The Paladin staggered, his silver armor cracked and blackened, light spilling from the fractures like a lantern about to shatter. His sword, once radiant, flickered with dying runes.
But his eyes burned with conviction.
"Even if I fall, monster… the Order will never stop hunting you."
Elior's wings spread wide, flames and blood mist twining together in a storm. His claws dripped molten crimson, the fused Dungeon Heart pounding within his chest.
---
The Final Stand
The Paladin dropped to one knee, drove his sword into the earth, and clasped both hands over the hilt.
"Divine Light… grant me strength… one last prayer."
A circle of holy glyphs flared around him, spiraling upward. A spectral host of knights, shimmering silhouettes of silver, rose behind him—an invocation of the Silver Order's ancient vow.
Elior felt the ground tremble. Even the systems reacted.
Dragon Protocol: "This is no mortal spell. Crush it before it roots."
Vampire Protocol: "Drink the light. Turn faith into fuel."
Overflow Engine: [Warning: Incoming Boss-tier Skill Detected – Consecration Nova].
The knight's voice roared through the burning ruins.
"By holy decree—fall, abomination!"
---
Bloodfire Storm
Elior snarled, his claws digging into the soil.
"No one decides my fall but me."
He inhaled deeply—blood, smoke, heat—and exhaled in a torrent.
> [Bloodfire Breath – Activated]
A storm of crimson flame, threaded with vampiric essence, tore through the air. The spectral knights screamed as they melted in the blaze, their forms unraveling. The Paladin's Consecration Nova cracked, light shattering against the oncoming storm.
The explosion ripped the battlefield apart—stone collapsing, ash and embers devouring the sky.
---
The Silence After
When the smoke cleared, the Paladin lay in a crater, his armor shattered, sword nothing more than molten fragments. His breath rattled, shallow, but his gaze never wavered.
He whispered, blood on his lips:
"…You will be feared. Hated. No throne for monsters."
Elior stepped forward, claws glowing. He crouched, looking into the knight's dying eyes.
"Then let them hate. Fear is just another crown."
With one swift motion, his fangs pierced the Paladin's throat. Light flared, then died.
---
System Updates
> [Boss Defeated: Silver Order Paladin – Tier 4]
Rewards Acquired:
– Silverbrand Core (Epic – fragment of divine steel)
– Paladin's Oath (Rare Skill Scroll)
– Silver Order Crest (Quest Trigger Item)
– +1 Level [Current: Level 5]
> [New Quest Unlocked: The Silver Order's Wrath]
Survive the hunt.
Reward: Unknown.
Failure: Death.
---
Elior straightened, crimson light flickering in his eyes. In the distance, the horizon glowed with torches—reinforcements were coming.
And yet, for the first time, he felt no fear.
Only hunger.