A pellet drum appeared in Haidoro's hands.
He began beating it.
The moment the sound echoed across the battlefield, the ground split apart.
[Haidoro]: Seems like I almost forgot.
Thousands of grotesque creatures burst out from beneath the earth, running amok in every direction.
No...
They weren't creatures.
They were Haidoro's own soldiers.
Soldiers who had long ago lost their sanity under Grahan's influence.
Everything...
Exactly as Haidoro had planned.
Their strategy had just hit a wall.
Pratik had already released the Three Tusk War Elephants to hunt down these soldiers while Ganas had been sent after the Four Stared Personnels.
But now...
Everything had changed.
Until the Three Tusks returned, the team itself would have to hold off this endless swarm.
[Kel]: Do not worry, Pratik. Yash anticipated this possibility. We only need to hold them back for a short while.
Kel's words eased Pratik's mind.
He let out a quiet breath.
Even so...
Haidoro was still standing before them.
That alone made it impossible to truly relax.
[Pratik]: I want to try something.
Give me cover.
Pratik burst toward Haidoro.
[Ganaraj]: Range Shiftling, Speed.
[Kel]: Range Shiftling, Advanced Amplifier.
Meanwhile, Kark ensured the mindless soldiers couldn't interfere with the fight.
[Pratik]: Range Shiftling, Shadow Lord. Range Shiftling, Hypermass.
Kel, Ganaraj, and even Kark widened their eyes.
Pratik...
Could create multiple Range Shiftlings simultaneously?
Even Haidoro looked surprised for a brief moment.
The Voidal Dimension swallowed them once again.
Boosted by Ganaraj's Range Shiftling, Pratik shot toward Haidoro at relativistic speed.
Dark Energy Reserves coated both of his fists.
[Pratik]: Dark Plasma Level 10.
This was the strongest punch Pratik could repeatedly unleash.
His fists were wrapped in two layers of Dark Energy Reserves rotating in opposite directions.
Over them rested a third layer—
Plasma Breath.
Kel's amplification pushed the attack even further.
CRACK.
Haidoro's natural Dragoling armour cracked.
The impact hurled him backward.
Pratik narrowed his eyes.
He had realized something.
The key to defeating Haidoro...
...was Plasma.
The Plasma surrounding his fists was merely a weak imitation of the weakened Crocus.
If he truly wanted to defeat Haidoro...
He would need to perfect it.
Haidoro slowly stood up.
Laughing.
Pratik frowned.
That reaction wasn't normal.
[Haidoro]: Now I understand. It was you who defeated my elder brother, Crocus, inside the Dragon Empire. No wonder he wanted you alive.
Pratik's eyes widened.
He wasn't surprised that Crocus wanted him alive.
He was surprised by something else entirely.
Why bring that up now?
Had...
Crocus escaped from Dragon Empire Prison?
[Haidoro]: Don't get cocky just because you defeated Crocus. He had barely been unsealed back then. Had you faced him in his prime...you would've died instantly. And unlike Crocus... I don't go easy on my enemies.
Haidoro formed the Shunya Mudra.
[Haidoro]: Let's see if you can touch me now.
[Pratik]: Shut up!
Pratik roared and charged forward.
His punch...
Was redirected.
His eyes narrowed.
He recognized this feeling.
Crocus.
Space Manipulation.
Divergence.
Pratik immediately leaped backward.
Keeping his distance.
[Haidoro]: What happened? Don't you want to fight me?
Haidoro asked with a smirk.
Pratik felt conflicted.
He had analyzed Crocus' Space Manipulation before and eventually shut it down.
This...
Was different.
It was still Space Manipulation.
But the method itself was completely different.
[Haidoro]: Your Range Shiftling... It analyzes the opponent. Am I right?
Haidoro asked calmly.
[Haidoro]: Then let's see whether it can analyze me.
He joined both palms together.
Molten magma flowed between them.
Pratik didn't see a technique.
He saw...
His own death.
He instinctively understood one thing.
No matter how much his speed increased...
He could never outrun this attack.
The space surrounding Pratik began collapsing inward.
Another application of Haidoro's Space Manipulation.
Convergence.
Even if Haidoro deliberately aimed away from him...
The attack would still reach its target.
Because space itself had already chosen Pratik.
Cold sweat rolled down Pratik's forehead.
Pratik (thinking): Why is the analysis taking this long? If I can analyze his Space Manipulation, I can shut it down before the attack lands.
What do I do?
Haidoro pointed a finger toward him.
The magma beam fired.
It pierced straight through Pratik's forehead.
Pratik collapsed.
[Haidoro]: What a disappointment.
Haidoro sighed before turning away.
Then...
He stopped.
His eyes widened.
The Range Shiftling...
It hadn't disappeared.
Which meant—
Haidoro turned around.
Too late.
Pratik's fist crashed directly into his head.
Dark Plasma Level 10.
Amplified.
The punch drove Haidoro deeper and deeper into the Voidal World.
Only a small wound appeared on his head.
[Haidoro]: You're alive? How is that possible?
Haidoro asked while falling into the endless darkness.
Pratik fell alongside him.
[Pratik]: Seems like power alone isn't enough to defeat me.
FEW MOMENTS AGO~
The moment Pratik realized he couldn't evade the attack...
He activated Range Shiftling, Shadow Lord's Garden...
Inside his own body.
Its center wasn't outside.
It was his heart.
For the first time ever, the Range Shiftling wasn't spherical.
Instead...
Pratik compressed it into a narrow cylindrical shape that covered only his vital organs.
The instant the magma beam pierced through his skull—
The healing began.
The rate of regeneration surpassed the rate of destruction.
Before the attack could fatally damage him...
His body restored itself.
Pratik survived.
Though...
Maintaining such precise healing had already begun affecting his balance during the battle.
Back to Present~
Both opponents crashed onto the dark floor of the Voidal World.
Haidoro slowly stood.
Without hesitation...
He ripped the remains of his natural armour off his own body.
Fragments scattered across the darkness.
Beneath them was his true steel-hard skin.
His body was covered in countless scars.
Countless wounds.
Across his chest lay one enormous scar that had almost completely healed.
Weeks earlier...
It had been inflicted by Crocus himself.
Their legendary battle had lasted for days.
At the time...
Crocus had recovered nearly forty-one to forty-two percent of his original strength.
Haidoro crushed his helmet beneath one hand.
He tossed it aside.
Then tied back his hair.
He flexed his muscles.
Each movement felt as though he were rearranging his own skeleton.
His already powerful physique became even more refined.
[Haidoro]: For the past fifty years... The moment I was awakened... I have been challenged by countless men who believed themselves to be powerful warriors.
He slowly walked toward Pratik.
Pratik coated his fist once more and attacked.
Haidoro swatted him aside.
Like a bug.
[Haidoro]: I crushed every single one of them. I desired power. I desired rule. I earned both. Again and again... I proved myself.
Haidoro spoke while kicking Pratik across the darkness.
[Haidoro]: A rookie sorcerer appears out of nowhere and challenges me. Twice. Do you honestly think... I would spare him?
He continued walking toward the crawling Pratik.
[Haidoro]: You stepped into the wrong domain, kid. This domain... Was never yours to challenge. You'll regret entering it... Even in hell.
Pratik coughed violently.
He struggled to stand.
Haidoro slammed him back down.
[Haidoro]: Dig through the domains of other Personnels... And you'll uncover forgotten history. Forgotten failures. Forgotten trash.
Haidoro grabbed Pratik by the head and slowly lifted him.
[Haidoro]: But if you dig through my domain...
You'll find only the remnants...
...of everyone who dared challenge me.
To be continued...