The fight had begun—but compared to what came next, the Ancient Mill's previous horrors seemed trivial. The real nightmare waited at the top: Shukya.
The creature was a grotesque hybrid of human and dragon, towering over Ron with jagged claws and scales glinting like molten steel. Ron ignited the Blade of Vengeance in Fire Mode, swinging with precision and ferocity. For a while, it seemed like he was winning—slicing through Shukya's flesh, scorching him, forcing him back. But then the monster's terrifying ability, The Infinite Adaptability, activated.
No matter how Ron attacked, the creature regenerated, anticipating each slash, copying every elemental strike—fire, ice, lightning. Ron pressed on, slashing and parrying, sweat dripping, energy burning in his veins. Shukya retaliated, pushing him back, its double-bladed sword clashing against Ron's with thunderous force.
And just as a devastating blow was about to land—
Slash!
A crimson streak tore through the air. DA appeared, his strike splitting Shukya in half without a word, standing as if nothing had happened. Shukya let out an unholy scream. His body turned fully crimson and expanded, doubling in size.
DA glanced at Ron, nodding slightly, and Ron responded in kind. His body glowed with intense blue energy—lightning crackled across his form. He was fast enough before, but now he felt like lightning itself. He charged, slashing repeatedly. But Shukya adapted. Every strike met resistance. Every elemental attack countered.
A punch struck Ron from an unexpected angle, sending him skidding across the floor. Another came before he could recover. Exhaustion weighed heavily—six hours of continuous combat had left him drained, fire and lightning and water powers no longer enough.
"Ron! His core! It's in the heart!" DA shouted, calm yet commanding. "I'll distract him. Give everything you've got in one strike!"
DA launched a flurry of sword slashes, but Shukya adapted instantly. Still, DA's strikes were unpredictable, impossible to anticipate fully, forcing the creature to constantly shift tactics. Then, impossibly, DA went barehanded.
Smaller but faster, he dodged, parried, and struck, interrupting Shukya's adaptability. Every microsecond of combat was a puzzle DA solved instantly, leaving openings where none should have existed.
Ron could only whisper, awestruck.
"Unbelievable… DA, you're a genius."
"Charge your final attack!" DA yelled, eyes flashing.
Ron gathered every ounce of his lightning energy. He launched himself at Shukya, Blade of Vengeance glowing, and drove it deep into the creature's core.
The explosion was instantaneous. Blood and energy surged, filling the room with chaos. Text notifications blinked into existence midair:
[You have obtained a new ability: Infinite Adaptability]
[You have obtained a new Fable: "—"] (blurred)
[The Ancient Mill is about to explode]
Ron grabbed DA, teleporting them outside just as the Mill erupted in a colossal blast visible for miles. He also scooped up Lia and the unconscious Carter. Nearby, Lia trembled, guilt and fear in her eyes.
"Because of me… he got hurt… he was protecting me…" she whispered, voice shaking.
Ron and DA reassured her, steadying her breath, while others arrived to transport Carter and Lia to the hospital safely.
Then Ron heard it—a familiar voice.
"Hey, Ron."
He turned. DA was there, calm as ever.
"Congrats on the new ability… and the Fable."
Ron narrowed his eyes. Those messages were supposed to be private.
"I didn't read them," DA said with a smirk. "But I knew you'd earn one of his powers and the Fable. And… I noticed something else. You can't use most of your abilities—only teleportation and two others are visible."
"How did you figure that out?" Ron asked.
"Before we entered the final floor, I used my ability—Character Stats—on you. Most of your private attributes were censored. A waste… Infinite Adaptability, and you can't even use it yet."
DA turned to leave, but paused.
"One more thing," he said. "One of your hidden abilities is called The Copy. It lets you copy almost any technique or power. Unlike the Blade of Vengeance, these copied abilities become permanently yours."
Ron frowned. "But my sword can copy abilities too…"
"Yes, but only while you're wielding it," DA replied. "The Copy works anytime, anywhere, as long as you want. For now, master the Blade fully."
Then, in the blink of an eye, he vanished.
Ron exhaled sharply. Why would I even listen to him?