Chapter 410: Death’s Scythe
Adam’s voice rang out, sharp and commanding, as he raised his hand. A vortex of cutting wind and crackling lightning erupted from his palm, tearing through the chamber with savage intensity.
"[Tempest Sovereign]!"
The storm engulfed the All-Seeing One, lightning crackling across its massive form, wind howling as it battered against the translucent barrier. The creature’s iris flickered, its countless eyes narrowing as the assault pressed against its defenses.
But the barrier held.
Adam’s eyes narrowed, a flicker of frustration crossing his face.
"Tch. That barrier is getting annoying."
The All-Seeing One retaliated. A dozen massive tentacles erupted from the floor around him, each one thick as a tree trunk, their surfaces slick with phosphorescent slime. They lashed toward him with brutal speed, aiming to crush him where he stood.
Without a second thought, Adam moved. The Soul Reaper’s Scythe carved a blazing arc through the air, slicing through the first tentacle as it reached for him. Blood sprayed, and the severed end crumpled to the ground, writhing.
His blade swept in a wide arc, cutting through a second tentacle, then a third. His body twisted, flowing like water as he dodged a fourth strike, the tentacle passing inches from his face.
Adam leaped, his wings snapping open to carry him over a sweeping tentacle that aimed for his legs. He twisted mid-air, bringing the scythe down in a devastating overhead chop that cleaved through another tentacle, splitting it cleanly in two.
He landed in a crouch, his crimson eyes blazing as he surged forward.
More tentacles erupted in his path. Adam’s scythe moved in a blur, each swing precise, each cut clean. The tentacles fell around him like wheat before a scythe.
He reached the barrier, his blade already swinging.
"[Death’s Scythe]!"
The scythe struck the barrier with devastating force. The surface rippled, cracked, and shattered—splintering into fragments of translucent energy that scattered like broken glass. The All-Seeing One’s iris contracted, a ripple of distorted light pulsing outward, but Adam was already moving.
He lunged through the gap, the Soul Reaper’s Scythe driving forward in a single, devastating thrust.
The blade pierced the All-Seeing One’s core.
The creature convulsed. A wave of distorted energy erupted from its form, hurling Adam backward. He tumbled through the air, his wings snapping open as he caught himself, hovering above the chamber floor.
His chest heaved, his grip tightening on the scythe. His voice came out cold and sharp.
"Just die already, you bastard."
He lunged again, his blade carving a blazing arc toward the wounded creature.
The All-Seeing One’s iris pulsed. Energy gathered at its core compressing into a single, concentrated beam of annihilation. The air around it warped, the pressure of the attack pressing against Adam’s senses.
The beam shot forward.
Adam’s body dissolved into shadow, his [Abyssal Step] carrying him out of the beam’s path just as it tore through the space where he had been. The beam struck the wall behind him, carving a massive trench through the obsidian, the stone sizzling and melting under the intense heat.
Adam emerged from the shadow, his crimson eyes locked on the wounded All-Seeing One, his scythe already raised.
"Is that all you’ve got?"
The All-Seeing One’s iris contracted violently. Energy began to gather at its core—dark, dense, and violently unstable. The air around it warped, the pressure of the attack pressing against Adam’s senses. A deep, resonant hum filled the chamber as the creature prepared its final assault.
Adam’s eyes narrowed, his instincts screaming a warning.
"Well... looks like you still have some tricks left."
He surged forward, the Soul Reaper’s Scythe already carving a path through the air. But the All-Seeing One was ready. A wall of tentacles erupted from the floor, blocking his advance.
Adam’s blade moved in a blur. Tentacles fell around him, severed and writhing, but more kept coming, relentless and suffocating.
He cut through the last of them, his wings snapping open as he launched himself toward the creature.
But he was too late.
The All-Seeing One’s core flared. A ripple of distorted light pulsed outward, and the air around it began to crack—fissures of raw, unstable space tearing open like wounds in reality itself. The creature had finished its attack.
Adam’s eyes widened as he saw the spatial tears forming around the creature. His voice came out sharp, understanding dawning.
"So this is why the dungeon was sealed. You’re something that should never have been allowed to leave."
The All-Seeing One’s iris blazed. The energy at its core condensed, compressing into a single, devastating beam of void, light, and distorted space that seemed to bend reality itself.
Adam planted his feet, the Soul Reaper’s Scythe blazing with crimson light as he channeled his power into the blade. He swung upward, meeting the beam head-on.
"[Death’s Scythe]!"
The scythe struck the beam, and for a moment, they hung suspended—two forces of absolute destruction locked in a desperate struggle. But the beam was too strong. It pushed through, hurling Adam backward.
