As the black flas finally died down, the creature's figure was revealed.
Max's eyes narrowed, sharp as a blade, as he imdiately understood why the creature was still unscathed, even after being caught in the explosion at point-blank range.
Extending from the creature's right arm was a massive black shield, curving outward in a wide arc—ford entirely from its own body.
A defensive construct.
The shield had borne the full brunt of the World Destruction Fla Lotus, absorbing the heat, the destruction, the consuming force of Max's black flas.
Yet—
It wasn't unscathed.
lting marks littered the shield's surface, dark streaks and dripping, molten residue showing clear signs of struggle. It was evident—the black flas had nearly torn through it.
Max's mind raced.
'So that's how it survived…'
The shield had been just sturdy enough to withstand the attack, but only barely.
If his black flaming lotus had been any stronger, it would have burned through the shield entirely—and possibly penetrated the creature itself. Explore stories on My Virtual Library Empire
A small smirk tugged at the corner of Max's lips.
'So even it has a limit.'
He mused.
"Smiling, are you? I wouldn't if I were in your shoes."
The creature's mocking voice slithered into Max's ears, dripping with eerie amusent.
Before he could even react—
It was already too late.
Once again, a blackened claw wrapped around his throat, lifting him effortlessly off the ground.
'Damn! Its speed increased again?!'
Max's mind raced, his instincts screaming at him.
With no hesitation, he ignited every ounce of black flas within his body.
FWOOOSH!
His entire figure beca engulfed in roaring black fire, the sheer intensity blazing even hotter than before.
The creature's hand sizzled, the black flas licking away at its flesh, trying to consu it whole.
But—
It smiled.
A sinister, horrifying grin.
"These black flas are strong…" the creature mused, watching as the fire ate away at its arm—but at the sa ti, the burned flesh was restoring itself almost instantly.
"But you are too weak for them to truly hurt ."
Max's eyes widened in shock.
It wasn't just resisting the flas—it was healing at the sa ti.
The effects of his deadliest flas were being nullified almost instantly.
Then—
The creature's grin widened.
"Now… for the best part."
Its glowing white ring—the one at the center of its blackened, featureless face—
Suddenly turned red.
The mont it did—
Max felt sothing inside him twist.
A cold, unnatural force wrapped around him, sinking deep into his bones, his soul—his very being.
And then—
He felt sothing being taken.
Sothing being sucked out of him.
Sothing deeply important.
Sothing he couldn't afford to lose.
For the first ti—pure instinctual fear gripped him.
[Soul decreased by 0.1]
[Soul decreased by 0.1]
[Soul decreased by 0.1]
[Soul decreased by 0.1]
[Soul decreased by 0.1]
A barrage of notifications flooded Max's vision, flashing in rapid succession, each one carrying a single, terrifying truth.
'Damn! This guy is devouring my soul!'
Panic surged through Max's mind. His heart pounded in his chest as he saw the constant decline of his soul stat, draining away at an alarming rate.
This wasn't just physical damage.
This wasn't sothing he could just heal from.
This was worse.
If his soul was consud entirely—he wouldn't just die.
He would cease to exist.
His very being would be erased.
'Calm down… Calm down…'
He forced himself to breathe, to suppress the fear creeping through his mind.
Panic wouldn't help him.
He needed a counterasure.
His flas had failed—burning, even searing the creature, but it healed too quickly for them to be truly effective.
'If flas don't work… then what about lightning?'
Max's mind raced, and without wasting another second, he activated his Ten Hands of Lightning God technique—
Or at least—he tried to.
But the mont he gathered his strength—
A wave of pure weakness washed over him.
His limbs felt numb.
His vision flickered.
His body scread at him to shut down.
'No, no, no, no—not again! Not that passing out thing again!'
He bit down hard on his tongue, the sharp pain searing through his mind, the taste of blood filling his mouth.
The agony was just enough to keep him conscious.
For now.
But his soul was still being drained.
And he knew—
He didn't have much ti left.
But with the wave of weakness continuously striking him, he could only wait for weakness to die a little before he could act.
'Damn this!'
He cursed.
—
As Max struggled in the creature's grasp, his body growing weaker with every passing second, the other geniuses could no longer remain silent.
So watched in fear, so glared with gloating expressions, while others—those who had truly acknowledged Max's strength—frowned deeply, sensing the true danger of the situation.
"Hey, Blob! Can't this match be canceled?"
Bruce's shout rang across the battlefield, his voice filled with urgency.
"Max already won against Veylin, and that thing—whatever it is—isn't Veylin anymore! Just stop the battle!"
His eyes locked onto the floating blob of sli that acted as the guardian of the Cube, the one who controlled everything inside this trial.
But the sli didn't respond.
Its entire attention was fixed on the creature, its form unusually still, its normally playful and relaxed deanor replaced with an expression of deep concern.
Bruce gritted his teeth, his patience snapping.
"Did you hear what I said?!" he roared again, his voice edged with desperation.
Finally, the sli turned its head toward him, its featureless surface shifting slightly as if contemplating.
Then, it shrugged.
"I could interfere in this battle… but I haven't done so because I needed to verify sothing. Now that I've confird it, I can interfere."
Bruce's expression lit up for a second before the sli's next words crushed that hope.
"But Max and the creature need to be separated first. If I interfere while they're connected, Max will die instantly from the forced severance. And if Max dies, then no one will get access to the fifth floor."
Bruce's face darkened.
"What the hell does that an?"
The sli sighed, shaking its form slightly as if frustrated.
"It ans that the rules of the Battle Realm are absolute. My master set them long ago, and I do not have the authority to change them. Only the winner of this competition can gain entry to the fifth floor. If Max dies here, then the inheritance will remain unclaid, and the Battle Realm will reset itself indefinitely."
Bruce's fists clenched.
"Then just give it to him! He's the strongest of us anyway!"
"It doesn't work that way."
The sli's tone remained calm but firm.
"Even though I control everything in this Battle Realm, I cannot simply assign the inheritance to soone. It must be earned through victory. That is the rule of this trial, and I am bound by it."
Bruce's face twisted in frustration. His mind raced, trying to think of another way—any way—to fix this situation.
But before he could speak again—
"Don't give up too early… Look!"
Crown Prince Aelric's voice rang out, his sharp eyes fixed on the battlefield.
Bruce and the other geniuses followed his gaze.
And what they saw—
Made their hearts pound.
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