Aldric's wings folded slightly.
He descended straight toward the wounded Rift Breaker.
The spear in his hand drew backward.
His crimson eyes locked onto the monster below.
"...Heads up."
**BOOM!**
He hurled it.
The blood spear screamed through the air.
It shot directly toward the Rift Breaker's skull.
The monster's instincts reacted immediately.
It raised its massive arm.
**BOOM!**
The spear buried itself deep through the creature's forearm instead.
The Rift Breaker released a furious roar.
Aldric's grin widened.
"...Wrong choice."
His poleaxe was already descending.
Dark mana surged along its blade.
The blood spear embedded in the monster's arm suddenly began to vibrate violently.
Aldric's poleaxe struck it.
**BOOOOOOOOOOM—!!**
The spear detonated.
The Rift Breaker's arm exploded apart.
Black blood and fragments of corrupted flesh burst into the air.
The force of the explosion traveled straight through the creature's body.
At the same instant—
Aldric's poleaxe continued downward.
**SHHHK!**
The blade cleaved cleanly through the creature from shoulder to waist.
Black blood erupted in every direction.
The gigantic body split neatly into two halves.
Both halves crashed toward opposite ends of the chamber.
**BOOOOM!**
The impact shook the shattered floor.
Aldric hovered above the remains.
His black wings slowly beat against the air.
He glanced down at the corpse below.
"...Might've used a bit too much mana there."
He rolled one shoulder.
The muscles beneath his coat tightened.
"...But I did say..."
His crimson eyes shifted toward another advancing Rift Breaker.
"...I'm killing two."
---
Elsewhere—
Blood continued dripping down Draven's face.
His breathing remained steady despite the pain tearing through every inch of his body.
A Rift Breaker slowly pulled itself from the wreckage.
The moment it regained its footing—
Its eyes locked onto Draven.
Its massive jaws opened wide.
A dense sphere of condensed Abyssal mana rapidly formed inside its mouth.
The air around it distorted from the sheer concentration of power.
Then—
It fired.
**BOOOOOOM—!!**
The beam tore across the chamber.
Draven never slowed.
Instead—
He accelerated.
**BOOM!**
He kicked off the ground.
His body spun through the air.
The beam narrowly missed his torso—
But caught his left arm.
There wasn't even time for blood to spill.
The limb simply vanished.
Evaporated.
Reduced to nothing.
Draven didn't so much as flinch.
His crimson eyes never left the monster.
His body completed its rotation.
He descended like a falling blade.
His remaining fist drew backward.
Mana folded into itself endlessly.
Compressed.
Condensed.
Forced into a single point.
Then—
**BOOOOOOM—!!**
His fist connected squarely with the Rift Breaker's skull.
Its jaws slammed shut.
The unstable Abyssal mana it had been gathering detonated inside its own head.
**BOOOOOOOOOOM—!!**
A deafening explosion erupted from the creature's skull.
Its head exploded.
Fragments of black armor and corrupted flesh scattered across the chamber.
The enormous body swayed once.
Then—
**BOOOM—!!**
It collapsed.
Draven landed directly on top of the corpse.
Dark purple mana immediately began pouring from the dying creature.
Without hesitation—
His Folding Mesh drew it all in.
The leaking mana streamed toward him from every direction.
It flowed into his body like a dark river.
The muscles in his remaining arm tightened.
His freshly regenerated arm finished knitting itself back together.
Bone formed.
Muscle followed.
Skin sealed over the newly restored limb.
The fingers flexed once.
Then—
**SHHK!**
Draven drove his regenerated hand straight into the monster's chest.
His fingers tore through layers of corrupted flesh.
His hand searched for only a moment.
Then—
He found what he wanted.
His fingers tightened.
**RIP!**
Another Abyssal Core was ripped free.
It was slick with black blood.
Draven didn't even glance at it.
He was already absorbing the mana leaking from the corpse beneath his feet.
---
Across the chamber—
Aldric continued exchanging blows with another Rift Breaker.
The monster's massive fist descended.
