Chapter 166: Last Stand Against Charles

Elias stared at the scythe embedded in his side with wide, trembling eyes as a searing pain coursed through his body, making every breath feel like it was tearing something apart inside him.

Then, slowly, his gaze rose toward Charles.

The monster stared back with those hollow, lifeless eyes, showing no sign of pain or hesitation, and Elias’s lips gradually widened into a grin that looked like a jagged fissure splitting through stone.

Instead of retreating, Elias thrust Hellcaller toward his own abdomen.

The protective layer of Aura around his body dissipated, leaving nothing between his flesh and the pitch-black blade. Hellcaller pierced through his abdomen and emerged from his back, the black smoke surrounding its blade curling around his body like hungry serpents.

Charles didn’t react.

There was no expression of pain, no hesitation, and not even the slightest change in those hollow eyes. Instead, the monster simply continued pushing the scythe deeper into Elias’s side.

"Ugh!" Elias groaned, his teeth grinding together as he raised his left arm and caught the scythe-like limb before Charles could drive it any farther.

His muscles trembled as he resisted the monster’s strength, but the battle had already taken its toll. His body was becoming heavier with every passing second, his breathing rougher, and his movements were beginning to lose the unnatural endurance granted by **I Can Do This All Day**.

He had finally taken enough damage for the skill’s effect to end.

As Elias felt his body grow heavier, he released Hellcaller’s hilt, allowing the black sword to remain lodged through his abdomen.

His mind immediately cleared.

Without the skill’s influence dulling his judgment, he understood exactly what he needed to do.

Elias brought down his empty right hand, and while it was still moving, Lastbane appeared in his grip.

He twisted his waist and slashed toward Charles’s wounded thigh.

The blade bit deeply into the already damaged flesh, and before Charles could recover his balance, Elias drove Lastbane straight through the same thigh.

The impact forced the monster’s leg sideways, and although Charles couldn’t feel pain anymore, his body still obeyed the physical consequences of the injury. His posture faltered, his knee buckled slightly, and he stumbled to the side.

The scythe loosened inside Elias’s abdomen.

Taking the opportunity, Elias gripped Hellcaller’s hilt and immediately stored the pitch-black sword inside his Inventory.

Then he stepped forward and slammed his foot into the wound in Charles’s abdomen.

The kick drove Charles backward.

The monster stumbled several steps before falling onto one knee, its scythe-like arm scraping across the cracked stone floor and throwing sparks into the air.

Elias staggered backward as well, his breathing becoming increasingly ragged while his head spun from the blood loss.

His eyes eventually landed on Belthon.

The knight was still lying motionless on the ground.

Elias gritted his teeth and placed a trembling hand against his left side.

"Heal," he mumbled heavily.

A tiny green flame emerged from his palm and sank into his wound, spreading a faint warmth through his abdomen as the spell began repairing the damaged flesh.

The pain eased slightly. Only slightly.

"Hah..." Elias exhaled sharply before looking toward Charles.

The human monster was covered in wounds, and blood continued dripping from its body, yet somehow, the sight didn’t make it look weaker.

If anything, Charles looked even more terrifying.

Lastbane remained embedded in his thigh, but the monster didn’t seem to care. It simply reached down and gripped the sword before pulling it from its own flesh without hesitation and throwing it aside.

Elias’s eyes narrowed.

The black Aura that had previously covered Charles’s body was gone.

Perhaps Hellcaller had dissipated all of it, or perhaps he didn’thave any more Aura left.

This was his only chance.

Several minutes had already passed, and Elias didn’t even know whether Belthon was still alive.

He took a deep, shaky breath before summoning Hellcaller once more.

The pitch-black sword appeared in his hand, and dark smoke immediately rolled from its blade.

Elias tightened his grip.

"Let’s end this!!" he shouted.

He rushed forward. ℴℴ𝘮

Charles rose from his knee at almost the same moment, and the two collided in the middle of the ruined training ground.

Hellcaller swept upward, but Charles twisted his torso and avoided the edge by the width of a finger before swinging his scythe-like arm toward Elias’s neck.

Elias ducked beneath the blade and drove his shoulder into Charles’s chest.

The impact forced Charles backward, but instead of following with another strike, Elias immediately turned his body and swung Hellcaller horizontally.

Charles raised his scythe arm to block.

Black smoke erupted against the pale flesh.

Charles’s arm trembled.

Elias grinned through gritted teeth and pushed harder.

"Stay down!"

Charles suddenly stepped forward instead of retreating, allowing Hellcaller to carve across his shoulder while bringing his remaining arm down toward Elias’s head.

Elias barely managed to move aside.

The blow struck the stone floor with enough force to crack it beneath them.

Elias stumbled, but he recovered immediately and thrust Hellcaller toward Charles’s chest.

Charles twisted sideways, causing the blade to pierce through his shoulder instead of his heart.

The monster seized Elias’s wrist.

Elias’s expression tightened as Charles pulled him closer and swung the scythe toward his torso.

Elias released his grip with one hand and caught the arm with his forearm, then drove his knee into Charles’s damaged thigh.

The monster’s leg buckled.

Elias ripped Hellcaller free and spun, bringing the blade down across Charles’s back.

Black smoke exploded from the wound.

Charles staggered forward.

Elias followed, but his own body suddenly betrayed him.

His legs nearly gave out, and his breathing became painfully heavy.

Blood continued pouring from his side despite Heal, while every movement sent another wave of pain through his body.

Charles turned around.

For the first time, Elias saw something resembling hesitation in the monster’s movements.

Elias tightened his grip on Hellcaller.

Both of them were barely standing.

Both charged one last time.

Their weapons collided, and the impact sent a violent shock through the ruined training ground.

Charles’s scythe scraped against Hellcaller before sliding past it.

Elias stepped inside the attack.

He ignored the pain in his body, ignored his trembling legs, and twisted his entire body into the final swing.

Hellcaller rose from below.

Charles attempted to evade, but his injured thigh failed him.

Elias’s eyes hardened as Hellcaller swept through Charles’s neck.

Charles’s body remained still for a moment before collapsing heavily onto the cracked stone floor, while his head rolled several feet away and came to a stop, blood pouring out from the severed neck.

Elias stood motionless, breathing heavily as blood dripped from his wounds and Hellcaller remained lowered at his side.

Then the system’s familiar voice rang inside his mind.

[Weapon Mastery: Sword — Advanced VI → Sword — Advanced VII]

[The host can now create an Aura Core!]