His body slid against the ground, his ribs screaming, blood gurgling up his throat again.
—600!
Another notification blinked.
Riley's teeth clenched, his head throbbing, his vision doubling.
'From that one hit… my insides are all messed up.' he thought, trying to re-arrange his scattering thoughts.
He could feel it—his organs were damaged, bleeding, struggling to keep him alive.
And then the demon's voice echoed from the cloud.
It was lower now, deeper, laced with a guttural resonance that reverberated through the ruined dungeon.
"You did your best… human…"
Riley's eyes twitched, fury burning even as weakness chained his body.
The darkness began to pull back, retracting slowly, peeling away from the demon like a great curtain being drawn open. And from within, his new form was revealed.
The demon was taller now—easily a meter taller than before.
His once pale skin was gone, replaced entirely by thick, glistening scales of deep crimson.
