm eyes met his, a silent message echoing through the air, "I'm coming for you."
The commander's face twisted further in dismay as Roy abruptly vanished from sight.
Where could he have gone?
His eyes darted around in panic, scanning the surrounding for any sign of Roy. Every passing moment, every second that Roy remained unseen, only served to amplify the mounting dread gnawing at the pit of the commander's gut. Completely oblivious, he failed to notice the subtle stir within his shadow, failed to see Roy rising from it like a phantom.
Without uttering a single word, Roy reached out his hand, ensnaring the pulsating life core in his grip. With an effortless squeeze, he crushed it.
In an instant, the commander's body disintegrated, turning into nothing more than a pile of ashes. Until the very end, until his last breath, he remained utterly oblivious to Roy's silent presence behind him!
[Ding!]
A gentle chime echoed within the confines of Roy's mind, a system notification breaking the silence.
[Congratulations, Host! You've defeated the undead commander, earning 25000 EXP!]
[It has been detected that you have obliterated the 3rd legion of the nether empire! Prepare for additional rewards!]
[Title "Decimator of Invader" has been acquired! Once equipped, you won't tire when facing an army.]
An EXP bundle has been procured!]
"Huh, now that's pretty cool," Roy mused, a note of genuine admiration in his voice. The new title would let him take on hordes without breaking a sweat, quite a neat little perk. His stamina bar wouldn't experience a change no matter what he does when he is up against an army!
The portals, meanwhile, had returned to their usual state. Without wasting any time, Roy and his companions darted into them, landing safely back in the familiar forest. The other competitors, abandoning their initial challenge, followed suit, eager to distance themselves from the previous chaos.
Princess Seraphina, the host of this event, stood perplexed as she watched the participants emerge from the Everlasting Hollows, panic etched on their faces.
"Why do you all look so rattled?" she inquired, her brows furrowing in concern.
Prince Victor was quick to respond, "The Everlasting Hollows was overrun by creatures from the nether. We barely made it out with our lives. If not for Roy, the young master of the Baldwin Clan, we... we might not have survived," he confessed, each word dripping with gratitude.
Taken aback, the princess took a moment to absorb the words before finally expressing her heartfelt thanks.
"Thank you, Lord Divine Executioner," she began, her voice carrying the weight of her gratitude. "Not only have you saved the brightest unawakened of our empire but also my dear brother. I can't thank you enough."
The princess then did something unexpected. She bowed to him humbly!
"Thank you for saving us from the forces of the nether, Lord Divine Executioner!"
Simultaneously, the other survivors echoed her sentiments, their voices intermingling in a chorus of thanks directed at Roy.
With a nonchalant shrug, Roy replied, "Don't mention it. After all, undead and chaos followers are my sworn enemies. Protecting you or not, I'd have taken them down either way." His casual tone belied the firm resolution in his words, sending a clear message to all present.
After all, a deep-seated loathing for Chaos ran in Roy's veins, an ingrained enmity that was as much a part of him as his very blood. As for Death, though his disdain didn't quite match the intensity of his feelings towards Chaos, he was far from a friend. Any opportunity to undercut his forces was a welcome one, and Roy wouldn't hesitate to seize it!