Aldric twisted aside.
The punch narrowly missed him.
**BOOOOM!**
The fist smashed into the ground instead.
Stone exploded beneath the impact.
At the same time—
Dozens of blood constructs formed around Aldric.
Blades.
Spears.
Spikes.
They hovered in the air for a brief instant.
Then—
They shot toward the monster like a crimson storm.
**SHHHK!**
**SHHK!**
**SHHK!**
The blood weapons slammed into the Rift Breaker's body from every direction.
The creature roared and swung its arms wildly, attempting to knock the constructs away.
Aldric remained just beyond its reach.
His wings kept him suspended above the shattered floor.
His crimson eyes calmly tracked every movement.
---
Near the massive hole in the ceiling—
Another Rift Breaker was climbing upward.
Its claws dug into the broken stone as it dragged its enormous body toward the opening.
It was almost there.
Its upper body had already reached the edge.
Before it could pull itself through—
**BOOM!**
Draven appeared beside it.
Still gripping the blood-covered Abyssal Core.
He didn't stop.
His leg whipped upward.
**BOOOOM—!!**
The kick slammed into the creature's side.
The impact sent the Rift Breaker's enormous body flying sideways.
It was blasted away from the opening.
Its claws tore through the stone as it tried desperately to hold on.
But it couldn't.
The monster crashed into a distant wall.
**CRAAASH!!**
The wall cracked beneath the impact.
Draven remained suspended in midair for an instant.
His crimson eyes slowly lifted.
Toward the opening.
Silence.
The Rift Breaker that had climbed out first—
Was already gone.
Draven's eyes narrowed slightly.
"...One escaped."
---
A violent roar suddenly echoed behind him.
**ROOOOOOOOAAARRR—!!**
Draven's head turned.
Aldric glanced over instinctively.
The Rift Breaker before him had suddenly stopped moving.
Its entire body convulsed.
A sickening cracking sound echoed from deep within its armored frame.
**CRACK...**
**CRACK...**
**CRAAAAACK...**
Its molten eyes blazed brighter.
The crimson fissures covering its body widened.
Dark purple light burst from every crack.
The pressure surrounding the creature suddenly surged.
Its muscles expanded violently.
Its armor groaned beneath the transformation.
The very air around it seemed to grow heavier.
Whatever trace of reason had remained within the creature—
Disappeared completely.
Its eyes no longer held even the faintest trace of intelligence.
Only pure Abyssal instinct remained.
The monster had entered its second stage.
Aldric's grin slowly faded.
He tightened his grip on his poleaxe.
The creature lowered its body.
Its massive muscles contracted.
Then—
With another earth-shaking roar—
It threw a punch.
**BOOOOOOOOOOM—!!**
Aldric dodged at the last possible instant.
The monster's fist tore past his body.
Even so—
The shockwave alone exploded outward.
**BOOOOM!!**
Walls collapsed.
Stone pillars shattered.
Chunks of the ceiling broke loose and came crashing down.
The entire chamber trembled violently.
The force sent Aldric sliding backward across the broken floor.
His boots carved deep grooves through the stone.
He dug his heels into the ground.
His wings spread behind him, helping him slow his momentum.
After several meters—
He finally stopped.
Dust slowly settled around him.
Aldric lifted his head.
He looked up at the transformed Rift Breaker.
Its presence had become noticeably more oppressive.
The dark purple aura surrounding its body twisted violently.
Every movement it made caused the surrounding air to tremble.
Aldric scratched the side of his head.
"...Crap."
He let out a slow breath.
His crimson eyes narrowed.
"...Guess I took too long..."
Despite the situation, a grin slowly returned to his face.
"...And pissed you off."
He rested the poleaxe across one shoulder.
His wings stretched slightly behind him.
The Rift Breaker lowered its massive body.
Its molten eyes locked onto Aldric.
Aldric stared back.
For several seconds—
Neither moved.
Then Aldric's grin widened.
"...That..."
His fingers tightened around the poleaxe.
"...Isn't good at all."