He tumbled through the air, his wings snapping open to catch himself. He skidded across the stone floor, his claws digging into the obsidian to slow his momentum. Blood dripped from his lip, but his eyes blazed with defiance.
"[Serpent’s Wrath]!"
Draconic energy surged through his body—a pulse of primal power that reinforced his defenses and accelerated his regeneration. His wounds began to close, his mana reserves replenishing as the World Tree’s blessing surged through him.
He raised his hand, prismatic light gathering in his palm.
"[Prismatic Beam]!"
The rainbow lance erupted from his palm, streaking toward the All-Seeing One’s beam. At the same time, dark energy coiled around his other hand.
"[Abyssal Pierce]!"
The void-charged projectile shot forward, merging with the prismatic beam in a spiraling vortex of light and shadow.
"[Void Prism]!"
The two attacks struck the creature’s beam together, and for a moment, they hung suspended—locked in a desperate struggle of wills.
Then the creature’s beam shattered.
Adam’s combined attack tore through the remnants of the All-Seeing One’s assault, carving a path directly toward its core.
Adam didn’t waste the opening.
He lunged forward, the Soul Reaper’s Scythe blazing with crimson light. The blade swept in a devastating arc, slicing through the creature’s central mass with brutal, surgical precision.
The All-Seeing One’s iris split. Its massive form convulsed, a distorted, guttural screech echoing through the chamber as it was cleaved in two.
The two halves of the creature collapsed, crumbling into ash and scattered fragments of bone and chitin.
Adam landed in a crouch, his chest heaving, the Soul Reaper’s Scythe still clutched in his grip. His voice came out low, rough with exertion.
"Gotcha."
[The Myriad Eyes (Lv. 80) Defeated!]
[+20 EXP | +40 EP]
[The Myriad Eyes (Lv. 80) Defeated!]
[+21 EXP | +36 EP]
.....
[The All-Seeing One (Lv. 98) Defeated!]
[+960 EXP | +1100 EP]
[Ding! Level Up!]
[Level: 93 -> 94]
[Ding! Level Up!]
[Level: 94 -> 95]
[Current Level: 95 | EXP: 420/1200]
[Evolution Points: 17,697 -> 19,197/20000]
[Skill Points: 8]
Adam’s lips curved into a satisfied grin. He knelt beside the fallen All-Seeing One, his claws slicing into its remains. He retrieved a large, pulsing core, its surface dark and veined with swirling patterns of void and light.
[All-Seeing One Core – Legendary]
"A shame I didn’t have enough EP for another evolution," he muttered, glancing at the system window. "But at least I got two levels out of it."
Before he could dwell further, the chamber door burst open.
Ignis stormed in, her flames blazing with righteous fury. Her voice rang out, sharp and indignant.
"ADAM! That’s cheating! You beat it all by yourself!"
Adam raised his hands in mock surrender, a grin spreading across his face.
"Haha! The early bird gets the worm, Ignis. You snooze, you lose."
Ignis stomped her foot, her flames flaring with each word.
"Cheater! Cheater! CHEATER! Adam is so mean! Adam is an idiot!"
Adam winced slightly at the verbal assault, his hands still raised.
"Okay, okay! I’m sorry! Next time, I’ll let you take the boss. I promise!"
Ignis huffed, crossing her arms with a sharp, defiant pout.
"I don’t care! You cheated! You had fun without me!"
Alice stepped forward, her tail lashing with obvious irritation.
"Seriously? You left us surrounded by monsters just so you could fight the boss alone? What kind of person does that?"
Adam’s voice carried a note of defensive urgency, his hands raised as he tried to placate them.
"Wait, wait! You guys are super strong! I knew you could handle those things! I’m not some villain who abandoned you!"
Isolde’s eyes narrowed, her voice carrying a calm, measured edge.
"Even so, is it really sane for a team leader to leave their teammates behind? What exactly is wrong with your head?"
Azrynn’s voice came out quietly, her yellow eyes shifting between the two sides.
"They’re fine, though. So it’s not really a problem..."
Isolde’s head snapped toward Azrynn, her voice carrying a note of sharp, incredulous disbelief.
"Whose side are you on, exactly?"
Lilith’s voice drifted over, smooth and measured, her eyes gleaming with quiet amusement as she stepped forward.
"Honestly, Adam. If you don’t need us, just say so. We wouldn’t have bothered following you into this dungeon if we knew you’d just leave us behind like that."
Adam blinked, his brow furrowing with genuine confusion. He looked around at the gathered women, his voice carrying a note of bewildered innocence.
"Eh... are you all actually angry? I only left you for a little while..."